14th Combat Bomb Wing
Wing
We are currently working on a site-wide upgrade which will be completed in September 2022
You will not be able to search, add or edit information in the American Air Museum archive while this takes place.
You can find out more about our plans here
Group
The 491st Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators in bombing missions over northern France and Germany from June 1944 until April 1945. Missions over Germany included bombing the headquarters of the German General Staff at Zossen. The Group was awarded a DUC for persevering with a raid on an oil refinery at Misburg on 26 November 1944, despite half of its bombers being destroyed by enemy aircraft.
Browse 491st Bomb Group photographs and other documents in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library digital archive here: www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive/Dashboard/Index/48
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
20 February 1944
This mission is the opening salvo of the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive known officially as "Operation Argument" but remembered in 8th Air Force History as "BIG WEEK". The immediate strategic objective of this six-day operation is the degradation of...
20 June 1944
6 July 1944
15 August 1944
Airfields in NW Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are the primary targets for this mission. 8th Air Force despatches a total of 932 aircraft. The raid is coordinated with 1,000 Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers and Mosquitos attacking 9 airfields...
26 November 1944
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based | Metfield | 25 April 1944 – 15 August 1944 |
Based | North Pickenham | 15 August 1944 – 4 July 1945 |
Military | 491st Bomb Group
Military | 491st Bomb Group
Military | 491st Bomb Group
Military | 491st Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Flight engineer /front turret gunner | 491st Bomb Group
Flew 35 missions with original crew#39 from Pueblo Colorado . 853rd# 44-40121
...
Military | 491st Bomb Group
Military | 491st Bomb Group
Military | 491st Bomb Group
Military | 491st Bomb Group
Military | 491st Bomb Group
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
Originally assigned to 34th Bomb Group, 18th Bomb Sqdn, damaged on landing Debach, England 31 May 1944; lost 26 Nov 1944, over Germany with 491st BG; MACR 10763
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 854BS, 491BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hanover mission; downed by flak over Russelheim, Germany, on 24-Aug-44. 3 x POW, 6 x KIA. MACR 8296
...
B-24 Liberator
Shot down on 16 August 1944 over the Netherlands while returning from a mission. 4 members of the crew were killed in action
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
None
Date | Contributor | Update |
---|---|---|
07 July 2019 21:10:46 | hardway1 | Changes to nicknames, motto and insignia |
Sources | ||
Kurt Knutsen |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
09 March 2018 15:34:36 | 2nd Air Division Memorial Library | Changes to description |
Sources | ||
2nd Air Division Memorial Library |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
31 March 2016 05:41:37 | Cebby | Changes to mission associations |
Sources | ||
Key Image Chosen |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
05 March 2015 16:33:58 | Timothy McKeown | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
Sources | ||
C. Timothy McKeown |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
09 November 2014 01:48:37 | jmchristel | Changes to type, aircraft types and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Added unit type and aircraft type |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:46 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980) |