333d Bombardment Group
| 333d Special Operations Wing Active as the 333d Bombardment Group .png) | |
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B-29 Superfortress as flown by the group | |
| Active | 1942–1944; 1944–1946 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Branch |
 United States Air Force |
| Role | Bombardment |
| Part of | Eighth Air Force |
| Engagements | Pacific Ocean Theater of World War II |
The 333d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 316th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. It was inactivated on 28 May 1946. In 1985 it was consolidated with the 633d Special Operations Wing as the 333d Special Operations Wing.
History
Established as a B-17 Flying Fortress Operational Training Unit (OTU) for replacement personnel under Second Air Force. Trained pilots and aircrews from July 1942 to April 1944.[1]
Realigned as an operational B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomb group in July 1944. Trained under Second Air Force until June 1945, being deployed to Okinawa as part of the new Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater. Arrived in Okinawa but Japanese Capitulation led to drawdown of Eighth Air Force and the group never was engaged in combat. Flew show-of-force missions over Occupied Japan and aircraft helped evacuate prisoners of war from Japan and China to airfields in the Philippines. Personnel demobilized and aircraft flown to storage in the United States in May 1946 and the unit was inactivated as a paper unit in Okinawa on 28 May.[1]
In July 1985, the group was consolidated with the 633d Special Operations Wing as the 333d Special Operations Wing.[2]
Lineage
- Constituted as the 333d Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 9 July 1942
- Activated on 15 July 1942
- Inactivated on 1 April 1944
- Redesignated 333d Bombardment Group, Very Heavy
- Activated on 7 July 1944
- Inactivated on 28 May 1946[1]
- Consolidated on 31 July 1985 with the 633d Special Operations Wing as the 333d Special Operations Wing[2]
Assignments
- II Bomber Command, 15 July 1942 – 1 April 1944
- 21st Bombardment Wing, 7 July 1944 – 31 August 1945
- 316th Bombardment Wing, 31 August 1945 – 28 May 1946[1]
Stations assigned
- Topeka Army Air Base, Kansas, 15 July 1942
- Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 22 February 1943 – 1 April 1944; 7 July 1944 – 13 January 1945
- Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas, 13 January – 18 June 1945
- Kadena Air Base, Okinawa 5 August 1945 – 28 May 1946[1]
Operational Units
- 466th Bombardment Squadron, 15 July 1942—1 April 1944
- 467th Bombardment Squadron, 15 July 1942—1 April 1944
- 468th Bombardment Squadron, 15 July 1942—1 April 1944
- 469th Bombardment Squadron, 15 July 1942—1 April 1944
- 435th Bombardment Squadron, 7 July 1944 – 28 May 1946
- 460th Bombardment Squadron, 7 July 1944 – 28 May 1946
- 507th Bombardment Squadron, 7 July 1944 – 28 May 1946[1]
Aircraft flown
References
- Notes
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
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