The 17th Bombardment Group is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

unit. The group was last stationed at

Hurlburt Field Hurlburt Field is a United States Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation and is home to Headquarters Air Force S ...

, Florida. The Group is a direct successor to the 17th Pursuit Group, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the Army before

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The 17th's heritage traces back to

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, when the

95th Aero Squadron The 95th Aero Squadron was an Air Service, United States Army unit that fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I. It was the first American pursuit (fighter) squadron to fly in combat on the Western Front, begi ...

played a key role in the St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and other Allied campaigns. These battles are symbolized by the seven pattee crosses on the 17th's shield, and it was from the 95th, together with the 34th and

73d Pursuit Squadron The 73rd Special Operations Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The squadron operates the AC-130J Ghostrider ground-attack aircraft in support of Air Force ...

s, that the 17th first was formed. The Group's aircraft and many of its aircrews took part in the 1942 Doolittle Raid on

Imperial Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

. During

the 17th Bomb Group was the only combat organization to fight all three of the Axis powers (Japan, Italy, and Germany) on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe).

History

: ''See

17th Training Wing The 17th Training Wing (17 TRW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Second Air Force. It is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. The wing is also the host unit at Goodfellow. It was ac ...

for associated history.''

Origins

Authorized originally as the 17th Observation Group on 18 October 1927, the unit was redesignated the 17th Pursuit Group and finally activated at

March Field March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 21 m ...

, California, on 15 July 1931. At March, it operated

Boeing P-12 The Boeing P-12 or Boeing F4B is an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps, United States Marine Corps, and United States Navy. It was the chief fighter aircraft in American service during the early 193 ...

and P-26 fighter aircraft until, in 1935, it was redesignated the 17th Attack Group and acquired the

Northrop A-17 The Northrop A-17, also known as the Northrop Model 8, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F model, is a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the United States Army Air Corps. When in ...

attack bomber. In 1939 the unit was redesignated again, becoming the 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) and converting to the

Douglas B-18 Bolo The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American twin-engined medium bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Airc ...

bomber. In August and September 1941 the group was the first to be equipped with the new

North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allies of World War ...

bomber. From its training base in

Pendleton, Oregon Pendleton is a city in and the county seat of Umatilla County, Oregon, Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The population was 17,107 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which includes approximately 1,600 people who are ...

, it deployed to

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

;

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

and March Field in the fall of 1941 to participate in large scale maneuvers with the Army Ground Forces, returning to Pendleton immediately following the

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. At the tim ...

World War II

From Pendleton, the 17th Bombardment Group flew anti-submarine patrols from

, off the west coast of the United States. As the first unit to operate the B-25, the 17th achieved another "first" on 24 December 1941 when one of its Mitchells, flown by 1st Lt. Everett W. Holstrom, dropped four 300-pound bombs on a Japanese submarine near the mouth of the Columbia River.

Doolittle Raid

After the Doolittle Raid was approved in February 1942, the group was chosen to provide the crews from which volunteers would be recruited. It had been the first unit to receive B-25s, with all four of its squadrons equipped with the bomber by September 1941. It was not only was the first medium bomb group of the Army Air Corps, but in early 1942, also had the most experienced B-25 crews. Its first assignment following the entry of the United States into the war was to the U.S.

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces S ...

.Craven and Cate 1948, p. 439. The group was immediately moved from Pendleton cross-country to

Columbia Army Air Base Columbia Army Air Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces base. It was primarily used for advanced combat training of B-25 Mitchell medium bomber units and replacement pilots. It was used as a training base in early 1942 for D ...

West Columbia, South Carolina West Columbia, formerly Brookland, is a city and commuter town in the suburban eastern sections of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population was 14,988, and the 2019 ...

, ostensibly to fly similar patrols off the east coast of the United States, but in actuality to prepare for the mission against Japan. The group officially transferred effective 9 February 1942 to Columbia, where its combat crews were offered the opportunity to volunteer for an "extremely hazardous", but unspecified mission. On 19 February, the group was detached from the Eighth Air Force and officially assigned to

III Bomber Command The III Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force headquarters. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command bomber units assigned to 3rd Air Force. Following the entry of the United St ...

