The 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1 Mar 42 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15 May 42. the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, to continue advanced flight training and also to fly antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. They claimed 3 U-Boats destroyed. Between 2-15 Aug 1942, the Group moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey to prepare for deployment overseas. The ground echelon departed for the U.K. on the Queen Elizabeth on 31 Aug 1942, and the air echelon moved to Grenier Field, New Hampshire, and was refitted with B-24Ds. The group was first located at Station 102, Alconbury between 6 Sep 1942, and 6 Dec 1942. The Group flew 396 missions in 8,169 sorties and dropped 19,004 tons of bombs with 100 aircraft MIA.

The 93rd Bomb Group was one of the three 8th Air Force B-24 groups that were detached (TDY) and sent to North Africa in support of 12th Air Force on 12 Dec 1942. The 329th Bomb Squadron remained behind and took up residence at Hardwick. The 32th Bomb Squadron, and the 330th Bomb Squadron and and the 409th Bomb Squadron flew to the initial station at Tafarouri, Algeria, but the field there was not suited for the heavy bombers, and they only conducted two missions from that field. They were then moved to Gambut Main, Libya, a field assigned to 9th Air Force. They remained there until 22 Feb 1943, at which time they returned to Hardwick until 26 Jun 1943.

In late June 1943 the Group was once again sent TDY to the 9th Air Force at Bengazi, Libya, for Operation Tidal Wave. They participated in the famous mission against the oil targets at Ploesti, Romania. 1 Aug 43. The Squadrons, then, returned to Hardwick, U.K., on 27 Aug 1943, and flew missions from that station until the Group was sent back to the United States on 12 Jun 45.

CLAIMS TO FAME:
Oldest B-24 Bomb Group in 8th Air Force
Flew most missions of any Group in 8th Air Force
First Bomb Squadron (329th) to penetrate German airspace 2 Jan 43
Most traveled Bomb Group in 8th Air Force
First heavy bomber to fly 25 missions: B-24, 41-23728, Hot Stuff, 330Bomb Squadron
First B-24 to complete 50 missions, Boomerang
Only wartime unit in the USAF that has not been inactivated since its original formation.

Browse the 93rd Bomb Group photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/50