HISTORY OF THE 390TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (M)

    The History of the 390th Bombardment Squadron (M) began with its activation at McChord Field, Tacoma, Washington, on March 20, 1942. Original cadre was drawn from Headquarters 42nd Bomb Group and from the 78th Bomb Sqdn (M). Over a period of a year the squadron grew to T/O strength, trained and equipped itself and flew its first missions in Northwest Pacific antisubmarine patrol.

    On March 15, 1943, the squadron set out for the front. Staging at Camp Stoneman, California, the original personnel boarded the S.S. Maui at San Francisco and on March 28, 1943 cleared the Golden Gate for what was to be a 28 to 30 month tour overseas for most of the ground echelon.

    Debarking at New Caledonia on April 16 the squadron pitched camp outside Noumea. The flight echelon took off on the 20th – 23rd for Nandi, Fiji, and on May 5, 1943 the groundmen sailed on the naval transport George Clymer for Guadalcanal, reaching the Solomon Islands on May 11, 1943.

    From Fiji our B-25’s flew their first two missions, both searches. The Mitchells left Fiji June 17-23, 1943, flying to Carney Field, Guadalcanal, to rejoin the ground echelon. Guadalcanal is so well known to all Pacific veterans that it needs little description here. Suffice to say that there originated the phrase “When things were rough”. Things were indeed at that time. Supplies of all kinds were short; men had to accustom themselves to steaming heat, teeming rain, clinging mud and biting dust; to field living and malaria discipline, while keeping the planes flying under battle conditions.

    Every day meant at least one mission, and for a considerable period every night meant an alert and air raid. On June 25, 1943 the squadron flew its first bombing mission, an attack from medium altitude on Vila Airdrome, Kolombangara Island. Second mission flown was a medium strike on Munda, New Georgia. Both missions scored good hits and were accomplished without loss.

    The squadron operated from Carney Field until October 21, 1943, on each day delivering one or more attacks against Japanese airfields, supply depots and shipping in the Solomons and Bismarck Archipelago. On August 1, 1943 first flight crews returned to Fiji for six weeks of rest, training and anti-sub patrol. At this time the first of our combat crews to receive rest leave were flown to Auckland, New Zealand.

    Our missions of this period were very successful and inflicted vast damage upon the Japanese advanced positions. High points were the sinking of a Jap cruiser off Choiseul on July 20, 1943, and a dusk strafing attack on October 6 which crippled Jap aircraft caught on the ground at Kahili Airdrome, Bougainville. Parafrags were used for the first time in this raid. An available tabulation of our damage to enemy shipping in the Solomons shows: 1 cruiser, 6 Aks and 5 barges sunk; 1 AK and 16 barges damaged. On October 21-22, 1943 the squadron made a short move to Banika, Russell Islands. This was a more pleasant camp than Guadacanal although the squadron’s first location proved unsatisfactory. In the Russells the combatschedule continued much the same, with Solomons targets receiving our attention.

    In January 1944 Group and squadrons with the exception of the 75th and 390th moved to Stirling Island, Treasury Group. A schedule alternating 60 days in combat from Stirling and 40 days in the rear area at Banika was inaugurated for air crews. While our combat men flew Stirling, our group crews serviced the planes of another squadron, quartered with us.

    Principal target from Stirling was Rabaul, New Britian, keystone of the Japanese conquests in the South Pacific. Rabaul with its five satellite airfields was perhaps the hottest bombing target in our experience. Antiaircraft fire was encountered in some degree on every mission and frequently all planes over the target were holed. Over Rabaul the squadron met its greatest volume of air interception, Nip planes attacking many of our formations. Squadron gunners accounted for one definite and one probable Zeke. Other Solomons and Bismarck targets were assigned us, but we kept Rabaul, the main show, under constant attack from January until the final raid by the 42nd Group on July 22, 1944.

    So thoroughly was this target destroyed, with the 390th prominent in the assault, that the one-time “Japanese Pearl Harbor” was written off as an offensive base.

    At the close of this operation the Squadron had completed 16 months overseas and had participated in two campaigns. For its efforts the Group was awarded the Battle Stars of the Northern Solomons and Bismarck Archipelago campaigns, and individually the squadron received high commendations from the Fiji and Australian governments, USAFISPA, Navy and subordinate commands.

