466th Bombardment Group

Constituted as 466th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 May 1943. Activated on 1 Aug 1943. Prepared for duty overseas with B-24's. Moved to England, Feb-Mar 1944, and assigned to Eighth AF. Entered combat on 22 Mar 1944 by participating in a daylight raid on Berlin. Operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, attacking such targets as marshalling yards at Liege, an airfield at St Trond, a repair and assembly plant at Reims, an airdrome at Chartres, factories at Brunswick, oil refineries at Bohlen, aircraft plants at Kempten, mineral works at Hamburg, marshalling yards at Saarbrucken, a synthetic oil plant at Misburg, a fuel depot at Dulmen, and aeroengine works at Eisenach. Other operations included attacking pillboxes along the coast of Normandy on D-Day (6 Jun 1944), and afterward striking interdictory targets behind the beachhead; bombing enemy positions at St Lo during the Allied breakthrough in Jul 1944; hauling oil and gasoline to Allied forces advancing across France in Sep; hitting German communications and transportation during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945; and bombing the airfield at Nordhorn in support of the airborne assault across the Rhine on 24 Mar 1945. Flew last combat mission on 25 Apr 1945, striking a transformer station at Traunstein. Returned to the US in Jul. Redesignated 466th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in Aug 1945. Trained with B-29's. Inactivated on 17 Oct 1945.

Squadrons. 784th: 1943-1945. 785th: 1943-1945. 786th: 1943-1945. 787th: 1943-1945.

Stations. Alamogordo AAFld, NM, 1 Aug 1943; Kearns, Utah, 31 Aug 1943; Alamogordo AAFld, NM, 24 Nov 1943; Topeka AAFld, Kan, 5-13 Feb 1944; Attlebridge, England, 7 Mar 1944-6 Jul 1945; Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, 15 Jul 1945; Pueblo AAB, Colo, 25 Jul 1945; Davis-Monthan Field, Ariz, 15 Aug-17 Oct 1945.

Commanders. Maj Beverly E Steadman, 23 Aug 1943; Maj Walter A Smith Jr, 29 Aug 1943; Col Walter G Bryte Jr, 2 Sep 1943; Col Arthur Pierce, 17 Dec 1943; Col Luther J Fairbanks, 1 Aug 1944; Col William H Cleveland, 1 Nov 1944-1945.

Campaigns. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Decorations. None.

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986