380th Bombardment Group Heavy

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380th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

• The Flying Circus
• 1942-1946
• (and beyond)

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Beginnings

• On 27 Dec, 1941, because of Japanese military
  expansion in the S.W. Pacific and fearing an
  invasion of Australia, Australian Prime Minister
  John Curtin appeals directly to President
  Franklin D. Roosevelt for U.S. military aid.
  Roosevelt agrees. 15 February 1942 Japanese
  capture Singapore. 19 February 1942, Japanese
  bomb Darwin, Australia as precursor to invasion
  of Timor, Indonesia.
• 27 November 1942 The 380th Bombardment Group
  is organized at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson,
  Arizona, from a cadre of officers and enlisted
  men from the 39th BG ref Air Force Historical
  Research Agency (AFHRA), Maxwell AFB .
• Group to consist of four B-24 Liberator Bomber
  Squadrons 528th, 529th, 530th, 531st, under
  command of the 5th Air Force.
• Major William A. Miller assigned Group Commanding
  Officer immediately promoted to Lt. Col.
• Ordered to be operationally ready in 4 months.
  To be deployed to Northern Australia to operate
  under the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The
  380th was the only US air force in WW2 to be
  attached to, and under the command of, a foreign
  government.
• December 1942 B-24 training begins at Biggs
  Field, El Paso, Texas.

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Biggs Field, Texas Losses occur in training
accidents
Training Accident, A/C 818 Feb. 4, 1943
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Biggs Field
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Biggs Field
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Biggs Field
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To Denver, Colorado

• March 1943 Group moves to Lowry Field, Denver,
  Colorado for final phase training.
• March 30, 1943, final parade and flyover planned
  for Brig. General Eugene Eubank. After the
  parade by 380th enlisted personnel and B-24
  formation flyover, Gen. Eubank states My
  God, these men are a flying circus!
• The name Flying Circus was later adopted by the
  Group.

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Overseas Deployment

• April 1943 Aircrews go to Topeka, Kansas to pick
  up B-24 Liberators.
• Then to Hamilton Field, California.
• 15 April 1943 first group of B-24s deploy from
  Hamilton Field to Australia.
• 22 April 1943 arrive at Brisbane, Australia.
• 26 April 1943 all B-24s arrive at Charter
  Towers, Australia.
• Ground personnel travel via ship to Australia.

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Deployment Map
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Darwin
x
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• 28 April 1943 first B-24s deploy to RAAF
  airfield at Fenton, approx. 90 miles S.E. of
  Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
• 380th crews had to set up living quarters (tents)
  and construct other operational buildings on
  arrival at Fenton Field.
• The 528th and 530th BS were stationed at Fenton
  Field, while the 529th and 531st BS were
  initially stationed at Manbulloo, about 90 miles
  S.E. of Fenton, near Katherine. Long Strip was
  constructed approx. 6 miles to the east of Fenton
  Field in Nov. 1943 and the 2 squadrons moved to
  Long.
• For the first few months, the 380th squadrons
  shared Fenton with another B-24 BS (the 319th) of
  the 90th BG, who had previously arrived at Fenton
  in February 1943.

