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322nd Bomb Group
322nd Bomb Group
on Spirit of 44
The 322nd Bomb Group was formed during the summer of 1942 and began training at McDill AAF and Lakeland AAF in Florida. The 322nd was one of the first groups to train in B-26 Marauder as a Medium Bombardment Group. They headed for England in early 1943 and officially entered combat on 14 May operation from Bury St. Edmonds. The first mission went well, and one of the first low level operations. The second mission was a complete disaster. Of the 11 aircraft dispatched only 1 returned, the others lost to enemy action. All medium bomber group operations were suspended pending review of operations.
The 322nd returned to combat in July, operating from higher altitudes, tactics which worked much better than the initial low level operations. On 16 October 1943 the 322nd, along with four other groups transferred to the 9th Air Force, which had just moved from the Mediterranean.
The ramp up to D-Day saw the group concentrate it's attacks on coastal batteries, and fuel and ammo dumps. During D-Day the 322nd took part in attacks on Caen and transport links around the beach heads. Following D-Day the group participated in combat during the breakout to St. Lo. In October-December 1944 it took part in the campaign against the Siegfried Line and German western defensive positions. Operating from its base in France in January 1945 they attacked rail bridges to isolate the Germans taking part in the Ardennes offensive.
B-26 Marauder "Flak Bait" was set aside for preservation as being the only ETO aircraft to acheive more than 200 missions. She is currently undergoing conservation at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Washington D.C..
451st Bomb Squadron
Great Saling
449th Fighter Squadron
449th Bomb Squadron
Beauvais France