RAF Deopham Green
Encyclopedia
RAF Deopham Green is a former Second World War
airfield in England. The field is located near Deopham Green 2 miles north of Attleborough
in Norfolk
.
452d Bombardment Group (Heavy), which arrived at Deopham Green from Walla Walla AAF
Washington. The 452d was assigned to the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing
, and the group tail code was a "Square-L". Its operational squadrons were:
The group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign.
The 452d BG entered combat on 5 February 1944 with an attack against aircraft assembly plants at Brunswick
. It was engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets, including the marshalling yards at Frankfurt
, aircraft assembly plants at Regensburg
, aircraft component works at Kassel
, the ball-bearing industry at Schweinfurt
, a synthetic rubber plant at Hanover
, and oil installations at Bohlen
.
First Lieutenant
Donald Gott and Second Lieutenant
William E Metzger Jr were each awarded the Medal of Honor
posthumously for remaining with their aircraft crippled during a mission over Germany on 9 November 1944. Lieutenant Gott was at the controls of a B-17 when it was hit by anti-aircraft fire, three engines being immobilised, a fire starting in the cockpit and with the radio operator and engineer being seriously wounded. Although faced with the imminent explosion of his bomb-laden aircraft, Lieutenant Gott, after conferring with his co-pilot, Lieutenant Metzger, decided to continue to the target. Then, after dropping their bombs, Lieutenant Gott made for the Allied lines to attempt to put the crippled Fortress down to save the life of the radio operator who had by now lost consciousness. Although ordered to bail out with the rest of the crew, the co-pilot chose to remain with Lieutenant Gott but, as he prepared to let down into a field the B-17 exploded killing all three crew members.
In addition to strategic missions, the 452d supported ground forces and carried out interdictory operations. They helped prepare for the invasion of Normandy
by hitting airfields, V-weapon sites, bridges, and other objectives in France. The group struck coastal defenses on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and bombed enemy positions in support of the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
in July and the offensive against Brest
in August and September 1944. Later in September, it assisted the Operation Market-Garden (the airborne attack on Holland), hit enemy communications in and near the combat zone during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944-January 1945, and bombed an airfield in support of the airborne assault across the Rhine
in March 1945.
The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for action on 7 April 1945 when, despite vigorous fighter attacks and heavy flak, it accurately bombed a jet-fighter base at Kaltenkirchen
. The 452d Bomb Group flew its last combat mission of World War II [in Europe] on 21 April, striking marshalling yards at Ingolstadt
.
The group flew a total of 250 missions from Deopham Green during the war, losing 110 of its bombers in the course of these operations. Indeed, the group suffered particularly heavy losses during the spring of 1944, at that time sustaining one of the highest rates of loss of any Fortress equipped unit in the Eighth Air Force. The 452d returned to the United States, being inactivated at Sioux Falls AAF
South Dakota
on 28 August 1945.
on 9 October 1945. Public roads, closed when construction started in 1942, were later re-opened, one of them using part of the old main runway, the airfield finally being closed on 1 January 1948.
Over the years most of the buildings have been torn down and the airfield has been returned to agricultural use. However many of the runways and taxiways of the old airfield remain, albeit at a reduced width. There is a memorial on the side of the road running through the site, another outside Hingham Church and another at Attleborough railway station
.
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...
airfield in England. The field is located near Deopham Green 2 miles north of Attleborough
Attleborough
Attleborough is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England situated between Norwich and Thetford. The parish falls within the district of Breckland and has an area of 21.90 km² with a Mainline to both Norwich and Cambridge....
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.
USAAF use
Deopham Green was built in 1942 and 1943 for the USAAF and assigned the designation Station 142.452nd Bombardment Group (Heavy)
The airfield was opened on 3 January 1944 and was used by the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air ForceEighth 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....
452d Bombardment Group (Heavy), which arrived at Deopham Green from Walla Walla AAF
Walla Walla Regional Airport
Walla Walla Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles northeast of the central business district of Walla Walla, a city in Walla Walla County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is owned by the Port of Walla Walla.- History :...
Washington. The 452d was assigned to the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing
45th Air Division
The 45th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Eighth Air Force, stationed at Pease AFB, New Hampshire. It was inactivated on 14 June 1989.-History:...
