claimed the destruction of nine of these fighters against the loss of two squadron Liberators. On 26 June 1944, the squadron encountered fighter opposition that was described as the strongest Fifteenth Air Force had encountered to date, and which destroyed several Liberators of the 455th Group, which was leading the 304th Bombardment Wing on the raid. The squadron pressed its attack on the oil refinery at Moosbierbaum, Austria, for which it received a second DUC. The squadron put nine bombers over the target, but was the only squadron of the group to bring all its planes home. The squadron provided air support to ground forces in Operation Shingle, the landings at Anzio, and the Battle of Monte Cassino in the spring of 1944. It knocked out coastal defenses to clear the way for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, in September. As Axis forces were withdrawing from the Balkan peninsula in the fall of 1944, the squadron bombed marshalling yards, troop concentrations and airfields to slow their retreat. It flew air interdiction missions to support Operation Grapeshot, the Spring 1945 offensive in Northern Italy. The squadron flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945 against rail yards at Linz, Austria. Following the surrender of German forces in Italy, it flew some supply missions and transported personnel to ports and airfields for shipment back to the United States. Most of the air echelon returned to the United States, ferrying their aircraft in June. Many of the squadron's remaining personnel were transferred to other units in the 304th Bombardment Wing for shipment back to the United States, while the squadron remained in Italy, serving as a replacement depot. The last of the air echelon departed Italy in July and the squadron was inactivated on 9 September 1945. Air Force reserve The squadron was reactivated as a reserve unit under Air Defense Command (ADC) at Sheppard-Kell Municipal Airport, Texas in October 1947, although its parent 455th Group was located at Hensley Field, Texas. It was nominally a very heavy bomber unit, but the squadron does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped with tactical aircraft while a reserve unit. In 1948 Continental Air Command 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. As a result, the squadron was