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Fenton / Long
N
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N
Long
Fenton
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Manbulloo Field Today
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Fenton Field, 1943
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Approaching Fenton 1943, Golden Goose (Dexter
Baker)
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Landing, Fenton June, 1943
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Fenton Camp Construction
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Japanese Betty Bombers over Fenton, July 6, 1943.
Attacked by RAAF Spitfires--note burning bomber
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Missions
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Theater of Operations
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Take Off, Fenton
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Strafing Run, Pomelaa
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Manokwari
Makassar
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Babo
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Flak
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Attack on Japanese Destroyer
Sunken Freighter
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Shipping, Waingapoe (Waingapu) Harbor 8 June 1943
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B-24 Formations
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Over Australia
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Formation (last B-24 trailing smoke)
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Search and Rescue Missions
The 4 survivors of B-24 Golden Gator (Date of
photos 28 Oct. 1943)
On 26 Oct 1943, B-24 Golden Gator, piloted by
Fred Hinze, 529th BS, was attacked repeatedly by
Japanese fighters while on a mission to Pomelaa.
The B-24 was severely and mortally damaged, but
Hinze, mortally wounded himself, managed to keep
it aloft for several hundred miles while the crew
fought the fighters. Several crewmen were killed
by the Japanese attacks. Finally forced to ditch
the stricken bomber in the sea, he saved the
remaining crew with his skill. Hinze then died
while still at the controls. Japanese fighters
strafed the sinking B-24 and the remaining
crewmembers in the water. Four survived and were
rescued 2 days later. Hinze was nominated for
the Congressional Medal of Honor, but it was
never awarded.
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Foul Weather
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The 380th BG also used a secret RAAF airfield
located at Corunna Downs--approx. 900 miles SW of
Fenton--as a takeoff point for reconnaissance
missions and a bombing raid against Surabaja,
Java, in July 1943. At that time, the Surabaja
strike was the longest of any bomber mission in
WW2. While Port Hedland on the coast was
bombed, the field at Corunna Downs was never
found or bombed by the Japanese.
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528th BS, Corunna Downs, 23 July 1943, Soerabaja
(Surabaja) Mission B-24 Miss Giving(Jack Banks)
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Fenton
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Corunna Downs Airfield Today
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Corunna Downs Today (Photos from the Internet)
Remains of Runway
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Balikpapan, Borneo
In August 1943, the 380th launched the longest
bombing missions of the war against oil
refineries and shipping at Japanese occupied
Balikpapan, Borneo. Borneo was rich with oil
fields and had oil refineries at Balikpapan,
which the Japanese forces needed for their
expansion plans in the S.W. Pacific. These first
strikes were non-stop, 16 hour round-trip flights
of over 2600 miles and had no fighter escort for
protection. The first strike, on 13 August 1943,
had been planned as a night mission and took off
from from Darwin. The aircrews encountered
extremely bad weather en route to the target.
This mission was the first time Borneo had been
bombed since occupation by the Japanese in early
1942 and it took them completely by surprise.
The second strike was launched on 17 August 1943,
also a night mission and again through bad
weather. However, this time Japanese defenses
were ready at the target. These missions were
longer than the much publicized Ploesti, Romania
B-24 mission. Throughout the remainder of the
war there were several subsequent strikes against
Balikpapan by the 380th and other
units--including Australian ground forces in
July, 1945. These first 380th BG missions
severely damaged oil production and dealt a blow
to the Japanese war effort in Indonesia. As a
result, the 380th BG was awarded its first
Presidential Unit Citation.
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Backhome News

• While the war in Europe received much press
  coverage, the Pacific was not ignored--including
  the 380th BG.

U.S. Newspaper Articles
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Australian Newspapers
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To the Philippines
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• January 1945 5th AF Headquarters alerts 380th BG
  of re-deployment from Australia to the
  Philippines in support of planned invasion of
  Japan.
• 2 February 1945 Last 380th raid flown out of
  Australia. 528th BS begins move to Mindoro,
  Philippines. First missions flown from Mindoro
  by 528th.
• March 1945 529th, 530th, 531st BS complete move
  to Mindoro.
• June 1945 380th BG is placed under the 13th AF,
  flying attack missions to Labuan and Balikpapan.
• After Borneo raids 380th flies last missions to
  Taiwan.

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The Final Days
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• 6 August 1945 U.S. drops newly developed atomic
  bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Japanese government
  does not respond.
• 9 August 1945 A second atomic bomb is dropped
  on Nagasaki, Japan.
• 14 August 1945 Japanese Emperor Hirohito
  declares unconditional surrender of Japan.
• 2 September 1945 Japan formally signs surrender
  documents aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
• After end of hostilities, 380th moves to Okinawa
  to fly reconnaissance patrols over Japan.
  Transports liberated American POWs to Manila.
• Oct 1945 380th transferred to 7th AF at Clark
  Field, Luzon, Philippines. Participated in
  return of B-24s and crews to U.S. However, most
  B-24 aircraft are scrapped at Clark Field.
• 380th BG is deactivated at Clark Field, 20
  February 1946.

