Air Force Combat Units of WWII

AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS-GROUPSTrained with B-29's. Inactivated on 15OCt 1945.Redesignated 450th Fighter-BomberGroup. Activated on I Jul 1954. Assignedto Tactical Air Command. UsedF-86 aircraft. Redesignated 450th Fighter-Day Group in Mar 1955. Converted toF-100's.SQUADRONS. 720th: 1943-1945. 72zst:1943-1945; I954-a 722d: 1943-1945; 19547723d: 1943-1945 ; 19547STATIONS. Gowen Field, Idaho, I May1943; Clovis AAB, NM, c. 21 May 1943;Alamogordo AAFld, NM, c. 8 Jul-20 Nov1943; Manduria, Italy, 20 Dec 1943-12 May1945; Harvard AAFld, Neb, c. 26 Jul-15Oct 1945. Foster AFB, "ex, Jul 1g54-.COMMANDERS. Col John S Mills, 12 Jun1943; Col Robert R Gideon, 7 Jul 1944;Col Ellsworth R Jacoby, 17 Nov 1944-1945. Col Wallace E Hopkins, Jul 1954;Lt Col James P Hagerstrom, c. 17 May1955-0CAMPAIGNS. Air Combat, EAMETheater; Air Offensive, Europe; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy ;Northern France; Southern France; NorthApennines; Rhineland; Po Valley.DECORATIONS. Distinguished Unit Citations:Regensburg, Germany, [25] Feb1944; Ploesti, Rumania, 5 Apr 1944.INSIGNE. Shield: Per bend sinister,argent and azure, a silhouetted eagle, displayedwings inverted gules, fimbriatedargent on the azure, debruised by a ribbonbend sinisterwise charged with a diamondall or. (Approved 14 Sep 1955.)32545 1st BOMBARDMENT GROUPConstituted as 451st BombardmentGroup (Heavy) on 6 Apr 1943. Activatedon I May 1943. Prepared for com-bat with B-24's. Moved to the Mediterraneantheater, Nov 1g43-Jan 1944, withthe air echelon training in Algeria for severalweeks before joining the remainder ofthe group in Italy. Operated with FifteenthAF, Jan 1~4-May 1945, functioningprimarily as a strategic bombardmentorganization. Attacked such targets as oilrefineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories,bridges, and airfields in Italy,France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria,Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Albania,and Greece. Received a DUC foreach of three missions: to an aircraft factoryat Regensburg on 25 Feb 1944, to oilrefineries and marshalling yards at Ploestion 5 Apr 1944, and to an airdrome atVienna on 23 Aug 1944; although encounteringlarge numbers of enemy fightersand severe antiaircraft fire during eachof these missions, the group fought itsway through the opposition, destroyedmany interceptors, and inflicted seriousdamage on the assigned targets. At timesthe group also flew support and interdictorymissions. Helped to prepare the wayfor and participated in the invasion ofSouthern France in Aug 1944. Transportedsupplies to troops in Italy duringSep 1944. Supported the final advances ofAllied armies in northern Italy in Apr1945. Returned to the US in Jun. Inactivatedon 26 Sep 1945.