454th Bomb Group

Group
A B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-78458) of the 454th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force. media-418220.jpg FRE 8745 A B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-78458) of the 454th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force.
B-24G-15-NT #42-78458 no name Code: #46
454th Bomb Group - 737th Bomb Squadron - 15th AF
Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 8745 - A B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-78458) of the 454th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force. B-24G-15-NT #42-78458 no name Code: #46 454th Bomb Group -...

The group was constituted as 454th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 May 1943 and activated on 1 June at Davis-Monthan Field, near Tucson, Arizona. Training began immediately on Consolidated B-24 Liberators[2] and the ground cadre was sent on 3 July to Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics at Orlando AAB, Florida. On 15 July, planes were sent from Davis-Monthan to join them at Pinecastle AAF, Florida for practical field training.[citation needed]



From their bases in Florida, the ground echelon was transferred on 28 July 1943 to McCook AAF, Nebraska and, on 1 August, the air echelon joined them. This was the first operational unit to use the newly constructed McCook airfield.[citation needed] On 28 September the Group was reassigned to Charleston AAB, South Carolina











North American B-24J Liberator 42-78489 over a target. This aircraft was later lost on 20 March 1945

On 2 December 1943 the aircrews and some key ground personnel were sent to Mitchel Field, New York in preparation for deployment overseas. These personnel were subsequently transferred to Morrison Field, Florida and flew the southern route to North Africa. After additional training in Tunisia, the air echelon joined the ground echelon, which had previously departed from Camp Patrick Henry by Liberty Ship, at San Giovanni Airfield, west of Cerignola, Italy, and was assigned to Fifteenth Air Force.[citation needed] Although the group flew some interdiction and support missions, it engaged primarily in long range strikes against oil refineries. aircraft and munitions factories and industrial areas, harbors, and airfields.[2]



Flying from Italy, the group flew 243 missions on over 150 primary targets in Italy, Yugoslavia, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Greece, and Poland. During this time, 13,389.19 tons of bombs were dropped during 7,091 sorties on enemy marshalling yards, oil refineries, bridges, installations, airdromes, rail lines, etc.[3]



The 454th participated in the drive to Rome, the invasion of Southern France, and the defeat of Axis forces in northern Italy. The 454th was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for similar action on the high priority Messerschmitt Aircraft Factory at Bad Voslau, Austria on 12 April 1944.[2][citation needed] It earned a second DUC for "outstanding performance of duty in armed conflict with the enemy" as a result of their mission against the Hermann Goering Steel Works in Linz, Austria on 25 July 1944.[2]



After the German Capitulation in May 1945, the 454th redeployed to the United States on 8 July. Many personnel were demobilized upon arrival at the port of debarkation; a small cadre of key personnel was formed and the group was then established at Sioux Falls Army Air Field South Dakota in July and the unit was redesignated the 454th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy in July [2] and was equipped with B-29 Superfortresses and programmed for deployment to the Pacific Theater.



The Japanese Capitulation in August made the group redundant to Air Force requirements and the unit was inactivated on 17 October 1945.[2]

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Unit stations

Station Location Date

Based

San Giovanni

Encompassing

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 454th Bomb Group 738th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34124002
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 454th Bomb Group 738th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-711317
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 454th Bomb Group 736th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33646945
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
  • Role/Job: Flight engineer / Top turret
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 737th Bomb Squadron 454th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 32714996
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 737th Bomb Squadron 454th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 13112904
  • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: The Shark
  • Unit: 323rd Bomb Squadron 454th Bomb Group
Star Dust
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Bubble Trouble, Star Dust, Star Dust II
  • Unit: 454th Bomb Group 737th Bomb Squadron
Hot Rocks / Moo Juice
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Hot Rocks / Moo Juice
  • Unit: 454th Bomb Group 737th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Hairless Joe
  • Unit: 454th Bomb Group 738th Bomb Squadron
Miss America 44
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Miss America 44
  • Unit: 739th Bomb Squadron 454th Bomb Group

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes

454th Bomb Group: Gallery (11 items)