640th Bombardment Squadron

640th Bombardment Squadron
Douglas A-26 Invader of the 640th BombardmentSquadron
Active	1943-1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Role	Light Bombardment
Part of	409th Bombardment Group
Insignia
640th Bombardment Squadron Emblem (approved 14 March 1944)

The 640th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. After training with Douglas A-20 Havocs in the United States the squadron deployed to the European Theater of World War II, where it engaged in combat until the Surrender of Germany. It was last assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group at Westover Field, Massachusetts, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

The 640th Bombardment Squadron was activated in June 1943 at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma as one of the four original squadrons of the 409th Bombardment Group. The squadron trained under Third Air Force in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana with A-20 Havoc light bombardment aircraft.

The squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in March 1944, where it became part of IX Bomber Command of Ninth Air Force.

The 640th initially flew sweeps over Occupied France from its base in England, attacking coastal defenses, V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket sites, airfields, and other targets in France in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. After D-Day, the squadron supported ground forces during the Battle of Normandy by hitting gun batteries, rail lines, bridges, communications, and other objectives. During July 1944, it aided the Allied offensive at Caen and the breakthrough at Saint-Lô with attacks on enemy troops, flak positions, fortified villages, and supply dumps.