320th Bombardment Squadron (320th BS) "Moby Dick"
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF), 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG)

Background
On January 28, 1942 constituted as 320th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) in the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). On April 15, 1942 activated in the 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG) at Key Field, Miss equipped with the B-24 Liberator. Nicknamed "Moby Dick" with the motif of a whale mouth and eye on the nose of each bomber.

Wartime History
On May 17, 1942 moves to Barksdale Field, LA. On June 21, 1942 moves to Greenville Army Air Base. On Aug 9, 1942 moves to Ypsilanti, MI. On August 23, 1942 begins moving to Oahu. On September 12, 1942 moves to Kipapa Airfield then across the Pacific bound for Australia.

On November 4, 1943 moves to Iron Range Airfield in Queensland and staged via Port Moresby in New Guinea for bombing missions.

On November 16, 1942 at 11:00pm ten B-24s took from the 90th Bomb Group took off on the group's first night bombing mission against Rabaul. Four abort the mission due to bad weather and only five reach the target. Lost is B-24D "Punjab" 41-11902 pilot Major Raymond S. Morse (MIA).

On December 18, 1942 lost is B-24D 41-23835  pilot 1st Lt. Harold M. Adams crashed in bad weather near Bulldog.

On January 1, 1943 took off for 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a bombing mission against Vunakanu Airfield near Rabaul. Returning, ditched is B-24D "Crosair" 41-23752  pilot Major Philip J. Kuhl (survived).

On January 9, 1943 lost is B-24D "Little Eva" 41-23772  pilot 2nd Lt. Dayton S. Altman, Jr. (MIA) damaged by Zeros and ditched into Huon Gulf.

On February 10, 1943 moves to 5 Mile Drome (Ward) near Port Moresby.

On May 24, 1943 three B-24s from the squadron took off on a night bombing mission against Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul. Returning, lost is B-24D 42-40359  pilot Lt. Edward R. Goff crashed while landing with the entire crew killed in the crash.

In the middle of August 1943, Sgt Leonard Baer painted a large skull and cross bombs in white atop a black rectangle on the tail of B-24D "Connell's Special" 41-23765. Immediately, this distinctive insignia was adopted as the group motif and painted on the tail of each bomber.

On October 18, 1943 the squadron with B-24s from the 90th Bomb Group, 43rd Bomb Group and 380th Bomb Group participates in a bombing mission against Rabaul. Inbound, the formation flew northeast toward Kiriwina Island then northward to Rabaul then encountered bad weather and aborted the mission and the formation broke up. Lost is B-24D "Sky Lady / Mitsu Butcher" 41-24043  pilot 1st Lt Warren H. Smeltzer (survived).

On July 20, 1943 lost B-24D "Virgin III" 42-40327  pilot 1st Lt John B. Willcoxon (3 MIA) shot down by Ki-61 Tony over Bena Bena.

B-24D "Shack Rat" 42-40918  pilot Volz MIA October 27, 1943 wreckage found 2002 resolved 2010

On December 1, 1943 the squadron escorted by P-47D Thunderbolts flew a bombing mission against Wewak Airfield. Lost is B-24D "Lobo" 42-40830 pilot Captain Lawrence N. Smith (MIA) shot down by Ki-43 Oscars. That same day, the squadron moves fron 5 Mile Drome (Ward) to Dobodura.

On February 23, 1944 moves to Nadzab.

On March 11, 1944 eleven B-24s flew Mission Number 71-D a bombing mission against Boram Airfield near Wewak. At 12:58pm arrived over the primary target but found Boram Airfield obscured by a undercast so the B-24s from both squadrons dropped a total of 48 x 1,000 pound bombs on targets of opportunity. Returning, the formation turned eastward and followed the north coast of New Guinea over the Stephan Strait toward the secondary target of anti-aircraft guns on Awar Point bordering Hansa Bay. Shot down by anti-aircraft fire was B-24D "Heaven Can Wait" 42-41216 pilot 1st Lt Herbert G. Tennyson (MIA) crew from 320th BS with the bomber borrowed from 400th Bomb Squadron.

On May 15, 1944 the squadron flew a bombing mission against the Sawar and Maffin Bay areas. Lost is B-24J 42-110051 pilot 1st Lt. John H. Savarese, Jr., crashed on take off.

On June 14, 1944 the squadron flew a long range bombing mission staging via Momote Airfield against Yap. Returning lost is B-24J 42-73197 pilot 1st Lt. Joseph D. Mettes (MIA).

On July 19, 1944 lost is B-24D "Golden Lady" 42-40814 pilot 1st Lt Robert W. Tosch (MIA) on a flight with passengers bound for Brisbane with eleven passengers aboard and went Missing In Action (MIA).

On August 10, 1944 moves to Biak.

In October 1944 lost is B-24D 42-72954 pilot Corley crash landed returning from a mission.

On January 27, 1945 moves to San Jose Airfield on Mindoro.

On August 10, 1945 moves to Ie Shima Airfield until the end of the Pacific War.

Postwar
On November 23, 1945 moves to Ft William McKinley in Manila. On January 27, 1946 inactivated.

On June 11, 1947 redesignated 320th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy). On July 1, 1947 activated but was not assigned personnel at Andrews Field in Maryland. On September 18, 1947 became part of the U.S. Air Force (USAF). On September 6, 1948 inactivated.

On December 20, 1950 redesignated 320th Bombardment Squadron (Medium). On January 2, 1951 activated at Fairchild AFB in Washington State equipped with B-29 Superfortress / RB-29 Superfortress. On March 14, 1951 moves to Forbes AFB in Kansas. On June 1, 1951 became an operational training and replacement training unit.

On June 16, 1952 redesignated 320th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) in the 90th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. On November 10, 1952 became a SHORAN (Short Range Navigation) training unit for a year. On January 1, 1959 became a crew training unit for the RB-47 Stratojet. On June 20, 1960 discontinued as a squadron.

Awards
Distinguished Unit Citation for Papua (November 16, 1942–January 1943) and New Guinea (September 13-15, 1943)
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

References
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) pages 392 (320th Bombardment) [PDF pages 404]
The Jolly Rogers History of the 90th Bomb Group During World War II (1981) by John S. Alcorn unit history of the 90th Bomb Group
Legacy of the 90th Bombardment Group "The Jolly Rogers" (1994) by Wiley O. Woods, Jr unit history of the 90th Bomb Group