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334th Bombardment Group

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334th Bombardment Group
(later 334th Air Refueling Wing, 334th Air Expeditionary Group)
B-25 Mitchell of a Replacement Training Unit
Active1942–1944
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Rolemedium bomber training
EngagementsAmerican Theater of World War II
Insignia
Patch with the 334th Bombardment Group emblem[1]

The 334th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. From 1942 to 1944, it served as a Replacement Training Unit at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was disbanded on 1 May 1944 in a reorganization of Army Air Forces training units. The group was reconstituted in 1985 as the 334th Air Refueling Wing. It was converted to provisional status in 2005 as the 334th Air Expeditionary Group and has been activated for exercises.

History

The 334th Bombardment Group was activated on 16 July 1942 at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. Its original components were the 470th, 471st, 472nd and 473d Bombardment Squadrons, and the group was equipped with North American B-25 Mitchells. It became part of Third Air Force, which was responsible for the majority of medium bomber training for the Army Air Forces (AAF).[1][2][3][4][5]

The 354th acted as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) for the B-25. The RTU was an oversized unit which trained individual pilots and aircrews, after which they would be assigned to operational units.[5] However, the AAF found that standard military units, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit, manned according to the base's specific needs.[6] As this reorganization was implemented in the Spring of 1944, the 334th Group, its components and supporting units at Greenville, were disbanded on 1 May and replaced by the 330th AAF Base Unit (Medium, Bombardment).

The emblems of the group's four squadrons were variations of "Bomby the Bear", and were featured in a National Geographic article about military insignia.[7]

The group was reconstituted in July 1985 as the 334th Air Refueling Wing, but remained in inactive status.[8] It was converted to provisional status as the 334th Air Expeditionary Group and assigned to Air Combat Command (ACC) to activate or inactivate as needed. ACC activated the group in 2007 for Exercise Ardent Sentry[9] It was again active to control exercise units in July 2010[10]

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 334th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 9 July 1942
Activated on 16 July 1942
Disbanded on 1 May 1944[1]
  • Reconstituted on 31 July 1985 and redesignated 334th Air Refueling Wing[8]
  • Converted to provisional status and redesignated 334th Air Expeditionary Group on 21 October 2005[10]
Activated on 9 May 2007[9]
Inactivated on 23 May 2007[9]
Activated 5 July 2010[10]
Inactivated c. July 2010

Assignments

  • Third Air Force, 16 July 1942 – 1 May 1944
  • Air Combat Command, to activate or inactivate as needed after 21 October 2005[10]
1st Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force, 9 May–23 May 2007[9]
1st Air And Space Expeditionary Task Force, 5 July 2010–c. July 2010[10]

Components

  • 334th Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron: 9 May–23 May 2007[9]
  • 470th Bombardment Squadron: 16 July 1942 – 1 May 1944[2]
  • 471st Bombardment Squadron: 16 July 1942 – 1 May 1944[3]
  • 472d Bombardment Squadron: 16 July 1942 – 1 May 1944[4]
  • 473d Bombardment Squadron: 16 July 1942 – 1 May 1944[4]

Stations

Aircraft

  • North American B-25 Mitchell, 1942–1944[1]

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Maurer, Combat Units, p. 214
  2. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 575
  3. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 575-576
  4. ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 576
  5. ^ a b Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxvi
  6. ^ Goss, p. 75
  7. ^ Hubbard, p. 714
  8. ^ a b Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations
  9. ^ a b c d e f Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, May 2007, Maxwell AFB, AL
  10. ^ a b c d e f Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, July 2010, Maxwell AFB, AL

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  • Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  • Hubbard, Gerard (1943). "Aircraft Insignia, Spirit of Youth". The National Geographic Magazine. LXXXIII (6). National Geographic Society: 718–722. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  • 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. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
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