490th Bomber Group
Squadrons of the 490th BG
848th Bombardment Squadron - Heavy849th Bombardment Squadron - Heavy
850th Bombardment Squadron -Heavy
851st Bombardment Squadron - Heavy
Assigned 8th AAF: April 1944.
Wing/Command Assignment
3 BD, 93 CBW: 7 April 1944.
3 AD, 93 CBW: 1 January 1945
3 AD, 93 CBW: 1 January 1945
Combat Aircraft:
B-24H
B-24J
B-17G
B-24J
B-17G
Stations
EYE 26 April 44 - 24 August 1945
Group COs
Col Lloyd H. Watnee: 30 Dec. 1943 - 25 Jun. 1944.
Col Frank P. Bostrom: 26 Jun. 1944 - 9 Jun. 1945.
Col Gene H. Tibbets: 10 Jun. 1945 - 9 Jun 1945
First Mission: 31 May 44
Last Mission: 20 Apr 45
Missions: 158
Total Sorties: 5,060
Total Bomb Tonnage: 12,407 Tons
Aircraft MIA: 22
Col Frank P. Bostrom: 26 Jun. 1944 - 9 Jun. 1945.
Col Gene H. Tibbets: 10 Jun. 1945 - 9 Jun 1945
First Mission: 31 May 44
Last Mission: 20 Apr 45
Missions: 158
Total Sorties: 5,060
Total Bomb Tonnage: 12,407 Tons
Aircraft MIA: 22
Major Awards:
None
Claims to Fame
Lowest MIA losses of any OAF bomb group in combat for extended period of time.
Claims to Fame
Lowest MIA losses of any OAF bomb group in combat for extended period of time.
Early History:
Activated 1 October 1943 at Salt Lake City AAB, Utah. Transferred Mountain Home
AAFd, Idaho, where Group formed and trained from December - April 1944. Ground
unit left for Camp Shanks, NY. 11 April 1944 and sailed on Nieu Amsterdam, 15
April 1944 arriving Clyde 25 April 1944. Aircraft started overseas movement
on 12 April 1944 taking the southern ferry route, via Florida, Trinidad, Brazil,
Dakar and Marrakecl to UK.
Subsequent History:
Redeployed US July 1945. Aircraft left Eye on the 6th of July 1945. The ground
unit sailed from Southampton on the Queen Elizabeth on the 26 August 1945 arriving
New York 1 September 1945. The group was established at Drew Fd, Fla. 3 September
1945 and inactivated there 7 Nov. 45.