Organized as 1st Day Bombardment Group in France on 10 Sep
1918.
Equipped with DH-4 and Breguet aircraft and entered combat on 12
Sep.
Attacked troop concentrations and communications to interfere with
the enemy's
movement of reinforcements and supplies to the front during
the Allied
offensive at St Mihiel. Also took part in the Meuse-Argonne
campaign,
attacking the enemy behind the line, and conducting bombing
operations that
helped to protect Allied ground forces by diverting
German pursuit planes from
the battle zone. Participated in one of the
great bombing raids of the war
when 353 Allied planes (including 200
bombers) under the command of William
Mitchell struck a concentration
point where German troops were preparing for a
counterattack against
the Allied offensive in the Meuse-Argonne area.
Demobilized in France
in Nov 1918, soon after the armistice.
Reconstituted (in 1924) and consolidated with a group that
was organized
in the US as 1st Day Bombardment Group on 18 Sep 1919 and
redesignated 2d
Bombardment Group in 1921. Used LB-5A, B-10, B-17
(1937-), B-15 (1938-), and
other aircraft during the 1920's and 1930's.
Engaged in routine training;
tested and experimented with equipment and
tactics; participated in maneuvers;
took part in Mitchell's
demonstrations of the effectiveness of aerial
bombardment on
battleships; flew mercy missions to aid victims of a flood
in
Pennsylvania in 1936 and victims of an earthquake in Chile in 1939;
and made
goodwill flights to South America in the late 1930's.
Redesignated 2d
Bombardment Group (Heavy) in 1939. Trained with
B-17's.
Served on antisubmarine duty for several months after the US
entered
World War II. Moved to North Africa, Mar-May 1943, and remained
in the
theater until after V-E Day, being assigned first to Twelfth and
later (Dec
1943) to Fifteenth AF. Flew many support and interdictory
missions, bombing
such targets as marshalling yards, airdromes, troop
concentrations, bridges,
docks, and shipping. Participated in the
defeat of Axis forces in Tunisia,
Apr-May 1943; the reduction of
Pantelleria and the preparations for the
invasion of Sicily, May-Jul
1943; the invasion of Italy, Sep 1943; the drive
toward Rome, Jan-Jun
1944; the invasion of Southern France, Aug 1944; and the
campaigns
against German forces in northern Italy, Jun 1944-May 1945.
Engaged
primarily in long-range bombardment of strategic targets after
Oct 1943,
attacking oil refineries, aircraft factories, steel plants,
and other
objectives in Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria,
Hungary, Yugoslavia,
Rumania, and Greece. En route to bomb a vital
aircraft factory at Steyr on 24
Feb 1944, the group was greatly
outnumbered by enemy interceptors, but it
maintained its formation and
bombed the target, receiving a DUC for the
performance. On the
following day, while on a mission to attack aircraft
factories at
Regensburg, it met similar opposition equally well and was
awarded a
second DUC. Served as part of the occupation force in Italy after
V-E
Day. Inactivated in Italy on 28 Feb 1946.
Redesignated 2d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy). Activated in
the US on 1
Jul 1947. Assigned to Strategic Air Command and equipped
with B-29's.
Redesignated 2d Bombardment Group (Medium) in May 1948.
Converted to B-50's
early in 1950. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952.
Squadrons. 11th: 1918; 1919-1927. 20th: 1918; 1919-1946;
1947-1952.
49th (formerly 166th): 1918; 1919-1946; 1947-1952. 96th:
1918; 1919-1946;
1947-1952. 429th: 1942-1946.
Stations. Amanty, France, 10 Sep 1918; Maulan, France, 23
Sep-Nov 1918.
Ellington Field, Tex, 18 Sep 1919; Kelly Field, Tex, c.
25 Sep 1919; Langley
Field, Va, 1 Jul 1922; Ephrata, Wash, 29 Oct 1942;
Great Falls AAB, Mont, 27
Nov 1942-13 May 1943; Navarin, Algeria, Apr
1943; Chateaudun-du-Rhumel,
Algeria, 17 Jun 1943; Massicault, Tunisia,
31 Jul 1943; Bizerte, Tunisia, 2
Dec 1943; Amendola, Italy, c. 9 Dec
1943; Foggia, Italy, 19 Nov 1945-28 Feb
1946. Andrews Field, Md, 1 Jul
1947; Davis-Monthan Field, Ariz, 24 Sep 1947;
Chatham AFB, Ga, c. 1 May
1949; Hunter AFB, Ga, 22 Sep 1950-16 Jun 1952.
Commanders. Unkn, Sep-Nov 1918. Unkn, Sep 1919-May 1921; Maj
Thomas J
Hanley Jr, May-Sep 1921; Maj Lewis H Brereton, Jun 1925; Maj
Hugh Knerr, Jul
1927-Sep 1930; Capt Eugene L Eubank, 26 Dec 1933; Maj
Willis H Hale, 1 Jul
1934; Lt Col Charles B Oldfield, 1935; Lt Col
Robert C Olds, c. 1937-unkn; Lt
Col Darr H Alkire, 6 Jan 1942; Col Dale
O Smith, c. Sep 1942; Col Ford J
Lauer, 29 Oct 1942; Lt Col Joseph A
Thomas, 20 Apr 1943; Col Herbert E Rice, 5
Sep 1943; Col John D Ryan, 8
Jul 1944; Col Paul T Cullen, 25 Sep 1944; Col
Robert K Martin, 23 May
1945-20 Feb 1946. Unkn, Jul-Sep 1947; Col William E
Eubank Jr, 3 Aug
1948; Col James B Knapp, Jan 1950; Col Earl R Tash, Jan 1951;
Brig Gen
Frederic E Glantzberg, 10 Feb 1951; Col John M Reynolds, c. 14
Feb-16
Jun 1952.
Campaigns. World War I: St Mihiel; Lorraine; Meuse-Argonne.
World War
II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; Air Combat, EAME
Theater; Air Offensive,
Europe; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio;
Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern
France; Southern France; North Apennines;
Rhineland; Central Europe; Po
Valley.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Steyr, Austria,
24 Feb 1944;
Germany, 25 Feb 1944.
Insigne. Shield: Or, in fess four aerial bombs dropping
bend
sinisterwise azure, on a chief engrailed paly of five vert and
sable a
fleur-de-lis argent. Crest: A cloud (gray) rifted disclosing
the firmament
(blue) crossed by a bolt of lightning (yellow) striking
bend sinisterwise all
proper. Motto: Libertatem Defendimus - Liberty We
Defend. (Approved 19 Jan
1924. The motto then approved was replaced on
15 Apr 1940 by the one shown
above.) Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986 |
