505th Bombardment Group

Activation and training The 505th Bombardment Group was activated at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas in March 1944 as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment group, drawing its initial cadre from the 9th Bombardment Group. In moved to Harvard Army Air Field, Nebraska on 1 April, where the group began training with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses on 1 July until B-29s became available. On 1 May 1944, the group reorganized from four squadrons of 7 airplanes into three squadrons of 10 planes each. The group trained for combat with B-29s until leaving Harvard on 6 November 1944. The group conducted area raids with incendiaries until August 1945. During April 1945, the group was diverted from the strategic campaign against Japan to support Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa. It struck Miyazaki Airfield and Kanoya Airfield, The group also conducted aerial mining operations against Japanese shipping. The group flew its last mission on the night of 14 and 15 August 1945. Following V-J Day its B-29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps. It also flew show of force flights and conducted bomb damage assessment flights over Japan. It moved to Clark Field in the Philippines in March 1946, and was inactivated there on 15 June 1946. ==Lineage==