304th Bombardment Group
The 304th Bombardment Group was a short-lived United States Army Air Forces heavy-bomber unit that conducted and supported antisubmarine operations in the American and North Atlantic theaters during 1942.
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Overview
The 304th Bombardment Group was an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit organized during the rapid wartime expansion of American air power in 1942. It was constituted as the 304th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942 and activated on 15 July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah. The group was assigned four squadrons: the 361st, 362d, 363d, and 421st Bombardment Squadrons. Although established as a heavy-bomber group, the unit's operational life was brief and its principal contribution came through antisubmarine warfare rather than conventional strategic bombing. In September 1942, the group moved to Geiger Field, Washington, where it received personnel and began training. It subsequently spent a short period at Ephrata Army Air Field, Washington, before moving across the country to Langley Field, Virginia, on 29 October 1942. From Langley, the group participated in patrol operations along the eastern seaboard and trained aircrews for antisubmarine duties overseas. The group operated a mixed fleet of aircraft reflecting the evolving requirements of the antisubmarine mission. Its aircraft included Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, Consolidated B-24 Liberators, Douglas B-18 Bolos, and Douglas A-20 Havocs. The B-24 was particularly important to the broader American antisubmarine effort because aircraft of the type could be equipped with air-to-surface-vessel radar. This capability became increasingly valuable in late 1942, when German U-boats began using radar-warning receivers that enabled them to detect some Royal Air Force surface-search radar transmissions and submerge before being attacked. The 361st Bombardment Squadron provided a major overseas element. Its air echelon departed for RAF St Eval in England on 10 November 1942 to reinforce Britain's Coastal Command. After arrival, the squadron was attached to VIII Bomber Command for operations. The 421st Bombardment Squadron followed a different path: it moved to Saint John's, Newfoundland, rather than joining the group at Langley, and was reassigned to Newfoundland Base Command on 6 November 1942. The group's structure changed as the Army Air Forces expanded and centralized its antisubmarine forces. In late November 1942, the 361st, 362d, and 363d Bombardment Squadrons were redesignated as antisubmarine squadrons. The 361st became the 1st Antisubmarine Squadron, the 362d became the 18th Antisubmarine Squadron, and the 363d became the 19th Antisubmarine Squadron. In December, the 304th Bombardment Group itself was inactivated, and its squadrons were transferred to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing. The group was formally inactivated on 30 December 1942 after less than six months of active existence. Because it was a military formation rather than a commercial brand, the group had no consumer products, commercial positioning, public share listing, or corporate successor. Its historical significance lies in its role during the early institutional development of United States Army Air Forces antisubmarine operations, including the movement of aircrews and aircraft between American bases, Newfoundland, and Britain.
History
The 304th Bombardment Group emerged from the United States Army Air Forces' wartime expansion in the months following American entry into the Second World War. It was constituted as a heavy-bomber group on 28 January 1942 and activated at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, on 15 July. Its initial organization included the 361st, 362d, 363d, and 421st Bombardment Squadrons. The group was placed under II Bomber Command, reflecting its original identity as a bomber formation. The unit's development took place during a period when the Army Air Forces was adapting its aircraft and organizational structures to the growing threat posed by German U-boats. In September 1942, the group moved to Geiger Field in Washington, where it received personnel and began training. It also used Ephrata Army Air Field before moving to Langley Field, Virginia, on 29 October. At Langley, its mission shifted toward antisubmarine warfare. The group flew patrols along the East Coast and prepared aircrews for overseas assignments. The aircraft associated with the group included the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-18 Bolo, and A-20 Havoc. This mixture of aircraft reflected the transitional nature of the mission. Heavy bombers offered range and payload, while other types could be used for patrol, training, or specialized coastal work. Radar-equipped B-24s were especially valuable to Allied antisubmarine forces because they could search for surfaced submarines at night or in poor visibility and attack before the boats could escape. The strategic environment was changing rapidly in late 1942. German submarines were beginning to use radar-warning equipment that could detect certain long-wave British air-to-surface-vessel radar emissions. This allowed U-boats to dive before being located by some patrol aircraft. British Coastal Command therefore sought American reinforcements equipped with microwave radar, and the 304th's 361st Bombardment Squadron contributed an overseas air echelon. It left for RAF St Eval in England on 10 November and was attached to VIII Bomber Command after arrival. The group's other squadrons were distributed according to operational requirements. The 421st Bombardment Squadron moved to Saint John's, Newfoundland, and was reassigned to Newfoundland Base Command in early November. It did not join the group at Langley. In late November, the remaining squadrons were redesignated as dedicated antisubmarine units: the 361st became the 1st Antisubmarine Squadron, the 362d became the 18th Antisubmarine Squadron, and the 363d became the 19th Antisubmarine Squadron. These changes were part of a wider reorganization. In November 1942, the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command organized its forces into two wings, responding in part to the United States Navy's preference for unified command of forces operating within a sea frontier. The 304th Bombardment Group was inactivated on 30 December 1942, and its squadrons were transferred to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing. The group therefore existed for only a short period, but its personnel and subordinate units were absorbed into the expanding antisubmarine command structure. The 304th was not a commercial enterprise and did not possess a brand portfolio, customer market, or corporate leadership structure. Its historical record is instead defined by lineage, station assignments, aircraft, squadron organization, and wartime operational responsibilities. Its brief existence illustrates how quickly Army Air Forces bomber units could be redirected as technology, command arrangements, and the Atlantic naval threat evolved.
