The 6th Bomb Group
The 6th Bomb Group, Very Heavy (VH), was activated on 19 April, 1943. The older, deactivated 6th Bomb Group, Heavy (H), was reactivated and merged with the existing VH group. The group relocated to Grand Island Army Airfield, Grand Island, Nebraska in May 1944. Due to a shortage of B-29s, the group was equipped with B-17 Flying Fortresses previously used for training heavy bomber replacement personnel. The 6th Bomb Group was eventually equipped with newly manufactured B-29s during the summer of 1944. Intensive crew training was directed with specific tasks tailored to the new B-29.
In November, the group was deployed to the Pacific theater of operations and assigned to the XXI bomber command, 313th Bomb Wing, being stationed at North Field, Tinian. North Field had four 8500-foot runways and was the largest airfield in the world.
The group entered combat by flying navigational escort for a major attack force bound for Iwo Jima. The group then began engaging in long-range bombardment missions over the Japanese home islands, striking Tokyo and other major Japanese cities and facilities during daylight high-altitude bombing raids.
On 25 May, 1945, the 6th Bomb Group flew a low-altitude night mission through alerted enemy defenses to drop incendiary bombs on Tokyo. For this mission, they received their first distinguished unit citation. Their second citation was for the mining mission on 22 July at Rashin, Korea, near Vladivostok, Russia. This was a 4100-mile non-stop round trip, the longest ever in the war.
The 6th Bomb Group’s final mission came on 14 August, dropping bombs on the Marifu railroad yards at Iwakuni. After the Japanese surrender, the group dropped food and supplies to allied prisoners of war and took part in the ‘show of force’ flight over Japan.
The group flew 115 combat missions, which included strategic bombing sorties, mining missions, and wide scale incendiary attacks.
The 6th Bomb Group was deactivated on 18 October, 1948.
Commanders: Col. Kenneth Gibson17 June 1944