812th, 813th & 814th Bomb Squadrons | 482nd Bomb Group | Eighth AAF

[walika]

812th Bombardment Squadron | 813th Bombardment Squadron | 814th Bombardment Squadron
482nd Bombardment Group | Eighth Air Force

 

Constituted as 482d Bombardment Group (Pathfinder) on 10 Aug 1943 and activated in England on 20 Aug. Assigned to Eighth AF. Provided a pathfinder force of radar-equipped aircraft to precede bomber formations and indicate targets obscured by weather.

Flew its first mission on 27 Sep 1943, leading bombers of 1st and 3d Bombardment Divisions to attack the port at Emden. Operated chiefly as a pathfinder organization until Mar 1944, detaching its B-17 and B-24 aircraft, with crews, to other stations in England to lead Eighth AF elements on specific missions to the Continent. Led attacks on factories at Gotha, Brunswick, Schweinfurt, and other industrial centers during Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944. Also served as the pathfinder force for bombers attacking airfields, submarine installations, cities, marshalling yards, and other targets, primarily in Germany.

Received a DUC for a mission on 11 Jan 1944 when it led organizations of Eighth AF into central Germany to attack aircraft industries; although weather conditions prevented effective fighter protection against severe attack by enemy aircraft, the group not only bombed the assigned targets, but also destroyed a number of enemy planes.

Removed from combat status in Mar 1944 and after that operated a school for pathfinder crews with the objective of training a pathfinder squadron for each Eighth AF bombardment group; made radarscope photographs of France, the Low Countries, and Germany for use in training and briefing combat crews; and tested radar and other navigational equipment. Often bombed such targets as bridges, fuel depots, power plants, and railroad stations while on experimental flights; flew a pathfinder mission to assist the bombardment of coastal defenses in Normandy on 6 Jun 1944 and later that day led attacks on traffic centers behind the beachhead; sometimes dropped propaganda leaflets. Redesignated 482d Bombardment Group (Heavy) in Nov 1944. Continued its training and experimental work until V-E Day. Moved to the US, May-Jun 1945. Inactivated on 1 Sep 1945.

SQUADRONS. 812th: 1943-1945. 813th: 1943-1945. 814th: 1943-1945.

AIRCRAFT. B-17; B-24.

STATIONS. Alconbury, England, 20 Aug 1943-21 May 1945; Victorville AAFld, Calif, c. 5 Jul-1 Sep 1945.

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

 

812th Bomb Squadron

 

Embroidered on wool.

 

 

813th Bomb Squadron

 

Embroidered on wool.

 

 

814th Bomb Squadron

 

Embroidered on wool.

 

 

Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II.

Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II.

 

812th BS 482nd BG 8th AAF

813th BS 482nd BG 8th AAF

814th BS 482nd BG 8th AAF

[manayunkman]

Amazing patches.

[Thor996]

beautiful patches.

[Doodlebewi]

Awesome reference.