- 1942
Constituted as a heavy bombardment group
[1]The unit was constituted as the 304th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942.
- 1942
Activated in Utah
[1]The group was activated at Salt Lake City Army Air Base on 15 July and assigned four bombardment squadrons.
- 1942
Moved to Washington for training
[1]The group moved to Geiger Field in September and subsequently used Ephrata Army Air Field while organizing and training.
- 1942
Transferred to Langley Field
[1]On 29 October, the group moved to Langley Field, Virginia, and began coastal antisubmarine patrol and training activity.
- 1942
361st Squadron air echelon deployed to England
[1]The 361st Squadron's air echelon left for RAF St Eval on 10 November to reinforce Allied antisubmarine operations.
- 1942
Group inactivated
[1]The 304th Bombardment Group was inactivated on 30 December, with its squadrons transferred to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing.
Products and positioning
A wartime heavy-bomber formation repurposed for coastal and North Atlantic antisubmarine patrol, aircrew training, and reinforcement of Allied anti-U-boat operations.
Marketing campaigns
- 1942Atlantic coastal and North Atlantic antisubmarine operations
United States East Coast · North Atlantic · United Kingdom · Newfoundland
The group and its squadrons conducted or supported patrol and training activity directed against the German U-boat threat. Operations included coastal patrols from Langley Field, an overseas deployment of the 361st Squadron's air echelon to RAF St Eval, and the assignment of the 421st Squadron to Newfoundland Base Command.
Outcome. The group was dissolved during a broader reorganization of Army Air Forces antisubmarine units, while its squadrons continued under new antisubmarine designations and command arrangements.
Brand decisions
1942
Shift from heavy-bomber organization to antisubmarine warfareStrategyBackground
The growing U-boat threat and the need for long-range patrol aircraft led the Army Air Forces to employ the group in antisubmarine duties rather than conventional heavy-bomber operations.
Action taken
After moving to Langley Field, the group flew East Coast patrols, trained crews for overseas antisubmarine work, and operated aircraft including B-17s, B-24s, B-18s, and A-20s.
Aftermath
The group's squadrons were later redesignated as antisubmarine squadrons and transferred to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing when the group was inactivated.
1942
Deployment of the 361st Squadron air echelon to BritainStrategyBackground
British Coastal Command requested additional American aircraft equipped with microwave air-to-surface-vessel radar after German U-boats improved their ability to detect some Allied radar transmissions.
Action taken
The 361st Bombardment Squadron's air echelon was dispatched to RAF St Eval on 10 November and attached to VIII Bomber Command.
Aftermath
The deployment connected the group's personnel and aircraft with the Allied antisubmarine effort in the United Kingdom.
1942
Inactivation and transfer of subordinate squadronsOtherBackground
Army Air Forces antisubmarine units were reorganized into wing-level structures in response to operational requirements and the Navy's preference for unified sea-frontier command.
Action taken
The 304th Bombardment Group was inactivated on 30 December, and its squadrons were transferred to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing.
Aftermath
The group's independent existence ended, while the redesignated squadrons continued within the antisubmarine command system.
Sources2 sources
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