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Fenton / Long Present Day(Following
photographs were taken in August 2005)
After the 380th BG moved to the Philippines, the
RAAF continued to operate both airfields until
the end of WW2. They were then completely
abandoned. Australia has designated both
Fenton and Long as WW2 Historical Sites. Both
fields still exist and the public may freely
visit the airfields and camp areas. However, the
land is owned and actively worked by a large
cattle company, which controls access to certain
areas of the airfields.
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Fenton Runway Midpoint to South
Fenton Runway South End to North
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Fenton Runway_South
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Control Tower Remains, Fenton
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Taxiway, Fenton
A/C Revetment Fenton
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Aircraft Graveyard, Fenton
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528th Camp, Fenton
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528th Camp, Fenton
530th Camp, Fenton
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Herkys Hangout 2005 528th BS Camp, Fenton (Diana
Shek)
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Japanese Incendiary Pellets
50 Caliber Round (Live)
Japanese Incendiary Bomblet (Live)
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Crash Site Memorial, B-24 Nothing Sacred
529th BS, Fenton
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RAAF B-24 Crash Site Memorial, Fenton
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Long Runway, North to South
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B-24 Wreckage Long Runway
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Bomb Crater, Long
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Is There Life After 1946?

• 380th BG remains inactive from 20 Feb 1946, until
  reactivated at MacDill AFB, Florida, on 29 May
  1947, as a B-29 reserve unit under 49th Air Div.
  Remains inactive reserve until 1 May 1951, when
  called to active duty during Korean War. 15 days
  later, Group was again deactivated.
• 11 July 1955 380th Bomb Wing established at
  Plattsburg AFB, NY, assigned to Strategic Air
  Command (SAC). 528th, 529th, and 530th BS
  reactivated. Flew B-47 jet bombers.
• 15 September 1964 380th Bomb Wing redesignated
  380th Strategic Aerospace Wing (Heavy), composed
  of the 3 BS listed above, 380th Air Refueling
  Sq., 556th Strategic Missile Sq, 380th Combat
  Support Grp., and 820th Medical Grp. Wing
  receives its first KC-135A air refueling tanker
  aircraft.
• 19 June 1966 Wing receives its first B-52 jet
  bomber, replacing the B-47. Involved in Vietnam
  war with temporary duty assignments.
• 17 July 1971 first FB-111 Aardvark swingwing
  fighter/bomber delivered to Plattsburg AFB.
  380th again redesignated 380th Bomb Wing
  (Medium).
• 1 July 1991 380th BW redesignated 380th Air
  Refueling Wing (ARW).

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B-47
B-29
KC-135
B-52
F-111
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• 1 June 1992 Wing absorbed by Air Mobility
  Command upon inactivation of SAC. Plattsburg AFB
  officially closed 30 September 1995, and the
  380th ARW deactivated.
• January 2002 380th Air Expeditionary Wing
  reactivated at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab
  Emirates, as part of Global War on Terrorism.
  Participated in Operation Enduring Freedom.
  2009 380th AEW still actively engaged in these
  operations.

U-2 Dragon Lady
Operational Aircraft
RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft
E-3 Sentry
KC-10A Air Refueling Tanker
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Internet References
History
http//380th.org http//www.fb-111a.net/380BGhist
ory.html http//www.fb-111a.net/380B.html http/
/www.380aew.afcent.af.mil http//www.b24bestweb.c
om http//www.b24bestweb.com/b24bestweb-News.htm
http//www.accident-report.com http//www.afhra.
af.mil http//www.armyairforces.com/ResearchHelp/
tabid/99/default.aspx http//b24bw.proboards33.co
m http//forum.armyairforces.com/380th-BG-f104.as
px http//www.collingsfoundation.org
Photos
Records
Forums
B24 Flights
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