458th Bombardment Group

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The 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was a Second World War unit of the USAAF. It was formed on 19 May 1943 and was activated on 1 July 1943 with Consolidated B-24 Liberators. Following training the Group deployed to RAF Horsham St Faith England in January and February 1944 and was assigned to the 2d Air Division of the Eighth Air Force.

1 Missions
2 Demob
3 Squadrons
4 Operating Stations
5 Commanders
6 458th Air Expeditionary Group
7 References and Links

[edit] Missions

B-24s of the 753d and 754th Bomb Squadrons on a mission from Horsham St. Faith.

The Group flew its first diversionary missions on 24th and 25 February 1944 to draw enemy fighters from German targets being attacked by other USAAF bombers. The groups first bombing mission was on 2 March 1944, and afterward the group operated primarily against strategic targets in Nazi Germany, examples being the industrial areas of Saarbrücken, oil refineries at Hamburg, an airfield at Brunswick, aircraft factories at Oschersleben, a fuel depot at Dulmen, a canal at Minden, the aircraft works at Brandenburg, the marshalling yards at Hamm and an aircraft engine plant at Magdeburg.

The Group helped to prepare for the D-Day invasion of Normandy by striking gun batteries, V-weapon sites, and airfields in France and hit coastal defenses in support of the assault on 6 June 1944. Afterward the Group supported the Allied advance through France, bombing bridges and highways to prevent the movement of enemy materiel to the beachhead and by attacking enemy troops to aid the Allied breakthrough at St Lo in July 1944. The Group ceased bombing activity briefly during September 1944 to carry fuel as cargo to airfields in France.

During Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945 the Group struck transportation lines, later attacking enemy airfields to assist the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945.

[edit] Demob

The Group flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945, returning to the USA almost immediately through June and July 1945. The Group was redesignated 458th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in August 1945, training with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress until it was inactivated on 17 October 1945.

[edit] Squadrons

752d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (7V) 1943-1945
753d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (J4) 1943-1945
754th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (Z5) 1943-1945
755th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (J3) 1943-1945

[edit] Operating Stations

Wendover Field, Utah, 1 July 1943
Gowen Field, Idaho, 28 July 1943
Kearns, Utah, 11 September 1943
Wendover Field, Utah, 15 September 1943
Tonopah AAFld, Nevada, 31 October to 29 December 1943
RAF Horsham St. Faith, Norfolk, England, January 1944 to 14 June 1945
Sioux Falls AAFld, South Dakota, 12 July 1945
Walker AAFld, Kansas, 25 July 1945
March Field, California, 21 August - 17 October 1945.

[edit] Commanders

Lt Col Robert F Hardy, 28th July 1943
Col James H Isbell, 16th December 1943
Col Allen F Herzberg, 10th March 1945
Capt Patrick Hays, 13th August 1945
Maj Bernard Carlos, 17th August 1945
Maj V R Woodward, 22nd August 1945
Lt Col Wilmer C Hardesty, 3rd September to 17th October 1945

[edit] 458th Air Expeditionary Group

While the 458th Group had no successors in the USAF for over fifty years, the lineage was brought briefly alive in 2003, when the 458th Air Expeditionary Group was active at Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport, 26 km NW of Constanţa, Romania. The group was active from about March to June 2003, charged with maintaining an airbridge at the base to transport supplies and people to the US Central Command Area of Responsibility (AOR).