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Honestly this is the best bomb group insignia graphics I have ever seen
including all the Disney ones. The 5th heavy bomb group was part of
the 7th Air Force. This is a Pacific heavy bomb group with the
Bomber Barons as there official guy. Its really neat with the skull and
the top hat and he looks mad too. Over all size 16" x 16". I have put a high price on this as I
think that I will frame it for myself. Condition some folds two dark
spots Good +
Some history of the group
The 5th Bombardment Group suffered devastating
casualties and equipment damage during the
Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor,
Hickam Field and
other targets on the island of Oahu on 7 December 1941. However, the
group’s aircrews went on to become the first U.S. military forces to
take to the air following the attack.
Assigned to
Seventh Air Force
in February 1942. Engaged primarily in search and patrol missions off
Hawaii from December 1941 to November 1942. In Hawaii, the
B-17E-equipped 5th and 11th Bombardment Groups were used in the
Battle of Midway
to attack Japanese surface fleets. High-altitude bombing attacks against
moving ships capable of evasive action proved to be completely
unsuccessful at Midway. Although several attacks were made by the B-17s,
none of their bombs actually hit a single Japanese ship. An attack
against naval vessels at sea was found to be a job best done by
low-altitude
B-25 Mitchell/B-26
Marauder
medium bombers or
by
Douglas A-24 Banshee
dive bombers.
Left Hawaii in November 1942 and, operating
primarily from
Pekoa Airfield,
Espírito Santo in
the
New Hebrides Islands
with a mix of B-17 and B-24 aircraft, served in combat with
Thirteenth Air Force
during the Allied drive from the Solomons to the
Philippines. Flew
long patrol and photographic missions over the Solomon Islands and the
Coral Sea,
attacked Japanese shipping off
Guadalcanal, and
raided airfields in the northern Solomons until August 1943. Then struck
enemy bases and installations on
Bougainville,
New Britain, and
New Ireland.
The group moved between various bases in the
Southwest Pacific and by mid-1943, most B-17s were withthdrawn in favor
of the longer-ranged
Consolidated B-24 Liberator.
The B-24 was better suited for operations in the Pacific, having a
higher speed and a larger bombload at medium altitudes. In addition, the
losses in Europe were reaching such magnitudes that the entire B-17
production was urgently needed for replacements and training in that
theatre.
Raided the heavily defended Japanese base on
Woleai during
April and May 1944 and received a
Distinguished Unit Citation
for the action. Helped to neutralize enemy bases on
Yap and in the
Truk and
Palau Islands,
June–August 1944, preparatory to the invasion of
Peleliu and
Leyte. Flew
missions to the
Netherlands Indies,
receiving a DUC for an attack, conducted through heavy flak and fighter
defenses, on oil installations at
Balikpapan,
Borneo, on 30
September 1944. Completed a variety of missions from October 1944 until
the end of the war, these operations including raids on enemy bases and
installations on
Luzon,
Ceram,
Halmahera, and
Formosa; support
for ground forces in the
Philippines and
Borneo; and
patrols off the China coast. Moved to the
Philippines in
1945 till the end of the war.
During the nearly four years of war, the group
participated in 10 major campaigns, flew more than 1,000 combat missions
and earned two Distinguished Unit Citations and the Philippine
Presidential Unit Citation. During the time, its members accumulated
more than 13,300 medals and decorations. |
