The 28th Bombardment Group started out in Dec, 1939, as the 28th Composite Group. It was activated on Feb. 1st, 1940 and it was redesignated the 28th Bombardment Group (Composite) In Dec. 1943. During the period of 1941 to 1943, the aircraft flown by the group included the P-38, P-39, P-40, B-26 and LB30's. From the time period of 1944 on, the group used B-24 and B-25 bombers.
The group operated solely in Alaska from Feb. of 1941 until the end of WWII. The group saw early action in helping to repel the Japanese ships that were attacking Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in June of 1942. The 28th BG flew missions against the only Japanese help US land on the North American continent during WWII- Attu and Kiska Islands in the Aleutian Island chain of Alaska. From the time that the Japanese left those islands, until the end of the war, the 28th BG flew missions against the Japanese bases in the Kurile Islands. These missions included bombing and strafing airfields, military installations, shipping and other targets, as well as photo reconnaissance missions to help with the the planning of other operations.
The 28th BG was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its' operations of April 1944 to August 1945, during which its' attacks on the targets based in the Kurile Islands forced the Japanese to move some of their valuable air power to this region, therefore reducing the available air power in the southern areas, which in turn helped out the Allied forces attacking there.
The group, being a composite group, consisted of bomb squadrons and fighter squadrons for a period of time. The two fighter squadrons, the 11th pursuit and 18th pursuit, were only attached to the group for a short time. The 11th was assigned to the Western Theatre of Operations, and attached to the Provisional Interceptor Command, Alaska, from 2 Jan '42 until 2 Feb '42. Then assigned to the 28th Composite group, they were there from 2 Feb '42 until the 7th of June, '42. From there they were moved to the XIth Fighter Command, and became a squadron for a new group, the 343rd Fighter Group.
The 18th Pursuit Squadron was also only with the 28th
Composite Group for a short time, although longer than the 11th was. Formed on
Feb 1, 1940, they were assigned to the 28th Composite Group on 24 Feb, 1941, and
moved to the XIth Fighter Command, and the 343rd Fighter Group on the 7th of
June, 1942.
| Air Force Assigned to: | 11th AF (Feb. '40 - end WWII) |
| Stations flown from: | Elmendorf Field, Alaska (23 Feb '41 - March '43) |
| Adak, Alaska (14 March '43 - Feb '44) | |
| Shemya, Alaska (26 Feb '44 - end WWII) | |
| Campaigns: | Air Offensive, Japan |
| Aleutians | |
| Decorations: | Distinguished Unit Citation: Kurile Islands, 1 April '44 - 13 August '45 |
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| Squadrons | 11th Pursuit ('42) | 18th Pursuit ('41-'42) | 36th B.S. | 73rd B.S. | 77th B.S. | 404th B.S. |
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404th BS Commanding Officer LtCol. John C. Larson
Jim Sterling photo |
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404th BS Exec Officer Capt. C.R. Coble
Jim Sterling photo |
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404th BS Adjutant C.J. Thomas
Jim Sterling photo |
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404th BS Asst. Adjutant 1/Lt J.E. Hochstadter
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Engineering Officer Capt. J.V. Morgan
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Asst. Operations Officer 1/Lt V.R. Price
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Operations Officer 1/Lt F.T. Quiett
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Flight Surgeon Capt. J.M. Hickes
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Mess Officer 2/Lt B.B. Thomas
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Asst. Engineering Officer 1/Lt K.R. Anderson Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Squadron Navigator Capt. W.B. Young
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Radar Officer 1/Lt J.R. Brice
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Communications Officer Capt. F.D. Metcalf
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Intelligence Officer Capt. R.F. Arnold
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Intelligence Officer Lt. R.J. Sullivan
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Tech Supply Officer J.S. Shapiro
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Asst. Communications Officer Lt. L.W. Ryser
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS Ordnance & Transportation Officer Lt. R.E. Phillips
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS B24's Flash (42-41157), AT&SF (44-49807) and
Dolores (44-50598)
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Unknown B24 of the 28th BG
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Unknown B24 of the 28th BG
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS B24's Whistlin' Shithouse (44-49474), ? (#63),
Myasis Dragon or Sweet Cecilia (44-49483) & ? (#96)
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Some of the scenery the 28th had to fly over!
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS B24's #'s 65 "Lil De-Icer" (42-40965), 63
(44-4??63) and ?