    On July 30, 1944 the squadron split up for another move. An advance air echelon flew to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, to set up camp for the combat crews, who remained in the Russells until August 7, 1944, then flying to Hollandia via the Admiralties. The ground echelon proceeded by the S.S. Extavia on August 1, 1944 for Sansapor, Dutch New Guinea, arriving there August 26, 1944. The air and flight echelons operated at Hollandia from August 31, 1944 until September 17, 1944, bombing Western New Guinea targets, then traveled by C-47 and B-25 to the newly opened Mar strip at Sansapor on September 18-19, 1944.

    Sansapor was “rugged”. Dense tropical forest untouched by man had to be cleared from absolute scratch by our own efforts with axe and machete. Over a month of backbreaking, sweat-drenched labor a campsite was cleared, tents rose and reasonably comfortable camp life became possible.

    From Sansapor our tactical assignment was to neutralize Japanese airfields and destroy supplies and shipping throughout the eastern islands of the Netherlands East Indies, which lay to the west of our base on the Vogelkop Peninsula. Reduction of these enemy potentialities for offense was necessary toprotect the left flank of the “Return to the Philippines”. With other squadrons of the Group, the 390th applied itself to this task.

    Ambon, Celebes, Ceram, Halamahora and smaller islands were bombed and strafed’ Jap shipping in surrounding waters was harassed, damaged and sunk. Considerable antiaircraft and some interception countered our attacks, and over Menado, Celebes, our gunners added another probable Zeke to our score. Minimum altitude strafing attacks supplanted medium level bombing until, by the end of February 1945, the former type of mission had become our specialty. Following landings on Leyte by General MacArthur’s ground forces in October 1944, the squadron joined in the Philippine battle, attacking airfields in the central and southern islands. These missions staged at Morotai. Between November 11 and 20, 1944 the squadron, with other Group units, provided the entire aerial force for the successful invasion of the Asia and Mapia Islands, just north of the equator from Sansapor.

    In late February the squadron again spilt; the flight echelon and skeleton ground staff flew to Morotai on February 22-24, 1945 while the ground echelon sailed on February 26 by LST for Palawan Island, Philippines. Squadron Mitchells operating from Morotai during an unceasing rain provided pre-invasion assault and cover for ground forces landing at Zamboanga, Mindano; Leyete and Negros. March 21-23, 1945 the air echelon rejoined the ground, which had beached at Palawan on March 12 and had set up camp in a sandy, sunny coconut grove near Puerto Princessa.

    From this base our operations were directed first against Cebu, Negros and Panay, where additional landings were inprogress, then against Japanese concentrations on Northern Borneo. After preliminary bombardment, a pre-invasion working-over was administered to Tarakan, an oil-bearing island off the east Borneo coast. This was followed by air cover in support of Australian troops making the beachhead. The squadron performed similar work for and with the Australians at Brunei, Labuan, Jesselton, and Sandakan, across Northern Borneo.

    In April and May 390th planes spanned the South China Sea to raid the coast of French Indo China above Saigon. In May and June operations were launched next against Balikpapan, Southest Borneo, second largest oil refinery center in the Indies. Hotly defended, Balikpapan was softened up as Rabaul and Zamboanga before it had been, and the Australians effected their landing with minimal losses.

    In late July 1945 the squadron was preparing to move to a new base close to the Japanese homeland. Despite preparations for moving, missions were being flown against remnants of the Japanese army holed-up in the mountains of Northern Luzon. At the precise moment toward this target. The planes were ordered to jettison bombs and return to base.

    Statistics tell the story of the squadron’s part in the war simply and effectively. Official Group records credit the 390th with 508 missions involving 2971 sorties, which dropped 4,616,275 pounds of bombs on the enemy. Ammunition expended runs to astronomical figures of which no tabulation is available. For these activities the squadron was awarded, in addition to the Solomons and Bismarck stars, battle honors for the New Guinea and Southern Philippines campaigns. Offical action is awaited on our eligibility for the China, Luzon and Western Pacific stars. Approximately 3000 Air Medals were awarded to saquadron flying personnel. Commendations and citations for our ground support work in the Philippines and Borneo were numerous. Thirty-two members of the squadron gave their lives in aerial combat.

    No record was kept of enemy air raids before the 130 plane mass attack on Gudalcanal on June 16, 1943. One hundred were subsequently recorded for all stations.

    Squadron ground elements were frequently commended for excellent performance and maintenance records. Members of the 390th can recall with pride their part in the war. The squadron’s role was not the most spectacular, but all tasks assigned us were willingly and efficiently accomplished, despite hardships, discomforts and difficulties, and our efforts counted well in the balance of armed might which met and broke Japanese aggression, bringing Victory and Peace.

            from Jack Blake, Intelligence Operations via his son Robert