, and the group tail code was a "Square-L". Its operational squadrons were:
- 728th Bombardment Squadron728th Airlift SquadronThe 728th Airlift Squadron is located at McChord Air Force Base, Washington. It is part of the 446th Airlift Wing and operates the C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft. The mission of the 728th AS is to provide mission-ready aircrews for operational support for strategic and tactical airlift,...
(9Z) - 729th Bombardment Squadron (M3)
- 730th Bombardment Squadron (6K)
- 731st Bombardment Squadron731st Bombardment SquadronThe 731st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 452d Bombardment Group, stationed at Iwakuni Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated on 25 June 1951-History:...
(7D)
The group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign.
The 452d BG entered combat on 5 February 1944 with an attack against aircraft assembly plants at Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
. It was engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets, including the marshalling yards at Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, aircraft assembly plants at Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, aircraft component works at Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, the ball-bearing industry at Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
, a synthetic rubber plant at Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, and oil installations at Bohlen
Bohlen
Bohlen is a surname shared by several notable people, among them being:Bohlen* Charles E. Bohlen , American diplomat* Avis Bohlen , American diplomat* Jim Bohlen, American-born Canadian political activist...
.
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
Donald Gott and Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
William E Metzger Jr were each awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
posthumously for remaining with their aircraft crippled during a mission over Germany on 9 November 1944. Lieutenant Gott was at the controls of a B-17 when it was hit by anti-aircraft fire, three engines being immobilised, a fire starting in the cockpit and with the radio operator and engineer being seriously wounded. Although faced with the imminent explosion of his bomb-laden aircraft, Lieutenant Gott, after conferring with his co-pilot, Lieutenant Metzger, decided to continue to the target. Then, after dropping their bombs, Lieutenant Gott made for the Allied lines to attempt to put the crippled Fortress down to save the life of the radio operator who had by now lost consciousness. Although ordered to bail out with the rest of the crew, the co-pilot chose to remain with Lieutenant Gott but, as he prepared to let down into a field the B-17 exploded killing all three crew members.
In addition to strategic missions, the 452d supported ground forces and carried out interdictory operations. They helped prepare for 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...
by hitting airfields, V-weapon sites, bridges, and other objectives in France. The group struck coastal defenses on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and bombed enemy positions in support of 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 and the offensive against Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
in August and September 1944. Later in September, it assisted the Operation Market-Garden (the airborne attack on Holland), hit enemy communications in and near 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, and bombed an airfield in support of 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 received a Distinguished Unit Citation for action on 7 April 1945 when, despite vigorous fighter attacks and heavy flak, it accurately bombed a jet-fighter base at Kaltenkirchen
Kaltenkirchen
Kaltenkirchen is a town located on the outskirts of Hamburg in Germany. It is part of the Segeberg district, in Schleswig-Holstein...
. The 452d Bomb Group flew its last combat mission of World War II [in Europe] on 21 April, striking marshalling yards at Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
.
The group flew a total of 250 missions from Deopham Green during the war, losing 110 of its bombers in the course of these operations. Indeed, the group suffered particularly heavy losses during the spring of 1944, at that time sustaining one of the highest rates of loss of any Fortress equipped unit in the Eighth Air Force. The 452d returned to the United States, being inactivated at Sioux Falls AAF
Sioux Falls Regional Airport
Sioux 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 Dakota
South Dakota
South 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...
on 28 August 1945.
Postwar use
After the war, the field was handed back to RAF Maintenance CommandRAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for controlling maintenance for all the United Kingdom-based units from formation on 1 April 1938 until being renamed RAF Support Command on 31 August 1973.- History :...
on 9 October 1945. Public roads, closed when construction started in 1942, were later re-opened, one of them using part of the old main runway, the airfield finally being closed on 1 January 1948.
Over the years most of the buildings have been torn down and the airfield has been returned to agricultural use. However many of the runways and taxiways of the old airfield remain, albeit at a reduced width. There is a memorial on the side of the road running through the site, another outside Hingham Church and another at Attleborough railway station
Attleborough railway station
Attleborough railway station is a railway station serving the town of Attleborough in the English county of Norfolk. It is served by local services operated by East Midlands Trains and on the Breckland Line 16 miles west of Norwich to Peterborough and Cambridge.A new Ticket Office opened in 2008...
.