100th Bomb Group

100th Bomb Group
U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere · Public domain · source
Unit name	100th Bomb Group (Heavy)
Caption	Insignia of the 100th Bomb Group
Dates	1942–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Role	Strategic bombing
Size	Approx. 2,500 personnel
Garrison	RAF Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk
Battles	European Theater of Operations, Strategic bombing campaign of World War II
Notable commanders	Clarence T. "Bud" E. Shepard, George G. Romesser
Identification symbol	Square-C

100th Bomb Group The 100th Bomb Group was a United States Army Air Forces heavy bombardment unit assigned to the VIII Bomber Command and later Eighth Air Force in the European Theater. Stationed at RAF Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk, the group operated Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers and participated in strategic missions against targets in Germany, Poland, France, and occupied Europe. Known for its distinctive "Square-C" tail marking, the unit earned a reputation for high-loss missions and tenacity during the Strategic bombing campaign of World War II.

History

Activated in 1942 under Second Air Force control, the group trained at Lowry Field, Montana, and Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona before deploying to the United Kingdom in 1943. Assigned to VIII Bomber Command, the 100th joined a buildup that included the 91st Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group, and 379th Bomb Group as part of the Allied effort to carry out the Combined Bomber Offensive. Early operational integration saw coordination with units such as the 3rd Bombardment Division and liaison with headquarters at RAF Cheddington. Through 1943–1944 the 100th adapted tactics developed by leaders from Air Corps Tactical School graduates and aviators influenced by doctrines emerging from the Washington Conference (1943) and operational directives from General Henry H. Arnold's staff.

Organization and Aircraft

The group comprised the 349th, 350th, 351st, and 418th Bombardment Squadrons, each equipped with Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft painted with the group's tail code and squadron-specific nose art. Ground echelon support included maintenance, ordnance, and medical detachments drawn from Base Unit structures common to Eighth Air Force stations like RAF Thorpe Abbotts. Aircraft modification and production links involved suppliers such as Consolidated Aircraft and coordination with depots like Ogden Air Depot. Navigators, bombardiers, and gunners trained on systems made by firms including Sperry Corporation, Northrop Corporation, and Collins Radio Company. Command relationships tied the group to the 2nd Bombardment Division and to theater planning at USAAF Headquarters in London.

Combat Operations

The 100th commenced combat operations in mid-1943, participating in raids against industrial targets in Schweinfurt, Mannheim, and Berlin. Missions included deep-penetration strikes during the Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission and support for ground offensives such as the Normandy landings and the Battle of the Bulge. Facing heavy opposition from Luftwaffe fighter units like elements of Jagdgeschwader 1 and Jagdgeschwader 11, crews endured intense flak over targets including the Focke-Wulf factories and the Messerschmitt assembly plants. Notable high-loss operations included a raid on Bremen and a sortie during bad weather in which formation integrity suffered, echoing challenges encountered by groups like the 379th Bomb Group and 44th Bomb Group. The group's bombing accuracy and perseverance contributed to disrupting German armaments production and transportation hubs such as the Hannover rail yards and synthetic oil facilities at Leuna.

Notable Personnel and Honors

Personnel achievements tied the group to decorated airmen and leaders who interacted with figures from Eighth Air Force command such as Jimmy Doolittle and planners from Bomber Command liaison. Distinguished flyers received awards like the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States), Air Medal, and unit citations linked to collective performance during critical operations. Several crews were mentioned in dispatches alongside personnel from the 92nd Bomb Group and 379th Bomb Group; individual stories were later recounted in accounts by authors associated with works on Strategic bombing doctrine and memoirs referencing experiences at RAF stations and debriefings at SHAEF. The group’s emblem and lineage were commemorated with campaign streamers denoting participation in the Air Offensive, Europe campaign.

Postwar Activities and Legacy

After V-E Day the 100th returned aircraft and personnel to staging areas such as Shaw Field and processing centers under Air Transport Command before inactivation in late 1945 as part of broader USAAF demobilization efforts overseen by the War Department. Veterans maintained active associations, establishing museums and memorials at locations including the preserved RAF Thorpe Abbotts control tower and a dedicated display within the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The group's wartime narrative appears in histories by scholars of the Eighth Air Force and in oral histories archived by institutions like the Imperial War Museums and the American Air Museum in Britain. Annual reunions and commemorative events involve links with contemporary units tracing lineage to United States Air Force bombardment heritage and with civic organizations in Norfolk and Ipswich that preserve local wartime memory.

Category:Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces Category:Groups of the Eighth Air Force