B-24J Liberator serial 44-40317 6X-I- 491st BG, 854th Bomb Squadron “RUTHLESS RUTHIE” – North Pickenham 16 April 1945
491st Bomb Group (Heavy) – “The Ringmasters”
The 491st Bombardment Group (H), known as “The Ringmasters,” was an integral part of the Eighth Air Force during World War II. Operating primarily B-24 Liberators, the group earned a Distinguished Unit Citation and was known for its high operational tempo. Below is a comprehensive overview of the group’s history, organization, and aircraft markings.
Overview and Command Assignments
- Assigned to Eighth Air Force: 1 January 1944
- Wing & Command Assignments:
- 2nd Bombardment Division (BD), 95th Combat Bomb Wing (CBW): c. 5 May 1944
- 2nd BD, 14th CBW: 14 August 1944
- 2nd Air Division (AD), 14th CBW: 1 January 1945
Component Squadrons
- 852nd Bombardment Squadron (H)
- 853rd Bombardment Squadron (H)
- 854th Bombardment Squadron (H)
- 855th Bombardment Squadron (H)
Combat Aircraft
- B-24H Liberator: From block 20-FO
- B-24J Liberator: From block 135-CO
- B-24L and B-24M Liberators
Stations
- Metfield, Suffolk, England: 25 April 1944 – 15 August 1944 (Air echelon in from 15 May – 30 May 1944)
- North Pickenham, Norfolk, England: 15 August 1944 – 4 July 1945
Group Commanding Officers (COs)
- Lt. Col. Carl T. Goldenberg: 12 February 1944 – 26 June 1944
- Col. Frederick H. Miller: 26 June 1944 – c. 20 October 1944
- Col. Allen W. Reed: c. 20 October 1944 – c. 18 June 1945
Mission Details
- First Mission: 2 June 1944
- Last Mission: 25 April 1945
- Total Missions: 187
- Total Credit Sorties: 5,005
- Total Bomb Tonnage: 12,304 tons
- Aircraft Missing in Action (MIA): 47
- Other Operational Losses: 23
- Enemy Aircraft Claims: 9 destroyed, 10 probably destroyed, 3 damaged
Major Awards
- Distinguished Unit Citation: 26 November 1944, for the mission to Misburg.
Claims to Fame
- Highest Rate of Operations: The 491st Bomb Group had the highest rate of operations among all B-24 groups in the Eighth Air Force.
History and Deployment
- Activated: 1 October 1943 at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona.
- Training and Deployment:
- Moved to Biggs Field, Texas on 11 November 1943.
- Most of the ground echelon personnel were transferred to B-29 groups, requiring the 8th Air Force to raise a new ground echelon from personnel in the UK.
- The group was transferred without personnel and equipment to 2nd Bombardment Division Headquarters as of 1 January 1944.
- Initially planned for the 14th Combat Bomb Wing with North Pickenham as its base in February 1944. However, due to the advanced training of the 492nd Bomb Group, the 491st BG was rescheduled for Metfield.
- Four established groups in the 2nd BD were ordered to raise and train an additional squadron ground echelon each, one of which was selected for the 491st BG. These transferred to Metfield around 25 April 1944.
- The air echelon continued training in the U.S., moving to Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado, in early January 1944. They began moving overseas on 21 April 1944 via Florida, Trinidad, Brazil, Dakar, and Marrakesh.
- Some key ground personnel (145 members) left the U.S. on 11 April 1944.
Redeployment and Inactivation
- Redeployed to the USA: June/July 1945
- Aircraft departed from North Pickenham between 17-19 June 1945.
- The ground echelon sailed on the Queen Mary on 6 July 1945, arriving in New York on 11 July 1945.
- Personnel received 30 days of R&R.
- The group was reestablished at McChord Field, Washington, but was inactivated there on 8 September 1945.
Aircraft Markings and Color Schemes
B-24H/J/L/M Liberators (May 1944 – July 1945)
Original Paint Scheme:
- Natural Metal Finish: Most original combat aircraft were B-24Js in natural metal finish.
- Some B-24Hs in Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray were assigned before operations commenced.
- Circle 2 Group Marking:
- Painted on the upper surface of the right wing, the marking was 78 inches in diameter, black on bare metal, or white on olive drab.
- The 48-inch letter “2” was black or Insignia Blue on white or white on black.
- Vertical Tail: Green with a 36-inch wide white horizontal stripe centered on it.
- The green initially used was a light grass green, but later in the year, many replacement B-24s used a darker shade, possibly British Light Green camouflage paint, similar to USAAF Medium Green.
- Individual Aircraft Call Letters: 24 inches high, painted in black on the center of the white stripe. All squadrons used letters from “A” in alphabetical order without exclusions.
- Squadron Symbols:
- 852nd Bomb Squadron: No symbol with the call letter.
- 853rd Bomb Squadron: Bar below or forward of the letter.
- 854th Bomb Squadron: Bar above or after the letter.
- 855th Bomb Squadron: Plus sign after the letter.
- Squadron Codes: Painted in 48-inch high letters on the rear fuselage aft of the waist gun positions. The color was light grey on camouflage and black on bare metal, although some reports indicate grey codes on certain “silver” aircraft.
- 852nd Bomb Squadron: 3Q
- 853rd Bomb Squadron: T8
- 854th Bomb Squadron: 6X
- 855th Bomb Squadron: V2
August 1944 Markings:
- When the 95th Combat Bomb Wing became non-operational, the 491st Bomb Group was transferred to the 14th CBW to replace the disbanded 492nd Bomb Group.
- The 491st continued using the same tail markings instead of those previously used by the 14th CBW. Allegedly, this was due to the belief that Luftwaffe fighters targeted the 492nd Bomb Group for attacks.
- March 1945 Markings: The 491st Bomb Group removed the green tail markings and adopted a 36-inch wide black diagonal band, forward end high, on its tails. Call letters and symbols were painted in white on the black band.
- By October 1944, 852nd Bomb Squadron aircraft had red engine cowling rings, and those of the 854th Bomb Squadron were yellow, although this marking was not universally applied to all aircraft in these squadrons.