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340th Bomb Group

Group

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Activated on 20 August 1942. The 340th. Bombardment Group trained with B-25's for duty overseas. They arrived in the Mediterranean theater in March 1943. Assigned first to the Ninth Air Force and later (in August 1943) to the Twelfth. Served in combat from April 1943 to April 1945. Engaged chiefly in support and introductory missions, but sometimes bombed strategic objectives. Targets included airfields, railroads, bridges, road junctions, supply depots, gun emplacements, troop concentrations, marshaling yards and factories in Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Also dropped propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines.
Participated in the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusa in June 1943, the bombing of German Evacuation beaches near Messina in July, the establishment of the Salerno beach head in September, the drive for Rome during Jan.- Jun. 1944, the invasion of southern France in Aug. and attacks on the Brenner Pass and other German lines of communication in Northern Italy from Sept. 1944 to Apr. 1945. Received a DUC for the period Apr. - Aug. 1943 when, although handicapped by difficult living conditions and unfavorable weather, the group supported British Eighth Army in Tunisia and Allied forces in Sicily.
Received a second DUC for the destruction of a cruiser in the heavily defended harbor of La Spezia on 23 Sept. 1944 before the ship could be used by the enemy to block the harbors entrance. Returned to the U.S., Jul. - Aug. 1945. Inactivated on 19 Aug. 1949.

Structure

Part of
  • 12th Air Force

    12th Air Force


    The 12th Air Force was established in the USA during the Second World War to provide the Army Air Force component of Operation Torch (the invasion of French North Africa) in 1942. The Air Force initially moved to England for training before...

Encompassing
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Stations

Station Location Date
Based El Kabrit Air Base March 1943 – April 1943
Based Sfax Airfield April 1943 – 2 June 1943
Based Hergla Airfield 2 June 1943 – 2 August 1943
Based Comiso Airfield 2 August 1943 – 27 August 1943
Based Catania Airfield 27 August 1943 – 15 October 1943
Based San Pancrazio 15 October 1943 – 19 November 1943
Based Foggia Airfield 19 November 1943 – 2 January 1944
Based Pompeii Airfield 2 January 1944 – 23 March 1944
Based Paestrum Airfield 23 March 1944 – 14 April 1944
Based Alesani Airfield 14 April 1944 – 2 April 1945

Connections

People

  • William Brassfield

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 340th Bomb Group
    William Herbert Brassfield earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Michigan. He worked in the manned spaceflight program. He retired from the USAF with the rank of Colonel.

Aircraft

Citations

Distinguished Unit Citation - North Africa and Sicily, Apr. 17 - Aug. 1943
Distinguished Unit Citation - Italy, 23 Sept. 1944

Air Force
9th
12th
Type
Combat
Type category
Bombardment
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
Not yet known
Insignia
Not yet known
Aircraft used
  • B-25 Mitchell

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
22 March 2021 03:13:54 466thHistorian Changes to stations
Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/340th_Flying_Training_Group
Date Contributor Update
22 March 2021 03:10:34 466thHistorian Changes to stations
Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/340th_Flying_Training_Group
Date Contributor Update
21 March 2021 01:30:38 466thHistorian Created entry with type, category, name, citations, description, air forces, aircraft types, unit encompassing associations and stations
Sources

http://www.reddog1944.com/487th_Squadron_Album_History%20of%20the%20340t...

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