The 492nd Bomb Group: The Hard-Luck Outfit

My good friend Maurice, a font of knowledge on all things Air Force, sent me a very interesting posting today, which I will reproduce here. I highly recommend anyone wanting to learn more about the 492nd Bomb Group visit its easy-to-use website at http://www.492ndbombgroup.com/

Collage above is from the group webpage.

The following is quoted directly from the website:

"The Mighty 8th Air Force had great expectations for this group. As one of the last groups deployed to England, they arrived with more experienced men within their ranks than any other group serving in the European Theater. They had more flying hours going into the war than most would have at war's end. Some of them were the instructors that had trained many of the airmen during the arms buildup. Others were veterans of Anti-Submarine patrols that had been defending America's coast.

As America's buildup was nearing its completion, these men were allowed to put in for combat duty. They represented America's best. As one of the last heavy bombardment groups assembled, they were the first group ever to:
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pass their POM (Preparation for Overseas Movement) inspection and depart ahead of schedule,
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fly as an all-silver (aluminum) bomber group and
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reach England without losing any planes.
Yet with their superb level of proficiency, the fortunes of war went against them:
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They suffered more casualties and losses in 89 days than any other group.
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They became the first and only group in American history to be disbanded due to high casualties.

Tough Luck, Hard Luck, Bad Luck, Ill-Fated and Jinxed are among the many phrases used to describe this group's fate during its 89 days of combat service in World War II. At the time, there was no official nickname for the 492nd Bomb Group. General Doolittle and his staff dubbed them the Hard Luck Group. Many years after the war the 492nd Association adopted the name The Happy Warriors, the old unofficial nickname for the 859th Bomb Squadron.

There was nothing the group did or didn't do to deserve their hard luck. They merely found themselves caught by the Luftwaffe without fighter protection on a few very costly missions. Never once, though, did the group fall apart to become easy prey. They turned each potential massacre into a slug-fest, proving that they could dish it out as well as take it. Despite their casualties, the 492nd always punched their way through and succeeded in nailing their target!
The group flew 67 missions in 89 days. Even after their two deadliest air battles, they would crawl back into their planes the next day to resume the offensive. Only bad weather ever kept them out of the air. Armed with hindsight, historians and war experts who have studied the 492nd and their missions have all reached the following conclusions:
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They did the best they could and
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no one could have done any better.

Perhaps the hardest luck to hit the group was in becoming overlooked, passed over and forgotten. As the war drew to a close, the recognition for their service and sacrifice was credited to another group, a group of night flyers who never flew any Daylight Bombing Operations. The original 492nd received nothing, not even a thanks. To date, the US has yet to see fit to award any unit citation to these brave men for carrying out their orders.

Casualties per 1000 Combatants in WWII
US Army Air Force: 16

US Army: 24
US Marine Corps: 29
467th Bomb Group: 91
492nd Bomb Group: 442

This table was taken from the book
"Two Squadrons That Were One"
by Robin C Janton.

As you can see, the price of victory was especially high for this "Hard Luck" group. The Army Air Force's formula calculated this Group's casualty rate to be 117%.