Time line of major events relating to the 315th Bombardment Wing (VH)

This is a work in progress.


1944

January
February
March
28 March - 16th Bombardment Group (VH) constituted.
April
4 April - 20th Air Force constituted and activated.
12 April - 16th Bombardment Group (VH) activated.
May
25 May - 502nd Bombardment Group (VH) constituted.
29 May - 501st Bombardment Group (VH) constituted.
June
1 June - 501st and 502nd Bombardment Groups (VH) activated.
July
7 July - 315th Bombardment Wing (VH) constituted.
10 July - 3 Squadrons of the 16th Bombardment Group (VH) formed; 15th, 16th and 17th Bombardment Squadrons (VH) and 23rd Photo Squadron at Dalhart AAFld, Texas.
12 July - 331st Bombardment Group (VH) activated.
17 July - 315th Bombardment Wing (VH) activated with Headquarters at Peterson Field, Colorado.
August
14 August - Ground Echelon of the 16th Bombardment Group departed Dalhart, Texas.
15 August - Ground Echelon of the 16th Bombardment Group (VH) arrived at their operational training base at Fairmont AAFld, Nebraska.
22 August - Ground Echelons of the 501st Bombardment Group (VH) arrived at their operational training bases at Harvard AAFld, Nebraska.
September
17 September - 16th Bombardment Group Air Echelon arrives Fairmont AAFld, Nebraska.
26 September - Ground Echelons the 502nd Bombardment Group (VH) arrived at their operational training base at Grand Island AAFld, Nebraska.
October
November
18 November - Brigadier General Frank Armstrong assigned as Commanding General, 315th Bombardment Wing (VH)
331st Bombardment Group (VH) moves from Dalhart Texas to McCook AAFld.
December
Gypsy Task Force inaugurated.
20 December - 315th BW received warning orders for overseas movement to the Pacific Theater of Operation (PTO).
31 December - 502nd Bomb Group, 5 crewmembers lost on training mission crash at Borinquen Fld, Puerto Rico

