417th Bombardment Group

Last updated

417th Bombardment Group
5THAF.png
417BombGpA-20formation.PNG
Douglas A-20s of the 417th Bombardment Group showing markings adopted in the Southwest Pacific Theater
Active1943–1945
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Branch United States Army Air Forces
Role Bombardment
Nickname(s)Sky Lancers
Engagements South West Pacific Theater of World War II
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation
Insignia
417th Bombardment Group Insigne (unofficial) 417thbombgroup.jpg

The 417th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with V Bomber Command at Itami Airfield, Japan, where it was inactivated on 5 November 1945.

Contents

During World War II, the group operated in the Southwest Pacific Theater as a light bombardment unit during the New Guinea and Philippines campaigns. It was awarded both the Distinguished Unit Citation and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for its combat service.


417th Sky Lancers 417thbombgroup.jpg
417th Sky Lancers

History

Commons-logo.svg Media related to 417th Bombardment Group (United States Army Air Forces) at Wikimedia Commons

Training in the United States

The 417th Bombardment Group was activated in the spring of 1943 at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma with the 672d, [1] 673d, [2] 674th, [3] and 675th Bombardment Squadrons [4] assigned. [5] The group drew its initial cadre from the 46th and 416th Bombardment Groups. Once assigned, the 417th's key personnel travelled to Orlando Army Air Base in mid-April where they received combat training from the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics. [6]

The first Douglas A-20 Havocs arrived to equip the group in mid-May along with some DB-7 export models of the Havoc. Initial training of the group was conducted by the 46th Bombardment Group, the Operational Training Unit at Will Rogers Field. [6] The group then moved to DeRidder Army Air Base, Louisiana [5] for advanced training. From August to September the 417th operated with the II Tactical Air Division giving low level support to ground units on maneuvers. [7] Once training was completed The 417th departed the San Francisco Port of Embarkation by ship on New Year's Day 1944. [8]

Combat in the Southwest Pacific

Charles Lindbergh with Col. Howard S. Elmore, commander of the 417th Bombardment Group in one of the group's A-20 Havocs in the Southwest Pacific Theater 417BGLindbergh Ellmore Jackson.PNG
Charles Lindbergh with Col. Howard S. Elmore, commander of the 417th Bombardment Group in one of the group's A-20 Havocs in the Southwest Pacific Theater

The group arrived in New Guinea in late January 1944, where it became part of Fifth Air Force. It began combat in March, operating in support of ground forces on New Guinea and striking airfields, bridges, personnel concentrations, installations, and shipping in the area. [5] The group participated with other Fifth Air Force units in attacks on shipping and enemy airstrips near Hollandia on 16 April that resulted in the destruction of 298 enemy planes. [9]

Most sorties were flown at low level, since Japanese flak was not very intense. During these low level bombing operations, it was found that there was little need for a bombardier. Consequently, the bombardier was often replaced by additional forward-firing machine guns mounted in a faired-over nose. The A-20's heavy firepower, maneuverability, speed and bombload made it an appropriate weapon for pinpoint strikes against aircraft, hangars, and supply dumps. In formation, their heavy forward firepower could defeat shipboard anti-aircraft defenses and at low level the A-20s could skip their bombs into the sides of transports and destroyers with deadly effect. Some A-20s had their heavy forward-firing armament supplemented by clusters of three Bazooka-type rocket tubes underneath each wing. These tubes each held an M8, T-30 4.5-inch (110 mm) spin-stabilized rocket. These rocket launcher tubes turned out to be heavy and complicated, and were generally more trouble than they were worth and were not often used.[ citation needed ]

National Museum of the USAF Douglas A-20 in South West Pacific Theater markings Douglas A-20G Havoc USAF.jpg
National Museum of the USAF Douglas A-20 in South West Pacific Theater markings

The unit operated from Noemfoor from September to December 1944, attacking airfields and installations on Ceram, Halmahera, and western New Guinea. [5] Noemfoor operations included attacks on oil installations. [9] The 417th moved to the Philippines in December 1944 at the end of the New Guinea campaign. The group's ground crews left Noemfoor by ship while the aircrew flew to the Philippines once the advance party had prepared McGuire Field for use in late December. [10] While en route, the convoy transporting the ground echelon endured two Japanese air attacks. [11]

The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for attacking Japanese convoys at Lingayen between 30 December 1944 and 2 January 1945, an action that not only impaired enemy shipping and supply strength, but also helped to clear the way for the American invasion of Luzon. [5] During the 2 January attack, the group commander, Lt. Col. Howard S. Ellmore, was lost to enemy fire. [11] During these attacks the group sank 36,000 tons of shipping including a freighter, a destroyer escort and several transports. [12]