.Craven and Cate 1948, p. 614. Initial planning called for 20 aircraft to fly the mission,Craven and Cate 1948, p. 440. and 24 of the group's B-25B Mitchell bombers were diverted to the

Mid-Continent Airlines Mid-Continent Airlines was a trunk carrier, a scheduled airline which operated in the central United States from the 1930s until 1952 when it was acquired by and merged with Braniff International Airways. Mid-Continent Airlines was originally fo ...

modification center in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, Minnesota. With support provided by two senior airline managers, Wold-Chamberlain Field's maintenance hangar was the first modification center to become operational. On the morning of 18 April 1942, some 600 miles east of Japan, the aircraft carrier launched 16 Mitchells on the highly successful Doolittle raid on Tokyo and other Japanese cities. A boost to American morale, the raid marked the first combat launch of twin engined bombers from an aircraft carrier and the first American aerial attack on the Japanese mainland. Piloting the 16th Mitchell was 1st Lt. William G. Farrow, captured and subsequently executed by the Japanese after completing his mission. Following the Doolittle raid, the group transferred to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, and began training on the

Martin B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in ...

medium bomber.

Twelfth Air Force

In December the group transferred once more, this time to

Telergma Airport Telerghma Airport is a joint-use civilian/military airport in Algeria , just south of the city of Telerghma, about 300 km east of Algiers. History Built by the French Colonial government prior to World War II, the small airport was seized by ...

, Algeria, where it participated in the

North African North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

campaign as part of Twelfth Air Force. The aircraft of the 17th Group left for Africa equipped with the Norden Bombsight, however only the leader of each flight carried the Norden, with the remainder dropping their bombs when the leader dropped. As German fighter opposition declined, the Marauder crews in the Mediterranean began removing the four package guns. Upon the expulsion of Axis forces from North Africa in May 1943, the 17th transferred to Sedrata Airfield, Algeria, to begin air operations against Pantelleria. Five by eight miles in dimension, the Mediterranean island sheltered an important Axis airfield with hangars carved into solid rock. Its sheer cliffs would have proved a daunting obstacle to amphibious invasion but precision bombardment by the 17th secured the surrender of the island's defenders in less than a month. As part of the Fifteenth Air Force, the group followed the Allied forces from North Africa from bases in Tunisia, Sardinia, Corsica, and France, the 17th conducted bombing missions against critical targets throughout the Mediterranean, Italy, southern France and Germany. It later returned to Twelfth Air Force in January 1944. It received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its support of the Anzio invasion and another for its outstanding performance over Schweinfurt. For operations in support of the invasion of southern France, it received the Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France), French Croix de Guerre with Palm. All told, the group conducted 624 missions and participated in 11 campaigns during the war, finally returning to the United States and inactivating in November 1945.

Korean War

With war in Korea the group was activated to replace the Air Force Reserve 452d Bombardment Group when its term of service was up in May 1952. Assigned to Far East Air Force (United States), Far East Air Forces, being stationed at Pusan East (K-9) Air Base, South Korea, in May 1952. There, the group flew Douglas B-26 Invader light bombers on night intruder strikes along enemy supply routes. In August, the group switched to daylight formation raids, earning the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation (United States), Presidential Unit Citation by the end of the war in July 1953. It flew one of the last if not the last mission of the Korean War.

Cold War

On 10 October 1954 the unit received orders to move to Miho AFB, Japan. This move was accomplished and training operations commenced from Japan. The group was to be re outfitted with Martin B-57 Canberra's, the new jet light bomber. On 26 January 1955, due to problems in the B-57 program, this decision was reversed and the unit was directed to transfer with 39 aircraft to Hurlburt Auxiliary Field, Florida. Training flights continued through January. In February, all flying except that concerned with cruise control missions was terminated. The aircraft were stripped of all armament (guns, turrets, sighting equipment and rocket racks) and fitted with 625 gallon auxiliary tanks. On 16 April the first section of 4 aircraft departed. The last section departed on 19 April. Either a B-29 or a C-124, as a lead ship, escorted each flight of four aircraft. The last aircraft landed in Hulburt on 29 April. At Hurlburt, was redesignated the 17th Bombardment Group, Tactical and the unit transitioned to the Martin B-57 Canberra and Douglas B-66 Destroyer medium bombers before inactivating again in 1958 due to budgetary cuts. Group was eliminated from Wing's table of organization as part of the Air Force tri-deputate reorganization.

