HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 502d Bombardment Group was a
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 ...
Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(AAF)
strategic bombardment Strategic bombing is a systematically organized and executed military attack from the air which can utilize strategic bombers, long- or medium-range missiles, or nuclear-armed fighter-bomber aircraft to attack targets deemed vital to the enemy' ...
organization. The unit was one of the last few combat groups formed by the AAF, activating on 1 June 1944. After nearly a year training with
Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...
, it moved to
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
in April 1945. It flew its first combat mission on 30 June 1945 and its first strike on the Japanese home islands in July. It was awarded the
Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...
for attacks on the Japanese oil industry between 5 August and 15 August 1945. After
V-J Day Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on wh ...
it flew
show of force A show of force is a military operation intended to warn (such as a warning shot) or to intimidate an opponent by showcasing a capability or will to act if one is provoked. Shows of force may also be executed by police forces and other armed, n ...
missions and evacuated
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
. It remained in the Pacific until it was inactivated on 15 April 1946.


History


Organization and training

The
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
was organized on 1 June 1944 at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona. Its operational components, the 402d, 411th and 430th Bombardment Squadrons, were all established
squadrons Squadron(s) may refer to: Military * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 ...
that had briefly activated in other groups as
Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...
units, but had been inactivated when B-29 groups were reorganized to consist of only three squadrons.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 491-492Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 502-503 Five days later, the group moved without personnel or equipment to
Dalhart Army Air Field Dalhart Army Air Base is a former World War II military airfield complex near the city of Dalhart, Texas. It operated three training sites for the United States Army Air Forces from 1943 until 1945. The majority of the namesake city of Dalhart, ...
, Texas. The group was finally manned in July, when 11 officers and 82 enlisted men were reported assigned to the group. At Dalhart, it began to equip and train with B-29s. The group trained at Dalhart and at
Grand Island Army Air Field Grand Island Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces airfield which operated from 1942 to 1946. After its closure, the base was reopened as Central Nebraska Regional Airport. History Grand Island Army Airfield was opened in 1942, a ...
, Nebraska until 7 April 1945, when it departed for the Pacific. The ground echelon departed Grand Island for
Fort Lawton Fort Lawton was a United States Army Military base, post located in the Magnolia, Seattle, Washington, Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, Washington (state), Washington overlooking Puget Sound. In 1973 a large majority of the property, 534 acre ...
and 9 April 1945, and embarked on the on 14 April.


Combat in the Pacific and inactivation

The 502d was deployed to the
Central Pacific Area Pacific Ocean Areas (POA) was a major Allied military command in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands during the Pacific War and one of three United States commands in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. ...
in late 1944. Upon arrival the group's personnel were engaged in
Quonset hut A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel with a semi-circular cross-section. The design was developed in the United States based on the Nissen hut introduced by the British during World War I. Hund ...
construction. By mid-July most personnel were able to move into the huts from the initial tents which they were assigned on arrival. The group arrived at its combat station,
Northwest Field Northwest Field (NWF; historically Northwest Guam Air Force Base) is a military airfield on the West Pacific island of Guam. Originally built during World War II, Northwest Field was closed as an airfield in 1949 but has been used for other mi ...
, Guam on 12 May 1945. It flew its first combat mission on 30 June, an attack on Rota. It carried out attacks on Truk during July. It flew its first mission against the Japanese Home Islands on 15 July, against the
oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...
at
Kudamatsu 270px, Kudamatsu city center is a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 56,892 in 26829 households and a population density of 640 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kudamatsu ...
, and until the end of the war, concentrated on attacks on the Japanese
petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...
industry. It was awarded a
Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...
for August 1945 attacks on the
coal liquefaction Coal liquefaction is a process of converting coal into liquid hydrocarbons: liquid fuels and petrochemicals. This process is often known as "coal to X" or "carbon to X", where X can be many different hydrocarbon-based products. However, the most c ...
plant at Ube, a
tank farm Tank Farm (sometimes Tuff Crater) is the name of a volcanic explosion crater (or maar) on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand, near the approaches to the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Geology Part of the Auckland volcanic field, it was crea ...
at
Amagasaki 270px, Amagasaki Castle 270px, Aerial view of Amagasaki city center 270px, Amagasaki Station is an industrial city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 455,555 in 223,812 households, and a population de ...
and the
Nippon Oil , formerly , or NOC or ''Shin-Nisseki'' (新日石) is a Japanese petroleum company. Its businesses include exploration, importation, and refining of crude oil; the manufacture and sale of petroleum products, including fuels and lubricants; and ...
refinery at
Tsuchizaki is a neighbourhood located in Akita City, Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the neighbourhood had an estimated population of 21,310 and a population density of 3,400 persons per km². The total area of the neibourhood is . Annexed by the city in 1941, ...
. After the war it participated in
show of force A show of force is a military operation intended to warn (such as a warning shot) or to intimidate an opponent by showcasing a capability or will to act if one is provoked. Shows of force may also be executed by police forces and other armed, n ...
missions and evacuated
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
. The squadron remained on Guam until it was inactivated on 15 April 1946. Due to a shortage of B-29s, the group was equipped with former
II Bomber Command The II Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command heavy bomber units assigned to Second Air Force. Following the entry of the United St ...
B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
es previously used for training heavy bomber replacement personnel. The 502d eventually received Atlanta-built B-29B Superfortresses. After
V-J Day Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on wh ...
, the 502d flew over Japan to evaluate bombardment damage. In the fall of 1945, the group largely demobilized as part of the "Sunset Project", with some aircraft being sent reclamation on
Tinian Tinian () is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Together with uninhabited neighboring Aguiguan, it forms Tinian Municipality, one of the four constituent municipalities of the Northern ...
; others being returned to the United States for storage at aircraft depots in the southwest. By Christmas, the group fleet was reduced to 30 or fewer planes and the remaining elements of the group was effectively consolidated into the 501st Bombardment Group. Many of the remaining personnel signed for "any conditions of travel" to get home, arriving three weeks later in
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
, California, where troop trains scattered them for points of discharge close to their homes.


