9th Bomb Group

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 9th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy)


caption= 9th Bomb Group
dates= August 1 1922
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Army Air Forces
type= Very heavy bombardment group
role= Strategic Bombardment
size= 2200 personnel, 48-50 B-29 aircraft
command_structure= 313th Bomb Wing
Twentieth Air Force
current_commander=
garrison= North Field, Tinian, Mariana Islands
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto= Semper Paratus - Always Ready
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= Tokyo fireboming, March 9, 1945
Kawasaki, DUC April 15, 1945
Mining campaign, DUC May 1945
71 combat missions
anniversaries=

The 9th Bomb Group (Very Heavy) was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 9th Operations Group, a current unit of the United States Air Force. A unit of the pre-war Army Air Corps dating back to 1922, the USAAF bombardment group operated the B-29 Superfortress bomber while the current USAF group operates U-2s and RQ-4s.

The 9th Bomb Group conducted 71 bombing missions while assigned to the Twentieth Air Force. It participated in the controversial fire raids that destroyed the urban centers of 66 Japanese cities, beginning with Tokyo. Operating both at high altitude and low level, both at night and by daylight, members of the 9th Group earned two Presidential Unit Citations for valor in combat.

The group later served as both a reconnaissance group and bomb group of the Strategic Air Command, before being inactivated in 1952. Its lineage, honors, and history were bestowed on the like-numbered wing of the Strategic Air Command until September 1, 1991, when after nearly forty years the group was activated again as part of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing.

Air Service and Air Corps history

Observation group

Originally created as the 9th Observation Group on July 19, 1922, as part of the U.S. Army Air Service, the 9th was organized on August 1, 1922, at Mitchel Field, New York. The squadrons assigned to the group were the 1st and 5th Aero Squadrons (Observation), both re-designated bomb squadrons in March 1935.

The 1st Squadron was the first squadron organized in the air force, formed on March 5, 1913, at Texas City, Texas, as the 1st Aero Squadron. It served in both the Punitive Expedition to Mexico in 1916-1917 and in France during World War I, with seven campaign streamers. The 5th Squadron was organized in 1917 at Kelly Field, Texas, and served as a flying training unit. From June to September 1921 both squadrons served as part of the "1st Provisional Air Brigade", organized by Brig. Gen. William L. Mitchell to demonstrate aerial bombardment of battleships.

From 1923 to 1929 both squadrons of the 9th were reassigned to higher echelons, but remained in actuality a part of the group. The 99th Observation Squadron, organized at Kelly Field in 1917 and earning four campaign streamers in France, was added to the 9th Group on November 9, 1928, and on February 15, 1929, all three squadrons were assigned permanently. The 9th Observation Group used the DH-4 for its observation airplane between 1922 and 1928, and the Curtiss O-1B Falcon from 1928 to 1935.

The Air Service became the U.S. Army Air Corps on July 2, 1926. In early 1935 the Air Corps was re-organized, with all combat groups being centrally controlled for the first time, under a new command organization called General Headquarters, Air Force. The role of observation as the primary function of the air arm had been de-emphasized in the creation of eight new groups between 1927 and 1932. With the creation of GHQAF it was further de-emphasized and the 9th was converted into a bombardment group. Made a part of the 2nd Wing, the 9th BG was responsible for the air defense of the East Coast of the United States.

Bombardment group

The group's designation was changed to the 9th Bombardment Group on February 19, 1935, the 9th Bombardment Group (Medium) on December 6, 1939, and the 9th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on November 20, 1940. During the period 1935-1940 the 9th Bomb Group trained aircrews, took part in maneuvers, and participated in air shows, equipped with Keystone B-6 (1935-36), Martin B-10 (1936-38), and Douglas B-18 aircraft (1938-1942).

The 9th moved to Rio Hato, Panama, on November 12, 1940, to serve as part of the defense force for the Panama Canal. The 44th Reconnaissance Squadron stationed at Albrook Field, Canal Zone, was attached to the 9th on November 20, 1940. In addition to 5 additional B-18's it provided a single B-17B to the group.

The 9th Bomb Group relocated in a series of moves to Caribbean bases to conduct antisubmarine patrols. The 1st Bomb Squadron moved to Piarco Airport, Trinidad, on April 24, 1941; followed by the 5th Bomb Squadron to Beane Field, Saint Lucia, on September 28; the group headquarters squadron to Waller Field, Trinidad, on October 30 (where it was joined by the 1st Bomb Squadron); the 44th Recon Squadron to Atkinson Field, British Guiana, on November 4; and the 99th Bomb Squadron to Zandrey Field, Surinam, on December 3, 1941.

