The original
group identification aircraft markings for the 456th Bomb Group, located on the outward side of the B-24's twin
tail fins, consisted of a black diamond symbol superimposed on a white circle (marking of the
304th Bombardment Wing) on the fin's upper half, and the number 3 in white on the lower half. In May 1944, with the numbers of olive drab aircraft diminishing rapidly by combat attrition and operational wear, the Fifteenth Air Force adopted a system of color bands and symbols. The 456th's markings then became a long black diamond on the upper half, and the entire lower half painted bright red (the 456th's group color). The upper surface of a bomber's rear
horizontal stabilizer, on which the tail fins were mounted, was similarly marked, with the left stabilizer painted red and the right having the diamond symbol. Within the 456th Group, individual aircraft were identified initially by numbers painted on their noses, with sets of two-digit numbers assigned to squadrons ("numbers in squadron"), but this system was later discontinued and a non-standard pattern of three-digit numbers employed (usually, but not always, the last three numbers of an airplane's USAAF serial number). Late in the war some squadrons adopted letter identification painted on the rear fuselage, but this was not systematized, and many aircraft had no individual identification at all.
In combat The 456th Bomb Group flew its first combat mission on 10 February 1944, less than two weeks after reaching Italy. The
U.S. Fifth Army had conducted an amphibious landing at
Anzio on 22 January to outflank the German
Gustav Line, and the German Army had begun counterattacks against the beachhead. The 456th was tasked to attack a German
command post near
Grottaferrata and encountered no opposition, but when the group reached the target area, they found it completely obscured by clouds and returned without dropping their bombs. Continuing poor weather conditions prevented further missions for another week, during which time the group continued flight training in combat formations. The 456th employed the six-
combat box tactical formation favored by the Fifteenth Air Force to maximize defense against intercepting
Luftwaffe fighters (for a detailed description see
six-box formation). When the weather cleared on 17 February, the 456th repeated its earlier mission to bomb the command post at Grottaferrata. Although judging the results of bombing as successful, the 456th was engaged by nine fighters and severe
flak, suffering its first combat losses as two bombers were shot down. On six of its first ten missions weather conditions were poor and no bombs were dropped. On 15 March the group was one of several which bombed
Monte Cassino in support of Fifth Army operations. The second unit of the 456th dropped its bombs in error on Allied troops, for which the deputy group commander was removed. The 456th struck its first
strategic target, the aircraft engine plant at
Steyr, Austria, on 3 April, and on 12 April encountered its first severe air combat with German fighters. Over 100 intercepted the mission to the airfield at
Bad Vöslau, Austria, and in a 40-minute battle shot down three Liberators. Four more were lost to 65 fighters on a 21 April mission to
Bucharest, Romania.
Raids on Ploieşti and oil production The 456th made the first of ten attacks on Ploieşti oil facilities on 5 May 1944, losing three aircraft, including one when a crewman bailing out of a stricken bomber knocked part of the wing off another in the same formation. The 456th earned the first of two
Distinguished Unit Citations on 10 May for a mission to bomb the aircraft factory at
Wiener Neustadt, Austria, for attacking despite severe losses (five shot down and the remaining 26 damaged) after the other groups on the mission turned back because of bad weather. On 23 May, returning from a mission in which they were unable to bomb, two Liberators collided in mid-air directly over the base, killing all but one of the 20 crewmen aboard and dropping live bombs on the field. On 22 June 1944, the 456th Bomb Group began flying a four-box 40-aircraft diamond formation to concentrate its bombing pattern for greater accuracy. On 2 July, the group earned its second DUC on a mission to bomb the
Shell Oil refinery at
Budapest, Hungary. 31 aircraft bombed the previously untouched refinery at mid-morning and three minutes after bomb release, before reassembly in the new formation, were attacked by 50
Bf 109s and 10
Fw 190s of Luftwaffe
