Established in June 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron; it trained under the Second Air Force. The squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operationsin September 1942, being assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England. It began flying long-range strategic bombardment missions on 17 November 1942 and attacked such targets as submarine pens, docks, harbours, shipyards, motor works and marshalling yards in France, Germany and the Low Countries. Starting in 1943, the squadron began flying Nickling missions, dropping leaflets over occupied territory. In june 1944 this mission, along with most of the squadron's personnel and aircraft, were transferred to the 858th Bombardment Squadron and the 422d returned to strategic bombing operations. It continued attacks on enemy cities, manufacturing centers, transportation links and other targets until the German capitulation in May 1945. After combat missions ended, the squadron moved to St Trond Air Base in Belgium in July 1945, where it conducted photo-mapping and intelligence-gathering flights over Europe and North Africa which came under the name Project 'Casey Jones'. On 15 December 1945 it moved to Lechfeld airfield, Germany which it had bombed on 18 March 1944 and which it now used as an occupation base. The 364th Bomb Squadron was inactivated in December 1946 in Germany.
Tactical bomber training
During the Korean War, Tactical Air Command trained aircrews at Langley AFB, Virginia. The three squadrons of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Group performing this mission were Air National Guard units that had been called up for the war. At the start of 1953, these squadrons were released to state control and the 423d Bombardment Squadron took over the mission, personnel, and equipment of the 115th Bombardment Squadron, which returned to the California guard. It was then equipped with obsolete B-45 Tornado light bombers. The squadron was inactivated in 1954.
From 1958, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings of Strategic Air Command began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. The SAC alert cycle divided itself into four parts: planning, flying, alert and rest to meet General Thomas S. Power's initial goal of maintaining one third of SAC’s planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. To implement this new system B-47 wings reorganized from three to four squadrons. The 422d was activated at MacDill Air Force Base as the fourth squadron of the 305th Bombardment Wing. In June of that year, the unit moved to Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana. As the 305th Wing transitioned to the Convair B-58 Hustler, the squadron was inactivated in February 1961.
Lineage
Constituted the 33d Reconnaissance Squadron on 28 January 1942.
Redesignated the 422d Bombardment Squadron on 15 November 1952
Redesignated the 422d Bombardment Squadron on 6 October 1958
