The group was constituted as 449th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 April 1943 and activated on 1 May at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona.[2] its original components were the 716th,[3] 717th,[4] 718th,[5] and 719th Bombardment Squadrons.[6]

It was assigned to II Bomber Command for combat training with B-24 Liberators. The first morning report was issued on 27 May 1943and listed as 52 officers and 33 enlisted men available for duty. Over the next seven months the Group steadily increased to full strength as the training program progressed.[citation needed] In July 1943 the group moved to Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico[2] where second phase training was performed.[citation needed] In September the group again relocated, this time to Bruning Army Air Field, Nebraska.[2] The move to Bruning was completed on 18 September 1943. At that time the 449th consisted of a total complement of 184 officers and 1,203 enlisted men. At Bruning the group received its new operational Consolidated B-24 Liberators.[citation needed]

By December 1943, training was complete and the 449th was ordered overseas to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). Each crew flew its aircraft overseas by the South Atlantic Transport Route which took them to Morrison Field, Florida, then to Puerto Rico and Brazil. The Atlantic crossing was made from Brazil to Dakar, French West Africa. From Dakar the planes flew north to Tunis by way of Marrakech. From Tunis they flew to their forward operating base at Grottaglie Airfield near Taranto, Italy.[citation needed] The 449th was assigned to the 47th Bombardment Wing of the Fifteenth Air Force.[7]

718th Bomb Squadron B-24J 42-64362 in flight over Europe, 1944
The group operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, attacking such targets as oil refineries, communications centers, aircraft factories, and industrial areas in Italy, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Albania, and Greece.[2]

The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a mission on 4 April 1944 when the group, flying without escort, raided marshalling yards in Bucharest. Although heavily outnumbered by German fighters, the group succeeded not only in bombing the target but also in destroying many of the enemy interceptors. Received another DUC for action on 9 July 1944 when the group flew through heavy smoke and intense enemy fire to attack an oil refinery at Ploiești. Other operations of the group included bombing gun emplacements in southern France in preparation for the invasion in August 1944, and attacking troop concentrations, bridges, and viaducts in April 1945 to assist Allied forces in northern Italy.[2]

The group was ordered back to the United States during May after the German capitulation. The 449th was redesignated a Very Heavy bombardment group and was programmed for very long range strategic bombardment operations against the Japanese Home Islands using B-29 Superfortresses. Many personnel were demobilized upon arrival at the port of embarkation; a small cadre of key personnel was formed and the group was then established at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota in late May where the group was reformed with new personnel.[citation needed]

After a period of organization, the group moved to Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, where initial training was conducted with former II Bomber Command B-17 Flying Fortress; B-25 Mitchells and some B-29s.[2] As the group was so far along in training, it moved to Grand Island Army Air Field, Nebraska in September where it became a regular unit of Continental Air Forces, receiving some of the last new B-29 aircraft manufactured by Boeing.[citation needed] In November, its 719th squadron was converted to a reconnaissance unit and redesignated the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range (Photographic-Weather).[6]

On 21 March 1946, the 449th Bombardment Group became one of the initial ten B-29 groups assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC). The group was inactivated on 4 August 1946[2] and its personnel, mission, and equipment were reassigned to the 28th Bombardment Group.[8]

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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  716th Bomb Squadron

  Squadron

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  717th Bomb Squadron

  Squadron

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  718th Bomb Squadron

  Squadron

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  719th Bomb Squadron

  Squadron

Previously was

Not yet known

Became

Not yet known

Missions

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  8th Air Force 174

  4 January 1944
  The port area of Kiel, Germany and the railroad marshalling yards at Munster, Germany are the Primary targets of this Mission which is organised as two elements: one going to Kiel and the other to Munster. Roger A. Freeman begins to designate aircraft...

Stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	Grottaglie	4 January 1944 – 16 May 1945

Connections

People

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  Darr Alkire

  Military | Colonel | Commanding Officer, Pilot | 100th Bomb Group
  14 November 1942 to 26 March 1943 XFR First Commanding Officer of the 100th BG. He was relieved of his command with the 100th for alleged incompetence due to statements he made and sent to the 449th BG in Italy. He flew 11 combat missions, on his 12th...

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  Richard Bach

  Military | Sergeant | Waist gunner | 449th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070 Awards: PH.

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  Don Brown

  Military | Sergeant | Nose turret gunner | 449th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070 Awards: PH.

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  George Cornell

  Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 449th Bomb Group
  Flew 29 Missions on 'Fuddy-Duddy'

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  Clyde Driggers

  Military | First Lieutenant | pilot | 449th Bomb Group
  Lt Driggers was the pilot of B24 42-78341, "Th Inhooming Critter". He was shot down on mission # 95, July 9th ,1944, to Ploesti, Romania, in B24 42-78341. All nine members of the crew bailed out and were returned to allied control with the help of...

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  John Gegoulis

  Military | Staff Sergeant | Top turret gunner | 449th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070 Awards: PH.

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  George Halzel

  Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 449th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070 Awards: PH.

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  Robert Hansen

  Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail gunner | 449th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2070 Awards: PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME..

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  Theodore Henze

  Military | Sergeant | Ball turret gunner | 449th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2070 Awards: PH.

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  Charles La Marca

  Military | Sergeant | Photographer | 449th Bomb Group
  Assigned to 718BS, 449BG, 15AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Mostar, Yugo 14-Jan-44 in B-24 41-28606; A/C hit by bombs form A/C above. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2070 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

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Aircraft

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  41-23724 'Flying Cock' 'Doodlebug'

  B-24 Liberator
  B-24D Liberator #41-23724 "Doodlebug" from the 512th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. Originally assigned to 409th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF she was badly damaged in a crash landing due to battle damage on Jan 15, 43. They repaired her and transferred her to the 512th...

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  42-94837 'The Jinx'

  B-24 Liberator
  'The Jinx' came over to Britain along with the original 490 Bomber Group. It flew throughout the war until it was declared unfit for flying in May 1945. It was given it's name after the pilot, Second Lieutenant Thomas Keyes realized that the plane...

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  42-52089 Devil's Henchmen

  B-24 Liberator

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  41-28621 Harper's Ferry

  B-24 Liberator
  An original cadre ship acquired 6 November ’43. Assigned to Harper’s crew. Flown overseas by Harper’s crew with 718th Squadron Commander William (Bill) Nosker in December ’43. Crew chief was Dominic Cafarellie. The “Ferry” completed at least 86 sorties...

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  41-28986 Brass Monkey

  B-24 Liberator

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  41-29193 Dixie Belle

  B-24 Liberator

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  41-28755 Hard Hearted Hannah

  B-24 Liberator

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  42-7744 Shack Happy

  B-24 Liberator

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  42-95314 Twinkle Toes

  B-24 Liberator

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  42-78341 Th' Inhooming Critter

  B-24 Liberator

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Citations

Distinguished Unit Citations:
4 April 1944 - Bucharest, Romania
9 July 1944 - Ploesti, Romania