![B-29 American Beauty of the 792d Bomb Squadron 468th Bomb Wing](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/B-29_American_Beauty_of_the_792d_Bomb_Squadron_468th_Bomb_Wing.jpg)
The 468th Bombardment Group was a
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
combat organization. The unit served primarily in the
Pacific Ocean theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
and
China Burma India Theater of World War II
China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was offi ...
as part of
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.
20 AF's primary mission is Interco ...
. The 468th Bomb Group's aircraft engaged in very heavy bombardment
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
operations against Japan. After its reassignment to the
Mariana Islands in 1945, its aircraft were identified by a "I" and a triangle painted on the tail. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946.
History
The unit was established in May 1943 at
Smoky Hill Army Airfield
Salina Regional Airport , formerly Salina Municipal Airport, is three miles southwest of Salina, Kansas, United States. The airport is owned by the Salina Airport Authority. It is used for general aviation, with service by one passenger airline, ...
,
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
as a
B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
Very Heavy bombardment Group. The 468th was one of the four initial operational groups of the
58th Bombardment Wing, the first operational B-29 wing programmed for overseas deployment into combat. When established, the group was assigned four bomb squadrons (792d, 793d, 794th and 795th), all being newly constituted.
Initially assigned a mixture of eight
B-26 Marauders, twelve
B-17 Flying Fortresses and four YB-29 preproduction Superfortresses, for training. Initial production B-29 aircraft received were in a constant state of being operationally ready or in a maintenance status for modification by Boeing technicians. Crews began to arrive in November 1943, but very few bombers were ready to receive them. At that time, there was only one Superfortress for every twelve crews, and most crews had to train on the Martin B-26 Marauders or Boeing B-17 Fortresses. The program was seriously hampered by the need to work in the open air in inclement weather, by delays in acquiring the necessary tools and support equipment, and by the USAAF's general lack of experience with the B-29.
A crash program was initiated by General Hap Arnold, head of the Army Air Forces to put things in order. The mechanics often had to work outdoors in freezing weather, since the hangars were not large enough to accommodate the B-29s. As a result of superhuman efforts on the part of all concerned, 150 B-29s had been handed over to the 58th Bomb Wing by 15 April 1944.
In March/April 1944 as each airplane was made combat-ready, its flight crew and crew chief departed for overseas; their initial destination in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater. One B-29 passed through England in an attempt to confuse Axis intelligence about the intended theatre of action of the B-29, although the B-29 was never intended for use in the European theatre.
In India, the 58th Wing came under the XX Bomber Command, the 468th Bomb Group arriving at Kharagpur Airfield on 13 April. However overheated engines plagued the B-29s in India. The entire B-29 fleet had to be grounded en route until the cause was found. My mid-May the B-29s were again ready. The initial mission of the 468th in India was to use their aircraft to haul bombs, fuel, ammunition and spare parts 1,200 miles to its advanced base at Field A-7,
Pengshan
Pengshan District () is a district of the city of Meishan, Sichuan Province
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" b ...
,
Szechwan Province, China. Six round trips were necessary to deliver enough fuel for one airplane to mount a combat mission from China – an impractical logistics concept for an aerial campaign, particularly with an airplane plagued with an unreliable engine.
On 5 June 1944, the 468th flew its first operational mission from Kharagpur against railroad yards at
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
, Thailand. Ten days later, flying from field A-7 (
Pengshan Airfield
Pengshan Air Base is a People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) air base, located approximately 1 km east of Gongyi Town, in Pengshan County, Sichuan province, Southwestern China.
Beginning in 1949, it was part of the PLAAF Second Aviation ...
), the group
bombed the Imperial Iron & Steel Works,
Yawata
is a city located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. the city has an estimated population of 70,433 and a population density of 2,893 persons per km². The total area is 24.35 km².
The city was founded on November 1, 1977 and currently has a ...
, Japan – the opening of the B-29 phase of the Air Offensive against Japan.
By late 1944, it established the best operational record of the four B-29 groups then in combat, for which Headquarters XX Bomber Command awarded it General
Billy Mitchell
William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force.
Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...
's personal sailing burgee and authorized it to adopt the name "The General Billy Mitchell Group," a name requiring outstanding performance of duty. Within a year, it participated in eight campaigns and earned three
Distinguished Unit Citations.
From June 1944 until May 1945, operating at maximum range, the 468th conducted aerial reconnaissance and bombardment operations from India and China against Japanese targets in Japan,
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
, China,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, Burma, the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
, Singapore and
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
. Sixteen-hour combat missions were common; the longest 21. Weather, terrain and the enemy were equally unforgiving. The B-29 was still being "invented" and its operational tactics had to be proved while the airplane was being de-bugged in the face of the enemy.
In July 1944, the United States Marines invaded the
Mariana Islands and as soon as West Field,
Tinian
Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the ...
, was readied in May 1945, the India-based B-29s were again designated the 58th Bombardment Wing and flew to West Field and continued the air offensive against Japan; operating as part of the new XXI Bomber Command.
