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The 885th Bombardment Squadron (Special) was a unique unit that operated under the 15th Air Force during World War II, specializing in clandestine operations that played a crucial role in supporting resistance movements across Nazi-occupied Europe.
The squadron was formed in 1944 as a specialized unit dedicated to special operations. It evolved from the 122nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium) and the 4th Provisional Bombardment Squadron before being officially designated as the 885th Bombardment Squadron (Special). The unit was based at Blida in Algeria and then at Brindisi Airfield in southern Italy.
The primary mission of the 885th was to conduct clandestine night operations, dropping supplies, equipment, and agents to resistance forces operating behind enemy lines. These operations were critical for maintaining resistance activities against Nazi occupation across multiple European countries.
The squadron operated modified B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers, specially equipped for night operations and low-altitude supply drops. These aircraft were typically painted black to reduce visibility during night missions and had specialized equipment for precise navigation and target identification in darkness.
The 885th conducted operations primarily over:
Group Affiliation:The 885th would eventually operate under the 2641st Special Group.
The squadron flew hundreds of sortees between 1944 and the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. Their night operations were extremely dangerous, requiring pilots to fly at low altitudes in mountainous terrain, often in poor weather conditions, and under the threat of enemy anti-aircraft fire.
Despite these challenges, the 885th successfully delivered thousands of tons of supplies, weapons, ammunition, and equipment to resistance forces, as well as transporting intelligence agents, medical supplies, and communication equipment that proved vital to Allied intelligence operations and resistance activities.
The unit's contribution to supporting resistance movements had a significant impact on disrupting German logistics, gathering intelligence, and supporting partisan operations behind enemy lines. Their clandestine missions helped strengthen resistance efforts that tied down Nazi forces that might otherwise have been deployed to combat fronts.
Notation: Some of the included/following documents are copies/scans presented in pdf format; others have been transcribed, ocr from official military unit documents without corrections. Some material was difficult to read and transcribe, sometimes this is noted in the transcription. Some originals may have been missing sections or pages. Spelling was not corrected. Documents are not meant to be a complete record, they are only what has been reasonbly-readable. In some cases document formatting-layout may have been altered to enable better viewing on a web page with multiple devices.
War Diary July 1944
War Diary August 1944
Unit History September 1944
Operations September 1944
Personnel Changes September 1944
Unit Commendation Sept 1944
Unit History October 1944
Operations October 1944
October History 1944
Unit History November 1944
Operations November 1955
Unit History December 1944
Miller Filner - December 1944
Operations December 1944
Unit History May 1945
War Diary July 1945
War Diary August 1945
Medical History July - Sept 1944
Medical History Oct-Dec 1944
Proposed Unit Citation
The 2641st Special Group (Provisional) was a specialized unit of the United States Army Air Forces that operated under the 15th Air Force during World War II.
The primary mission of the 2641st Special Group was the insertion and supply of Office of Strategic Services (OSS) agents behind enemy lines in Italy and the Balkans, as well as the supply of resistance and partisan forces operating in these areas. The bulk of the operation supported the 2677th Regiment OSS (Provisional) at Bari Airfield, Italy. Later operations expanded to include Austria as OSS efforts focused on the rumored construction of a "National Redoubt" in the Austrian Alps.
The squadrons of the Special Group operated specially modified heavy bombers painted all black with very limited identification markings. While the 885th Bombardment Squadron operated both B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators, the 859th Bombardment Squadron operated only B-24s. Most crews comprised men with prior service in other bombardment groups of the 15th Air Force who were then trained in low-altitude night operations.
The 2641st Special Group (Provisional) consisted of two primary squadrons:
The 2641st Special Group received numerous commendations for its dangerous and vital work:
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