453rd 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...
unit. Its last assignment was to the 43d Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Souda Bay, Greece. It was activated as a temporary MAJCOM air refueling organization flying KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
s as part of Operation Restore Hope.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 453d Bombardment Group was a 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....
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...
heavy bombardment group stationed in England. Its 733rd Bomb Squadron completed 82 consecutive missions without loss a record. James Stewart
James Stewart
James Stewart was a Hollywood movie actor and USAF brigadier general.James Stewart may also refer to:-Noblemen:*James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland*James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn James Stewart (1908–1997) was a Hollywood movie actor and USAF brigadier general.James Stewart...
, of film fame, was Group Executive Officer from March 1944 until September 1945.
History
Constituted as the 453d Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 May 1943, it was activated on 1 June 1943. Trained with B-24's. Moved to RAF Old BuckenhamRAF Old Buckenham
RAF Old Buckenham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located SE of Attleborough in Norfolk, and is currently in civilian use as Old Buckenham Airport.-USAAF use:...
in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, December 1943 – January 1944, and assigned to 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....
. The group was assigned to the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Circle-J".
The 453d BG entered combat on 5 February 1944 with an attack against an airfield at Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
. Throughout combat, the unit served chiefly as a strategic bombardment organization. Targets included a fuel depot at Dulmen
Dülmen
Dülmen is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Dülmen is situated in the south part of the Münsterland area, between the Lippe river to the south, the Baumberge hills to the north and the Ems river to the east...
, marshalling yards at Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, aircraft assembly plants at Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
, railway centres at Hamm, an ordnance depot at Glinde
Glinde
Glinde may refer to several places in Germany:* Glinde, Schleswig-Holstein, a town in Schleswig-Holstein* Glinde, Saxony-Anhalt, part of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Elbe-Saale, district of Schönebeck, Saxony-Anhalt...
, oil refineries at Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
, chemical works at Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
, an airfield at Neumünster
Neumünster
Neumünster is an independent town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, which has a total of four independent towns.-Current Situation:Neumünster station is major railway junction with lines running in six directions, including the important Hamburg-Altona–Kiel and Neumünster–Flensburg lines.Near...
, a canal at Minden
Minden
Minden is a town of about 83,000 inhabitants in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town extends along both sides of the river Weser. It is the capital of the Kreis of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. Minden is the historic political centre of the...
, and a railway viaduct at Altenbeken
Altenbeken
Altenbeken is a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Altenbeken is situated in the Eggegebirge, approx. 15 km northeast of Paderborn...
.
The group took part in the concentrated attack against the German aircraft industry during Big Week
Big Week
Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by...
, 20–25 February 1944. Besides strategic operations, the group engaged in support and interdictory missions. Bombed V-weapon sites, airfields, and gun batteries in France prior to the invasion of Normandy
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
in June 1944; on 6 June hit shore installations between Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
and Cherbourg and other enemy positions farther inland. Attacked enemy troops in support of the Allied breakthrough at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
in July. Bombed German communications during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, December 1944 – January 1945. Ferried cargo on two occasions: hauled gasoline, blankets, and rations to France in September 1944; dropped ammunition, focal, and medical supplies near Wesel during the airborne assault across the Rhine
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
in March 1945.
James "Jimmy" Stewart, the Hollywood movie star, was Group Operations Officer at Old Buckenham during the spring of 1944. The actor Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
also served in the group as a radioman-gunner, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
.
The 453d Bomb Group flew its last combat mission in April. Initially it was prepared for possible redeployment to the Pacific theatre using B-29 Superfortresses. However hostilities in Europe had ceased before the group had time to start its movement. It returned to New Castle AAFld, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
on 9 May 1945 and was inactivated on 12 September 1945.
Lineage
- Constituted as 453d Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 May 1943
- Activated on 1 June 1943
- Inactivated on 12 September 1945
- Redesignated 453d Operations Group on 1 June 1992 and activated
- Inactivated 1 July 1994
Assignments
- II Bomber CommandII Bomber CommandThe 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....
, 1 June-2 December 1943 - 20th Combat Bombardment Wing, 23 December 1943
- 2d Combat Bombardment Wing, 8 January 1944 – 9 May 1945
- Army Service ForcesArmy Service ForcesThe Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...
(for inactivation), 18 June-12 September 1945 - 43d Air Refueling Wing, 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994
Components
- 92d Air Refueling Squadron92d Air Refueling SquadronThe 92d Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 92d Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.-Mission:The squadron operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
, 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1994 - 96th Air Refueling Squadron96th Air Refueling SquadronThe 96th Air Refueling Squadron is an associate unit of the 15th Wing at Hickam AFB, Hawaii and partners with the 203th ARS of the Hawaii Air National Guard-Mission:...
, 1 April – 1 July 1994 - 97th Air Refueling Squadron97th Air Refueling SquadronThe 97th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 92d Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington...
, 1 April – 1 July 1994 - 98th Air Refueling Squadron98th Air Refueling SquadronThe 98th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 92d Operations Group, based at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 1 July 1998.-History:...
, 1 April – 1 July 1994 - 732d Bombardment Squadron732d Bombardment SquadronThe 732d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 453d Bombardment Group, stationed at Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945.-History:...
(E3), 1 June 1943 – 12 September 1945 - 733d Bombardment Squadron733d Bombardment SquadronThe 733d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 453d Bombardment Group, stationed at Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945.-History:...
(F8), 1 June 1943 – 12 September 1945 - 734th Bombardment Squadron734th Bombardment SquadronThe 734th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 453d Bombardment Group, stationed at Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945.-History:...
(E8), 1 June 1943 – 12 September 1945 - 735th Bombardment Squadron735th Bombardment SquadronThe 735th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 453d Bombardment Group, stationed at Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945.-History:...
(H6), 1 June 1943 – 12 September 1945
Stations
- Wendover Field, UtahUtahUtah 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...
, 1 June 1943 - Pocatello Army Airfield, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 29 July 1943 - March Field, California, 30 September-2 December 1943
- RAF Old BuckenhamRAF Old BuckenhamRAF Old Buckenham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located SE of Attleborough in Norfolk, and is currently in civilian use as Old Buckenham Airport.-USAAF use:...
(AAF-114), England, 23 December 1943-9 May 1945 144 - New Castle Army Air Base, DelawareDelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, 25 May 1945 - Fort Dix Army Air Base, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 18 June-12 September 1945 - Souda Bay AB, Greece, December 1992 – May 1993
Aircraft
- Consolidated B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe 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...
, 1943–1945 - KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
, 1992–1994