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483rd Bomb Group

Group

  • Seen through a 433rd Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress' strike camera, a 816th Bomb Squadron B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5786) nicknamed

    Seen through a 433rd Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress' strike camera, a 816th Bomb Squadron B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5786) nicknamed "Whizzer II" goes down over Nis in Yugoslavia on the 15th of April 1944 in a gout of flame after taking a direct flak hit. There were no survivors. Official caption on image: "(483BG:4M3:2VI) (4:15:1208) (24:21300) ([south-west arrow] 140 [degrees]) (Nis M/Y Yugo) (Ship 111 816 Sq)." Handwritten caption on reverse: '15/4/44. 483BG, 15AF. Nis, Yugoslavia. 42-5786 Whizzer II has taken direct flak hit - all crew members were killed. USAAF 41.'

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  • 1Lt Michael J Bellonio Photo scoure: John Jack Richter

    1Lt Michael J Bellonio Photo scoure: John Jack Richter

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  • Sgt David Hausfeld, 483BG.

    Sgt David Hausfeld, 483BG.

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  • 1Lt Victor Paul Vlahovich, Pilot on B17G 42-102429, 483rd Bomber Group... Michael was

    1Lt Victor Paul Vlahovich, Pilot on B17G 42-102429, 483rd Bomber Group... Michael was "Killed In Action" over the Ploesti Oil Complex, Romania during the war when his B17 was shot down by enemy flak.

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  • 1Lt Victor Paul Vlahovich Photo source: Jo Ellen Reynolds

    1Lt Victor Paul Vlahovich Photo source: Jo Ellen Reynolds

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  • B-17

    B-17 "Grim Reaper" 42-2979, 815th Bomb Squadron (H) 483rd Bomb Group (H) Pilot- Lt. Thomas Ira Warburton O-690286. Downed by flack over the Adriatic, on April 16th, 1944, after bombing the railyards at Nis, Yugoslavia.

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  • B-17G-65-DL #44-6774

    B-17G-65-DL #44-6774 "Cookie" 483rd BG - 840th BS - 15th AF

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  • 840th Bomb Squadron

    840th Bomb Squadron

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  • B-17G-35-DL #42-107006

    B-17G-35-DL #42-107006 "Old Bird" 2nd Bomb Group - 96th Bomb Squadron 483rd Bomb Group - 815th Bomb Squadron 15th AF

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  • B-17G-35-BO #42-32048

    B-17G-35-BO #42-32048 "Queen" 2nd BG - 20th BS - 15th AF 483rd BG - 840th BS - 15th AF

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'As part of the 15th Air Force in WWII, the 483rd Bombardment Group (H) played a significant role in the eventual defeat of Germany's forces. Its four combat squadrons, the 815th, 816th, 817th and 840th flew a total of 5,623 sorties from 12 April 1944 to 26 April 1945, dropping more than 13,700 tons of bombs and losing 79 of its aircraft in combat. Its human losses were high: of the original 646 flying personnel sent to Italy in 1944, 39.8 percent were either killed in action or became prisoners of war.'

'The 483rd, stationed at Sterparone, Italy, flew B-17 "Flying Fortress" missions against critical enemy-controlled targets in Austria, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Northern Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia, Poland, Southern France, and Greece (Salamis). The group also supported ground forces during the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 and the Allied offensive in Northern Italy in April 1945. Two secret missions were flown in support of Czech patriots who held Tri Duby airdrome near Banska-Bystrica.'

Summary above comes from Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB, GA website.

Structure

Part of
  • 5th Bomb Wing

    5th Bomb Wing

    Wing
    The 5th Air Division (5th AD) originated on 19 October 1940 at McChord Field, Washington. Its initial mission was air defense of the northwest United States with three bombardment groups (12th, 17th and 39th) flying early B-17 Flying Fortresses (B-17C...

Encompassing
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Stations

Station Location Date
Based Tortorella 30 March 1944 – 22 April 1944
Based Sterparone 22 April 1944 – 15 May 1945

Connections

People

  • Earl Alexander

    Military | Flight Officer | Bombardier | 483rd Bomb Group
    Assigned 816BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF. Homer Anderson crew. Returned from Vienna 16-Mar-45, crash landing B-17 44-6325. RTD MACR 13059 Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Tommie Alfano

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Asst Engineer | 483rd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 815BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Memmingen in B-17G 44-6177 'Dry Run' 18-Jul-44 hit by enemy aircraft, crashed Ravensburg; Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 7099 Awards: SS, AM (2OLC), GC, PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Harold Anderson

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 483rd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 815BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Memmingen in B-17G 44-6177 'Dry Run' 18-Jul-44 hit by enemy aircraft, crashed Ravensburg; Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 7099 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Homer Anderson

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 483rd Bomb Group
    Assigned 816BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF. 28 x combat missions. Returned from Vienna 16-Mar-45, crash landing B-17 44-6325. RTD MACR 13059 Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • James Antonious

    Military | Colonel | Bombardier | 483rd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 815BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Memmingen in B-17G 44-6177 'Dry Run' 18-Jul-44 hit by enemy aircraft, crashed Ravensburg; Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 7099 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Meyer Axler

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 483rd Bomb Group
    Assigned 816BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF. Homer Anderson crew. Returned from Vienna 16-Mar-45, crash landing B-17 44-6325. RTD MACR 13059 Awards: AM (OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Michael Bellonio

    Military | First Lieutenant | C0_pilot | 483rd Bomb Group
    Michael served as a First Lieutenant & Co-Pilot on B-17G #42-102429, 840th Bomber Squadron, 483rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. ...