The 44th Recon Squadron was formally assigned to the 9th Bomb Group on February 25, 1942, and redesignated the 430th Bomb Squadron on April 22. The group's Headquarters Squadron was disbanded on July 22, 1942. The 1st Bomb Squadron changed stations to Edinburg Field, Trinidad, on August 23, and the group was assigned to the Antilles Air Task Force on September 18, where it continued antisubmarine patrols and conducted reconnaissance of the Vichy French fleet at Martinique.

The 9th Bomb Group's assets were transferred to the 25th Bomb Group and it was returned without personnel or equipment to the US in October 1942, where it was reconstituted as part of the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics (AAFSAT) at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida. The group's squadrons were assigned as school squadrons, with the 1st located at Brooksville Field, the 5th at Pinecastle Field, and the 99th at Montbrook Field. These used B-17, B-24, and B-26 aircraft to train cadres for 44 bomb groups in organization and operations, performed bombing pattern tests, experimented with 3-plane formations to attack moving ships, and performed over a hundred equipment tests.

Commanders, 1922-1944

The 9th Group since 1945

Although partially demobilized with personnel and aircraft returned to the United States, the 9th Bomb Group moved to Clark Field in the Philippines on April 15, 1946. It relocated to Harmon Field on Guam on June 9, 1947, by which time it was largely a paper organization with few personnel or aircraft. The group was inactivated on Guam on 20 October 20, 1948, and its squadrons re-assigned to other units.

On May 1, 1949 the group was redesignated the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Group and activated at Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base, California, as the combat group of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. The 9th Group conducted photo reconnaissance missions for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), using B-29, RB-29, and RB-17 aircraft, but also trained with several B-36s assigned during 1949-1950. It became a bomber group again on April 1, 1950, redesignated the 9th Bombardment Group, Heavy, and after it became an all-B-29 group, was redesignated the 9th Bombardment Group (Medium) on October 2, 1950. In February 1951 the three bomb squadrons of the group were attached to the Wing in preparation for a phase-out by SAC of its groups. The 9th Bomb Group was inactivated June 16, 1952, and its squadrons assigned directly to the 9th Bomb Wing.

On September 1, 1991, the 9th Group was activated as the 9th Operations Group, as part of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California. The 9th OG has five squadrons and one detachment totaling more than 500 personnel. It is the "single-point manager" for the U-2 Dragon Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude reconnaissance fleets. Its self-described mission is to organize, train and equip U-2 and RQ-4 combat elements for peacetime intelligence gathering, contingency operations, conventional war fighting and Emergency War Order support.

On 19 July 2007 the first operational Global Hawk deployment from Beale began at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, where the Global Hawk is scheduled to be stationed permanently starting in 2009.

The 9th Operations Group consists of the:
*1st Reconnaissance Squadron (U-2 training)
*5th Reconnaissance Squadron (U-2 operations from Osan Air Base, Korea)
*12th Reconnaissance Squadron (RQ-4 operations)
*99th Reconnaissance Squadron (U-2 operations)
*9th Operations Support Squadron.

The crest and motto were approved for the 9th Operations Group on March 20, 1924, and for the 9th Reconnaissance Wing on July 1, 1952. The shield, in black and green, represents the old colors of the Air Service parted by a wavy line representing the Rio Grande River. On the gold band are four black crosses representing four World War I offensives (Aisne-Marne, Champagne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, and St. Mihiel) in which squadrons later assigned to the 9th Group fought. The crest recalls the service in Mexico of the 1st Aero Squadron.

USAF Group commanders

Honors

"Air Force Outstanding Unit Award"
*1 September 1991 to 30 June 1993
*1 July 1994 to 30 June 1995
*1 June 1996 to 31 May 1998
*1 June 1998 to 31 May 2000
*1 June 2000 to 31 May 2002

References

*Maurer, Maurer, "Air Force Combat Units of World War II", Office of Air Force history (1961). ISBN 0-405-12194-6
*Morrison, Wilbur H., "Point of No Return: The Story of the Twentieth Air Force" (1979), ISBN 0-8129-0738-8
*Ravenstein, Charles A., "Air Force Combat Wings 1947-1977", Office of Air Force History (1984). ISBN 0-912799-12-9
* [http://www.9thbombgrouphistory.org/ "9th Bombardment Group (VH) HISTORY" on-line book]
* [http://www.beale.af.mil/ Beale AFB/9 RW site]
* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil Air Force Historical Research Agency]

External Links