502d Bombardment Group

Constituted as 502d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) on 25 May 1944 Activated on 1 Jun 1944. Trained for combat with B-29's. Moved to Guam, Apr-Jun 1945, and assigned to Twentieth AF. Entered combat on 30 Jun 1945 when the group bombed enemy installations on Rota. Bombed Japanese-held Truk early in Jun 1945. Flew its first mission against the Japanese home islands on 15 Jul 1945, and afterward operated principally against the enemy's petroleum industry. Awarded a DUC for attacks on the coal liquefaction plant at Ube, the tank farm at Amagasaki and the Nippon oil refinery at Tsuchizaki in Aug 1945. After the war, dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners in Japan and participated in several show-of-force missions over Japan. Inactivated on Guam on is Apr 1946.

Squadrons. 402d: 1944-1946. 411th: 1944-1946. 430th: 1944-1946.

Stations. Davis-Monthan Field, Ariz, 1 Jun 1944; Dalhart AAFld, Tex, 5 Jun 1944; Grand Island AAFld, Neb, 26 Sep 1944-7 Apr 1945; Northwest Field, Guam, 12 May 1945-15 Apr 1946.

Commanders. Lt Col Estley R Farley, 9 Jul 1944; Lt Col Robert C McBride, 1 Aug 1944; Col Kenneth O Sanborn, 6 Oct 1944-15 Apr 1946.

Campaigns. Air Offensive, Japan; Eastern Mandates; Western Pacific.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Japan, 5-15 Aug 1945.

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