458th Bombardment Group | 8th AAF | 752nd, 753rd, 754th & 755th Bombardment Squadrons

[walika]

458th Bombardment Group | 8th AAF | 752nd, 753rd, 754th & 755th Bombardment Squadrons

Constituted as 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 May 1943. Activated on I Jul 1943. Prepared for combat with B-24’s. Moved to England, Jan-Feb 1944, and assigned to Eighth AF. Flew diversionary missions on 9 and 25 Feb 1944 to draw enemy fighters from German targets being attacked by other AAF bombers. Began bombardment on 2 Mar 1944, and afterward operated primarily against strategic objectives in Germany. Hit such targets as the industrial area of Saarbrucken, oil refineries at Hamburg, an airfield at Brunswick, aircraft factories at Oschersleben, a fuel depot at Dulmen, a canal at Minden, aircraft works at Brandenburg, marshalling yards at Hamm, and an aircraft engine plant at Magdeburg. Carried out some interdictory and support operations in addition to the strategic missions.

Helped to prepare for the invasion of Normandy by striking gun batteries, V-weapon sites, and airfields in France; hit coastal defenses in support of the assault on 6 Jun 1944; afterward, bombed bridges and highways to prevent the movement of enemy materiel to the beachhead. Attacked enemy troops to aid the Allied breakthrough at St Lo in Jul. Ceased bombardment during Sep 1944 to haul gasoline to airfields in France. Struck transportation lines during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 194-Jan 1945. Attacked enemy airfields to assist the Allied assault across the Rhine in Mar 1945. Flew last combat mission on 25 Apr 1945. Returned to the US, Jun-Jul 1945. Redesignated 458th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in Aug 1945. Trained with B-29’s. Inactivated on 17 Oct 1945.

SQUADRONS. 752d: 1943-1945. 753d: 1943-1945 754h: 1943-1945 755th: 1943-1945.

STATIONS. Wendover Field, Utah, 1 Jul 1943; Gowen Field, Idaho, 28 Jul 1943; Kearns, Utah, 11 Sep 1943; Wendover Field, Utah, 15 Sep 1943; Tonopah AAFld, Nev, 31 Oct-29 Dec 1943; Horsham St Faith, England, Jan 1944-14 Jun 1945; Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, 12 Jul 1945; Walker AAFld, Kan, 25 Jul 1945; March Field, Calif, 21 Aug-17 Oct 1945.

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

 

 

752nd Bombardment Squadron

 

AIRCRAFT. B-24, 1943-1945; B-29, 1945.

OPERATIONS. Combat in ETO, 24 Feb 1944-25 Apr 1945.

CAMPAIGNS. Ar Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

EMBLEM. On an ultramarine blue disc, a stylized golden eagle in flight toward dexter, riding a large gray aerial bomb, all edged and stipled white and light blue, in front of a white cloud formation in sinister chief, terminating in a lightning bolt striking circumferentially toward dexter base. (Approved 16 Feb 1945.)

 

 

Theater-made. Embroidered on wool.

 

 

 

 

753rd Bombardment Squadron

AIRCRAFT. B-24, 1943-1945; B-29, 1945.

OPERATIONS. Combat in ETO, 24 Feb

CAMPAIGNS. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.\

EMBLEM. On a light turquoise blue disc, within a border equally divided black and red, a very large, white sledge hammer, shadowed black, with brown handle, winged golden orange, striking toward dexter, in front of a white cloud formation, all beneath a jagged, light red lightning bolt, striking from center chief point through cloud formation toward dexter base. (Approved 28 April 1945.)

 

 

Theater-made. Embroidered on wool.

 

 

 

 

754th Bombardment Squadron

AIRCRAFT. B-24, 1943-1945; B-29, 1945.

OPERATIONS. Combat in ETO, 24 Feb 1944-25 Apr 1945.

CAMPAIGNS. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

EMBLEM. Walt Disney Productions. Over and through a medium blue disc, within an orange decrescent moon the nose of a caricatured, brown, B-24 aircraft with yellow eye and horn, snorting steam from the nostrils, in flight toward dexter, tail segment terminating in orange comet formation, behind a large, white cloud formation in the shape of a question mark, all surmounted by a jagged, yellow lightning flash striking in direction of plane. (Approved 20 Jan 1945.)

 

 

Theater-made. Embroidered on wool. Design by Walt Disney Productions.

 

 

 

 

755 Bombardment Squadron

AIRCRAFT. -4, 1943-1945; B-29, 1945.

OPERATIONS. Combat in ETO, 24 Feb 1944-25 Apr 1945.

CAMPAIGNS. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

EMBLEM. On a light turquoise blue disc, within a border of six segments, alternate red and white, a caricatured, nonchalant, camouflaged, B-24 aircraft standing, affronte, on a white cloud formation in base, and resting right wing tip on nose of upturned, red aerial bomb. (Approved 20 Mar 1945.)

 

 

Theater-made. Embroidered on wool. An oversized patch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II.

 

 

 

 

 

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752nd Bomb Squadron

753rd Bomb Squadron

754th Bomb Squadron

755th Bomb Squadron

458th Bomb Group

 

 

 

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Beautiful. Great designs in that Bomb Group...

 

Here is an example of an English embroidered 754th BS Patch.

 

 

 

[walika]

Another beautiful example of the 754th Bomb Squadron. Thanks for posting.

[Bill Scott]

The young collectors of today are very very lucky because they have a tool such as the Forum to use.The Forum is a fantastic teaching tool that we all get to use every day with hundreds of people willing to educate all of us on whats real and whats fake.Thank You Rick and Spencer for showing us those beauties.Scotty

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_{Amen to that Scotty. The forum is a fantastic tool - made that way by folks like yourself and Rick. We are fortunate.}

[The Iron Brigade]