The wing was originally constituted as the 485th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and activated on 20 September 1943.[6] Its original squadrons were the newly activated 828th, 829th, and 830th Bombardment Squadrons, which were joined a few days later by the 831st Bombardment Squadron at Gowen Field, Idaho.[7] The 831st was an experienced Consolidated B-24 Liberator squadron that had been performing anti-submarine warfare missions as the 11th Antisubmarine Squadron.[7] The group deployed to Gowen, where it derived its initial cadre from the 29th Bombardment Group[8] and was assigned to Second Air Force for training with B-24s at Gowen and at Fairmont Army Air Field, Nebraska. The group deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in March and April 1944.[6]

Although the ground echelon had deployed to Southern Italy by April 1944, the air echelon was detained in Tunisia for further training. The group entered combat with Fifteenth Air Force in May 1944. The 485th engaged in very long range strategic bombing missions to enemy military, industrial and transportation targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia, bombing marshalling yards, oil refineries, airfields, heavy industry, and other strategic objectives.[6]

The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for combating intense fighter opposition and attacking an oil refinery at Vienna on 26 June 1944. The 485th also carried out some support and interdiction operations. It struck bridges, harbors, and troop concentrations in August 1944 to aid Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, It hit lines of communications and other targets during March and April 1945 to support the advance of British Eighth Army in northern Italy.[6] It flew its 187th and last combat mission against Linz, Austria before preparing to return to the United States and re-equip.[9]

The 485th returned to the United States in May 1945 and was programmed for deployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment group.[citation needed] Many combat veterans of MTO demobilized upon arrival in the United States, and a small cadre of personnel reformed at Sioux Falls Army Airfield, South Dakota at the end of May.[citation needed] The group was reassigned to Second Air Force for training in Iowa. Because B-29 groups had only three combat squadrons, the 831st Bombardment Squadron was inactivated in August.[7] The group then moved on paper[10] to Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas in September.[6]

The group remained on active duty after the Japanese surrender. In March 1946 Continental Air Forces became Strategic Air Command and Second Air Force was replaced by Fifteenth Air Force as the group's intermediate headquarters. Simultaneously, the 506th Bombardment Squadron was assigned to the group from the 44th Bombardment Group.[11] In August 1946 the personnel and equipment of the 485th were reassigned to the 97th Bombardment Group and the 485th was inactivated.[6][12]

Structure

Part of

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  15th Air Force

  
  The Fifteenth Air Force was one of two Strategic Air forces in Europe, along with the Eighth Air Force. ...

Encompassing

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  828th Bomb Squadron

  Squadron
  Activated as a B-24 Liberator squadron in late 1943. assigned to II Bomber Command for training in B-24 Liberators. Primarily trained in Nebraska and received deployment orders for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in March 1944. ...

• 

  829th Bomb Squadron

  Squadron
  Activated as a B-24 Liberator squadron in late 1943. assigned to II Bomber Command for training in B-24 Liberators. Primarily trained in Nebraska and received deployment orders for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in March 1944. ...

• 

  830th Bomb Squadron

  Squadron
  Activated as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment squadron in 1943; assigned to II Bomber Command for training in B-24 Liberators. Primarily trained in Nebraska and received deployment orders for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in March...

• 

  831st Bomb Squadron

  Squadron
  Established in late 1942 as a I Bomber Command heavy bomb squadron; detached to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command 25th Antisubmarine Wing, conducting antisubmarine missions along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States using light observation...

Previously was

Not yet known

Became

Not yet known

Stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	Venosa	April 1944 – May 1945

Connections

People

• 

  Alex Abramowich

  Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 485th Bomb Group
  Alex Abramowich was born in Brooklyn USA in 1917. Serving as a waist gunner, Sergeant Abramowich's aircraft, B24-J Liberator, 42-50486, (Butch), took a direct hit from anti aircraft fire over the target at Blechammer, Germany. Witnesses say the...

• 

  Lyle Anderson

  Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 485th Bomb Group
  Alexander Lyle H 2nd Lt 0-681288 828th Pilot ...

• 

  William Andrews

  Military | Captain | bomber pilot | 344th Bomb Group

• 

  Morris Burney

  Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigtor | 485th Bomb Group
  Retired from the USAF with the rank of Major

• 

  Paul Combs

  Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Gunner | 485th Bomb Group

• 

  John Crouchley

  Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 485th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 828BS, 485BG, 15AF USAAF. 25 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Bucharest, Romania in B-24 42-52701 28-Jun-44; Shot down by E/A, held A/C stable to enable his crew to bale out, unable to escape himself. Killed in Action(KIA) MACR...

• 

  William Hays

  Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 485th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 828BS, 485BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Bucharest, Romania in B-24 42-52701 28-Jun-44; Shot down by E/A, baled out Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 6820/8339 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

• 

  William Hollowell

  Military | Captain | Bombardier | 485th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 828BS, 485BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Bucharest, Romania in B-24 42-52701 28-Jun-44; Shot down by E/A, baled out Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 6820/8339 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

• 

  Edward Johnson

  Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 485th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 828BS, 485BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Bucharest, Romania in B-24 42-52701 28-Jun-44; Shot down by E/A, baled out Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 6820/8339 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

• 

  Elmer Kohler

  Military | Flight Officer | Co-Pilot | 485th Bomb Group

Show more

Aircraft

• 

  42-52532 'Virgo' 'Miss Mynookey'

  B-24 Liberator
  Assigned 834rd BS, 486th BG, 8th AF, One of the original aircraft flown to the UK - until the end of Jun 44. ...

• 

  42-52724 Buzz Job

  B-24 Liberator

• 

  44-41068

  B-24 Liberator

• 

  42-52701 Miss Yankee Rebel

  B-24 Liberator
  Assigned to 828BS, 485BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Bucharest, Romania 28-Jun-44; Attacked by E/A, starting fires in the #2 and #3 engines. 2Lt Crouchley then dove the A/C to put out the fires successfully. Crew continued to fight of attacks...

• 

  44-40458 'Picadilly Tilly'

  B-24 Liberator
  Transferred from the 861BS, 493BG, 8AF. Assignments in 34th BG - 391st BS, 7th BS and 4th BS. Later transferred to the 828BS, 485BG, 15AF where it was lost in Italy 2-Mar-45 - MACR 12710

• 

  42-50486 Butch

  B-24 Liberator
  Took a direct hit from anti aircraft fire over target at Blechammer, Germany. Aircraft immediately broke into two pieces. 26 Dec 1944 at 12:29am.

Citations

None