HISTORY OF THE 75th BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON
The 75th Bombardment Squadron was activated at Fort Douglas, Utah on January 15, 1941 from an original cadre taken from the 7th Bombardment Group for the purpose of loaning the 75th, 76th, 77th and headquarters squadrons of the new 42nd Bombardment Group.
Early in the spring of 1941, it was decided to continue the training and further organization of the 75th at the Boise Air Base, Boise, Idaho, and on June 6, 1941, with a nucleus of six officers and 120 enlisted men the move was made. Hence the squadron was brought to full strength with the assignment of selectees, and training continued pleasantly over six months.
December 7, 1941 found the 75th Bombardment Squadron enjoying a fine report for efficiency and safe flying and in a position of readiness. One Squadron from the Group was immediately sent to Alaska but the 75th was assigned to duty on the west coast for the purpose of antisubmarine patrol, early warning, and aerial protection against possible invasion. So, on January 17, 1942, the Squadron departed Boise for its new base in Portland, Oregon.
While at Portland the 75th was under the operational control of the Navy since coastal patrol and sub patrol work had to be closely coordinated. Aircraft flown for these missions were B-18’s and B-18H’s until the early part of May when A-29 Lockheed Hudson Bombers were assigned to the Squadron. Through an entire period of 13 months, daily patrol missions were flown with but one fatal crash. Crews put in long hours in the air in patrol work, doing more flying than crews in actual combat areas. Instances have occurred when other organizations were assigned these patrol duties for short periods. On some occasion a request was made for the return of the 75th. These long hours in the air were of great training value to both flying and ground personnel. The efficiency of the two organizations as a whole and the success of its operations were jointly responsible for the enviable reputation it acquired at this time.
Finally, on February 10, 1943, the 75th Bombardment Squadron along with the 42nd Bombardment Group was alerted for foreign service. Immediately combat crews left for Hammor Field, California to receive preliminary concentrated training prior to departure for overseas. On March 1943 the combat crews departed for Hamilton Field. Leaving Portland on March 15, the ground personnel arrived at Camp Stoneman, California on March 17 for an 11 day stay in preparation for the move. Embarking on March 27, 1943 on the USAT Maui, port was finally cleared at 0900 hours on March 28, 1943, final destination unknown.
Quarters were crowded and at night when the ship was blacked out and closed down and the the atmosphere was stifling. Days of inactivity followed with card playing and sunbathing on decks. The food was not of the best and only two meals were had per day, but all managed well. The troop compliment consisted of 1500 Negro and 500 White troops between which there was little or no friction, and time progressed smoothly. Though traveling alone and unprotected, no enemy action resulted, but strain vigilance was kept and lifeboat drills was a common occurrence. A break in monotony during the trip, was furnished by King Incubus Rex upon crossing the equator. All were initiated in one way or another and received certificates.
The Maui arrived at the harbor of Houmea, New Caledonia on the evening of April 14, 1943 and the following morning docked. On the 17th the Squadron went aboard the “New Herbides”, a dirty little coastal steamer of French origin; it was so small that there was hardly room to sit down on the open decks and, to add to the discomfort, it rained all that night. After a miserable 24 hours, the Squadron disembarked at Nepoui Docks and proceeded to Plaines De Gaiacs Air Base, eight miles distant. The first foreign ground proved quite disappointing and the first camp site had to be changed since it was too muddy when it rained and too dusty when it didn’t. After a week on shore the Squadron moved to its new camp site and all hands pitched in with enthusiasm to build a livable camp.
The next month was spent flying submarine patrol and training missions until May 18, 1943 when orders came through for the movement of ground personnel to Carney Field, Guadalcanal, relieving the 69th Bombardment Squadron which was already there. The entire movement was carried out by SCAT operations planes of DC-3 vintage, equipment being exchanged with the 69th. This eliminated the need for reshipping from one place to another. The men moved into an area which was in deplorable conditions. It was dirty and unsanitary, so a program of permanent improvement was inaugurated. Much valuable time had to be used.
On June 5, 1943 the Air Echelon of the 69th Bombardment Squadron, which was to be serviced by the 75th, began to arrive at Guadalcanal and operations commenced. All activities at Carney were continually hampered by the Japanese. Between May 20 and July 5, 1943 the 75th underwent a total of 28 alerts, witnessed the shooting down of several Nip planes, and was subjected to enemy fire in the camp area. In spite of this and in addition to operational duties, work on the area continued until a clean, livable camp had been established.
Meanwhile, the 75th Bombardment Squadron Air Echelon serviced by the 69th ground personnel back at PDG, continued to train and to fly sub patrol missions. Finally, on July 17, 1943 they were ordered to rejoin the rest of the Squadron at Carney Field. July 23 saw the first combat mission against enemy held positions flown by the 75th, 12 aircraft participating. The many days of training and preparation were finally ended and the knowledge and experience so gained was now put to good use.
The Squadron completed 31 missions up to 7 September 1943, participating in pre-invasion bombing and ground support for the New Georgia campaign. Excellent results were achieved without loss of any kind and only minor damage to some aircraft. On 7 September 1943 the air echelon was ordered back to PDG for the purpose of transporting, from that base to New Zealand, aircrews for a well earned 10 day rest. While at PDG the first Air Medals were awarded to officers and enlisted men.
