The 310th Bombardment Group (Medium) 1942/1945
12th Army Air Force
First B-25's in Combat in the MAAF
It was one month after Pearl Harbor 1941, the sneak
attack that the late President Franklin D Roosevelt called "A Day of Infamy",
that the 3 10th was organized and was activated in March 1942. The 3
1Oth was designated as a medium bomber Group consisting of four squadrons. Each
squadron had 6-two engine B-25 Mitchell aircraft. The versatile B-25 was named
after General William "Billy" Mitchell one of America's key architects of air
power. The 310th Bomb Group was made up of four squadrons: the 379th, 380th,
381st, and the 428th
From the burning sands of Tunisia and Libya to the snow
covered Italian Alps the Group flew combat missions. They suffered in desert
temperatures of 118 or more with the only shade provided were the wings of their
aircraft or the pup tents in which they slept. These U.S. Airmen bivouacked in
the cork forests of North Africa, survived the monsoon floods of Cape Bon, the
German air raids and the buzzing hordes of malaria- laden mosquitoes of Corsica.
It was no vacation haven.
The group participated in the invasions of North Africa,
Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and Southern France. Battle Honors and Battle Stars were
repeatedly earned for combat action in the Tunisian, Sicilian, Naples/Foggia,
Rome/Arno, Southern France, North Appennines, Central Europe and Po Valley
Campaigns as well as two Distinguished Unit Citations for meritorious action. No
combat group was involved in more European Theater of Operations invasions than
the 310th.
Some of the heroic stories about low-level missions against
enemy shipping by the 379th squadron in North Africa and the Greek Islands were
so dramatic that they reached the ears of General James Doolittle... he had to
see for himself. Doolittle 'signed up' for a low-level sea sweep mission in
February 1943, which netted three Seibel Ferries and confirmed his belief in
these 75mm cannon toting aircraft.
That same month the 310"' sank an enemy tanker, a heavily
armed freighter, one German cruiser, eight Seibel Ferries and knocked down 10
German aircraft. Doolittle had used the versatile B-25's to bomb Tokyo in April
1942 and while they had no squadron or group designation, eight of the Doolittle
Raiders would later wind up with the 310th in North Africa, December 1942.
When the 57th Bomb Wing intelligence learned that an enemy
tanker, escorted by a cruiser and two destroyers was bound for Tunisia an attack
was ordered. The 310"' was assigned the task and flying no higher than 100 feet
the B-25's attacked. The first element scored some hits on the tanker while the
second element struck the three-escort ships. The tanker was set afire, the
cruiser sank stern first and the two destroyers were severely damaged.
One mission from North Africa to the mainland of Italy called
for 36 of the 310th aircraft to bomb a key transportation center near Naples. On
their way to the target 50 enemy fighters intercepted and attempted to divert
the B-25 formations, it didn't work. The target, railroad marshalling yards, was
destroyed and 18 of the attacking fighters were shot down. But the victory was
costly for the 310th. Three of our aircraft were downed, and the remaining ships
returned to base riddled with flak and machine gun bullet holes. This mission
earned one of the two Distinguished Unit Citations for the 310th. Another thumbs
up for victory.
In March 1943 the 321st. Bomb Group flew its first combat
mission while the 340th Bomb Group flew its first mission a months later just as
the 310th completed 52 combat missions. These three groups of B-25's were part
of the 12th Air Force.
Eighteen B-25's, while on a routine sea sweep after
German shipping, ran into a Luftwaffe aerial convoy off the coast of Cape Bon in
North Africa flying at about 200 feet off the ocean. The convoy of 25 German
transports and a dozen or so ME 210's and other assorted aircraft was completely
destroyed by the 310th. The B-25's circled and ranged up and down the German
convoy utterly devastating the flight. The accompanying P-38 fighters finished
the task. On that April 1943 "Turkey Shoot" the 310th claimed 10 JU 52's
and a JU 88 shot down.
In June 1943 Pantelleria Island surrendered to air power, the
first such capitulation to air power ever recorded. Shortly after, the island of
Lampedusa also surrenders to air power displayed by the devastating medium
bombers of the 12th AAF.
The group was stationed in such exotic named places as:
Mediouna, French Morocco, Masion Blanche, Telergma, and Berteaux, Algeria, Dar
el Koudia, Tunisia, Souk el Arba, and Valle (Phillipville), Algeria, Oudna, and
Menzel Temime, Tunisia, Gambut, Libya, Ghisonnacia Gare, Corsica, Fano, and
Pomiglano, Italy.
In late 1943 B-25-G's arrived in the 310th. These
awesome planes were the most heavily armed aircraft in the world. They were
equipped with a 75mm cannon and fourteen .50 caliber machine guns. The 310th was
destined to be the only "gunslinger" group in the theater. These aircraft had
been developed and used extensively in the South Pacific with much success and
it was felt that they could be used against German shipping just as effectively.
The 379th squadron was used to comply with the requirements of Winston Churchill
to assist the British defend the Dodecanese, (Greek Islands) against the
Germans. Thus, these low-level attacks, in the Greek Islands flown by a squadron
of the 310th from Lybia, was the definitive answer.
When moving operations from North Africa to Corsica at the
end of the African Campaign the mission role of the 310th changed from strategic
and tactical bombardment to the familiar role of only tactical attacks. While
the 379th squadron pursued their low- level sea sweeps in the Greek Islands, the
other three squadrons kept up attacks in the destruction of German
transportation and communications.
January 1944 saw the 428th Squadron flying the first of the
low-level sea sweeps from the Island of Corsica. These attacks against coastal
installations and shipping resulted in high losses from flak and fighters in the
group.
The 310th Bomb Group was the first bomb group in the European Theater of
Operations to complete 500 combat missions which occurred July 7, 1944.
