346th Bombardment Group

Constituted as 346th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 3 Sep 1942 and activated on 7 Sep. Assigned to Second AF. Equipped with B-17's and B-24's. Served first as an operational training and later as a replacement training unit. Inactivated on 1 Apr 1944.

Redesignated 346th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy). Activated on 8 Aug 1944. Assigned to Second AF. Prepared for combat with B-29's. Moved to the Pacific theater, Jun-Aug 1945, and assigned to Eighth AF. The war ended before the group could begin combat operations. 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. Inactivated on Okinawa on 30 Jun 1946.

Squadrons. 461st: 1944-1946. 462d: 1944-1946. 463d: 1944-1946. 502d: 1942-1944. 503d: 1942-1944. 504th: 1942-1944. 505th: 1942-1944.

Stations. Salt Lake City AAB, Utah, 7 Sep 1942; Smoky Hill AB, Kan, 3 Oct 1942; Dyersburg AAFld, Tenn, 26 Feb 1943-1 Apr 1944. Dalhart AAFld, Tex, 18 Aug 1944; Pratt AAFld, Kan, 18 Jan 29 Jun 1945; Kadena, Okinawa, 7 Aug 1945-30 Jun 1946.

Commanders. Col Budd Peaslee, 6 Oct 1942; Lt Col Samuel C Mitchell, 20 Dec 1942-1943; Lt Col John D Moorman, Mar 1943; Col Samuel C Gurney Jr, Oct 1943-1 Apr 1944. Maj James A Gibb Jr, 21 Aug 1944; Lt COl Charles E Dewey, 23 Aug 1944; Col William M Canterbury, 13 Sep 1944; Col Ben I Funk, 3 Jan 1945; Col Joseph F Carroll, 30 Nov 1945-30 Jun 1946.

Campaigns. American Theater; Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

Decorations. None.

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986