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BS B24 Dutchess (41-11924)
Jim Sterling Photo |
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PB4Y on approach
Jim Sterling Photo |
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404th BG B24 Dolores (41-11924) with some of the crew
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Collision between two 28th BG B24's on an icy taxiway- numbers 998 and
988
Jim Sterling Photo |
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another view
Jim Sterling Photo |
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another view
Jim Sterling Photo |
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another view
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Either Adak or Shemya base - unknown date
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Either Adak or Shemya base - unknown date
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Either Adak or Shemya base - unknown date
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Either Adak or Shemya base - unknown date
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Either Adak or Shemya base - interesting since there is a B17, PB4Y, B25
and an A20(?) at the base!
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Aerial recon photo of Japanese Kuabu Airfield- Located on Paramushiru
Island
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Aerial recon photo of Japanese Matsuwa Airfield, on Matsuwa Island- 170
miles south of Paramushru Is. in the Kuriles
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Another view of Matsuwa Airfield
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Another view of Matsuwa Airfield
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Aerial recon photo of Japanese Miyoshino Airfield on the island of
Shimushu
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Aerial recon photo of the Paramushiro Straits, with Kataoka Japanese
Naval base in the lower left corner
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Aerial recon photo of Japanese Suribachi Airfield, on the island of
Paramushro
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Aerial recon photo of Japanese Kakumabetsu Naval Base
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Aerial recon photo of Japanese Airfields Kataoka (upper right) and
Bettobu (center)
Jim Sterling Photo |
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P38's taxiing either on Adak or Sheyma
Jim Sterling Photo |
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'business end' of a P38
Jim Sterling Photo |
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P38
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Interesting photo - is the P40 flying VERY low, or is it floating? hard
to tell...
Jim Sterling Photo |
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PBY Catalina Flying Boat
Jim Sterling Photo |
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MGen Johnson, BGen Johnson, Col Goodman, Col Bienfang, Col Herman, LtCol
Loney, preparing for an awards ceremony
Jim Sterling Photo |
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M/Sgt Thomas Peters, Communications chief
Jim Sterling Photo |
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T/Sgt Joseph Vrabel, Photographer
Jim Sterling Photo |
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T/Sgt Eugene Dobson, Photographer
Jim Sterling Photo |
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T/Sgt K. Howard
Jim Sterling Photo |
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T/Sgt T. Fitch
Jim Sterling Photo |
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T/Sgt H. Lang
Jim Sterling Photo |
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S/Sgt R. Martenz
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Sgt E. Flanagan, S/Sgt Gene Tow, M/Sgt L. Best, PFC G. Murray
Jim Sterling Photo |
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The USO troup "The Klassical Kids" comes to the 28th BG!
Jim Sterling Photo |
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The "Kids" help serve a meal.
Jim Sterling Photo |
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here's the 'Klassical Kids' performing for the 28th BG
Jim Sterling Photo |
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They also spread smiles!...
Jim Sterling Photo |
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And dances...
Jim Sterling Photo |
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And more smiles.
Jim Sterling Photo |
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Probably one of the colder spots they visited!
Jim Sterling Photo |
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The memories they must have created...
Jim Sterling Photo |
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the 404th BS baseball team, the Yankee's- Shemya, Aleutian and Alaskan
Champions
Jim Sterling Photo |
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the 404th BS basketball team, the Selgaes- L to R: Berger, Myerson,
Gehrke, Roberts, Sturz, Beres, Feeley, Familia, Mezich
Jim Sterling Photo |
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2nd Lt William Frances Paulett of Cleveland Ohio, KIA 16
March 1943 in a bombing raid over Kiska.
Photo courtesy of R.E. Paulett |
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no information on picture other than 2nd Lt William
Frances Paulett is the 3rd from the right.
Photo courtesy of R.E. Paulett |
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no information on picture other than 2nd Lt William
Frances Paulett is on the far right.
Photo courtesy of R.E. Paulett |
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Book available for $20.00, check or money order
from RF Arnold, Box 55429, Metairie, LA, 70055
Tell him you saw it on Web-Bird's 28th BG page!
| Other 28th BG webpages- | Dr. Will R. Eubank United States Army Air Corps |
| The 11th Air Force in Alaska | |
| The FORT GLENN Historic Site | |
| Aleutian's Home Page |
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