- 458th Bombardment Group
The 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was a
Second World War unit of theUSAAF . It was formed on19 May 1943 and was activated on1 July 1943 withConsolidated B-24 Liberator s. Following training the Group deployed toRAF Horsham St Faith England in January and February 1944 and was assigned to the2d Air Division of theEighth Air Force .Missions
The Group flew its first diversionary missions on 24th and
25 February 1944 to draw enemy fighters from German targets being attacked by otherUSAAF bombers. The groups first bombing mission was on2 March 1944 , and afterward the group operated primarily againststrategic targets inNazi Germany , examples being the industrial areas ofSaarbrücken , oil refineries atHamburg , an airfield at Brunswick, aircraft factories atOschersleben , a fuel depot atDulmen , a canal atMinden , the aircraft works atBrandenburg , the marshalling yards atHamm and an aircraft engine plant atMagdeburg .The Group helped to prepare for the
D-Day invasion ofNormandy by strikinggun batteries ,V-weapon sites, and airfields inFrance and hit coastal defenses in support of the assault on6 June 1944 . Afterward the Group supported the Allied advance throughFrance , bombing bridges and highways to prevent the movement of enemymateriel to thebeachhead and by attacking enemy troops to aid the Allied breakthrough atSt Lo in July 1944. The Group ceased bombing activity briefly during September 1944 to carry fuel as cargo to airfields inFrance .During
Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945 the Group struck transportation lines, later attacking enemy airfields to assist the Allied assault across theRhine in March 1945.Demob
The Group flew its last combat mission on
25 April 1945 , returning to theUSA almost immediately through June and July 1945. The Group was redesignated 458th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in August 1945, training with theBoeing B-29 Superfortress until it was inactivated on17 October 1945 .quadrons
* 752d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (7V) 1943-1945
* 753d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (J4) 1943-1945
* 754th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (Z5) 1943-1945
* 755th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (J3) 1943-1945Operating Stations
*
Wendover Field ,Utah ,1 July 1943
*Gowen Field ,Idaho ,28 July 1943
*Kearns ,Utah ,11 September 1943
*Wendover Field ,Utah ,15 September 1943
*Tonopah AAFld,Nevada ,31 October to29 December 1943
*RAF Horsham St. Faith ,Norfolk ,England , January 1944 to14 June 1945
*Sioux Falls AAFld,South Dakota ,12 July 1945
*Walker AAFld,Kansas ,25 July 1945
*March Field ,California ,21 August -17 October 1945 .Commanders
* Lt Col Robert F Hardy, 28th July
1943
* Col James H Isbell, 16th December1943
* Col Allen F Herzberg, 10th March1945
* Capt Patrick Hays, 13th August1945
* Maj Bernard Carlos, 17th August1945
* Maj V R Woodward, 22nd August1945
* Lt Col Wilmer C Hardesty, 3rd September to 17th October1945 458th Air Expeditionary Group
While the 458th Group had no successors in the USAF for over fifty years, the lineage was brought briefly alive in 2003, when the 458th Air Expeditionary Group was active at
Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport , 26 km NW ofConstanţa ,Romania . The group was active from about March to June 2003, charged with maintaining an airbridge at the base to transport supplies and people to theUS Central Command Area of Responsibility (AOR).References
* http://www.458bg.com/
* http://www.heritageleague.org/groups/458bg.htm - Source of much of this article458 AEG:
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/04/AR2006020400162.html "Romanians Eager for Long-Awaited Arrival of the Yanks"] , Kevin Sullivan, "The Washington Post ",February 6 ,2006
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2003/04/mil-030409-usafe04.htm "AF members build friendships, bridges in Romania"] , 1st Lt. Chris Watt, 458th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs,April 9 ,2003 External Links
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