448th Fighter-Bomber Group
Encyclopedia
The 448th Fighter-Bomber Group is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was to the 448th Fighter-Bomber Wing
, stationed at Hensley Field, Texas. It was inactivated on 16 November 1957.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 448th Bombardment Group was a Eighth Air Force
B-24 Liberator
unit in England. Assigned to RAF Seething
in late 1943, the group flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945, attacking a marshalling yard at Salzburg
, Austria.
It returned to the United States in July 1945, and was assigned to Second Air Force
for B-29 Superfortress
conversion and training. The end of the Pacific War
canceled the deployment of the group to Okinawa, the unit remaining at McCook Army Airfield, Nebraska, its stage-3 training base when training was complete, then moved to Fort Worth AAF when McCook was closed.
In the postwar era, the 448th Bombardment Group was one of the original ten USAAF bombardment groups assigned to Strategic Air Command
on 21 March 1946. The unit was inactivated on 4 August 1946 at Fort Worth, its B-29 aircraft and personnel being reassigned to the senior 92d Bombardment Group which was reactivated due to the Air Force's policy of retaining only low-numbered groups on active duty after the war.
Allocated to the Air Force Reserve as a Tactical Air Command B-26 Invader light bomb group in 1947; activated in 1951 with its personnel and aircraft being reassigned to active duty units in Far East Air Forces for combat in Korea; inactivated immediately afterward. Briefly activated as a fighter-bomber group in the late 1950s, inactivated 1957.
Activated 1 May 1943 at Gowen Field Idaho were initial training was conducted. Then the unit moved to Wendover Field, Utah on the Fourth of July 1943 for the second phase of training, and finial training at Sioux City AAB, Iowa from 16 September to early November 1943. The ground unit went to Camp Shanks, New York, and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on 23 November 1943, and arrived at Clyde on 29 November 1943. The aircraft left Sioux City on the third of November 1943 for Herrington field in Kansas. The aircraft flew for The United Kingdom via the Southern ferry route from Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Belém, Dakar, and Marrakesh. Three aircraft were lost in route. Moved to RAF Seething England, November–December 1943, and assigned to Eighth Air Force
. Assigned to the 20th Combat Bombardment Wing. The group tail code was a "Circle-I".
The 448th flew B-24 Liberator
s as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. The group enered combat on 22 December 1943, and until April 1945 served primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, hitting such targets as aircraft factories in Gotha
, ball-bearing plants in Berlin, an airfield at Hanau
, U-boat
facilities at Kiel
, a chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, synthetic oil refineries at Politz
, aircraft engine plants at Rostock
, marshalling yards at Cologne
, and a Buzz-bomb assembly plant at Fallersleben
. The group took part in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week
, 20–25 February 1944.
In addition to strategic operations, flew interdictory and support missions. Bombed V-weapon sites, airfields, and transportation facilities prior to the Normandy invasion
in June 1944, and on D-Day attacked coastal defenses and choke points. Struck enemy positions to assist the Allied offensive at Caen
and the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
in July. Dropped supplies to airborne troops near Nijmegen during the airborne attack on Holland in September. Bombed transportation and communications centers in the combat zone during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944 – January 1945. Dropped supplies to troops at Wesel
during the airborne assault across the Rhine
in March 1945.
The group flew its last combat mission on 25 April, attacking a marshalling yard at Salzburg
.
Redeployed to the US June/July 1945. First of the aircraft departed the United Kingdom on mid-June 1945. The ground echelon sailed from Greenock on the Queen Mary on the sixth of July 1945, arriving in New York on 11 July 1945
Reactivated in April 1947 as a reserve Tactical Air Command Fighter-Bomber unit at Long Beach Airport, California. Mmost personnel called up to active duty during the Korean War
and assigned to other units. Inactivated March 1951. Reactivated as a reserve F-86 fighter bomber group in 1955 at Dallas NAS (Hensley Field). Inactivated 1957
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 448th Fighter-Bomber Wing
448th Fighter-Bomber Wing
The 448th Fighter-Bomber Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the Fourteenth Air Force, stationed at Hensley Field, Texas. It was inactivated on 16 November 1957...
, stationed at Hensley Field, Texas. It was inactivated on 16 November 1957.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 448th 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...
unit in England. Assigned to RAF Seething
RAF Seething
RAF Seething is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 9 miles SE of Norwich in Norfolk.-Overview:Seething airfield was built in 1942-43 by John Laing & Son Ltd., to the standard Class A requirement for heavy bombers, the airfield had a main runway 6,000 ft. long...
in late 1943, the group flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945, attacking a marshalling yard at Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Austria.
It returned to the United States in July 1945, and was assigned to Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The 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....
for 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...
conversion and training. The end of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
canceled the deployment of the group to Okinawa, the unit remaining at McCook Army Airfield, Nebraska, its stage-3 training base when training was complete, then moved to Fort Worth AAF when McCook was closed.
In the postwar era, the 448th 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 4 August 1946 at Fort Worth, its B-29 aircraft and personnel being reassigned to the senior 92d Bombardment Group which was reactivated due to the Air Force's policy of retaining only low-numbered groups on active duty after the war.
Allocated to the Air Force Reserve as a Tactical Air Command B-26 Invader light bomb group in 1947; activated in 1951 with its personnel and aircraft being reassigned to active duty units in Far East Air Forces for combat in Korea; inactivated immediately afterward. Briefly activated as a fighter-bomber group in the late 1950s, inactivated 1957.
World War II
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....
. Assigned to the 20th Combat Bombardment Wing. The group tail code was a "Circle-I".
The 448th flew 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...
s as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. The group enered combat on 22 December 1943, and until April 1945 served primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, hitting such targets as aircraft factories in 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...
