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Bridge Busters: the 397Th Bombardment Group (Medium) and The BRIDGE BUSTERS: THE 397TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (MEDIUM) AND THE B-26 MARAUDER IN WORLD WAR II BY LIEUTENANT COLONEL DAVID OCH A THESIS PROVIDED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF ADVANCED AIR AND SPACE STUDIES FOR COMPLETION OF GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED AIR AND SPACE STUDIES AIR UNIVERSITY MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA JUNE 2015 DISTRIBUTION A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. APPROVAL The undersigned certify that this thesis meets master’s-level standards of research, argumentation, and expression. _______________________________ Dr. Richard R. Muller 15 May 2015 _______________________________ Dr. Thomas A. Hughes 15 May 2015 i DISCLAIMER The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author. They do not reflect the official position of the US Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force, or Air University. ii ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lt Col David Och earned his commission in the United States Air Force through the United States Air Force Academy in 2000. He graduated from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training in 2002. He went on to various flying assignments in the F-15E Strike Eagle. He is a Senior Pilot with over 1,700 flying hours in the F-15E, including over 300 hours in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. He also deployed in support of Operation NEW DAWN. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business. He is currently working towards a Master of Philosophy in Military Strategy from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. He is married with children. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge several people whose guidance and support made this project possible. First, I must express my sincere gratitude to my thesis advisor, Dr. Richard Muller, for his steadfast support, dedication and mentorship in both the historical research and writing process. His guidance and feedback made this project possible. I am also indebted to Dr. Thomas Hughes for his expertise along the way. The opportunity to learn from these two noted airpower historians was truly a blessing. I would also like to express gratitude to the staff at the Air Force Historical Research Agency, specifically Maranda Lambert and Tammy Horton. Their help in locating and digitizing historical resources enabled me to tell the story of the 397th Bombardment Group. I am also grateful to the SAASS faculty and staff for their professionalism and dedication to all of the students of Class XXIV. Most importantly, I must thank my wonderful wife and beautiful children for their love, support, and patience throughout this academic year. They truly made this year possible. iv ABSTRACT This study examines the concept of medium bombardment and the role of the Martin B-26 Marauder in World War II (WWII) through the previously under-documented history of the 397th Bombardment Group (BG). It seeks to fulfill two objectives: to tell the story of the 397 BG and to aid understanding of the contributions of a capability that did not fit neatly into previously existing conceptions of airpower. The B-26 occupied a middle ground between the formalized doctrines of attack aviation and strategic bombardment. It offered capabilities traditionally associated with both strategic and tactical airpower, yet had limitations in both. The author presents the experiences and contributions of the 397 BG as representative of the mature concept of medium bombardment in WWII. As the last American B-26 group sent to the European Theater of Operations, the 397th entered the war during the preparatory phase for the invasion of France and supported the Allied advance across the Low Countries and into Germany. By the time the 397th entered combat, B-26 units were making valuable contributions to the Allied war effort. However, the aircraft had a troubled and controversial past. Due to high accident rates in training and early operational difficulties, the Army Air Forces (AAF) nearly eliminated the B-26 from its inventory on multiple occasions. Through a complicated process of adaptation, largely through trial and error, B-26 units forged a role for the aircraft and developed effective tactics. This study traces the history of medium bombardment and the B-26 from inception through victory in Europe. It describes the environmental and organizational factors that resulted in development of an aircraft type that fell between the idealized expectations of both Army and AAF leaders. It details early B-26 operations in the Pacific, Mediterranean and European Theaters to illuminate the path from troubled aircraft to successful airpower capability. The study focuses primarily on the experiences of the 397 BG to further the understanding of medium bombardment and airpower in WWII. The complex history of the B-26 and 397 BG offers lessons regarding capability development and wartime improvements. v CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE DISCLAIMER........................................................................................... ii ABOUT THE AUTHOR ............................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................... iv ABSTRACT .............................................................................................. v INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 1 CHAPTER 1: PROCURING MEDIUM BOMBERS ...................................... 5 2 CHAPTER 2: B-26 DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY OPERATIONS ............. 18 3 CHAPTER 3: 397 BG ACTIVATION TO INVASION .................................. 50 4 CHAPTER 4: FROM THE BEACHHEAD TO VICTORY ............................ 82 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................... 130 APPENDIX A: 397 BG COMBAT MISSIONS ......................................... 149 APPENDIX B: 397 BG UNIT HISTORY RESOURCES ........................... 156 APPENDIX C: 397 BG OPERATIONS RECORDS RESOURCES ............ 157 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................. 167 Illustrations Figures and Tables 1. 397 BG B-26 Marauder, Tail # 296 150 -“Hot Rock” .................................... 50 2. 397 BG Operating Locations in England ...................................................... 56 3. 397 BG Operating Locations in France ...................................................... 101 vi Introduction Cool rain fell over Rivenhall, England as the men of the 397th Bombardment Group (BG) readied their Martin B-26 Marauders in the early morning hours of 6 June 1944. Takeoff time for these high-speed two-engine bombers was set for just after 0400 hours. Freshly painted black and white stripes on each wing and fuselage served as “invasion markings,” indicating these were Allied aircraft and part of the largest air armada ever put together.1 These men would soon help spearhead the Allied invasion of France. Operation OVERLORD called for the 397th and other B-26 groups to lead the air attack on the French coast. Their mission was to strike artillery emplacements, fortifications, and infantry positions along Utah Beach to support the amphibious assault that would make landfall less than ten minutes after their bomb runs. Due to rain and cloud cover, this mission would likely require low altitude attacks. Although their Marauder brethren had tragically learned the perils of low attitude operations a year before, the importance of this mission overrode caution. Successful preparation for the assault required both accurate and timely attacks from below cloud level. The men prepared to attack from as low as 500 feet above the heavily defended coast if necessary. The crews in each of 54 aircraft from the 397th knew this would be their most important sortie to date. They had trained and deployed to England for this very purpose. This D-Day mission, and the ensuing advance to Germany, would provide the opportunity to prove the capabilities of the 397th and their Marauder medium bombers.2 D-Day came less than two months after the 397 BG entered combat. They were the last American B-26 group deployed to Europe. They joined the Ninth Air Force (AF), the American tactical AF formed to support the Allied advance into Occupied Europe. By that time, the B-26 was becoming a valuable 1 Stephen E. Ambrose, D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994), 239. 2 History, 397th Bombardment Group, June 1944. 1 and capable contributor to the Allied war effort. Yet the still widely maligned aircraft had a complicated and sometimes tragic history. As a medium bomber, the Marauder’s capabilities in many ways fell in between the often-opposing expectations of the Army and the Army Air Forces (AAF). Disagreements over the value of medium bombers emerged before the aircraft’s inception and continued throughout its service life and beyond. After entering service, high accident rates in training saddled the Marauder with a reputation as an unsafe aircraft that proved difficult to shed. During its early combat employment, its shortcomings and operational losses overshadowed other tactical achievements. On multiple occasions, the AAF nearly removed the aircraft from its operational inventory. Yet the aircraft remained in service and its crews ultimately honed a capability that successfully contributed to the defeat of
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