446th Bomber Group

VIII BC, 2 BD, 20 CBW 4 Nov 1943
2 BD, 20 CBW 8 Jan 1944
2 AD, 20 CBW 1 Jan 1945

B-24H
B-24J
B-24L
B-24M

BUNGAY 4 November 1943 to July 1945

Col. Jacob J. Brogger 27 Sep 1943 to 22 Sep 1944 (WIA)
Col. Troy W. Crawford 23 Sep 1944 to 4 Apr 1945, (POW)
Lt. Col. William A. Schmidt 4 Apr 1945 to Unk

First Mission: 16 Dec 1943
Last Mission: 25 Apr 1945
Missions: 273
Total Sorties: 7,259
Total Bomb Tonnage: 16,819 Tons
Aircraft MIA: 58

None

Lead the 8th AF and the 2 BD on the first heavy bomber mission of D-Day.
"Ronnie" believed to be the first 8th AF B-24 to fly 100 missions.
706 Bomb Squadron flew 62 consecutive missions and 707 Bomb Squadron had 68 missions without loss.

Activated 1 April 1943 at Davis-Monthan AAB, Arizona were Initial assembly began. The unit moved to Alamagordo, NM on the 6th June 1943, but immediately moved again to Lowry AAB, Colorado, where the training was completed. The ground unit left on the 18th of October 1943 for Camp Shanks, NY and embarked on the Queen Mary on the 25th of October 1943. They sailed on the 27 October 1943 and arrived in Clyde on the 2nd of November 1943. The aircraft left Lowry AAB on the 20th of October 1943 for Lincoln AAB, Neb. The aircraft flew via the southern route from Florida, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Dakar, and Marrakash to England. One aircraft was lost on the Puerto Rico leg, and one aircraft was shot down when it strayed off course into France.

Redeployed to the US June/July 1945. First of the aircraft departed the United Kingdom on mid-June 1945. One aircraft was lost over the Azores on the return flight to the US. The ground echelon sailed from Greenock on the Queen Mary on the sixth of July 1945, arriving in New York on the 11th of July 1945. Personnel to Camp Kilmer and had 30 days R and R. Some assembled at Sioux Falls AAFd, SD where the Group was inactivated on the 28th of August 1945.