431st Bombardment Squadron (431st BS)
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 11th Bombardment Group (11th BG)

Background
On April 22, 1942 the 50th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) of the 11th Bombardment Group (11th BG) was redesignated as the 431st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy).

Wartime History
On July 24, 1942 moves to Nadi Airfield on Viti Levu Island in Fiji.

On August 1, 1942 the squadron's advanced echelon (ADVON) begins operating from Bomber 1 on Espiritu Santo.

On September 12, 1942 six B-17E Flying Fortresses (four from 98th BS plus two from 431s BS) took off on a bombing mission against a Japanese task force that was reported to include an aircraft carrier. In fact, no carrier was there. Returning in bad weather and low on fuel, three ditched (possibly after midnight in early morning hours of September 13, 1942). Ditched is B-17E 41-2404 pilot 1st Lt James P. Van Haur ditched out of fuel, two died in life raft on September 18, 1943 the rest were rescued seven days later.

On September 29, 1942 eleven B-17s from the 11th BG including the 431st BS plus B-17s from the 5th BG, 72nd BS took off on a bombing mission against Tonolei Harbor on Bougainville. Over the target was thick fog and the formation dove down to make their bombing run and were intercepted by fifteen A6M Zeros. The formation was unable to find the target due to bad weather and instead patrolled the western coast of Bougainville before spotting a Japanese cruiser that the formation bombed from 5,500' with all bombs missing.

On November 1, 1942 moves from Nadi Airfield to Bomber 1 on Espiritu Santo.

On December 5, 1942 operates from Nadi Airfield.

On January 7, 1943 lost is B-17E Flying Fortress 41-2396 pilot Major James Edmundson ditched off San Cristobal and the later rescued.

On April 8, 1943 depart Espiritu Santo across the Pacific back to Hickam Field on Oahu. The squadron transitions to fly the B-24 Liberator in the 7th Air Force (7th AF).

On November 11, 1943 moves to Funafuti Airfield. On November 13, 1943 the squadron fly their first mission of their second combat deployment.

On December 29, 1943 lost is B-24D "Baby Sandy 2" 42-73013 pilot 1st Lt. Ivan M. Osborne on a bombing mission against Taroa Airfield in Maloelap Atoll and was damaged by Zeros then ditched in Majuro Atoll with eight of the crew POW and two died in the crash.

On January 16, 1944 moves to Tarawa Airfield.

On March 31, 1944 moves to Kwajalein Airfield.

On May 29, 1944 at 5:22am B-24J "Cloudy Joe" 42-73499 pilot Captain Loren A. Stoddard took off from Eniwetok Airfield escorting U.S. Navy (USN) PB4Y-1 Liberators from VD-4 on a photo mission over Saipan and was intercepted by Zeros and shot down with four crew POW and the others MIA.

On August 3, 1944 redesignated as 431st Bombardment Squadron (431st BS).

On October 21, 1944 moves to Guam.

On July 2, 1945 moves to Okinawa until the end of the Pacific War.

Postwar
On April 26, 1946 redesignated 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic. On September 18, 1947 became part of the U.S. Air Force (USAF). On October 20, 1947 inactivated.

Commanding Officers (C.O.)
Major James Edmundson 1943

References
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) pages 531 (431st Bombardment) [PDF pages 543]