Until June 1945 the 417th supported ground forces and continued to attack enemy airfields, transportation, and installations on Luzon, Cebu, Negros, and Mindanao. The group flew its last missions in July, dropping propaganda leaflets to Japanese troops on Luzon. [5] After the Philippines were secured, the group turned its attention to Japanese targets on Formosa in early 1945.[ citation needed ] It moved to Okinawa in August 1945 and to Itami Air Base, Japan in November, where it was inactivated on 15 November 1945. [5]

Lineage

Activated on 28 March 1943
Inactivated on 15 November 1945 [5]

Assignments

Components

Stations

Aircraft

Awards and campaigns

Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Streamer PUC Army.PNG Distinguished Unit Citation 30 December 1944-2 January 1945Philippine Islands [5]
Streamer PPUC.PNG Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation 17 October 1944-4 July 1945 [5]
Campaign StreamerCampaignDatesNotes
Streamer APC.PNG New Guinea28 January 1944 – 31 December 1944 [5]
Streamer APC.PNG Leyte17 October 1944 – 1 July 1945 [5]
Streamer APC.PNG Luzon15 December 1944 – 4 July 1945 [5]
Streamer APC.PNG Southern Philippines27 February 1945 – 4 July 1945 [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">42nd Air Base Wing</span> Military unit

The 42nd Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air University of Air Education and Training Command. It is stationed at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama and is the host unit for Maxwell-Gunter. The wing's primary mission is to support all activities of Air University, the 908th Airlift Wing and other tenant units stationed at Maxwell-Gunter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">497th Air Expeditionary Group</span> Military unit

The 497th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to Pacific Air Forces to activate or inactivate as needed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girua Airport</span> Airport

Girua Airport is an airport serving Popondetta, a city in the Oro province in Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">312th Aeronautical Systems Group</span> Military unit

The 312th Aeronautical Systems Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active in June 2010 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where it was a component of Air Force Materiel Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">108th Operations Group</span> Military unit

The 108th Operations Group is a unit of the 108th Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard, one of the many units stationed at the McGuire AFB entity of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. If activated to federal service with the U.S. Air Force, the group is gained by Air Mobility Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">418th Test and Evaluation Squadron</span> United States Air Force unit

The 418th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit assigned to the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group, and stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, where it was activated on 1 October 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">309th Air Division</span> Military unit

The 309th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force at Hensley Field, Texas. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">64th Bombardment Squadron</span> Military unit

The 64th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit that was last assigned to the 43rd Bombardment Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, where it was inactivated on 31 January 1970.

Saidor Airport is an airport in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.. It is a general aviation airport located at the coast near Saidor, near Saul Point with Dekys Bay to the east and the Bismarck Sea to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oro Bay Airfield</span>

Oro Bay Airfield is a former World War II airfield in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">672d Technical Training Squadron</span> Inactive United States Air Force unit

The 672d Technical Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 705th Strategic Missile Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England, where it was inactivated on 1 October 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">673d Bombardment Squadron</span> Military unit

The 673d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the 417th Bombardment Group at Itami Airfield, Japan, where it was inactivated on 5 November 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">674th Bombardment Squadron</span> Military unit

The 674th Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the 417th Bombardment Group at Itami Airfield, Japan, where it was inactivated on 5 November 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">675th Bombardment Squadron</span> Military unit

The 675th Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the 417th Bombardment Group at Itami Airfield, Japan, where it was inactivated on 5 November 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">820th Bombardment Squadron</span> Military unit

The 820th Bombardment Squadron is a former Army Air Forces unit, inactivated on 4 January 1946. The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 521st Bombardment Squadron. The squadron was soon engaged in the antisubmarine campaign off the Atlantic coast of the United States as the 16th Antisubmarine Squadron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Operations Group</span> Military unit

The 3rd Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 3rd Wing. It is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska, and is assigned to Pacific Air Forces' Eleventh Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">90th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron</span> Military unit

The 90th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. Until March 2013, it was assigned to the 385th Air Expeditionary Group at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. It then departed for an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron</span> Military unit

The 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Operations Group at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It has supported combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria from this location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">640th Bombardment Squadron</span> Military unit

The 640th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. After training with Douglas A-20 Havocs in the United States the squadron deployed to the European Theater of World War II, where it engaged in combat until the Surrender of Germany. It was last assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group at Westover Field, Massachusetts, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">642d Bombardment Squadron</span> United States Army Air Forces unit in World War II

The 642d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. After training with Douglas A-20 Havocs in the United States the squadron deployed to the European Theater of World War II, where it engaged in combat until the Surrender of Germany. It was last assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group at Westover Field, Massachusetts, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 700–701
  2. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 701
  3. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 701–702
  4. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 702
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 300–301
  6. 1 2 Green, et al., p. 18
  7. 1 2 Green, et al, p. 19
  8. Green, et al, p. 21
  9. 1 2 Green, et al., p. 26
  10. Green, et al., p. 23
  11. 1 2 Green, et al., p. 24
  12. Green, et al., p. 27
  13. Green, et al, p. 20

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency