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In 1943, the 379th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrived in England from Sioux City, Iowa.
The 379th BG was assigned to the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-K. Its squadrons were:
Unit Call sign Fuselage Code Aircraft Code
524th BS Night Jar WA A-Z
525th BS Haircut FR A-Z
526th BS Mystic LF A-Z
527th BS Heart String FO A-Z
Each aircraft had a letter designation from A-Z. Example: Swamp Fire was Identified as WA-L
The 379th BG began operations with the Eighth AF on 19 May 1943. The group engaged in the bombardment of strategic targets such as the German war industries, oil refineries, rail yards, roadway choke points, storage plants, submarine pens, marshaling areas, airfields and communications centers located throughout Germany, France, Holland, Belgium,Romania and Poland
The Group received many awards and broke many records held by several of the Allied Bomber Groups who had entered the war effort prior to 1943. They received a Distinguished Unit Citations for flying without fighter protection into central Germany to attack vital aircraft factories from January through April 1944. Before the Normandy invasion in June 1944, the group bombed installations and positions in preparations and just ahead of the Allied landings on 6 June 1944.They attacked airfields, railway yards and choke points, gun emplacements and storage areas in support of the Allied campaigns.
During the Battle of France, the Group bombed enemy positions and assisted ground troops in Holland and France during the breakthrough of the 24th and 25th of July 1944. The 379th also attacked German communications centers and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 through January 1945, They tactfully attacked and bombed key points such as bridges and viaducts in France and Germany to aid the Allied push to cross the Rhine by February-March 1945.
The 379th efficiency became renown and they were the only Bombardment Group to win the "Grand Slam Award" from the 8th Air Force Command Staff. This was for their performance ratings and figures in all five graded Bombardment Group categories.
The combat record of the 379th was the most successful of all the Eighth Air Force heavy bomber groups. Despite the fact that they were the new kids on the block they held records for the most bomb tonnage dropped - 26,459 tons - more than any other unit including those operational before the 379th entered the war effort. It also exceeded all other Allied Bomb Groups in the total number of missions flown in the smallest time frame, carrying out 330 between May 29 1943 and May 15, 1945. The 379th faced more German fighters and kept more Aircraft combat ready. Individual aircraft records include the Swamp Fire which became the first B-17 to reach 100 missions without an abort, The Powerful Katrinka whose first assigned Air Combat Crew and Ground Crew received recognition for flying more missions in a single month than any other Crew or Aircraft in the ETO and "Ole Gappy", which completed 157 missions, more than any other heavy bomber group in the European campaign.
Much of their success was given to the 12 plane formation created by their commander
After V-E Day, the 379th Bomb Group was transferred to Casablanca, French Morocco, during June 1945. The unit was deactivated one month later. During the disbandment ceremony the Commander acknowledged that most of the credit for the 379th success should be given to the Ground Crews whose ingenuous use of tools and creative style plus their their tireless efforts and drive for perfection was the true force behind our successes.
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