333d Bombardment Group

333d Special Operations Wing Active as the 333d Bombardment Group
B-29 Superfortress as flown by the group
Active	1942–1944; 1944–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Part of	Eighth Air Force
Engagements	Pacific Ocean Theater of World War II

The 333d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 316th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. It was inactivated on 28 May 1946. In 1985 it was consolidated with the 633d Special Operations Wing as the 333d Special Operations Wing.

History

Established as a B-17 Flying Fortress Operational Training Unit (OTU) for replacement personnel under Second Air Force. Trained pilots and aircrews from July 1942 to April 1944.^[1]

Realigned as an operational B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomb group in July 1944. Trained under Second Air Force until June 1945, being deployed to Okinawa as part of the new Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater. Arrived in Okinawa but Japanese Capitulation led to drawdown of Eighth Air Force and the group never was engaged in combat. Flew show-of-force missions over Occupied Japan and aircraft helped evacuate prisoners of war from Japan and China to airfields in the Philippines. Personnel demobilized and aircraft flown to storage in the United States in May 1946 and the unit was inactivated as a paper unit in Okinawa on 28 May.^[1]

In July 1985, the group was consolidated with the 633d Special Operations Wing as the 333d Special Operations Wing.^[2]

Lineage

Constituted as the 333d Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 9 July 1942

Activated on 15 July 1942

Inactivated on 1 April 1944

Redesignated 333d Bombardment Group, Very Heavy

Activated on 7 July 1944

Inactivated on 28 May 1946^[1]

Consolidated on 31 July 1985 with the 633d Special Operations Wing as the 333d Special Operations Wing^[2]

Assignments

II Bomber Command, 15 July 1942 – 1 April 1944
21st Bombardment Wing, 7 July 1944 – 31 August 1945
316th Bombardment Wing, 31 August 1945 – 28 May 1946^[1]

Stations assigned

Topeka Army Air Base, Kansas, 15 July 1942
Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 22 February 1943 – 1 April 1944; 7 July 1944 – 13 January 1945
Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas, 13 January – 18 June 1945
Kadena Air Base, Okinawa 5 August 1945 – 28 May 1946^[1]

Operational Units

466th Bombardment Squadron, 15 July 1942—1 April 1944
467th Bombardment Squadron, 15 July 1942—1 April 1944
468th Bombardment Squadron, 15 July 1942—1 April 1944
469th Bombardment Squadron, 15 July 1942—1 April 1944
435th Bombardment Squadron, 7 July 1944 – 28 May 1946
460th Bombardment Squadron, 7 July 1944 – 28 May 1946
507th Bombardment Squadron, 7 July 1944 – 28 May 1946^[1]

Aircraft flown

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Maurer, pp. 213-214
1 2 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.

USAAF Eighth Air Force in World War II

Stations

United Kingdom	Alconbury Aldermaston Andrews Field Atcham Attlebridge Bassingbourn Bodney Bottisham Bovingdon Boxted Bungay Burtonwood Depot Bury St. Edmunds Bushey Hall Chalgrove Cheddington Chelveston Chipping Ongar Daws Hill Debach Debden Deenethorpe Deopham Green Duxford Earls Colne East Wretham Eye Fersfield Fowlmere Framlingham Glatton Goxhill Grafton Underwood Great Ashfield Great Dunmow Halesworth Hardwick Harrington Hethel Honington Horham Horsham St. Faith Ibsley Keevil Kimbolton Kings Cliffe Kirton In Lindsey Knettishall Lavenham Leiston Little Walden Martlesham Heath Membury Mendlesham Metfield Molesworth Mount Farm North Pickenham Nuthampstead Old Buckenham Podington Polebrook Rackheath Ramsbury Rattlesden Raydon Ridgewell Seething Shipdham Snetterton Heath Steeple Morden Sudbury Thorpe Abbots Thurleigh Tibenham Wattisham Watton Wendling Westhampnett Wormingford

Okinawa	Bolo Ie Shima Kadena Futenma Yontan

Units

Commands

VIII Air Support
VIII Bomber
VIII

Air Divisions

Wings

Bombardment	1st 2d 3d 4th 5th 12th 316th

Fighter	6th 65th 66th 67th 301st

Groups

Bombardment	34th 44th 91st 92d 93d 94th 95th 96th 97th 100th 301st 303d 305th 306th 310th 319th 320th 322d 323d 333d 346th 351st 379th 381st 382d 383d 384th 385th 386th 387th 388th 389th 390th 392d 398th 401st 445th 446th 447th 448th 452d 453d 457th 458th 466th 467th 486th 482d 487th 489th 490th 491st 492d 493d 801st (Provisional)

Fighter	1st 4th 14th 20th 31st 48th 55th 56th 78th 318th 339th 350th 352d 353d 354th 355th 356th 357th 358th 361st 362d 364th 413th 479th 495th 496th 507th

Troop Carrier	60th 62d 315th

Reconnaissance	3d 7th 25th 67th

United States Army Air Forces

USAAF Second Air Force in World War II

Airfields

Group Training Stations
Heavy Bombardment Training Stations
Replacement Training Stations
Tactical Airfields
Very Heavy Bomber Bases

Units

Commands

Wings

Groups

Bombardment	2d Bombardment 6th Bombardment 7th Bombardment 9th Bombardment 12th Bombardment 16th Bombardment 17th Bombardment 19th Bombardment 25th Bombardment 29th Bombardment 34th Bombardment 39th Bombardment 40th Bombardment 42d Bombardment 46th Bombardment 47th Bombardment 48th Bombardment 85th Bombardment 86th Bombardment 86th Bombardment 88th Bombardment 94th Bombardment 95th Bombardment 96th Bombardment 99th Bombardment 100th Bombardment 301st Bombardment 302d Bombardment 303d Bombardment 304th Bombardment 305th Bombardment 306th Bombardment 307th Bombardment 308th Bombardment 312th Bombardment 330th Bombardment 331st Bombardment 333d Bombardment 346th Bombardment 351st Bombardment 376th Bombardment 379th Bombardment 381st Bombardment 382d Bombardment 383d Bombardment 384th Bombardment 385th Bombardment 388th Bombardment 390th Bombardment 393d Bombardment 395th Bombardment 396th Bombardment 398th Bombardment 399th Bombardment 400th Bombardment 401st Bombardment 407th Bombardment 415th Bombardment 418th Bombardment 444th Bombardment 445th Bombardment 446th Bombardment 447th Bombardment 448th Bombardment 449th Bombardment 450th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 452d Bombardment 453d Bombardment 454th Bombardment 455th Bombardment 456th Bombardment 457th Bombardment 458th Bombardment 459th Bombardment 460th Bombardment 461st Bombardment 462d Bombardment 464th Bombardment 467th Bombardment 468th Bombardment 469th Bombardment 470th Bombardment 471st Bombardment 472d Bombardment 484th Bombardment 485th Bombardment 486th Bombardment 487th Bombardment 488th Bombardment 489th Bombardment 490th Bombardment 491st Bombardment 493d Bombardment 494th Bombardment 497th Bombardment 498th Bombardment 499th Bombardment 500th Bombardment 501st Bombardment 502d Bombardment 504th Bombardment 505th Bombardment 509th Composite

Fighter	20th Fighter 54th Fighter 84th Fighter 85th Fighter 507th Fighter 508th Fighter

Reconnaissance	2d Reconnaissance 3d Reconnaissance 4th Reconnaissance 5th Reconnaissance 6th Reconnaissance 7th Reconnaissance 8th Reconnaissance 71st Reconnaissance 77th Reconnaissance

Troop Carrier	443d Troop Carrier

United States Army Air Forces

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