Dragoon, the invasion of southern France. In the spring of 1945, it supported Operation Grapeshot, the offensive by the United States Fifth Army and British Eighth Army against remaining German forces in northern Italy. Following V-E Day, the squadron airlifted supplies to airfields in northern Italy. It returned to the United States in July and began to reorganize as a very heavy bomber unit. However, with the surrender of Japan, the squadron was inactivated on 17 October 1945. Air Force reserve The squadron was reactivated as a reserve unit under Air Defense Command (ADC) at McChord Field, Washington in August 1947, where its training was supervised by ADC's 406th AAF Base Unit (later the 2345th Air Force Reserve Training Center). It was nominally a very heavy bomber unit, but the squadron does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped with operational aircraft while a reserve unit. In 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC. President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force. ConAC also reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system in June 1949. As a result, the squadron was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were transferred to elements of the 302d Troop Carrier Wing, which was activated simultaneously. Lineage Constituted as the 747th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943 Activated on 1 June 1943 Redesignated 747th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 5 March 1944 Redesignated 747th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945 Inactivated on 17 October 1945 Activated in the reserve on 1 August 1947 Inactivated on 27 June 1949 Assignments 456th Bombardment Group, 1 June 1943 – 17 October 1945 456th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1947 – 27 June 1949 Stations Wendover Field, Utah, 1 June 1943 Gowen Field, Idaho, 14 July 1943 Bruning Army Air Field, Nebraska, 2 August 1943 Kearns Army Air Base, Utah, 9 September 1943 Muroc Army Air Field, California, 2 October–4 December 1943 Cerignola Airfield, Italy, 11 January 1944 Stornara Airfield, Italy, 25 January 1944 – 19 July 1945 Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 1 August 1945 Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 17 August-17 October 1945 McChord Field (later McChord Air Force Base), Washington, 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 Aircraft Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945 Awards and campaigns See also B-24 Liberator