872d Bombardment Squadron

872d Bombardment Squadron
Active	1943-1944; 1944-1946; 2007; 2009
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Engagements	American Theater of World War II Pacific Theater of Operations

The 872d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 382d Bombardment Group stationed at Camp Anza, California. It was inactivated on 4 January 1946.

The squadron was established in late 1943 as the 872d Bombardment Squadron at El Paso Army Air Base, Texas, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadron that was one of the original operational squadrons of the 497th Bombardment Group. The squadron's initial cadre was drawn from the 491st Bombardment Group.

In December the squadron moved on paper to Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico. At Clovis, the squadron began to man its air echelon by January 1944. The 872d drew heavily on aircrews of the 480th Antisubmarine Group who were returning to the United States from duty in England and Africa to fill out its crews. Aircrew training at Clovis was limited to ground training, although some flying in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft assigned to the 73d Bombardment Wing was accomplished. Key personnel trained with the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida.

In April 1944, the air and ground echelons united at Pratt AAF, although its personnel were detached to other units of the group. In May the United States Army Air Forces reorganized its very heavy bombardment units. Shortly after arrival at Pratt, the 872d Bombardment Squadron and the support units of the 497th group were inactivated and their personnel absorbed into the remaining squadrons of the group.

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