|
The 42nd Bomb Wing began its history as the 42nd Bombardment Group (Medium) at Fort Douglas, Utah, on January 15, 1942. The group was transferred to Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, in June of the same year with B-18 and B-26 bombers assigned. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, one tactical squadron moved to Alaska for coastal patrol while the rest of the group moved to McChord Field, Washington, in preparations for overseas duty. Following final training at Hammar Field, California, in February of 1943, the group moved to the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. In June of ’43, with the newly added 69 th and 70 th Bomb Squadrons strengthening the group, the 42nd attacked Japanese targets in the central Solomon Islands. From January through July of 1944 42nd aircraft bombed enemy harbors and airfields on New Britain and attacked shipping around the Morthern Solomons and Bismarck Island. In March 1945, the Group moved to the Philippines and supported ground operations on Mindanao. The 42nd earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for support of an Australian invasion of a Japanses oil refinery at Balikpapen, Borneo, June 23-30, 1945. Following a transfer to Japan as part of U.S. occupation forces in January 1946, the 42nd Bombardment Group(Medium) was inactivated on May 10 of the same year.
|
