444th Bombardment Group
Encyclopedia
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...
provisional unit possibly allocated to Air Materiel Command during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF). The composition and stationing of the unit was never officially disclosed, and it was inactivated after the invasion of Iraq was completed.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 444th Bombardment Group was a United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
combat organization. It was inactivated on 1 October 1946. During World War II the group was the first B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
Group formed for the elite 58th Bombardment Wing, and served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
and China Burma India Theater of World War II
China Burma India Theater of World War II
China Burma India Theater was the name used by the United States Army for its forces operating in conjunction with British and Chinese Allied air and land forces in China, Burma, and India during World War II...
as part of Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
. The group's aircraft engaged in very heavy bombardment B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
operations against Japan. After its reassignment to the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
in 1945, it's aircraft were identified by a "N" and a triangle painted on the tail.
In the early postwar era, the 444th Bombardment Group was one of the original ten USAAF bombardment groups assigned to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
on 21 March 1946. The unit was inactivated on 1 October 1946 at Davis-Monthan AAF, Arizona, its B-29 aircraft and personnel being reassigned to the senior 43d Bombardment Group which was reactivated due to the Air Force's policy of retaining only low-numbered groups on active duty after the war.
History
The 444th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy was constituted on 15 February 1943 as a B-29 SuperfortressB-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
group and activated on 1 March 1943 at Davis-Monthan Field near Tucson, Arizona. It was assigned the 676th, 677th, 678th and 679th Bomb Squadrons. After a period of organization the group was reassigned to the training base Great Bend, AAF, Kansas initially flying B-17 Flying Fortresses and 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...
. After receiving its B-29s they were ferried off to modification centers to correct design flaws. The 444th, under the command of Col. Alva Harvey, was assigned to the first B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
wing, the 58th Bombardment Wing. After the aircraft were returned the group engaged in training on the new aircraft and its new mission... long range precision bombing.
In early April 1944, the group left the United States and deployed to a former 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...
airfield at Charra India, arriving on 12 April. In India, the group was assigned to the XX Bombardment Command of the new Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
. During the week of 15–22 April, no less than five 58th Bomb Wing B-29s crashed near Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
all from overheated engines. The cause was traced to the design of the engine cowl flaps which controlled air flow over the cylinders. There were also problems with exhaust valves and valve guides on the engine. The B-29 was an advanced aeronautical design years ahead of engine development and was underpowered as well.
From India, the 444th Bomb Group planned to fly missions against Japan from advanced airfields in China. However, all the supplies of fuel, bombs, and spare parts needed to support operations from the forward bases in China had to be flown in from India over "The Hump
The Hump
The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces based in...
" (the name given by Allied pilots to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains), since Japanese control of eastern China and the Chinese coast made seaborne supply of China impossible. Also, the forward bases were located in Szechaun Province in south central China far from the coast with no roads or railroads into the area from allied controlled territory. Supplies had to be delivered to China by the B-29s themselves or by C-47's and C-46's of Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
. For this role, one aircraft from each squadron was stripped of combat equipment and used as a flying tanker. Each aircraft carried seven tons of fuel. The Hump route was so dangerous and difficult that each time a B-29 flew from India to China it was counted as a mission. The 677th Bomb Squadron described a typical ‘Hump” mission, telling of the thousands of Chinese coolies on the runway, their friendliness and curiosity, the rather exciting way they have of running across the runway in front of the landing planes (thinking their evil spirits which are right behind them will be killed by the airplane), and the good living at the advanced base.
The first combat mission by the group took place on 5 June 1944 when squadrons of the 40th took off from India to attack the Makasan railroad yards at Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand. This involved a 2261-mile round trip, the longest bombing mission yet attempted during the war.
On 15 June the group participated in the first American Air Force attack on the Japanese Home Islands
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
since the Doolittle raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
in 1942, a nighttime raid
Bombing of Yawata (June 1944)
The Bombing of Yawata on the night of 15/16 June 1944 was the first air raid on the Japanese home islands conducted by United States Army Air Forces strategic bombers during World War II. The raid was undertaken by 75 B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers staging from bases in China...
against iron and steel works at Yawata, Japan.
Operating from bases in India, and at times staging through fields in China, the group struck transportation centers, naval installations, aircraft plants, and other targets in Burma, China, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Japan, and Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
. The 444th Bomb Group carried out the longest bombing mission of World War II. Staging out of their Indian bases they struck the Japanese naval base at Singapore
Bombing of Singapore (1944–1945)
The Bombing of Singapore was a military campaign conducted by the Allied air forces during World War II. United States Army Air Forces long-range bomber units conducted 11 air raids on Japanese-occupied Singapore between November 1944 and March 1945...
blowing the door off the King George V floating drydock from 30,000 feet. A singular feat of bombing accuracy putting the lie to the reports of inaccuracy of B-29 bombing. The mission was over 4,100 miles roundtrip.
On 12 October 1944 the 679th Bombardment Squadron was inactivated by special order of XX Bomber Command with personnel and equipment merged into other group squadrons.
The group was reassigned to Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, in the Marianas February–April 1945, for further operations against Japan with the XXI Bomber Command
XXI Bomber Command
The XXI Bomber Command was a unit of the Twentieth Air Force in Guam for strategic bombing during World War II.- Lineage:* Constituted as XXI Bomber Command on 1 Mar 1944, and activated the same day.-Assignments:...