Lineage

* Constituted as the 502d Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 25 May 1944 : Activated on 1 June 1944 : Inactivated on 15 April 1946Maurer, p. 367


Assignments

*
Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...
, 1 June 1944 (attached to
17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing 017 may refer to: * DOL-017, GameCube console * ''Global Underground 017'', DJ mix album * Road FC 017, 2014 Mixed Martial Arts event * Swift 017.n, racing car * Tyrrell 017, Formula One racing car See also

* 17 (disambiguation) {{disambigu ...
after 26 September 1944) *
315th Bombardment Wing 315th may refer to: *315th (Kirkcudbright) Field Battery, Royal Artillery (RA) unit of Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) during World War II *315th (North Midland) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery, part-time unit of Britain's Royal Artiller ...
, 12 May 1945 – 15 April 1946 (attached to
XXI Bomber Command The XXI Bomber Command was a unit of the Twentieth Air Force in the Mariana Islands for strategic bombing during World War II. The command was established at Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas on 1 March 1944. After a period of organization and ...
)


Components

* 402d Bombardment Squadron: 1 June 1944 – 15 April 1946 *
411th Bombardment Squadron 411th may refer to: *411th Bombardment Group, inactive United States Air Force unit * 411th Bombardment Squadron, part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida * 411th Civil Affairs Battalion (United States) (Tactical), civil ...
: 1 June 1944 – 15 April 1946 * 430th Bombardment Squadron: 1 June 1944 – 15 April 1946 * 29th Photographic Laboratory Section: 1 June 1944 –


Stations

* Davis–Monthan Field, Arizona 1 June 1944 *
Dalhart Army Air Field Dalhart Army Air Base is a former World War II military airfield complex near the city of Dalhart, Texas. It operated three training sites for the United States Army Air Forces from 1943 until 1945. The majority of the namesake city of Dalhart, ...
, Texas 5 June 1944 *
Grand Island Army Air Field Grand Island Army Airfield was a United States Army Air Forces airfield which operated from 1942 to 1946. After its closure, the base was reopened as Central Nebraska Regional Airport. History Grand Island Army Airfield was opened in 1942, a ...
, Nebraska 26 September 1944 – 7 April 1945 *
Northwest Field Northwest Field (NWF; historically Northwest Guam Air Force Base) is a military airfield on the West Pacific island of Guam. Originally built during World War II, Northwest Field was closed as an airfield in 1949 but has been used for other mi ...
,
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
, Mariana Islands, 12 May 1945 – 15 April 1946


Aircraft

*
Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...
, 1944–1946


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * *


External links

* {{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces in the Japan campaign Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1946 1944 establishments in Texas 1946 disestablishments in Guam