99th Bombardment Group

Constituted as 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Jun 1942. Trained with B-17's. Moved to North Africa, Feb-May 1943, and assigned to Twelfth AF. Entered combat in Mar 1943 and bombed such targets as airdromes, harbor facilities, shipping, railroads, viaducts, and bridges in Tunisia, Sardinia, Sicily, Pantelleria, and Italy until Dec 1943. Received a DUC for performance on 5 Jul 1943 when the group helped to neutralize fighter opposition prior to the invasion of Sicily by penetrating enemy defenses to bomb planes, hangars, fuel supplies, and ammunition dumps at the Gerbini airfield. Assigned to Fifteenth AF in Nov 1943 and moved to Italy in Dec. Flew long-range missions to attack such strategic objectives as oil refineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories, and steel plants in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Received another DUC for withstanding severe fighter assaults to bomb the vital aircraft factory and facilities at Wiener Neustadt on 23 Apr 1944. Other operations included assisting ground forces at Anzio and Cassino, Feb-Mar 1944; participating in the preinvasion bombing of southern France, Aug 1944; and supporting the Allied offensive in the Po Valley, Apr 1945. Inactivated in Italy on 8 Nov 1945.

Redesignated 99th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy). Allotted to the reserve. Activated on 29 May 1947. Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949.

Squadrons. 346th: 1942-1945; 1947-1949. 347th: 1942-1945; 1947-1949. 348th: 1942-1945; 1947-1949. 416th: 1942-1945; 1947-1949.

Stations. Orlando AB, Fla, 1 Jun 1942; MacDill Field, Fla, 1 Jun 1942; Pendleton Field, Ore, 29 Jun 1942; Gowen Field, Idaho, 28 Aug 1942; Walla Walla, Wash, c. 30 Sep 1942; Sioux City AAB, Iowa, 17 Nov 1942-3 Jan 1943; Navarin, Algeria, c. 23 Feb 1943; Oudna, Tunisia, 4 Aug 1943; Tortorella Airfield, Italy, c. 11 Dec 1943; Marcianise, Italy, Oct-8 Nov 1945. Birmingham Mun Aprt, Ala, 29 May 1947-27 Jun 1949.

Commanders. Unkn, Jun-Sep 1942; Col Fay R Upthegrove, c. Sep 1942; Lt Col Wayne E Thurman, 24 Nov 1943; Col Charles W Lawrence, 19 Dec 1943; Lt Col Wayne E Thurman, 26 Jan 1944; Col Ford Lauer, 15 Feb 1944; Col Trenholm Meyer, Jul 1944; Lt Col James A Barnett, Aug 1944; Col Ford Lauer, Sep 1944; Col Raymond V Schwanbeck, Jan 1945; Lt Col Robert E Guay, 8 Oct 1945; Maj Joseph D Russell, 11 Oct 1945; Maj John S Giegel, 16 Oct 1945-unkn.

Campaigns. Air Combat, EAME Theater; Air Offensive, Europe; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Sicily, 5 Jul 1943; Austria, 23 Apr 1944.

Insigne. Shield: Azure, issuant from sinister chief a cloud argent emitting a lightning flash to dexter base or between an eye of the second with pupil sable represented as a radar scope of the third with eyelid of the like, and a globe of the last with lines of the fifth encircled by a motion picture film silver. Motto: Sight With Might. (Approved 3 Nov 1943. This insigne was replaced 7 Feb 1958.)

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