462d Bombardment Group
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| 462d Bombardment Group | |
|---|---|
 462d Bombardment Group Insignia |
|
| Active | 1943 - 1946 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army Air Forces |
| Role | Bombardment |
| Part of | Twentieth Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Pacific Ocean Theater of World War II |
The 462d Bombardment Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater and China Burma India Theater of World War II.
The group tail code was a "Triangle U"
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Operational Units
- 345th Bombardment Squadron 1945-1946
- 768th Bombardment Squadron 1943-1946
- 769th Bombardment Squadron 1943-1946
- 770th Bombardment Squadron 1943-1946
- 771st Bombardment Squadron 1943-1944
[edit] Aircraft Flown
[edit] Stations Assigned
- Smoky Hill AAFld, KS 1 Jul 1943
- Walker AAFld, KS 28 Jul 1943-12 Mar 1944
- Piardoba, India 7 Apr 1944-26 Feb 1945
- West Field, Tinian 4 Apr-5 Nov 1945
- MacDill Field, FL Nov 1945-31 Mar 1946
[edit] Operational History
Constituted as 462nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 May 1943. Activated on 1 Jul 1943. Redesignated 462nd Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in Nov 1943. Prepared for combat with B-29's.
Moved to the CBI theater, via Africa, Mar-Jun 1944. Assigned to Twentieth AF in Jun 1944. Transported supplies over the Hump to staging fields in China before entering combat with an attack on railroad shops at Bangkok, Thailand, on 5 Jun 1944.
On 15 Jun 1944 took part in the first AAF strike on the Japanese home islands since the Doolittle raid in 1942. Operating from India and China, bombed transportation centers, naval installations, iron works, aircraft plants, and other targets in Japan, Thailand, Burma, China, Formosa, and Indonesia. From a staging base in Ceylon, mined the Moesi River on Sumatra in Aug 1944. Received a DUC for a daylight attack on iron and steel works at Yawata, Japan, in Aug 1944.
Moved to Tinian in the spring of 1945 for further operations against targets in Japan. Participated in mining operations, bombardment of strategic targets, and incendiary raids on urban areas. Bombed industrial areas in Tokyo and Yokohama in May 1945, being awarded a DUC for the action. Received another DUC for a daylight attack on an aircraft plant at Takarazuka on 24 Jul 1945.
Returned to the US late in 1945. Assigned to Strategic Air Command on 21 Mar 1946. Inactivated on 31 Mar 1946.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