1945

January
17 January - 502nd Bomb Group, 5 crewmembers lost on training mission crash in Puerto Rico
26 January - 502nd Bomb Group, 6 crewmembers lost on training mission crash in Fort Riley, Kansas
February
March
6 March - 502nd Bomb Group, 6 crewmembers lost on training mission crash in Puerto Rico
12 March - 501st Bomb Group, Tulla crew lost on training mission crash at Alexandria, Louisana
16 March - 73rd and 76th Air Service Groups depart Seattle on USS Dorthea L. Dix
17 March - Ground Echelons of the 315th Bombardment Wing (VH) Headquarters, 16th Bombardment Group (VH) and 501st Bombardment Group (VH) depart Seattle on SS Exchange
April
10 April - 501st Bomb Group, 5 passengers lost on B-17 crash at McCook AAFld, Nebraska
11 April - 73rd and 76th Air Service Groups arrive Guam.
12 April - President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies.
14 April - Ground Echelons of the 315th Bombardment Wing (VH) Headquarters, 16th Bombardment Group (VH) and 501st Bombardment Group (VH) arrive Guam.
14 April - Ground Echelons of the 331st Bombardment Group (VH) and 502nd Bombardment Group (VH) depart Seattle on USAT Cape Newenham.
15 April - 75th Air Service Group departs Seattle on Dutch liner, Kota Baroe.
May
7 May - Germany Surrenders
8 May - V-E Day (Victory in Europe)
8 May - 501st Bomb Group, Titsenor crew shot down over Japan on Radar Mission,
10 May - 75th Air Service Group arrives Guam.
12 May - Ground Echelons of the 331st Bombardment Group (VH) and 502nd Bombardment Group (VH) arrive Guam.
June
26 June - (20th Air Force Mission 232, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 1) During the night of 26-27 June, 33 B-29's from the 16th BG, in their first mission, attack the Utsube Oil refinery at Yokkaichi; one B-29 hits an alternate target.
30 June - 502nd Bomb Group makes it's first combat mission to the bypassed Japanese base at Rota Island.
30 June - (20th Air Force Mission 238, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 2) Thirty-two 315th BW B-29's drop 209 tons of bombs on the Nippon Oil Company refinery at Kudamatsu.
July
2/3 July - (20th Air Force Mission 245, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 3) During the night of 2-3 Jul, 39 315th BW B-29's bomb the Maruzen Oil Refinery at Minoshima; one B-29 bombs an alternate target.
6/7 July - (20th Air Force Mission 255, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 4) Fifty-nine B-29's dispatched from the 315th BW drop 500lb on the Maruzen Oil Refinery at Wakayama; one B-29 hits an alternate target.
9 July - (20th Air Force Mission 261, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 5) Sixty-one B-29's dispatched from the 315th BW attack the Utsube Oil Refinery at Yokkaichi with poor results; one B-29 hits an alternate target.
10 July - 502nd Bomb Group, Wilkes crew lost on mission crash enroute to Truk
12/13 July - (20th Air Force Mission 267, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 6) Fifty-three B-29's dispatched from the 315th BW attack the Kawasaki Petroleum Complex destroying about 25% of the target.
13 July - 16th Bomb Group, Mission # 6 Berry crew crashed enroute to Japan
13 July - 16th Bomb Group, Mission # 6 Crim crew shot down over Japan
15/16 July - (20th Air Force Mission 270, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 7) Fifty-nine B-29's dispatched from the 315th BW bomb the Nippon Oil Company at Kudamatsu and the facility is almost completely destroyed; three B-29's attack alternate targets.
19/20 July - (20th Air Force Mission 281, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 8) Eighty-three B-29's dispatched from the 315th BW bomb the Nippon Oil complex at Amagasaki; one B-29 hits an alternate target.
23/24 July - (20th Air Force Mission 283, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 9) Seventy-two 315th BW B-29's bomb the coal liquefaction plant at the Imperial Fuel Industry Company at Ube.
25/26 July - (20th Air Force Mission 291, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 10) Seventy-five 315th BW B-29's attack the Mitsubishi Oil Company and Hayama Petroleum Company at Kawasaki destroying 33% of the storage tanks and other facilities; one B-29 attacks an alternate target. One B-29 suffers a direct flak hit of the target and goes down.
25/26 July - 502nd Bomb Group, Dillingham crew shot down over Japan
28/29 July - (20th Air Force Mission 303, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 11) Seventy-six 315th BW B-29's bomb the Shimotsu Oil Refinery; 75% of the tank capacity, 90% of the gasometer capacity and 69% of the roof area are destroyed or damaged; one B-29 hits an alternate target.
August
1/2 August - (20th Air Force Mission 310, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 12) One hundred twenty 315th BW B-29's bomb the Mitsubishi Oil Company at Kawasaki but could only add slightly to the damage previously inflicted; two B-29's hit targets of opportunity.
5/6 August - (20th Air Force Mission 315, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 13) One hundred six 315th BW B-29's bomb the Ube Coal Liquefaction Company facility at Ube destroying 100% of the refining units and destroying or damaging 80% of other structures; 2 B-29's hit alternate target.
6 August - Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.
9 August - Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.
9/10 August - (20th Air Force Mission 322, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 14) 95 315th BW B-29's bomb the Nippon Oil Refinery at Amagasaki; two B-29's bomb alternate targets
13/14 August - (20th Air Force Mission 328, 315th Bomb Wing Mission 15) In the longest nonstop upstaged B-29 mission from the Marianas (3,650 miles), 132 B-29's of the 315th BW, bomb the Nippon Oil Company at Tsuchizaki.
14 August - Japan surrenders.
26 August - 502nd Bomb Group, Lawson crew crash at Saipan, POW supply mission
30 August - 502nd Bomb Group, Pananes crew lost on crash returning from Philippines carrying cargo chutes for POW supply mission
September
2 September - Formal surrender ceremonies held aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Harbor. Show of force fly-by of B-29s.
2 September - 16th Bomb Group, Clark crew crashed shortly after on takeoff from Northwest Field on POW supply mission.
October
November
December

1946

January
February
March
April
15 April - 16th, 331st and 502nd Bombardment Groups consolidated into 501st Bombardment Group.
May
15 May - General Orders No. 61, 20th AF, relieved the 501st from assignment, reverting to Headquarters 20th AF. A provisional Northwest Field Air Base Command assumed control of Northwest Field.
15 May - Gen. Frank Armstrong's Fluffy Fuzz IV set one more record for the 501st — soaring to an altitude of 45,600 feet with a pay load of 1000 kilograms and Major Ross, Ops. Off. of the 501st, as AC.
June
July
August
September - Typhoon hits Guam.
[1946, Typhoon Querida devastated Guam] -[ http://www.uss-la-ca135.org/1940ferlin.htm - "In either late August, or early September, 1946 we were in Guam when a 150mph typhoon struck"]
October
November
December


Web Page by Larry Miller

July 14, 2014