Boeing B-17G-20 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron, raid in 1944, s/n 42-37894 “L”
The 95th Bomb Group (H) was a prominent unit in the Eighth Air Force during World War II, recognized for its significant contributions and distinguished record. H
Overview:
- Assigned to Eighth Air Force: April 1943.
- Combat Aircraft: B-17F (from blocks 20-DL, 30-VE, 65-BO) and B-17G.
Wing & Command Assignments:
- 12 May 1943: VIII Bomber Command (BC), 4th Bombardment Wing (BW), 401st Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing (PCB).
- 6 June 1943: VIII BC, 4 BW, 402 PCBW.
- 13 September 1943: VIII BC, 3rd Bomb Division (BD), 13th Combat Bombardment Wing (CBW).
- 1 January 1945: 3rd Air Division (AD), 13 CBW.
Component Squadrons:
- 334th Bombardment Squadron (H)
- 335th Bombardment Squadron (H)
- 336th Bombardment Squadron (H)
- 412th Bombardment Squadron (H)
Stations:
- 15 April 1943 – early June 1943: Alconbury (Air echelon only).
- 12 May 1943 – 15 June 1943: Framlingham (Air echelon arrived 11 June 1943).
- 15 June 1943 – 3 August 1945: Horham.
Group Commanding Officers:
- Col. Alfred A. Kessler (23 Oct 1942 – 22 Jun 1943)
- Col. John K. Gerhart (22 Jun 1943 – 28 Apr 1944)
- Col. Chester P. Gilger (29 Apr 1944 – 9 May 1944)
- Col. Karl Truesdell Jr. (10 May 1944 – 14 Dec 1944)
- Col. Jack E. Shuck (15 Dec 1944 – 27 Apr 1945)
- Lt. Col. Robert H. Stuart (28 Apr 1945 – Jun 1945)
Combat Record:
- First Mission: 13 May 1943.
- Last Mission: 20 April 1945.
- Total Missions: 320 (including six food missions in May 1945, delivering 456.5 tons).
- Total Credit Sorties: 8,903.
- Total Bomb Tonnage: 19,769.2 tons (including 211.1 tons of supplies).
- Aircraft MIA: 157.
- Other Operational Losses: 39.
- Enemy Aircraft Claims: 425 destroyed, 117 probable, 231 damaged.
Major Awards:
- Three Distinguished Unit Citations (DUCs):
- 17 August 1943: Regensburg (All 4 BW groups).
- 10 October 1943: Münster.
- 4 March 1944: Berlin.
Claims to Fame:
- Only Eighth Air Force Group awarded three DUCs.
- First USAAF Group to bomb Berlin (4 March 1944).
- Last aircraft lost by Eighth Air Force on a mission went down in the sea on 7 May 1945.
- First Eighth Air Force General KIA was lost while flying with this group (13 June 1943).
Early History:
- Activated: 15 June 1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. Formation began in late August 1942 at Geiger Field, Washington.
- Training: Moved to Ephrata, Washington, on 31 October 1942, then back to Geiger Field on 24 November 1942. Final training at Rapid City AAB, South Dakota, from 14 December 1942 to 11 March 1943. Air echelon moved to Kearney Field, Nebraska, for final processing before overseas movement.
- Overseas Movement: Took the southern route via Florida, Trinidad, Brazil, Dakar, and Marrakesh to the UK, arriving in early April 1943. Ground echelon arrived at Camp Kilmer, NJ, on 21 April 1943 and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on 5 May 1943, arriving at Greenock on 11 May 1943.
Subsequent History:
- Redeployed to the USA: June – August 1945. Aircraft departed 19 June 1945 and arrived at Bradley Field, Connecticut, on 21 and 26 June 1945. Ground echelon sailed on the Queen Elizabeth from Greenock on 5 August 1945, arriving on 11 August 1945. The group was established at Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota, and inactivated there on 28 August 1945.
Aircraft Markings:
- Original B-17Fs: Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray factory finish.
- Squadron Codes:
- 334th Bomb Squadron: BG.
- 335th Bomb Squadron: OE.
- 336th Bomb Squadron: ET.
- 412th Bomb Squadron: QW.
- Unique Markings:
- 412th Bomb Squadron: Used sky blue 36-inch high letters from July 1943 on replacement aircraft, making this unit’s decor unique.
- Square B Device: Introduced in late June 1943, initially painted in yellow and later in standard Insignia Blue on a white square.
- Squadron Colors: Introduced in July 1944 with 12-inch nose bands: yellow for the 334th, dark blue for the 335th, bright green for the 336th, and red for the 412th.
- End of 1944: Code letters on fuselages were discontinued and removed, but painted under the right wing in mid-May 1945. In late January 1945, a 48-inch red band was added following the line of the vertical tail’s trailing edge and on the upper right and lower left wing surfaces.