423d Bombardment Squadron

423d Bombardment Squadron
S/Sgt Maynard Harrison Smith was a ball turret gunner with the 423d Bomb Squadron. He won the Medal of Honor on the 1 May 1943 mission to bomb submarine pens in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Active	1942–1946; 1953–1954; 1958–1962
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Engagements	European Theater of World War II
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation
Commanders
Notable commanders	Brig. Gen, Frank A. Armstrong
Insignia
World War II emblem of the 423d Bombardment Squadron
Squadron Fuselage Code	RD
Group Tail Marking	Triangle H

The 423d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 306th Bombardment Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

The squadron was first activated as the 34th Reconnaissance Squadron in the spring of 1942, but was soon renamed the 423d Bombardment Squadron, one of the original four bombardment squadrons assigned to the 306th Bombardment Group. After training with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, the squadron moved overseas and participated in combat in the European theater, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations for its efforts. After the war the 423d remained in Europe with the occupation forces until inactivating in 1946.

The squadron was activated again at Langley AFB, Virginia and served as a combat crew training squadron for aircrews flying the Douglas B-26 Invader. It was inactivated in 1954 as the B-26 was being withdrawn from active service and the need for crew training on the aircraft decreased.

The third active period for the unit began in 1958 when Strategic Air Command (SAC) expanded its Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings from three to four squadrons. It flew the Stratojet until 1962 when SAC drew down its medium bomber force in favor of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.

The squadron was first established as the 34th Reconnaissance Squadron, a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber unit in early 1942. Shortly after activation, the squadron was redesignated as the 423d Bombardment Squadron. It trained under Second Air Force before deploying for England in September 1942, becoming one of the first heavy bombardment squadrons of the VIII Bomber Command's 1st Bombardment Division.