Around October 20, 1943 saw the return of the air echelon, refreshed and charged with renewed energy and determination. Landing at Carney, they were ordered to proceed to the Russell Islands, the ground troops following the next day by LST. The Squadron, this time, was very fortunate in having been assigned a campsite on high ground in a coconut grove. The island was a coral atoll and it was very pleasant to get away from the all too familiar dust and mud which was so prevalent at both Guadalcanal and PDG. The job of building camp was so well done that inspecting parties called it the best camp in the Pacific area. At a later date a training film on camp sanitation in the field was made using this camp as a superior example of what can be done with a little initiative and ingenuity.
This second hitch was one of the busiest in the history of the 75th. As much as 993 hours and 15 minutes of combat time was flown in one month. Targets were mainly airfields and supply areas in and around Bougainville Island, with occasional shipping sweeps in which several barges and cargo vessels were destroyed. Opposition was considerably stronger then previously encountered and the Squadron suffered losses. Three aircraft were lost and several damaged by enemy fire. One entire crew was lost but, fortunately, all but two men of the remaining two crews were picked up. Several men “earned” the Purple Heart and the Squadron, for the first time, encountered fighter opposition. As a result, the distinction of being the first Squadron in the 42nd Group to shoot down an enemy aircraft went to the 75th. Eighteen December marked the end of this busy period and the air crews once again retired for rest and recuperation.
Thirteenth January 1944 of the New Year found the 75th once more in action, its next job being the neutralization of the Bismarck Archipelago, centering around the great Japanese base of Rabul. To hit this fortress the 75th had to stage out of newly captured Stirling Island in the Treasury Group. This continued until 5 February 1944 when the Air Echelon left to be temporarily based there, being attached for rations and quarters to the 69th Bombardment Squadron which had moved there with the 42nd Group and all but two of the Squadrons. The ground echelon of the 390th and the 75th Squadrons were left behind at the Russells for a period of comparative inactivity.
This period was marred by many losses. Five airplanes were lost through enemy action, three in one day, and with only one crew rescued, but we were dishing it out too and one more Jap aircraft was credited to the 75th. The third period ended 7 March and the air echelon returned to the Russells with 110 missions thus far completed. The most encouraging thing was the start of normal rotation for combat crews.
April 18, 1944 found the air echelon back at Stirling hitting the weakening Japs with over increasing intensity. Opposition wasn’t as strong as before, but losses were still suffered. On July 20, 1944 the entire Saquadron was alerted for another move. Most of the Squadron embarked on the USAT Extavia 30 July 1944. Shortly thereafter, the air echelon took off for Hollandia, New Guinea, where they were based temporarily until the ground echelon could arrive and set up at Sansapor, New Guinea. After a weary month aboard ship the ground echelon pulled into Sansapor Harbor only to receive a bad shock. The area assigned to them was a solid wall of virgin jungle, impossible even to walk through. It took three weeks of axe work and the use of flame throwers just to partially clear the area. It was undoubtedly the most difficult campsite yet encountered. But, with the spirit typical of the 75th Bombardment Squadron, a clean, well built camp was completed.
While the work was being completed the engineers were building the new Air Strip. Finally, on August 15, 1944 the air echelon rejoined the Saquadron and operations once more continued. Targets hit during this period included Coram, Celebes, The Halmaharas, and Southern Philippines. The Nips at first opposed our offensive but their fields were soon neutralized, the 75th taking a goodly part in the process.
Sansapor remained the home of the 75th until 27 February 1945 when they loaded aboard an LST for a trip to the Philippines. There was a feeling of relief in leaving, because Sansapor, a small perimeter in northwestern New Guinea, was to be abandoned and, as the infantry moved out, the Japs became bolder, daring to make small harassing raids during the nights. The last month of the Squadron’s stay found it necessary to maintain a security patrol during the night hours.
On March 14, 1945 the 75th landed on what was to be their last base during the war, Palawan, the westernmost island of the Philippines. Camp was set up in a coconut grove right on the beach which was a pleasant change from the ever present jungles of Sansapor. Of course the area was studded with our own bomb craters and the place was cluttered with coconut husks and other debris, but the work of cleaning up was simple compared to Sansapor.
The 22nd of March brought the arrival of the Air Echelon from Moretai where they had been based pending completion of the Squadron facilities at Palawan. From Palawan the white-tailed Mitchells of the 75th were able to range over the Philippines, Borneo, and to the China coast. Air support was given to several amphibious landings and the already excellent reputation of the Squadron continued to grow.
The 75th Bombardment Squadron had now been overseas more than two years and morale began to drop since it was evident that the rotation system for returning ground crews to the U.S. was not working well. But, with the advent of the “Point System” and, after 29 months of continuous service in the jungles, the leaving of the first men for home brought morale up to a new high. On August 13, 1945 the “cease fire” order came and men began to sweat out orders in earnest.
The agreement of the Japanese to the Potsdam terms came just in time for the 75th. The Squadron was all packed for still another move. The schedule called for a move to Okinawa when word came, the day before the men were to embarked, that the move was called off. Since then the Squadron has been occupied in rebuilding its camp area of which it can be justly proud.
During its tour of overseas duty the 75th Bombardment Squadron has flown a total of 494 missions, 2,829 sorties, and dropped 4,501,470 pounds of bombs. It has received repeated commendations in every department varying from operational activities to administrative, and its achievements are attributed to each and every man who directly or indirectly played a part on the white-tailed eleven that gave the Jap a thorough drubbing.