461st Bomb Group
GroupIWM, Roger Freeman Collection
The group was constituted in May 1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group and activated on 1 July at Wendover Field, Utah.[1] It trained under II Bomber Command at several airfields in Utah, Idaho, and California, with group elements undergoing combat simulation training at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics in Florida.
The 461st deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in February 1944, the air echelon flying B-24's via the South Atlantic transport route, stopping in North Africa before joining the ground echelon in Italy.[1] It was assigned to the 49th Bombardment Wing of Fifteenth Air Force at Torretto Airfield, Italy, in late February.
The group began combat operations in April, engaging in long range strategic bombardment operations of Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe. It engaged chiefly in bombardment of communications, industries, and other strategic objectives in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Greece.[1] It supported Fifteenth AF's counter-air operations by bombing enemy airdromes and aircraft centers, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a mission on 13 April 1944 when the group battled its way through enemy defenses to attack an aircraft components plant in Budapest.[1] The 461st BG conducted Oil Campaign of World War II operations against Brux, Blechhammer, Moosbierbaum, Vienna, and Ploiești; receiving a second DUC for a July 1944 bombing of Ploiești despite flak, clouds, smoke, and fighters. Also operated in support of ground forces and flew some interdictory missions.[1]
It hit artillery positions in support of the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 and flew supply missions to France in September. The group aided the Allied offensive in Italy in April 1945 by attacking gun emplacements and troop concentrations. After the German Capitulation, the 461st dropped supplies to prisoner-of-war camps in Austria during May 1945.[1] During its operations in the Mediterranean, the group suffered 108 aircraft lost in combat, and was credited with the destruction of 129 enemy aircraft.[2] It dropped over 13,000 tons of bombs in over 46,000 hours of combat flying.[2]
The group was alerted for redeployment to the Pacific Theater in June 1945 and was programmed for Very Heavy bomber training with B-29 Superfortresses. The unit returned to the United States in July; many personnel being demobilized upon arrival. A small cadre formed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota and unit was awaiting new personnel and aircraft when the Japanese capitulation ended the Pacific War in August. The group was inactivated on 18 August.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Unit stations
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based |
Torretta | 20 February 1944 |
Encompassing
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 764th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32821360
- Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 765th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39906487
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 767th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16116044 / T-004502
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 765th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 38600941
- Highest Rank: Corporal (RAF)
- Role/Job: Nose turret gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 764th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33614032
- Highest Rank: Corporal (RAF)
- Role/Job: Nose gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Malfunctioned Sired By Ford
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 767th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Heaven Can Wait
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 766th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Ten Aces and A Queen
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 765th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Hard Guy
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 764th Bomb Squadron 767th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit: 461st Bomb Group 766th Bomb Squadron