37th Bomb Squadron

Harrumph!

Callsign : TIGERS

Nato Tiger Association status : honorary member

The 37th Bomb Squadron is one of the oldest squadrons in the United States Air Force, its origins dating back to 13 June 1917, when the 37th Aero Squadron was organized as part of the United States Army Air Service.

The squadron deployed to France as part of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I and served as a training unit with the Third Aviation Instruction Center until returning to the US for demobilization on 15 april 1919.

It was reconstituted and redesignated as the 37th Pursuit Squadron on 24 March 1923 but was not activated before 1 September 1933, as part of the 8th Persuit Group, United States Army Air Corps, with the Curtiss P-6 "Hawk".

On 1 March 1935 it was redesignated as the 37th Attack Squadron with Curtiss A-8 "Shrike" and Northrop A-17 "Nomad" attack aircraft.

The squadron changed their task on 6 December 1939 when it was redesignated 37th Bombardment Squadron (Medium).

On 1 February 1940 it became part of the 28th Composite Group, United States Army Air Forces, with Douglas B-18 "Bolo" bombers.  The 37th was reassigned to the 17th Group in April and May 1941.  The squadron transitioned into the North American B-25 "Mitchell" medium bomber, when the 17th Bombardment Group became the first Air Corps unit to receive the new bomber.

In August, it received the updated B-25B, that had a much heavier defensive armament, dictated by the results of combat reports coming in from Europe.  Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 37th flew antisubmarine patrols off the Pacific coast.

Planning for a retaliatory bombing raid on Japan began in December 1941, and twenty-four B-25Bs were diverted from the 17th Bombardment Group, which was the only B-25 unit in the Air Corps, and volunteers from its four squadrons, including the 37th, were recruited, the crews being told only that this was a secret and dangerous mission.

Upon completion of training, they left Eglin for McClellan Field, California for final modifications to the B-25s before moving to Naval Air Station Alameda, where the bombers were loaded on the USS Hornet (CV-8) for the raid.

This raid became famous as the “Doolittle raid“.

The remainder of the squadron remained flying antisubmarine patrols until 23 June when it began transitioning into the Martin B-26 "Marauder".

The squadron saw combat as the 37th Bombardment Squadron of the 17th Bombardment Group in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations during World War II.  Becoming part of XII Bomber Command it participated in Operation Torch (an Allied invasion of French North Africa 8–16 November 1942).  The squadron flew interdiction and close air support, missions, bombing bridges, rail lines, marshalling yards, harbors, shipping, gun emplacements, troop concentrations and other enemy targets, contributing to the defeat of Axis forces in Africa by May 1943.

The 37th participated in Operation Corkscrew (the Allied invasion of the Italian island of Pantelleria (between Sicily and Tunisia) on 11 June 1943).  It also supported Operation Husky, (the Allied invasion of Sicily, 9 July – 17 August 1943) and Operation Avalanche (Allied landings near the port of Salerno, on 9 September 1943, as part of the Allied invasion of Italy).

From airfields in Corsica, the 37th supported Allied ground forces during Operation Dragoon he landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15 August 1944).  It moved to Southern France and bombed enemy targets during the Allied advance towarths Berlin.

The squadron remained in Europe after V-E Day and became part of the occupation forces, first stationed in Germany, later in the American Occupation Zone in Austria.

Upon return to the U.S. it was inactivated 26 November 1945.

The squadron was reactivated in 19 May 1947 by Tactical Air Command but it was not manned or equipped and was inactivated already in 10 September 1948.

The squadron was again activated during the Korean War, as 37th Bombardment Squadron, Light, Night Intruder, flying night intruder missions with Douglas A-26 "Invaders".  The squadron conducted night bombing operations, concentrating on attacks on enemy lines of communication and troop concentrations.  In 1953, the squadron focused on attacking rail rolling stock, facilities and supplies.  Using Invaders with glass noses, the squadron developed techniques for conducting armed reconnaissance missions against locomotives and freight cars and began flying missions employing these tactics in February 1953.

It participated in Operation Spring Thaw (a brief, intense interdiction campaign to cut off frontline infantry from distant depots and force enemy consumption of stockpiled supplies) and starting in March, attacked southbound routes along the East Coast of North Korea and continued operations until the July 1953 truce.

The 37th remained in Korea as a precaution against the resumption of hostilities. In September 1954, it relocated to Japan where it remained until the spring of 1955, when it returned to the United States for conversion to jet bombers.  The squadron became one of the first jet tactical bomber units, flying Martin B-57 "Canberras" and Douglas B-66 "Destroyers" and was therefore renamed into 37th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical on 1 October 1955.

The squadron was, once again, inactivated on 25 June 1958.

The 37th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy,  flying Boeing B-52 "Stratofortresses" was activated on 1 January 1977 and joined the 28th Bombardment Wing on 1 July 1977, becomming part of the Strategic Air Command.  They continued to fly the "Buff" until 1 October 1982, when the squadron was inactivated.

On 1 January 1987, the squadron re-activated and transitioned to its current aircraft, the Rockwell B-1B Lancer.  With the “Boner” it has participated in virtually every operation and missing on the United States since 1991.

Along with all other active bomber units in the air force it changed its name on 1 September 1991 and became the 37th Bomb Squadron.

They are currently part of the 28th Operations Group, a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Eighth Air Force (8 AF) of the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), one of the air components of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM).

(all aircraft are to scale, not all drawings show an aircraft in 37 markings)

Aircraft

Avro 504-K (1918)

Sopwith F-1 Camel (1918)

Airco DH-4 (1918)

Nieuport 27 (1918)

Curtiss P-6 Hawk (1933–1935)

Curtiss A-8 (1935–1936)

Northrop A-17 Nomad (1936–1938)

Douglas B-18 Bolo (1940–1941)

North American B-25 Mitchell (1941–1942)

Martin B-26 Marauder (1942–1945)

Douglas A-26 Invader (1952–1956)

Martin B-57A Canberra (1955–1956)

Douglas B-66B Destroyer (1956–1958)

Boeing B-52H Stratofortress (1977–1982)

Rockwell B-1 Lancer (1987–present)

37th Aero Squadron

Third Aviation Instruction Center

American Expeditionary Forces

37th Pursuit Squadron

8th Pursuit Group

37th Attack Squadron

 17 Bombardment Group

Doolittle Raiders

Twelfth Air Force

American Occupation Zone in Austria

Tactical Air Command

37th Bombardment Squadron, Light, Night Intruder

37 Bombardment Squadron, Tactical

Strategic Air Command

37 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy

28th Bombardment Wing

28th Bombardment Squadron

37th Bomb Squadron

28th Operations Group

Eight Air Force

Air Force Global Strike Command

Air Force Global Strike Command

Unit awards

Distinguished Unit Citation

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat Valor “V” device

Meritorious Unit Award

Meritorious Unit Award

French Croix de Guerre with Palm

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation

back

text & picture sources : own collection & library + the world wide web / No copyright infringement intended : drawings, photos, etc. belong to the rightful owners.