491st Bombardment Group

Last updated

491st Bombardment Group
Consolidated B-24J-55-CF Liberator 44-10492 491st BG 853rd BS.jpg
491st B-24 Liberator at bombs away [note 1]
Active1943–1945
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
RoleBomber
Part of Eighth Air Force
Nickname(s)Ringmasters
Engagements European Theater of Operations
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
491st Bombardment Squadron emblem [1] 491patch.png

The 491st Bombardment Group is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in October 1943 as a heavy bomber unit, drawing its cadre from the former 17th Antisubmarine Squadron. After training in the United States, the group deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation in an attack against Misburg. The group flew 187 combat missions. Following V-E Day, the group returned to the United States and was inactivated at McChord Field, Washington in September 1945.

Contents

History

Training in the United States

The 491st Bombardment Group was activated 1 October 1943 at Davis–Monthan Field, Arizona, along with three of its component squadrons, the 852d, 853d and 854th Bombardment Squadrons. [2] [3] [4] [5] Its cadre was formed from the 17th Antisubmarine Squadron at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, which was redesignated the 855th Bombardment Squadron and became the group's fourth squadron. [5] [note 2] In late October, the group commander and key personnel went to Pinecastle Army Air Field, Florida for special training with the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics, operating under simulated combat conditions. One crew was lost during this specialized training. The following month, the group and its squadrons moved to El Paso Army Air Field, Texas and began training with Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers. [2] Most of the ground echelon of the group was withdrawn and reassigned to Boeing B-29 Superfortress units being organized by Second Air Force, with the largest portion moving to Pratt Army Air Field, Kansas. Many of the unit's remaining personnel were transferred to other B-24 groups as well, and by the end of December, the 491st had no assigned aircraft and only four crews in addition to the group staff. [6]

In January, the air echelon moved to Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado, where it was joined by new crews soon after arrival and continued training, reaching full strength in early February. [7] Meanwhile, Eighth Air Force began organizing a new ground echelon for the group in England, directing each of the four groups assigned to its 2d Bombardment Division to form a squadron ground echelon. [8] [note 3] The group's air echelon moved to Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado to complete its training with the 471st Bombardment Group. [6] Key personnel of the unit departed the United States on 11 April, while the crews began ferrying the squadron's B-24s via the southern ferry route on 21 April. [8]

Combat in the European Theater of Operations

The 491st's air and ground echelons were assembled at RAF Metfield with the arrival of the air echelon by 15 May 1944, although the last plane of the 491st did not arrive until the 30th. [9] It began operations starting on 2 June, with an attack on Bretigny Airfield. [10] It initially attacked airfields, coastal defenses and lines of communication to support Operation Overlord, the invasion of France. After the D-Day landings, [note 4] the squadron concentrated on the strategic bombing missions. Its targets included communications centers, oil refineries, shipyards, depots and other industrial targets. While targets included Berlin, Bielefeld, Cologne, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Hanover, Kassel and Magdeburg. On one occasion, the squadron was tasked with attacking German General Staff headquarters at Zossen, south of Berlin. [2] [8]

In August 1944, the 492d Bombardment Group was taken off normal operations and moved on paper to replace the 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional) on Operation Carpetbagger operations. As a result, the 491st Group moved to the 492d's base at RAF North Pickenham. [11] On 26 November 1944, the group raided an oil refinery at Misburg. It was attacked by large numbers of enemy interceptors, which shot down approximately half of the aircraft in the 491st Group formation. The remaining aircraft fought off the enemy planes and successfully bombed the target, earning the unit a Distinguished Unit Citation. [2]

The group was occasionally diverted from the strategic bombing campaign. it supported ground forces during Operation Cobra the breakout at Saint Lo; dropped supplies to beleaguered paratroopers during Operation Market Garden, the attempt to seize a bridgehead across the Rhine River; and attacked supply lines and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge. It supported Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine and Allied forces driving across Germany. [2] The squadron's final combat mission was flown on 25 April 1945. [8]

