382nd Bombardment Group (USAAF)

History - Books - Aircraft - Time Line - Commanders - Main Bases - Component Units - Assigned To

History

The 382nd Bombardment Group (USAAF) went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a home based training unit and then as a B-29 unit with the Eighth Air Force in the Far East.

The group was activated in November 1942 and was allocated to the Second Air Force. It was equipped with the B-24 Liberator and served as an operational training unit. It later became a replacement training unit, helping to keep existing combat units up to strength. This first incarnation of the group was inactivated on 31 March 1944.

Five months later the group was reactivated as a Very Heavy bombardment group. This time it was equipped with the B-29 Superfortress and began to prepare for overseas duty. In July-September 1945 the group moved to the Pacific, where it joined the Eighth Air Force (moved to the East after the end of the war in Europe). The group arrived too late to see combat, and returned to the United States in December 1945. It was inactivated on 3 January 1946.

Books

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Aircraft

October 1942-August 1944: Consolidated B-24 Liberator

August 1944-January 1946: Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Timeline

28 October 1942 Constituted as 382nd Bombardment Group (Heavy)
3 November 1942 Activated with Second Air Force
31 May 1944 Inactivated
25 August 1944 Activated as 382nd Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) with Second Air Force
July-September 1945 To Pacific and Eighth Air Force
December 1945 To United States
4 January 1945 Inactivated

Commanders (with date of appointment)

Unknown: Nov 1942-Jan 1943
Maj Paul Schwartz: 23 Jan 1943
Lt Col George E Glober: 18 Jun 1943-31 Mar 1944
2d Lt Melvin A Dilcherd: 29 Aug 1944
Col William W Jones: 19 Sep 1944
Col Audrin R Walker: 16 Feb 1945-unkn.

Main Bases

Salt Lake City AAB, Utah: 3 Nov 1942
Davis-Monthan Field, Ariz: 23 Jan 1943
Pocatello AAFld, Idaho: 5 Apr 1943
Muroc AAFld, Calif: 6 Dec 1943-31 Mar 1944

Dalhart AAFld, Tex: 25 Aug 1944
Smoky Hill AAFld, Kan: 11 Dec 1944-8 Jul 1945
Guam: 8 Sep-16 Dec 1945
Camp Anza, Calif: 30 Dec 1945-4 Jan 1946.

Component Units

420th Bombardment Squadron: 1944-1946
464th Bombardment Squadron: 1944-1946
536th Bombardment Squadron: 1942-1944
537th Bombardment Squadron: 1942-1944
538th Bombardment Squadron: 1942-1944
539th Bombardment Squadron: 1942-1944
872nd Bombardment Squadron: 1944-1946

Assigned To

1944-45: 316th Bombardment Wing; Eighth Air Force

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (7 January 2014), 382nd Bombardment Group (USAAF) , http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/382nd_Bombardment_Wing.html

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