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Constituted as 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Jun 1942. Trained with B-17's. Moved to North Africa, Feb-May 1943, and assigned to Twelfth AF. Entered combat in Mar 1943 and bombed such targets as airdromes, harbor facilities, shipping, railroads, viaducts, and bridges in Tunisia, Sardinia, Sicily, Pantelleria, and Italy until Dec 1943. Received a DUC for performance on 5 Jul 1943 when the group helped to neutralize fighter opposition prior to the invasion of Sicily by penetrating enemy defenses to bomb planes, hangars, fuel supplies, and ammunition dumps at the Gerbini airfield. Assigned to Fifteenth AF in Nov 1943 and moved to Italy in Dec. Their B-17 Flying Fortress flew long-range missions to attack such strategic objectives as oil refineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories, and steel plants in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece.
Received another DUC for withstanding severe fighter assaults to bomb the vital aircraft factory and facilities at Wiener Neustadt on 23 Apr 1944. Other operations included assisting ground forces at Anzio and Cassino, Feb-Mar 1944; participating in the preinvasion bombing of southern France, Aug 1944; and supporting the Allied offensive in the Po Valley, Apr 1945. Inactivated in Italy on 8 Nov 1945.

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DVD Video with Combat Film footage of 99th BG in WW2.
346th: 1942-1945
347th: 1942-1945
348th: 1942-1945
416th: 1942-1945
Orlando AB, Fla, 1 Jun 1942
MacDill Field, Fla, 1 Jun 1942
Pendleton Field, Ore, 29 Jun 1942
Gowen Field, Idaho, 28 Aug 1942
Walla Walla, Wash, c. 30 Sep 1942
Sioux City AAB, Iowa, 17 Nov 1942-3 Jan 1943
Navarin, Algeria, c. 23 Feb 1943
Oudna, Tunisia, 4 Aug 1943
Tortorella Airfield, Italy, c. 11 Dec 1943
Marcianise, Italy, Oct-8 Nov 1945
Unkn, Jun-Sep 1942
Col Fay R Upthegrove, c. Sep 1942
Lt Col Wayne E Thurman, 24 Nov 1943
Col Charles W Lawrence, 19 Dec 1943
Lt Col Wayne E Thurman, 26 Jan 1944
Col Ford Lauer, 15 Feb 1944
Col Trenholm Meyer, Jul 1944
Lt Col James A Barnett, Aug 1944
Col Ford Lauer, Sep 1944
Col Raymond V Schwanbeck, Jan 1945
Lt Col Robert E Guay, 8 Oct 1945
Maj Joseph D Russell, 11 Oct 1945
Air Combat, EAME Theater
Air Offensive, Europe
Tunisia
Sicily
Naples-Foggia
Anzio
Rome-Arno
Normandy
Northern France
Southern France
North Apennines
Rhineland
Central Europe
Po Valley
Distinguished Unit Citations:
Sicily, 5 Jul 1943
Austria, 23 Apr 1944
Insigne. Shield: Azure, issuant from sinister chief a cloud argent emitting a lightning flash to dexter base or between an eye of the second with pupil sable represented as a radar scope of the third with eyelid of the like, and a globe of the last with lines of the fifth encircled by a motion picture film silver. Motto: Sight With Might. (Approved 3 Nov 1943. This insigne was replaced 7 Feb 1958.)
Missing Air Crew Reports also known as MACRs are reports of US aircraft that went down, via enemy action or mechanical issues, behind enemy lines. These reports detailed the aircraft and crew along with their disposition; there were statements and eyewitness reports if available describing what they saw. The majority of these reports were completed in the years following the conclusion of World War II. This was so that the survivors who had become prisoners of war could provide statements of the events of that day. These reports differ from accident reports in that those documented aircraft that crashed on take off or landing; these events happened on allied lines.