Return to the United States and inactivation

During its combat tour, the 491st flew 187 missions, comprising over 5,000 sorties, the highest operational rate for Liberator units in Eighth Air Force. It lost 47 aircraft, [note 5] while claiming 9 German planes destroyed. Following V-E Day, the group began flying its aircraft back to the United States on 17 June 1945. The ground echelon sailed on the RMS Queen Mary on 6 July, arriving in New York City five days later. [8] The 491st reassembled at McChord Field, Washington later that month and was inactivated there on 8 September. [2]

Lineage

Activated on 1 October 1943
Inactivated on 8 September 1945 [2]

Assignments

Components

Stations

Aircraft

Awards and campaigns

Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Streamer PUC Army.PNG Distinguished Unit Citation 26 November 1944Misburg, 491st Bombardment Group [2]
Campaign StreamerCampaignDatesNotes
Streamer EAMEC.PNG Air Offensive, Europe25 April 1944 – 5 June 1944491st Bombardment Group [2]
Streamer EAMEC.PNG Air Combat, EAME Theater25 April 1944 – 11 May 1945491st Bombardment Group [2]
Streamer EAMEC.PNG Normandy6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944491st Bombardment Group [2]
Streamer EAMEC.PNG Northern France25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944491st Bombardment Group [2]
Streamer EAMEC.PNG Rhineland15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945491st Bombardment Group [2]
Streamer EAMEC.PNG Ardennes-Alsace16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945491st Bombardment Group [2]
Streamer EAMEC.PNG Central Europe22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945491st Bombardment Group [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

RAF North Pickenham

Royal Air Force North Pickenham or more simply RAF North Pickenham is a former Royal Air Force station located 3 miles (4.8 km) East of Swaffham, Norfolk, England.

382d Bombardment Group Former U.S. Army Air Forces unit

The 382d Bombardment Group is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last stationed at Camp Anza, California, where it was inactivated on 4 January 1946. The group was active from 1942 to 1944 as a heavy bomber training unit. It was reorganized as a very heavy bomber unit and trained for deployment overseas. However, it arrived at its overseas station too late to see combat, and returned to the United States, where it was inactivated.

493rd Bombardment Group Military unit

The 493d Bombardment Group is a former United States Army Air Forces unit that was assigned to the 92d Bombardment Wing during World War II. It the last bombardment group to be assigned to Eighth Air Force. It flew combat missions in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany until shortly before V-E Day, then returned to the United States for inactivation. In 2002, the group was converted to provisional status as the 493d Air Expeditionary Group and assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed.

91st Air Refueling Squadron Military unit

The 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions.

855th Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 855th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The squadron was first activated as the 522d Bombardment Squadron at Lantana Airport, Florida, in October 1942, when it assumed the personnel and equipment of a National Guard unit engaged in antisubmarine warfare over the Atlantic. The squadron continued antisubmarine patrols as the 17th Antisubmarine Squadron until the summer of 1943, when its mission was transferred to the Navy.

859th Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 859th Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. it was first activated in October 1942 as the 517th Bombardment Squadron, when the Army Air Forces replaced National Guard observation units that had been mobilized and were performing antisubmarine patrols off the Atlantic coastline. A month after its activation, the squadron was redesignated the 12th Antisubmarine Squadron. In August 1943, the Army Air forces began turning the antisubmarine patrol mission over to the Navy and the squadron moved to California, where, as the 859th Bombardment Squadron, it formed the cadre for the 492d Bombardment Group.

492nd Special Operations Wing Military unit

The 492d Special Operations Wing is a United States Air Forces unit stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It was activated in May 2017 to replace the Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center.

856th Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 856th Bombardment Squadron was a United States Army Air Forces unit. it was first activated in October 1943 as one of the original Consolidated B-24 Liberator squadrons of the 492d Bombardment Group. After deploying to England, the 492d entered the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, but in three months of combat, the 492d Group suffered the most severe losses of an Eighth Air Force bomber group. The 492d Group was withdrawn from combat in August 1944, and the 856th moved on paper to replace the 36th Bombardment Squadron, which was engaged in Operation Carpetbagger, dropping agents and supplies behind German lines, primarily in France. As American forces advanced in France, this special operations mission diminished. The squadron briefly transported fuel to mechanized units in France, then returned to special operations in Scandinavia and Germany under the operational control of Eighth Air Force until the end of hostilities in Europe. It returned to the United States for conversion to Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, but was inactivated in October 1945.