  • William Bermande

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 483rd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 816BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Memmingen 18-May-44; enemy aircraft, crashed Memmingen; Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 6975. Awards: AM (3OLC), PH.

  • Joseph Bogan

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Aerial Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    On 18 June 1942, Joseph Bogan was one of the Enlisted Men assigned to the 1141st Quartermaster Company at Mac Dill Field, Tampa, Florida from the 171st Quartermaster Platoon Service Center (Aviation), the 784th Quartermaster Company (Truck) and the...

  • Bernard Boraten

    Military | Corporal | Top turret | 483rd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 816BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return Vienna 21-Jan-45; Mech failure, crash landed Kiskumajsa; RTD MACR 11539. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

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Aircraft

  • 42-102382

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 17/2/44; Lincoln 25/3/44; Morrison 4/4/44; Assigned 817BS/483BG Sterparone 21/4/44; Missing in Action Memmingen 18/7/44 with Matt Smith, Myers, Stein, LaHurd, Venables, Pampamanoli, Doverspike, May, Marlin (9 Prisoner of War);...

  • 42-102388

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/44; Gt Falls 2/3/44; Morrison 19/4/44; Assigned 815BS/483BG Sterparone 30/4/44; Missing in Action Fornova de Taro 22/6/44 with Bill Schild, Frieberger, Ryan, Spracher (4 Killed in Action); Donahue, Ryan, Denison (3 evaded...

  • 42-102403

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Cheyenne 29/2/44; Hunter 22/3/44; Morrison 9/4/44; Assigned 816BS/483BG Sterparone 9/4/44; Missing in Action Friedrichshafen 3/8/44 with George Mullins, Bradshaw, Macko, Gaffney, Griffin, Danielson, Mitchley, Foster, Ross, Hosmer (10 Returned to Duty);...

  • 42-102406

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    483rdBG/817thBS/15th AF - Cheyenne 2/3/44; Hunter 22/3/44; Morrison 8/4/44; Assigned 817BS/483BG Sterparone 15/4/44; Missing in Action Belgrade 7/5/44 with Bill Lanford, McCabe, Varischetti, Macy (4 Prisoner of War); Dinovo, Sharp, Duquette, Beach,...

  • 42-102422 Catfish

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 2/3/44; Hunter 15/3/44; Morrison 7/4/44; Assigned 816BS/483BG Sterparone 17/4/44; Missing in Action Memmingen 18/7/44 with Tim Gunn, Fuehrer, Cashman, Howland, Fischetti, Nicholas, Frieman, Odiorne, Niezgocki (9 Killed in Action);...

  • 42-102429

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 2/3/44; Hunter 18/3/44; Morrison 2/4/44; Assigned 840BS/483BG Sterparone 17/4/44; Missing in Action Ploesti 15/7/44 with Vic Vlahovich, Bellonio, Gusciora, Ryan, Navarro, Stewart, Fletcher, Watkins, Barton, Van Deren (10 Killed in...

  • 42-102706

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/3/44; Hunter 19/4/44; Morrison 3/5/44; Assigned 817BS/483BG Sterparone 5/5/44; Missing in Action Hall, Aus 16/2/45 with Max Solowitz, Lillish, Dye, Short, O’Dwyer, Pedersen, Heckler, Cox, Chenowith, (9 Killed in Action); hit by...

  • 42-102836

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 9/4/44; Hunter 24/4/44; Morrison 9/5/44; Assigned 816BS/483BG Sterparone 7/5/44; Missing in Action Maribor, Yugo 1/4/45 with Wallace Moore, Giboney, Trufley, Rex (4 evaded capture & return 5/4/45); Kastenbaum, Korschuk, Sorce,...

  • 42-102841

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 9/4/44; Dyersburg 25/4/44; Hunter 30/4/44; Assigned 840BS/483BG Sterparone 8/5/44; Missing in Action Pilsen 23/10/44 with Howard Dallman, Morey, Sandman, Poole, Hebert, Eddison, Walker, Lille, Fleshman, Deede (10 Prisoner of War);...

  • 42-102849

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 10/4/44; Hunter 27/4/44; Dow Fd 11/5/44; Assigned 840BS/483BG Sterparone 10/5/44; Missing in Action Odertal 18/12/44 with Arthur Dunn, Fite, Gonzales {Wounded in Action}, Eichenberg {Wounded in Action}, Radar {Wounded in Action},...

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Citations

Distinguished Unit Citations: Germany, 18 Jul 1944; Germany, 24 Mar 1945.

Air Force
15th
Type
Combat
Type category
Bombardment
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
Ad Nulibus Vinceremus
Insignia
Not yet known
Aircraft used
  • B-17 Flying Fortress

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
17 November 2016 01:09:09 466thHistorian Changes to motto, citations, unit encompassing associations and stations
Sources

http://www.forgottenairfields.com/italy/apulia/foggia/sterparone-s574.html
http://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/483d_Bombardment_Group.cfm
Date Contributor Update
12 June 2015 11:51:17 Lucy May Created entry with type, category, name, description, air forces, aircraft types, aircraft associations and media associations
Sources

Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB, GA: https://www.museumofaviation.org/483rd.php

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