gruppe JG.302 and
Hungarian Air Force 101 Puma Group. The second box of the 456th bore the brunt of the attacks, with the 744th Bomb Squadron losing six of nine bombers in the target area and a seventh damaged beyond repair. 36 airmen were killed or missing and 24 captured, the largest single-day loss for the group. Beginning 8 July, the first crews of the 456th completing the 50 missions required for a combat tour by the Fifteenth Air Force began returning to the United States. The last crew among the original 68 to be lost in combat went down on 20 July. The last of 19 missions against Romanian oil production occurred 18 August. Missions of the
Oil Campaign of World War II continued against at Odertal, Germany ();
Moosbierbaum and
Vienna, Austria;
Most,
Czechoslovakia; and
Blechhammer, Poland, with 26 bombers lost on 23 missions. Bombing of German lines of communication, particularly
marshalling yards and railroad bridges, remained a priority to the end of the war. After August 1944 the 456th did not lose another aircraft to fighter defenses, but losses continued to accumulate from anti-aircraft fire. In the remaining nine months of operations 43 bombers were lost, most to flak. Three or more bombers were lost on five missions, including 11 November, when three planes crashed into the Adriatic after being recalled from a mission. In February 1945, the 456th began flying two missions per day, termed Red and Blue. The last combat loss in the group occurred on 25 April 1945, at
Linz, Austria. The following day, while General of the Army
Henry H. Arnold, commanding general of the USAAF, was visiting the base, the 456th flew its last mission of the war against a transportation depot at
Tarvisio, Italy, and scored a bombing accuracy of 100%, matched by only one other group in Europe (the 467th Bomb Group, also a B-24 unit, of the
Eighth Air Force had accomplished it on 13 April 1945).
Statistical summary of operations Bombing summary At the close of the 456th's European operations, its group statistical officer issued a summary of its combat operations. During its 249 bombing missions, the 456th flew a cumulative total of 7,272
sorties and dropped 13,939 tons of bombs on
Axis targets. 45% of this total was dropped on
lines of communication targets, 18% on
oil production and storage, 14% on
airfields, 12% on
industrial infrastructure, 6% on
troop concentrations, and 5% on
targets of opportunity or
other types. The 456th had the highest average percentage of bombing accuracy within the 304th Bomb Wing and progressed from an average of 20.1% accuracy (bombs falling within of the aiming point) in its first full month of operations to 71.9% during its last full month of operations. This accuracy average was higher than all but one Eighth Air Force group.
Maintenance summary The 456th averaged a maintenance rate of 83% for daily availability of aircraft for mission assignments, again the highest within the 304th Wing.
Losses and casualties The 456th had 117 bombers destroyed or written off as salvage during its overseas assignment. Of this number, 91 were lost in combat (20 shot down by fighters, 56 by flak, and 15 by unknown means), with 74 of those crashing in Axis-controlled territory, 10 in the
Adriatic Sea, 2 in Switzerland, 3 in
Soviet-controlled territory in Poland, one on the island of
Vis, and one over Italy. 18 aircraft were destroyed in non-combat related accidents: 4 in flying crashes, 4 on take-offs, 6 on landings, 2 in a mid-air collision over the base, and 2 in accidents while on the ground. 8 battle-damaged aircraft were written off as beyond economical repair. 36 of the original 61 bombers were destroyed and all but one of the rest taken out of service as "war weary". 3,267 aircrew served in the 456th Bomb Group during the war. 1,079 or 33% were aboard aircraft destroyed. 331 airmen were killed in action, 206 remain missing in action, 271 were made prisoners-of-war, 6 were interned in Switzerland until the end of hostilities, 108 evaded capture and returned to duty, and 49 returned to base. Of the 108 evadees, 9 evaded capture in Italy, 10 in Hungary, and 89 in
Yugoslavia. 26 of the original 68 combat crews and 17 of the first 27 replacement crews were shot down. The group, equivalent to an infantry regiment, equalled or exceeded the killed-in-action of 15 ground force divisions. Its members were awarded one
Distinguished Service Cross, 19
Silver Stars, 215
Distinguished Flying Crosses, and over 2,000
Air Medals. All figures per Capps ==Honors and campaigns==