596th Bombardment Squadron

596th Bombardment Squadron
596th Squadron Boeing B-52
Active	1943-1945; 1963-1993
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Motto(s)	Excalibur
Engagements	European Theater of Operations
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
598th Bomb Squadron emblem (Approved 20 March 1945)
World War II group tail marking	Yellow diagonal stripe
World War II squadron fuselage code	X2
Patch with emblem used by the squadron after reactivation

The 596th Bomb Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Operations Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana on 1 October 1993.

The squadron was established at MacDill Field, Florida in April 1943 as one of the original squadrons of the 397th Bombardment Group, a B-26 Marauder medium bomber group. It drew its initial cadre from the 21st Bombardment Group. The squadron trained under Third Air Force at stations in the southeastern United States. After completing its training by participating in the Tennessee Maneuvers, the squadron departed Hunter Field, Georgia for the European Theater of Operations on 13 March 1944.

The squadron was temporarily stationed at RAF Gosfield upon its arrival in England in early April 1944. On the 15th of the month, its parent group displaced the 363d Fighter Group at RAF Rivenhall and flew its first combat mission five days later. In preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, the squadron attacked V-1 flying bomb launch pads, bridges, coastal defenses, marshalling yards and airfields in northern France. On D-Day the squadron attacked strong points and bombed fuel dumps and other objectives to support ground forces throughout the Normandy Campaign.