Upon arrival the group's personnel were engaged in Quonset hut construction. By the end of April most personnel were able to move into the huts from the initial tents which they were assigned on arrival. The group began operations in May 1944 against targets located in the Japanese Home Islands. The group flew many missions against strategic objectives in Japan; on numerous raids, made its attacks in daylight and from high altitude. In October 1944 shortages in aircraft and equipment led to the 795th Bomb Squadron being inactivated, with its personnel being consolidated into other group squadrons.
The 468th flew its last combat mission from Tinian on 15 August 1945. It had played a vital role in the sudden, almost overnight development of Twentieth Air Force strength and had fought from beginning to end in the Pacific Air Offensive. After
V-J Day
Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...
, the 497th dropped supplies to Allied prisoners, participated in show-of-force missions, and flew over Japan to evaluate bombardment damage. On 2 September 1945,
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Curtis LeMay
Curtis Emerson LeMay (November 15, 1906 – October 1, 1990) was an American Air Force general who implemented a controversial strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific theater of World War II. He later served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air ...
had the group lead the 20th Air Forces show of force over the
USS ''Missouri'' during the Japanese surrender ceremonies. As part of the 20th Air Force, it has participated in the first use of air power to end a major conflict without having to fight one's way into the enemy homeland.
In December 1945 the unit returned to the United States; initially being assigned to Continental Air Forces's (CAF)
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
at
Fort Worth Army Airfield
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, Texas. At Fort Worth, the
512th Bombardment Squadron joined the group; it previously being a
Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberator squadron based in Italy, having been returned to the United States in May and was undergoing B-29 Very Heavy Bomber upgrade training in Nebraska when its former assigned group, the
376th Bombardment Group, was inactivated.
In January 1946, the group was reassigned the CAF Fourth Air Force at Roswell Army Airfield, New Mexico; then being transferred to the new
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
on 21 March 1946, being one of SAC's initial bombardment groups. Demobilization, however, was in full swing and the group turned in its aircraft and was inactivated on 31 March.
Lineage
* Constituted as 468th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 May 1943
: Activated on 1 August 1943
: Redesignated 468th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in November 1943
: Inactivated on 31 March 1946.
Assignments
*
58th Bombardment Wing, 1 August 1943 – 12 October 1944
*
XX Bomber Command
The XX Bomber Command was a United States Army Air Forces bomber formation. Its last assignment was with Twentieth Air Force, based on Okinawa. It was inactivated on 16 July 1945.
History
The idea of basing Boeing B-29 Superfortresses in ...
, 13 October 1944 – 7 February 1945
*
58th Bombardment Wing, 8 February-15 November 1945
*
Continental Air Forces
Continental Air Forces (CAF) was a United States Army Air Forces major command, active 1944–1946. It was tasked with combat training of bomber and fighter personnel, and for Continental United States (CONUS) air defense after the Aircraft Wa ...
, 1 December 1945
*
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
, 21–31 March 1946
Components
*
512th Bombardment Squadron 10 November 1945 – 26 March 1946
*
791st Bombardment Squadron, 7–31 Mar 1946
*
792d Bombardment Squadron 1 August 1943 – 31 March 1946
*
793d Bombardment Squadron 1 August 1943 – 31 March 1946
*
794th Bombardment Squadron 1 August 1943 – 31 March 1946
*
795th Bombardment Squadron 1 August 1943 – 12 October 1944
* 13th Bombardment Maintenance Squadron
* 14th Bombardment Maintenance Squadron
* 15th Bombardment Maintenance Squadron
* 16th Bombardment Maintenance Squadron
* 14th Photographic Laboratory Squadron
Stations
*
Smoky Hill AAFld, KS 1 August 1943 – 12 March 1944
*
Kharagpur Airfield
Kalaikunda Air Force Station
is an Indian Air Force Base in Kharagpur, located in the West Midnapur district of the state of West Bengal. It was the home of No. 18 Squadron IAF, the Flying Bullets. The squadron flew the Indian license-bui ...
, India, 13 April 1944 – 24 February 1945
:
Pengshan Airfield
Pengshan Air Base is a People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) air base, located approximately 1 km east of Gongyi Town, in Pengshan County, Sichuan province, Southwestern China.
Beginning in 1949, it was part of the PLAAF Second Aviation ...
(A-7), China designated as forward staging base.
*
West Field,
Tinian
Tinian ( or ; old Japanese name: 天仁安島, ''Tenian-shima'') is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the ...
,
Mariana Islands 6 April – 15 November 1945
*
Ft Worth AAFld, TX 1 December 1945
*
Roswell AAFld, NM 12 January – 31 March 1946
Aircraft flown
*
B-26 Marauder, 1943–1944 (Training Only)
*
B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1944 (Training Only)
*
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
, 1944–1946
References
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. .
{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II
Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces
Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces in the Japan campaign
Military units and formations established in 1943
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946