, ball-bearing plants in Berlin, an airfield at Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
, U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
facilities at Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, a chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, synthetic oil refineries at Politz
Politz
Politz are German names of the places in Czechia: , a town in North Bohemia; now a district of Děčín , a city in north BohemiaOther:*Politz Day School, a private Jewish school in Cherry Hill, New Jersey- See also :* Police* Pollitz...
, aircraft engine plants at Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
, marshalling yards at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, and a Buzz-bomb assembly plant at Fallersleben
Fallersleben
Fallersleben is a district in the City of Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, with a population of 11,269 . The village of Fallersleben was first mentioned in 942 under the name of Valareslebo. Fallersleben became a city in 1929, and was incorporated into Wolfsburg in 1972. Before 1972, it belonged...
. The group took part in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers 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.
In addition to strategic operations, flew interdictory and support missions. Bombed V-weapon sites, airfields, and transportation facilities prior to the Normandy invasion
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, and on D-Day attacked coastal defenses and choke points. Struck enemy positions to assist the Allied offensive at Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
and the 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. Dropped supplies to airborne troops near Nijmegen during the airborne attack on Holland in September. Bombed transportation and communications centers in the combat zone 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. Dropped supplies to troops at Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
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.
The group flew its last combat mission on 25 April, attacking a marshalling yard at Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
.
Redeployed to the US June/July 1945. First of the aircraft departed the United Kingdom on mid-June 1945. The ground echelon sailed from Greenock on the Queen Mary on the sixth of July 1945, arriving in New York on 11 July 1945
Cold War
Group established at Sioux Falls AAFd, South Dakota where the Group was trained as a B-29 unit under Second Air Force. On the sixth of May 1946 the 715 Bomb Squadron was re-assigned to the 509th Bomb Group. Inactivated in August 1946 at Fort Worth AAF, Texas.Reactivated in April 1947 as a reserve Tactical Air Command Fighter-Bomber unit at Long Beach Airport, California. Mmost personnel called up to active duty during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and assigned to other units. Inactivated March 1951. Reactivated as a reserve F-86 fighter bomber group in 1955 at Dallas NAS (Hensley Field). Inactivated 1957
Lineage
- Constituted as 448th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 April 1943
- Activated on 1 May 1943
- Redesignated 448th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in August 1945
- Inactivated on 4 August 1946, aircraft/personnel/equipment redesignated 92d Bombardment Group
- Allotted to the reserve
- Activated on 19 April 1947
- Redesignated 448th Bombardment Group (Light) in June 1949
- Ordered to active duty on 17 March 1951
- Inactivated on 21 March 1951
- Redesignated 448th Fighter-Bomber Group. Allotted to the reserve on 18 May 1955
- Activated on 18 May 1955
- Inactivated on 16 November 1957
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 May 1943 - 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....
, 6 October–November 1943 - 20th Combat Bombardment Wing, 30 November 1943 – 6 July 1945
- 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....
, 15 July 1945
- 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 – 4 August 1946 - 448th Bombardment Wing, 1 June 1949 – 21 March 1951
- 448th Fighter-Bomber Wing448th Fighter-Bomber WingThe 448th Fighter-Bomber Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the Fourteenth Air Force, stationed at Hensley Field, Texas. It was inactivated on 16 November 1957...
, 18 May 1955 – 16 November 1957
Components
- 711th Bombardment (later Fighter-Bomber) Squadron: 27 June 1949 – 21 March 1951; 18 May 1955-16 November 1957
- 712th Bombardment Squadron: 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946; 19 April 1947-21 March 1951
- 713th Bombardment (later Fighter-Bomber) Squadron713th Fighter-Bomber SquadronThe 713th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 448th Fighter-Bomber Group, stationed at Davis Field, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 16 November 1957.-History:...
: 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946; 19 April 1947-21 March 1951; 18 May 1955 – 16 November 1957 - 714th Bombardment Squadron714th Bombardment SquadronThe 714th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 448th Bombardment Group, stationed at Long Beach Army Air Field, California. It was inactivated on 21 March 1951.-History:...
: 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946; 19 April 1947-21 March 1951 - 715th Bombardment Squadron715th Weapons SquadronThe 715th Weapons Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the USAF Weapons School at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri...
: 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946
Stations
- Gowen Field, 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....
, 1 May 1943 - 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...
, c. 3 July 1943 - Sioux City AABSioux Gateway Airport-History:The construction of Sioux City Army Air Base began in March 1942, about three months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Opened on 5 July 1942, it became a major training center during World War II for crew members of B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses...
, IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, c. September–November 1943 - RAF SeethingRAF SeethingRAF Seething is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 9 miles SE of Norwich in Norfolk.-Overview:Seething airfield was built in 1942-43 by John Laing & Son Ltd., to the standard Class A requirement for heavy bombers, the airfield had a main runway 6,000 ft. long...
(USAAF Station 146), England c. 1 December 1943 – c. July 1945 - Sioux Falls AAFldSioux Falls Regional AirportSioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a joint civil and military use airport located three nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Sioux Falls, a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States...
, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, c. 15 July 1945
- McCook AAFldMcCook Army AirfieldMcCook Army Airfield was activated on 1 April 1943. It is located nine miles northwest of McCook, a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States and is southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska. It was constructed in 1943...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, c. 8 September 1945 - Ft Worth AAFld, Texas, c. December 1945 – 4 August 1946
- Long Beach Municipal Airport, California 19 April 1947 – 21 March 1951.
- Hensley Field, Texas 1955–1957
Aircraft assigned
- 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...
(1943–1946) - Douglas B-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
(1949–1951) - Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star (1955–1957)
- North American F-86 Sabre (1957)