404th Bombardment Squadron (404th BS)
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 11th Air Force (11th AF), 28th Composite Group (28th CG)

Background
On November 20, 1940 constituted as the 14th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) in the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC). On January 15, 1941 activated and attached to the 44th Bombardment Group (44th BG) at Miami Municipal Airport. On Feb 25, 1942 assigned to the 44th Bombardment Group (44th BG). On June 11, 1941 moves MacDill Field. On June 20, 1941 became part of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF).

The squadron emblem was a light green disc, border black, piped white, a caricatured white elephant running, wearing aviator’s goggles with gold rim trimmed black, black belt about the waist, holding two machine guns pointing to rear, grasping a large yellow aerial bomb upraised in trunk, having two black machine guns for tusks and ears in shape of wings, soles of hind feet brown.

Wartime History
On February 7, 1942 moves to Barksdale Field in Louisiana and performs anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico.

On April 22, 1942 redesignated 404th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy). In June 1942 ceases patrols and the air echelon prepares to move to Alaska.

On July 12, 1942 the air echelon was attached to the 28th Composite Group (28th CG) and moves to Ladd Army Airfield in Alaska.

On July 18, 1942 the air echelon begins operating from Nome Airfield in Alaska and that same day begins flying combat missions.

On July 25, 1942 moves Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma.

On August 24, 1942 the air echelon begins operating from Umnak Airfield in Alaska.

On September 13, 1942 fourteen B-24s of the 21st Bombardment Squadron (21st BS) and 404th Bombardment Squadron move to Adak Airfield in Alaska.

On September 21, 1942 assigned to the 28th Composite Group (28th CG).

On August 12, 1943 lost is B-24D 42-40309 pilot 2nd Lt. James R. Pottenger force landed in a marsh near Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula. After the crash, the entire crew was apprehended by Soviet forces and interred until returned to U.S. control.

On August 30, 1942 moves to Fort Lewis Airfield (McChord) in Washington State.

On September 13, 1942 the air echelon begins operating from Adak Airfield in Alaska.

On September 21, 1942 assigned to the 28th Composite Group (28th CG) and that same day moves to Elmendorf Field.

On March 22, 1943 the squadron moves to Adak Airfield in Alaska.

On June 4, 1943 begins operating from Amchitka Airfield in Alaska.

On September 11, 1943 the squadron took off from Attu Airfield on a bombing mission led by Major Gash against Kashiwabara staging area on the northeast tip of Paramushiru Island in the Kurle Islands. Lost is B-24D Liberator 41-23890 pilot Major Frank T. Gash (MIA).

On February 26, 1944 begins operating from Shemya Airfield in Alaska until the end of the Pacific War.

Postwar
On October 20, 1945 assigned to 11th Air Force (11th AF), later redesigned Alaskan Air Command). On January 5, 1947 inactivated and disbanded.

Awards
Distinguished Unit Citation: April 1, 1944–August 13, 1945 (Kuril Islands)

References
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) page 494 (404th Bombardment) [PDF pages 506]