Constituted as 11th Observation Group in 1933. Redesignated
11th
Bombardment Group (Medium) in 1938. Activated in Hawaii on 1 Feb
1940.
Redesignated 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in Nov 1940. Assigned
to Seventh
AF in Feb 1942. Trained with B-18's; received B-17's for
operations. Flew
patrol and search missions off Hawaii after the
Japanese attacked Pearl
Harbor. Moved to the New Hebrides in Jul 1942.
Became part of Thirteenth AF.
Struck airfields, supply dumps, ships,
docks, troop positions, and other
objectives in the South Pacific,
Jul-Nov 1942, and received a DUC for those
operations. Continued
operations, attacking Japanese airfields,
installations, and shipping
in the Solomons, until late in Mar 1943. Returned
to Hawaii, reassigned
to Seventh AF, and trained with B-24's. Resumed combat
in Nov 1943 and
participated in the Allied offensive through the Gilberts,
Marshalls,
and Marianas, while operating from Funafuti, Tarawa, and
Kwajalein.
Moved to Guam in Oct 1944 and attacked shipping and
airfields in the Volcano
and Bonin Islands. Moved to Okinawa in Jul
1945 to take part in the final
phases of the air offensive against
Japan, bombing railways, airfields, and
harbor facilities on Kyushu and
striking airfields in China. After the war,
flew reconnaissance and
surveillance missions to China and ferried liberated
prisoners of war
from Okinawa to Luzon. Remained in the theater as part of
Far East Air
Forces but had no personnel assigned after mid-Dec 1945 when the
group
was transferred to the Philippines. Redesignated 11th Bombardment
Group
(Very Heavy) in Apr 1946. Transferred to Guam in May 1946,
remanned, and
equipped with B-29's. Terminated training and operations
in Oct 1946.
Inactivated on Guam on 20 Oct 1948.
Redesignated 11th Bombardment Group (Heavy). Activated in the US on
1
Dec 1948. Assigned to Strategic Air Command. Equipped with B-36
aircraft.
Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952.
Squadrons. 14th: 1940-1941. 26th: 1940-1948; 1948-1952.
42d:
1919-1948; 1948-1952. 98th: 1941-1948; 1948-1952. 431st:
1942-1946.
Stations. Hickam Field, TH, 1 Feb 1940; New Hebrides, Jul 1942;
Hickam
Field, TN, 8 Apr 1943; Funafuti, Nov 1943; Tarawa, 20 Jan 1944;
Kwajalein, 5
Apr 1944; Guam, 25 Oct 1944; Okinawa, 2 Jul 1945; Manila,
Dec 1945; Guam, May
1946-20 Oct 1948. Carswell AFB, Tex, 1 Dec 1948-16
Jun 1952.
Commanders. Lt Col Walter F Kraus, Feb 1940; Lt Col St Clair Streett,
15
Jun 1940; Lt Col Albert F Hegenberger, 1 Apr 1941; Col LaVerne G
Saunders, Mar
1942; Col Frank F Everest, Dec 1942; Col William J.
Holzapfel Jr, 26 Apr 1943;
Col Russell L. Waldron, 7 Jul 1944; Col John
Morrow, Mar 1945-c. Dec 1945; Col
Vincent M Miles Jr, 20 May 1946; Capt
Thomas B Ragland Jr, Nov 1946; Capt
Thomas B Hoxie, 27 Dec 1947-20 Oct
1948. Maj Russell F Ireland, Dec 1948; Lt
Col Harry E Goldsworthy, 11
Jan 1949; Col Richard H Carmichael, May 1949; Col
Bertram C Harrison, 4
Mar 1950; Col Thomas P Gerrity, 3 Apr 1950-16 Jun 1952.
Campaigns. Central Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan; Guadalcanal;
Northern
Solomons; Eastern Mandates; Western Pacific; Ryukyus; China
Offensive.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: South Pacific, 31 Jul-30
Nov
1942.
Insigne. Shield: Azure (Air Force blue), on a bend or (Air
Force
yellow), three grey geese volant proper (in their natural
colors). Crest: On
a wreath or and azure a grey goose proper with wings
displayed and inverted.
Motto: Progressio Sine Timore Aut Praejudicio -
Progress without Fear or
Prejudice. (Approved 11 Jun 1941.) Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986 |