An operation called "Strangle", the choking of German
communications, ships, harbors, railroads and their yards, airfields, supply
dumps and other targets initiated in 1944 zeroed in on the bridges of Italy.
Knocking them down and in that way cut the flow of men, equipment and supplies
to the German front lines and eventually lead to the enemy retreating.
Group strength under the command of Col. Anthony Hunter was
1,319 men and 72 aircraft. While the ground battle continued to move north, the
3 10th took part in operation "Anvil", the invasion of Southern France. As
battle lines were condensed by the German retreat into the Po Valley and Brenner
Pass, anti aircraft fire became more intense and concentrated. Even so we
continued to hit our targets. Just as it had been all through Italy the targets
were bridges, often pontoon or makeshift crossings constructed overnight by the
Germans
In October 1944, Col. Hunter transferred to Headquarters and
Col. Peter H. Remington became commander of the 310th.
The final mission, number 989, for the group came in May
1945. The 310th would end its World War II activities with the distinction of
having flown the greatest number of combat missions of any medium bomber group
in the Mediterranean Theater. The mission was a leaflet drop mission announcing
the unconditional surrender of the enemy. It was at that time Col. William Bower
assumed command of the 310th and initiated preparations for our return to the
United States and mom's home cooking.
The group was deactivated on September 12, 1945 from their
final station at Pomigliano, Italy. Ten days earlier (September 2, 1945) the
Japanese signed unconditional surrender aboard the U.S S. Missouri. In addition
to the presence of General Douglas MacArthur and other high ranking military
officers, was our own General Doolittle.
"Memories of war are tenacious.. .they never, never let you go" *
Here's some of what the 310th accomplished from 1942 through 1945:
* Author unknown.
** Not including "probables (23)" or
"damaged (25)"
*** Does not include "probables (72)" or "damaged (61)"
**** Estimated at 173,000 tons. Figures do not include
"probable" or "damaged" shipping.
| Enemy aircraft destroyed: | Enemy shipping sunk: |
| ME 109: 80 | Freighters: 31 |
| ME 210: 2 | Tankers: 3 |
| JU52: 18 | Seibel Ferries: 55 |
| FW19O: 9 | Cruiser: 1 |
| ME21O: 2 | Destroyers: 2 |
| ME323: 2 | "E" Boats: 4 |
| JU88: 4 | "F" Boats: 14 |
| RE 2001: 1 | Misc. shipping: 96 |
| MACCHI 200: 2 | |
| MACCHI 202: 2 | |
| P-40 (hostile): 1 | |
| RE 2001: 1 |
| Air Force Assigned to: | 12h AF (Oct '42 - end WWII) |
| Stations flown from: | Mediouna, French Morocco (Nov '42 -Dec '42) |
| Telergma, Algeria (Dec '42 - Jan '43) | |
| Berteaux, Algeria (Jan '43 - June '43) | |
| Dar el Koudia, Tunisia (June '43 - Aug '43) | |
| Menzel Temime, Tunisia (Aug '43 - Nov '43) | |
| Philippeville, Algeria (Nov'43 - Dec '43) | |
| Corsica (Dec '43 - April '45) | |
| Fano, Italy (April '45 - Aug '45) | |
| Pomigliano, Italy (Aug '45) | |
| Campaigns: | Air Combat, EAME Theater |
| Tunisia | |
| Sicily | |
| Naples-Foggia | |
| Rome-Arno | |
| Southern France | |
| North Apennines | |
| Central Euopre | |
| Po Valley | |
| Decorations: | Distinguished Unit Citation: Italy, 27 Aug '43 |
| Distinguished Unit Citation: Ora, Italy, 10 March '45 | |
| Squadron insignia- |
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379th B.S. |
380th B.S. |
381st B.S. |
428th B.S. |
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Combat formation of 310th B.G. B-25's
310th B.G. photo |
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B-25G with 75mm cannon on a sea sweep over
the Mediterranean Sea, 1944
310th B.G. photo |
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Tail gun turret 'Stinger'
310th B.G. photo |
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B-25 in flight somewhere over the Mediterranean
310th B.G. photo |
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In the landing pattern over Ghisonaccia Gare after a
successful mission over Italy
310th B.G. photo |
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Formation of B-25 "D's" and "J's"
310th B.G. photo |
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B-25 "J" over the Appennines in Italy, 1944
310th B.G. photo |
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Spitfire fighters approaching to fly cover for a 310th
mission
310th B.G. photo |
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B-25 under camouflage cover
310th B.G. photo |
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A nose art photo of a 310th B-25
310th B.G. photo |
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A nose art photo of a 310th B-25 "Ol-Bird"
310th B.G. photo |
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A 310th combat crew in Ghisonaccia Gare,
Corsica in 1944 310th B.G. photo |
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A 310th combat crew posing with their B-25
310th B.G. photo |
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Home-sweet-home on Corsica
310th B.G. photo |
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Around camp scenes of combat crews and
tent mates. the leather flight jackets were needed and popular with the men
310th B.G. photo
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Italian KP's
310th B.G. photo |
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Air medal presentation ceremony in
Corsica, 1944
310th B.G. photo |
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Panoramic view of 310th group tents and Ghisonaccia
Gare with the 8,000ft Corsican mountains in the background 310th B.G. photo |
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2 views of "Main Street" Ghisonaccia Gare,
Corsica in 1944
310th B.G. photo |
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Outdoor theater in Ghisonaccia Gare, Corsica
310th B.G. photo |
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Lt Glenn Black in a B25G, '43
Jack Cook photo |
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Lt. Glenn Black's
B25J
Jack Cook photo |
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Lt. Glenn Black Lt Black's DFC Lt Black's Silver Star Jack Cook photo |
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