|
Group/Squadron |
Date |
MACR |
Aircraft |
Aircraft Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
99BG / 347 BS |
05/03/1943 |
16175 |
B-17 |
|
|
99BG / 416 BS |
05/25/1943 |
16451 |
42-5174* |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/05/1943 |
00386 |
42-29483 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/05/1943 |
00240 |
42-29483 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/05/1943 |
01133 |
42-29486 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/05/1943 |
00098B |
42-29486 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/05/1943 |
01132 |
42-29492 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/05/1943 |
00098A |
42-29492 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
07/22/1943 |
00414 |
42-30119 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 415 BS |
08/25/1943 |
00478 |
42-5413 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 345 BS |
09/02/1943 |
00565 |
42-30396 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
10/01/1943 |
00796 |
42-30126 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
10/01/1943 |
00795 |
42-5856 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
10/06/1943 |
00929 |
42-30474 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
10/10/1943 |
06615 |
42-30446 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
10/10/1943 |
00924 |
42-30446 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
11/10/1943 |
01129 |
42-5061 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
11/24/1943 |
01308 |
42-29502 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
12/19/1943 |
01528 |
42-5223 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
12/19/1943 |
01527 |
42-5832 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
01/10/1944 |
01819 |
42-5170 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
01/11/1944 |
01820 |
42-5470 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
01/24/1944 |
01991 |
42-5340 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
01/27/1944 |
02039 |
42-5746 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
02/17/1944 |
03156 |
42-31642 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
02/22/1944 |
02390 |
42-97439 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
02/22/1944 |
02391 |
42-31522 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 345 BS |
02/25/1944 |
02706 |
42-31858 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
02/25/1944 |
02704 |
42-31642 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
02/25/1944 |
02705 |
42-31797 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
02/25/1944 |
02707 |
42-40055 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
03/04/1944 |
03523 |
42-5874 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
03/18/1944 |
03355 |
42-5439 |
B-17F |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
04/02/1944 |
03887 |
42-32013 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
04/02/1944 |
03888 |
42-32056 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
04/02/1944 |
04909 |
42-32062 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
04/05/1944 |
03695 |
42-38207 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
04/12/1944 |
03955 |
42-38210 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
04/15/1944 |
03972 |
42-107000 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
04/16/1944 |
04076 |
42-32065 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
04/24/1944 |
04390 |
42-32035 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
04/30/1944 |
04610 |
42-32014 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
05/10/1944 |
04729 |
42-106988 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
05/18/1944 |
05066 |
42-106991 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
06/23/1944 |
06076 |
42-106995 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
07/02/1944 |
06444 |
42-31998 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/02/1944 |
06518 |
42-32041 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
07/04/1944 |
06397 |
42-102851 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/08/1944 |
06368 |
42-32057 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
07/09/1944 |
06517 |
42-102925 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/16/1944 |
06857 |
42-97909 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
07/22/1944 |
06948 |
42-32028* |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
07/24/1944 |
07032 |
42-107016 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
07/28/1944 |
07122 |
42-32068 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
08/23/1944 |
07989 |
44-6282 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
08/27/1944 |
07991 |
42-97570 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
10/13/1944 |
09327 |
42-32033 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
11/07/1944 |
09668 |
44-6408 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
11/07/1944 |
09666 |
44-6430 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
11/13/1944 |
09712 |
44-8388 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
11/25/1944 |
10012 |
44-8154 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
12/02/1944 |
10030 |
44-6182 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
12/18/1944 |
10635 |
42-32097 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 418 BS |
12/18/1944 |
10633 |
42-32110 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
12/25/1944 |
10704 |
42-32016 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
12/26/1944 |
10939 |
44-6663 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
12/29/1944 |
10929 |
42-97734 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 347 BS |
01/20/1945 |
11276 |
44-6268 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
02/08/1945 |
12083 |
44-6691 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
02/08/1945 |
12082 |
42-32071 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
02/27/1945 |
12513 |
44-8187 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
02/27/1945 |
12512 |
44-6698 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
03/04/1945 |
16106 |
44-6254 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 348 BS |
03/20/1945 |
13054 |
43-38418 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
03/22/1945 |
13243 |
44-6534 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 416 BS |
03/23/1945 |
13255 |
44-6397 |
B-17G |
|
99BG / 346 BS |
04/25/1945 |
13988 |
44-6431 |
B-17G |
Escape Statement of Venon Fairbanks
Escape Statement of Kenneth Titus
Escape Statement of Morris King and Joseph Carroll of the 99th Bombardment Group
Escape Statement of Norbert Blankenheim and William Pulling of the 99th Bombardment Group
Search Military Records By Name at https://www.99bg.org/
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