100th Bomb Group ("Bloody Hundredth")

100th Bomb Group ("Bloody Hundredth")
Unit name	100th Bomb Group
Native name	“Bloody Hundredth”
Caption	B-17G Flying Fortresses of the 100th Bomb Group over England
Dates	1942–1946; 1947–1949; 1959–1962
Country	United States
Allegiance	Allied Powers
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Role	Strategic bombing
Command structure	Eighth Air Force
Garrison	RAF Thorpe Abbotts
Nickname	“Bloody Hundredth”
Notable commanders	Robert K. Morgan; Walter E. Powell
Battles	European Strategic Air Offensive; Big Week; Operation Argument; Operation Pointblank

100th Bomb Group ("Bloody Hundredth") The 100th Bomb Group, known as the "Bloody Hundredth," was a United States Army Air Forces heavy bombardment group that flew B-17 Flying Fortresses with the Eighth Air Force from RAF Thorpe Abbotts in Essex during World War II. Renowned for its high casualty rates and tenacious combat record, the group participated in major strategic operations against Nazi Germany and occupied Europe, becoming a symbol in postwar memorialization and veterans culture.

History and formation

Activated in 1942, the 100th Bomb Group originated at Walla Walla Army Air Base under the VIII Bomber Command as part of the U.S. expansion for the Combined Bomber Offensive. Trained on B-17 aircraft at Kearney Army Air Field and Great Falls Army Air Base, the group was assigned to the 1st Bombardment Division and transferred to the United Kingdom to operate from RAF Thorpe Abbotts. Command relationships connected the unit to Eighth Air Force leadership including General Ira C. Eaker and General Carl A. Spaatz, while coordination with Royal Air Force units occurred during joint operations like Operation Pointblank.

World War II operations

From 1943 through 1945 the 100th Bomb Group flew strategic missions across Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Czechoslovakia targeting industrial centers, oil refineries, and transportation nodes in line with directives from Combined Chiefs of Staff and objectives set during conferences such as Casablanca Conference. Missions formed part of broader campaigns including Big Week and the Oil Campaign of World War II, often escorted by fighters from P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang units like the 56th Fighter Group and the 4th Fighter Group. The group's operations interlinked with tactical events including support for Operation Overlord and Market Garden when striking interdiction targets in preparation for or in support of ground offensives under Dwight D. Eisenhower’s theater command.

Notable missions and engagements

The 100th Bomb Group is remembered for several high-profile missions: the 10 October 1943 raid on Munich and the 20 February 1944 escort-less daylight attack during Big Week that produced catastrophic losses, leading to the group's nickname. The 100th took part in attacks against the Junkers works at Magdeburg, the Focke-Wulf factories at Ostheim, and the Schweinfurt industrial targets. Crews from the group achieved distinctions such as the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal while leaders and aircrews—pilots, navigators, bombardiers—are linked to figures like Robert K. Morgan and squadron commanders who became subjects of oral history and memoir collections. Engagements involved encounters with Luftwaffe interceptor units including JG 1 and anti-aircraft fire from Flak concentrations around strategic targets like Berlin and Leipzig.

Aircraft, markings, and insignia

The group primarily operated the B-17 model G and earlier G/H variants marked with distinctive squadron codes and aircraft names painted on nose art in a tradition shared with units like the 305th Bombardment Group and 91st Bomb Group. Tail markings included the square “Triangle” identification of the 1st Bombardment Division and group-specific color bands at RAF Thorpe Abbotts to aid formation flying and command and control. Nose art, squadron patches, and unit insignia drew on motifs common to Eighth Air Force culture, and surviving aircraft replications appear in air museums and at events coordinated with Experimental Aircraft Association chapters and veterans organizations.

Casualties, losses, and legacy

The moniker "Bloody Hundredth" arose from heavy combat losses: the group suffered among the highest loss rates in the Eighth Air Force, with dozens of aircraft and hundreds of aircrew killed, missing, or captured during raids such as those in 1943–1944. Individual losses intersect with POW histories, Stalag Luft III narratives, and casualty lists compiled by U.S. Army Air Forces casualty branch records. The group's wartime record contributed to postwar analyses in works by historians of the Air University Press and chroniclers of the Combined Bomber Offensive. Legacy efforts include preservation of the RAF Thorpe Abbotts site, scholarly studies at institutions like the Imperial War Museum, and incorporation into collective memory through documentaries, memoirs, and reunions organized by survivor associations.

Postwar activities and commemorations

After inactivation in 1946 and brief postwar reactivations in the United States Air Force era, the 100th designation has been honored through heritage programs, museum displays, and annual commemorations at sites including Thorpe Abbotts Museum. Memorials, plaques, and restored artifacts are focal points for commemorative events attended by members of organizations such as the American Legion, Royal British Legion, and international veteran groups from France and Belgium. Scholarly conferences at universities and exhibits at repositories like the National Archives and the Imperial War Museum maintain the group's history, while surviving veterans and descendants participate in oral-history projects preserved by institutions including the Veterans History Project.

Category:Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces Category:Military units and formations established in 1942