The 304th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command

Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command

The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was a direct reporting agency of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Its mission was to deal with the German Navy U-boat threat.-Lineage:...

, based in Langley Field, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. It was inactivated on 30 December 1942

Lineage

• Constituted as 304th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 15 July 1942

Inactivated on 30 December 1942

Assignments

• II Bomber Command
  II Bomber Command
  The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
  
  , 28 January 1942
• Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
  Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
  The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was a direct reporting agency of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Its mission was to deal with the German Navy U-boat threat.-Lineage:...
  
  , 29 October-30 December 1942

Squadrons

• 1st Antisubmarine (formerly 361st Bombardment)
  1st Antisubmarine Squadron
  The 1st Antisubmarine Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 480th Antisubmarine Group, based at Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico...
  
  : 15 July-30 December 1942

Air echelon attached to VIII Bomber Command

VIII Bomber Command

The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...

, c. 10 November 1942-15 January 1943

• 18th Antisubmarine (formerly 362d Bombardment): 15 July-30 December 1942
• 19th Antisubmarine (formerly 363d Bombardment)
  19th Antisubmarine Squadron
  The 19th Antisubmarine Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 479th Antisubmarine Group, based at RAF Podington, England...
  
  : 15 July-30 December 1942
• 421st Bombardment Squadron
  847th Bombardment Squadron
  The 847th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 489th Bombardment Group, based at Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas...
  
  : 15 July-6 November 1942

Stations

• Salt Lake City AAB
  Salt Lake City International Airport
  Salt Lake City International Airport is a major public airport in Utah. A joint civil-military facility, it is located in western Salt Lake City, approximately four miles from the central business district...
  
  , Utah
  Utah
  Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
  
  , 15 July 1942
• Geiger Field, Washington, 15 September 1942
• Ephrata, Washington
  Ephrata, Washington
  Ephrata is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,808 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County.-History:...
  
  , 1 October 1942
• Langley Field, Virginia
  Virginia
  The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
  
  , 29 October-30 December 1942.

Operational history

Received personnel in September 1942 and began training on the west coast. Later, operated with Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, , using such planes as B-17 Flying Fortress, B-18 Bolo

B-18 Bolo

The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....

, B-24 Liberator

B-24 Liberator

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...

 and A-20 Havoc to fly patrols along the east coast. Also trained crews for antisubmarine patrol duty overseas.