857th Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 857th Bombardment Squadron is one of the two predecessors of the 557th Tactical Air Support Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit, formed in 1985 by the consolidation of the 857th with another inactive bombardment squadron. It has never been active under its most recent designation.

95th Combat Bombardment Wing Inactive United States Air Force unit

The 95th Combat Bombardment Wing is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in England in 1943 and engaged in strategic bombing campaign against Germany from June through August 1944. It returned to the United States in July 1945 and was disbanded in late August 1945.

852nd Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 852nd Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in October 1943 as a heavy bomber unit. After training in the United States, the squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation in an attack against Misburg. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated at McChord Field, Washington in September 1945.

853rd Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 853rd Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in October 1943 as a heavy bomber unit. After training in the United States, the squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation in an attack against Misburg. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated at McChord Field, Washington in September 1945.

854th Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 854th Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in October 1943 as a heavy bomber unit. After training in the United States, the squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation in an attack against Misburg. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated at McChord Field, Washington in September 1945.

754th Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 754th Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. The squadron was first activated in July 1943. After training with Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers in the United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States, where it began training with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, but was inactivated in October 1945.

785th Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 785th Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was organized in August 1943 as a heavy bomber unit. After training in the United States with Consolidated B-24 Liberators, the 785th moved to England, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Following V-E Day, it returned to the United States, where it began training with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, but was inactivated in October 1945.

787th Air Expeditionary Squadron Military unit

The 787th Air Expeditionary Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit, assigned to United States Air Forces Europe. The squadron has been activated twice for contingency operations in Africa.

791st Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 791st Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. During World War II it was assigned to the 467th Bombardment Group, and engaged in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. After V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and transitioned into the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946 at Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico in March 1946 and its resources were transferred elsewhere.

838th Bombardment Squadron Military unit

The 838th Bombardment Squadron was a United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in September 1943. After training in the United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it engaged in combat with Consolidated B-24 Liberators. In the summer of 1944, it was withdrawn from combat to convert to the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, then continued in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany with the 487th Bombardment Group until the spring of 1945. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to Drew Field, Florida, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

466th Air Expeditionary Group Military unit

The 466th Air Expeditionary Group of the United States Air Force provides support for airmen at stations across Afghanistan. This includes "joint expeditionary tasking" airmen, airmen whose units are assigned to a headquarters other than the one from United States Air Force during their deployment. It also includes individual augmentees assigned to joint organizations. The 466th has been headquartered at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar since 2014, when it moved from the Transit Center at Manas. The group provides a lifeline, referred to as a "Blue Line' back to the Air Force. Its two squadrons, the 466th and 966th Air Expeditionary Squadrons are still located in Afghanistan.

968th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron Military unit

The 968th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force. It has been activated twice during the Global War on Terror.

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. ↑ Aircraft is Consolidated B-24J-55-CF Liberator, serial 44-10492 of the 853d Bomb Squadron.
  2. ↑ A few enlisted members transferred from the 39th Bombardment Group as well.
  3. ↑ The four groups providing the ground echelon were the 93d 389th, 446th and 448th Bombardment Groups. Blue, p. 82.
  4. ↑ The squadron's assigned target was obscured by cloud cover and it returned to base without bombing. Blue, p. 85.
  5. ↑ Fifteen of these were lost on the Misburg raid. Freeman, p. 182.
  6. ↑ Ketteringham Hall and North Pickenham were apparently only nominal bases. Ketteringham Hall was station headquarters for the 2d Bombardment Division. Ground personnel for the 491st Group were actually located at the four stations of the division's groups. Although North Pickenham was selected to be the 491st Group's initial station in England, this choice was revoked and the squadron ground echelons did not move until April, when they gathered at Metfield. Freeman, p. 261.
Citations
  1. ↑ Watkins, pp. 118–119
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 360–361
  3. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 782
  4. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 782–783
  5. 1 2 3 4 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 783
  6. 1 2 Blue, p. 80
  7. ↑ Blue, p. 81
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Freeman, p. 261
  9. ↑ Blue, p. 82
  10. ↑ Blue, p. 83
  11. ↑ Blue, p. 90
  12. ↑ "Factsheet 14 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 4 October 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Station number in Anderson.
  14. ↑ Station information in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 360–361, except as noted.

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.