Lineage

* Authorized as the 17th Observation Group on 18 October 1927 : Redesignated 17th Pursuit Group in 1929 : Activated on 15 July 1931 : Redesignated 17th Attack Group c. 1 March 1935 : Redesignated 17th Bombardment Group (Medium) c. 17 October 1939 : Inactivated on 26 November 1945 * Redesignated 17th Bombardment Group, Light and activated on 19 May 1947 : Inactivated on 10 September 1948 * Activated on 10 May 1952 : Redesignated 17th Bombardment Group, Tactical on 1 October 1955 : Inactivated on 25 June 1958

Assignments

* 1st Bombardment Wing, 1st Wing, 1 March 1935 * United States Army Air Corps, GHQ Air Force, 24 June 1940 : Remained under jurisdiction of 1st Bombardment Wing, 1st Wing * Northwest Air District (later Second Air Force), 19 October 1940 * 5th Air Division, 5th Bombardment Wing, 10 December 1940 – 25 May 1941 * II Bomber Command, 25 May 1941 *

, 19 February 1942 * Northwest African Training Command, 9 December 1942 * Northwest African Strategic Air Force, 20 April 1943 * XII Bomber Command, 1 September 1943 * 42d Air Division, 42d Bombardment Wing, 24 August 1943 – 29 May 1945 * XXII Tactical Air Command, 29 May-26 November 1945 * Ninth Air Force, 19 May 1947 – 10 September 1948 * 17th Bombardment Wing, 10 May 1952 – 25 June 1958

Components

* 34th Bombardment Squadron: 15 July 1931 – 26 November 1945; 19 May 1947 – 10 September 1948; 10 May 1952 – 25 June 1958 * 37th Bombardment Squadron: 23 April 1941 – 26 November 1945; 19 May 1947 – 10 September 1948; 10 May 1952 – 25 June 1958 * 73d Bombardment Squadron (World War II), 73d Bombardment Squadron (USAAC), 15 July 1931 – 3 May 1941 * 89th Reconnaissance Squadron: attached during December 1941 * 95th Reconnaissance Squadron, 95th Bombardment Squadron: 15 July 1931 – 26 November 1945; 19 May 1947 – 10 September 1948; 10 May 1952 – 25 June 1958 * 432d Bombardment Squadron: 25 February 1942 – 26 November 1945

Stations

* March Field, California, 15 July 1931 * McChord Field, Washington, 24 June 1940 * Eastern Oregon Regional Airport, Pendleton Airport, Oregon, 29 July 1941 *

, South Carolina, 9 February 1942 * Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 23, June–November 1942 * Telergma Airfield, Algeria, December 1942 * Sedrata Airfield, Algeria, c, 10 May 1943 * Djedeida Airfield, Tunisia, 23 June 1943 * Sardinia, November 1943 * Corsica, c. 14 September 1944 * Dijon Bourgogne - Longvic Airport, Dijon-Longvic Airfield (Y-9), France, c. 20 November 1944 * Fliegerhorst Hörsching, Austria, June 1945 * Saint-Simon - Clastres Air Base, Clastres Airfield (A-71), France, c. 3 October–November 1945 * Langley Field, Virginia, 19 May 1947 – 10 September 1948 * Pusan East (K-9) Air Base, South Korea, 10 May 1952 * Miho Air Base, Japan, 10 October 1954 – 16 March 1955 * Hurlburt Field, Eglin AF Aux Field No 9, Florida, April 1955 – 25 June 1958

Aircraft assigned

and P-26 Peashooter, 1931–1933 *

, 1933–1939 * B-18 Bolo, 1939–1941 * B-25 Mitchell, 1941–1942 * B-26 Marauder 1942–1945 * Douglas A-26 Invader, A-26 (later B-26) Invader, 1947–1948; 1952–1954 * B-57 Canberra, 1954–1958 * B-66 Destroyer, 1954–1958

References

Notes

Bibliography

* *

External links

*
17th Bombardment Group Digital Collection at The University of Akron Archival Services

17th Bombardment Group Reunion Association Finding Aid at The University of Akron Archival Services

Virgil L. Bell Finding aid at The University of Akron Archival Services

Arthur Hilton Correspondence Finding Aid at The University of Akron Archival Services
{{Navboxes , list = {{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II {{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II {{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces, 017 Bombardment groups of the United States Air Force, 017 United States Air Force units and formations in the Korean War