336th Bombardment Group

336th Bombardment Group
Unit name	336th Bombardment Group
Dates	1942–1945; 1947–1949
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces; United States Air Force Reserve
Type	Bombardment
Role	Medium bomber operations
Size	Group
Command structure	Twelfth Air Force; Fifteenth Air Force
Battles	North African Campaign; Sicilian Campaign; Italian Campaign; Strategic bombing of Germany and Austria
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation

336th Bombardment Group

The 336th Bombardment Group was a United States Army Air Forces and later Air Force Reserve medium bomber unit active during World War II and the early Cold War era. Activated in 1942, the group trained with B-26 Marauder aircraft and deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, participating in operations from North Africa, Sicily, and Italy to targets in Austria and Germany. It earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for precision attacks against heavily defended targets and later served in reserve status until final inactivation in 1949.

History

Constituted in 1942 amid the expansion of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, the group formed under Army Air Forces Training Command at stateside airfields where it received cadres from established bombardment units and trained personnel drawn from Army Air Corps recruitment pools. Initial cadre included crews trained on twin-engine medium bomber doctrine developed by Tactical Air Command predecessors and shaped by lessons from the Battle of Britain and early North African Campaign operations. After completing stateside training, the group deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations under the operational control of Twelfth Air Force and later Fifteenth Air Force.

World War II Operations

Operational from North Africa, the group conducted tactical and strategic medium bombardment missions using Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers, attacking Axis airfields, supply depots, marshalling yards, and bridges in support of Operation Husky and subsequent campaigns. Operating from bases in Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, and mainland Italy, the group struck targets in Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, France, and deep into Germany and Austria as part of interdiction and strategic efforts coordinated with Royal Air Force and other United States Army Air Forces units. Missions included attacks on heavily defended industrial complexes and transportation hubs, often in conjunction with operations by the Eighth Air Force and Mediterranean Allied Air Forces.

Crews executed low- and medium-altitude precision bombing against targets such as oil refineries, locomotive works, and aircraft factories, contributing to the disruption of Axis logistics ahead of the Allied invasion of Italy and the advance through the Italian peninsula. The group earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for a particularly hazardous mission against well-defended targets, reflecting the unit's skill against anti-aircraft artillery and fighter opposition from formations of Luftwaffe interceptors. Throughout 1943–1945, coordination with naval and ground formations—such as Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force elements and US Fifth Army ground forces—enabled combined-arms campaigns during the Italian Campaign.

Postwar Activities and Inactivation

After V-E Day, elements of the group conducted occupation-related duties, aerial reconnaissance, and troop transport missions while transitioning from combat operations. The group returned to the United States and was inactivated in late 1945 during the postwar demobilization that affected many United States Army Air Forces units following the end of World War II. Reactivated in the reserve as part of the reorganization under the newly established United States Air Force after 1947, the group had a peacetime training and readiness mission, aligning with Air Defense Command and Continental Air Command reserve procedures. Budget reductions and force structure changes during the early Cold War, including the 1949 defense budget reductions and the reorganization of reserve components, led to the group's inactivation in 1949.

Lineage and Assignments

The group was constituted and activated in 1942 and assigned to training and combat commands within the Army Air Forces. During World War II it was assigned to Twelfth Air Force and later to Fifteenth Air Force for strategic target allocation in the Mediterranean Theater. Postwar, the group was allotted to the Air Force Reserve and placed under commands responsible for reserve training and mobilization readiness, including assignments tied to Continental Air Command responsibilities until its 1949 inactivation.

Stations

The group trained at multiple United States Army Air Forces Training Command stations in the continental United States before deploying overseas. In-theater, it operated from bases in French Algeria and Tunisia during the North African Campaign, from airfields in Sicily following Operation Husky, and from various Italian airfields during the Italian Campaign and strategic operations against Central European targets. Following return to the United States, it was stationed at reserve bases aligned with Air Force Reserve component infrastructure prior to final inactivation.

Aircraft and Equipment

The 336th operated primarily the Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber during World War II, employing models adapted for theater needs and precision bombing. Ground support equipment included standard Army Air Forces maintenance and ordnance systems, navigational aids contemporaneous with Mediterranean operations, and radio and radar equipment consistent with AAF medium bombardment group standards. Postwar reserve activities focused on crew proficiency and maintenance of legacy medium-bomber capabilities pending potential reactivation.

Honors and Campaigns

The group participated in major Mediterranean and European campaigns, including the North African Campaign, the Sicilian Campaign, the Italian Campaign, and strategic bombing operations against Germany and Austria. Decorations included a Distinguished Unit Citation for exceptional performance on hazardous missions. The unit's campaign credits reflect contributions to Allied air superiority and interdiction efforts that supported ground offensives such as the Allied invasion of Sicily and the advance through the Italian peninsula.

Category:Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces