346th Bombardment Group

346th Bombardment Group
Active	1942–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Role	Bombardment
Part of	Twentieth Air Force
Garrison/HQ	Pacific Ocean Theater of World War II
Engagements	World War II American Campaign (1942–1945) Pacific Theater (1945)

The 346th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 316th Bombardment Wing, being stationed at Kadena Airfield, Okinawa. It was inactivated on 30 June 1946.

The unit was initially a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator operational training unit (OTU). Redesignated as a replacement training unit (RTU) in December 1943. Inactivated on 1 April 1944 when Second Air Force switched to B-29 Superfortress training. Late in the war the group was reactivated and trained as a Very Heavy (VH) B-29 Superfortress group and assigned to Eighth Air Force in Okinawa. However, the war ended before the group could enter combat.

After the war the group participated in several show-of-force missions over Japan and for a time ferried Allied prisoners of war from Okinawa to the Philippine Islands before its inactivation.

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 346th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 3 September 1942

Activated on 7 September 1942

Inactivated on 1 April 1944

• Redesignated 346th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and activated on 8 August 1944

Inactivated on Okinawa on 30 June 1946.

Assignments

• II Bomber Command, 7 September 1942 – 1 April 1944; 18 August 1944 – 29 June 1945
• 316th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, 31 July 1945 – 30 June 1946

Components

• 461st Bombardment Squadron 8 August 1944 – 30 June 1946 (B-29)
• 462d Bombardment Squadron 8 August 1944 – 30 June 1946 (B-29)
• 463d Bombardment Squadron 8 August 1944 – 30 June 1946 (B-29)
• 502d Bombardment Squadron 1942–1944 (B-17, B-24)
• 503d Bombardment Squadron 1942–1944 (B-17, B-24)
• 504th Bombardment Squadron 1942–1944 (B-17, B-24)
• 505th Bombardment Squadron 1942–1944 (B-17, B-24)

Stations

• Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, 7 September 1942
• Smoky Hill Army Airfield, Kansas, 3 October 1942
• Dyersburg Army Air Base, Tennessee, 26 February 1943 – 1 April 1944
• Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 18 August 1944
• Pratt Army Airfield, Kansas, 18 January – 29 June 1945
• Kadena Airfield, Okinawa 7 August 1945 – 30 June 1946

Aircraft flown

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
• Consolidated B-24 Liberator
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

External links

• 346th Bomb Group Website