The 453rd Bombardment Group (Heavy):
Overview and Command Assignments
- Assigned to Eighth Air Force: December 1943 – May 1945
- Wing & Command Assignments:
- VIII Bomber Command (BC), 2nd Bombardment Division (BD), 2nd Combat Bomb Wing (CBW): 23 December 1944
- 2nd BD, 2nd CBW: 8 January 1944
- 2nd Air Division (AD), 2nd CBW: 1 January 1945
Component Squadrons
- 732nd Bombardment Squadron (H): Squadron code E3
- 733rd Bombardment Squadron (H): Squadron code F8
- 734th Bombardment Squadron (H): Squadron code E8
- 735th Bombardment Squadron (H): Squadron code H6
Combat Aircraft
- B-24 Liberator Variants:
- B-24H: from blocks 1-CF, 5-DT, 10-FO
- B-24J
- B-24L
- B-24M
Station
- Old Buckenham, England: 22/23 December 1943 – 9 May 1945
Group Commanding Officers (COs)
- Col Joseph A. Miller: 29 June 1943 – 18 March 1944
- Col Ramsey D. Potts Jr.: 19 March 1944 – 6 July 1944
- Col Lawrence M. Thomas: 7 July 1944 – 25 January 1945
- Lt Col Edward F. Hubbard: 25 January 1945 – May 1945
Mission Details
- First Mission: 5 February 1944
- Last Mission: 12 April 1945
- Total Missions: 259
- Total Credit Sorties: 6,655
- Total Bomb Tonnage: 15,804 tons
- Aircraft Missing in Action (MIA): 58
- Other Operational Losses: Not specified
- Enemy Aircraft Claims: 42 destroyed, 12 probably destroyed, 19 damaged
Major Awards
- None
Claims to Fame
- 733rd Bomb Squadron: Completed 82 consecutive missions without loss.
- James Stewart: The famous Hollywood actor served as the Group Executive Officer from March 1944.
Early History
- Activated: 1 June 1943 at Wendover Field, Utah.
- Training Locations:
- Established at Pocatello Army Air Field (AAFd), Idaho, on 29 July 1943 for two months of training.
- Moved to March Field, California, on 30 September 1943 to complete training.
- Ground echelon left March Field for port of embarkation on 2 December 1943.
Subsequent History
- Removed from Operations: 12 April 1945 to prepare for return to the USA and possible deployment in the Pacific theatre.
- Aircraft: Apparently remained in the UK.
- Group Personnel: Left Old Buckenham on 9 May 1945 for port of embarkation.
- Reestablished: At New Castle Army Air Field, Delaware, on 25 May 1945 as a prospective very heavy bomb group, but the project was dropped.
- Final Stationing: Located at Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey, from 18 June 1945 to 12 September 1945.
- Inactivated: 12 September 1945.
Aircraft Markings and Color Schemes
B-24H/J/L/M Liberators (December 1943 – May 1945)
Original Paint Scheme: Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray factory finish.
- Special Markings:
- At least nine B-24s assigned to the 732nd Bomb Squadron had ‘shark mouths’ in red and white below the nose turret and encompassing the bombardier’s window.
- Group Tail Marking (Circle J): Applied in early January 1944, it consisted of a 36-inch high Insignia Blue “J” on a 69-inch diameter white disc.
- On the upper surface of the right wing, the disc was 78 inches in diameter with a 48-inch “J,” in the same colors as on the tail.
- The Circle J on the tail often covered the tail number, which was then repainted below the group marking.
- Call-Letters: Painted in yellow, 24 inches high, below the tail number.
- The 732nd and 734th Bomb Squadrons used letters from A to M (excluding “I”), while the 733rd and 735th Bomb Squadrons used letters from Z to O in reverse alphabetical order.
- Some aircraft carried duplicate letters, and bars were used to distinguish them.
- Special Markings:
Additional Markings (March 1944):
- The 734th and 735th Bomb Squadrons distinguished their aircraft by adding a yellow plus sign after the call-letter.
- Squadron codes were painted in 48-inch high bluish-grey letters on the rear fuselage:
- 732nd Bomb Squadron: E3
- 733rd Bomb Squadron: F8
- 734th Bomb Squadron: E8
- 735th Bomb Squadron: H6
Natural Metal-Finished B-24s (April 1944):
- The Circle J was then applied as a white letter on a black disc, with the code and call-letters also in black.
High-Visibility Markings (May 1944):
- The new marking was an all-black fin and rudder on the outward-facing sides, with a 36-inch wide white diagonal stripe.
- The forward end of the stripe ran from the top corner of the fin to the bottom trailing edge of the rudder.
- The call-letter, 24 inches high, was painted in white on the black band.
- Squadron colors for propeller bosses:
- 732nd: White
- 733rd: Blue
- 734th: Red
- 735th: Yellow
Final Markings (July 1944):
- The system of distinguishing call-letters was rationalized according to Divisional instructions:
- 732nd Bomb Squadron: No symbols with the letter
- 733rd Bomb Squadron: A plus sign following the letter
- 734th Bomb Squadron: A bar following the letter
- 735th Bomb Squadron: A bar below the letter
- The system of distinguishing call-letters was rationalized according to Divisional instructions:
Unofficial Unit Insignia (Late War):
- Several aircraft of the 735th Bomb Squadron carried a red-winged, mailed fist clutching a bomb, set on a yellow background, on the co-pilot’s armor plate panel.