. It participated in bombardment of strategic objectives, strategic mining of the Inland Sea and in incendiary raids on urban areas for the duration of the war. 444th aircraft took part in Curtis LeMay's fire bomb campaign in the spring and summer of 1945 which lead directly to the ultimate surrender of Japan without the need for an invasion of the home islands. Received a DUC for attacking oil storage facilities at Oshima
Oshima
-Places: :** Nii Ōshima Island, part of Niihama in Ehime Prefecture** Ōshima, Ehime, an island connected by the Hakata-Ōshima Bridge and the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge...
, bombing an aircraft plant near Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, and dropping incendiaries on Nagoya, in May 1945. Struck light metal industries at Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
in July 1945, receiving another DUC for this action.
The 444th Bomb Group returned to the United States, being assigned to Merced AAF, California in November 1945. It was assigned to the Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
of Continental Air Forces. Continental Air Forces would later evolve into the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
on 21 March 1946. The 444th was one of the ten existing bombardment groups assigned to SAC when it was first formed. The group was relocated to Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and was equipped with B-29s. Demobilization, however, was in full swing and the group turned in its aircraft and was inactivated on 1 October 1946. Many of the wing's personnel and aircraft were reassigned to the 43d Bombardment Wing, which was reactivated at Davis-Monthan on 1 October 1946 as part of the re-established Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
.
Demobilization, however, was in full swing and the group turned in its aircraft and was inactivated on 31 March 1946, never becoming an operational SAC unit. Many of the wing's personnel and aircraft were reassigned to the 307th Bombardment Wing, which was reactivated at MacDill on 4 August 1946 as part of the re-established Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 444th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 15 February 1943
- Activated on 1 March 1943
- Redesignated as: 444th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in November 1943
- Inactivated on 4 August 1946, aircraft/personnel/equipment redesignated 43d Bombardment Group
- Redesignated as 444th Air Expeditionary Wing and converted to provisional status in March 2003. (also reported as 444th Air Expeditionary Group)
- Activated March 2003
- Inactivated April 2003
Assignments
- Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 1 March 1943 - 58th Bombardment Wing, 1 August 1943 – 12 October 1944
- XX Bomber CommandXX Bomber CommandThe XX Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Far East Air Forces, based on Okinawa. It was inactivated on July 16, 1945.- History:...
, 13 October 1944 – 7 February 1945 - 58th Bombardment Wing, 8 February-18 September 1945
- Continental Air Forces, 15 November 1945 – 21 March 1946
- Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 21 March – 1 October 1946 - Possibly allocated to Air Mobility CommandAir Mobility CommandAir Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
, March–April 2003.
Components
- 344th Bombardment Squadron, 10 November 1945 – 27 March 1946
- 409th Bombardment Squadron, 6 May-1 October 1946
- 676th Bombardment Squadron676th Bombardment SquadronThe 676th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 444th Bombardment Group. It was inactivated at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona on 1 October 1946.-History:...
, 1 March 1943 – 1 October 1946 - 677th Bombardment Squadron677th Bombardment SquadronThe 677th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 444th Bombardment Group. It was inactivated at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona on 1 October 1946.-History:...
, 1 March 1943 – 1 October 1946 - 678th Bombardment Squadron, 1 March 1943 – 7 March 1946
- 679th Bombardment Squadron679th Bombardment SquadronThe 679th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 444th Bombardment Group. It was inactivated at Dudhkundi Airfield, India on 12 October 1944.-History:...
, 1 March 1943 – 12 October 1944
Stations
- Davis-Monthan FieldDavis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, 1 March – 22 July 1943 - Great Bend AAFGreat Bend Municipal AirportGreat Bend Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located four nautical miles west of the central business district of Great Bend, a city in Barton County, Kansas, United States. It is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline...
, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
29 July 1943 – 12 March 1944 - Charra AirfieldCharra AirfieldCharra Airfield is an abandoned airfield in India, located 5 miles ExNE of Puruliya, in West Bengal.-History:During World War II, the airfield hosted the United States Army Air Force 444th Bombardment Group. Charra was originally designed for B-24 Liberator use...
, India 11 April – 1 July 1944 - Dudhkundi AirfieldDudhkundi AirfieldDudhkundi Airfield is an abandoned airfield in India, located 12 miles SE of Jhargram, in the Paschim Medinipur district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-History:...
, India 1 July 1944 – 1 March 1945
- Kwanghan AirfieldKwanghan AirfieldKwanghan Airfield , was the World War II name for a military airfield located in Sichuan province, in the People’s Republic of China. It is located southeast of Guanghan, and is a working airfield today.-History:...
(A-3), China designated as forward staging base.- West FieldTinian International AirportTinian International Airport , also known as West Tinian Airport, is a public airport located on Tinian Island in the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. This airport is owned by Commonwealth Ports Authority.Although most U.S...
, TinianTinianTinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, Mariana IslandsMariana IslandsThe Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
7 April – 18 September 1945 - Merced AAF, California 15 November 1945
- Davis-Monthan FieldDavis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, 6 May – 1 October 1946 - KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Iraq, March–April 2003.
- West Field
Aircraft flown
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress