Air Force Combat Units of WWII

322 AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR I1Redesignated 447th BombardmentGroup (Very Heavy). Allotted to the reserve.Activated on 12 Aug 1947. Equippedwith B-29’s. Redesignated 447thBombardment Group (Medium) in Jun1949. Ordered to active duty on I May1951. Assigned to Strategic Air Command.Znactivated on 16 Jun 1951. -SQUADRONS. 708th: 194-1945 ; 1947-1951. 709th: 19,443-1945; 1947-1949.710th: 1943-1945. 711th: 1943-1945.STATIONS. Ephrata AAB, Wash, I May1943; Rapid City AAB, SD, c. I Jul 1943;Harvard AAFld, Neb, Aug-11 Nov 1943;Rattlesden, England, c. 29 Nov 1g43-c. IAug 1945; Drew Field, Fla, c. 14 Aug-7 Nov 1945. Bergstrom Field, Tex, 12Aug 1947; Castle AFB, Calif, 26 Jun 1949-16 Jun 1951.COMMANDERS. Lt Col Robert D Mc-Donald, 10 May 1943; Col Hunter HarrisJr, 23 May 1943; Col William J Wrigglesworth,25 Sep 1944; Lt Col Louis GThorup, 31 Mar 1945; Lt Col WilfredBeaver, I Jul ~gpj-unkn. Unkn, I May-16 Jun 1951.CAMPAIGNS. Air Offensive, Europe;Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland;Ardennes-Alsace ; Central Europe.DECORATIONS. None.INSIGNE. None.448th BOMBARDMENT GROUPConstituted as 448th BombardmentGroup (Heavy) on 6 Apr 1943. Activatedon I May 1943. Prepared for duty over-seas with B-24’s. Moved to England,Nov-Dec 1943, and assigned to Eighth AF.Entered combat on 22 Dec 1943, and untilApr 1945 served primarily as a strategicbombardment organization, hitting suchtargets as aircraft factories in Gotha, ballbearingplants in Berlin, an airfield atHanau, U-boat facilities at Kiel, a chemicalplant at Ludwigshafen, synthetic oilrefineries at Politz, aircraft engine plantsat Rostock, marshalling yards at Cologne,and a buzz-bomb assembly plant at Fallersleben.Took part in the intensive campaignof heavy bombers against the Germanaircraft industry during Big Week,20-25 Feb 1944. In addition to strategicoperations, flew interdictory and supportmissions. Bombed V-weapon sites, airfields,and transportation facilities priorto the Normandy invasion in Jun 1944,and on D-Day attacked coastal defensesand choke points. Struck enemy positionsto assist the Allied offensive at Caenand the breakthrough at St Lo in Jul.Dropped supplies to airborne troops nearNijmegen during the airborne attack onHolland in Sep. Bombed transportationand communications centers in the combatzone during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec1g44-Jan 1945. Dropped supplies to troopsat Wesel during the airborne assault acrossthe Rhine in Mar 1945. Flew last combatmission on 25 Apr, attacking a marshallingyard at Salzburg. Returned to theUS in Jul 1945. Redesignated 448th BombardmentGroup (Very Heavy) in Aug1945. Equipped with B-29’s. Assigned to