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The 410th Bombardment Group was a light bomber unit that fought with the Ninth Air Force from May 1944 to the end of the war in Europe, supporting the D-Day invasions and the campaign that followed.
The group was activated on 1 July 1943 and trained with the A-20 Havoc. It moved to England in March-April 1944 and made its combat debut in May 1944, just in time to take part in the pre D-Day campaign, attacking coastal defences, airfields and V-weapon sites. On D-Day it attacked gun positions and during the Normandy campaign it attacked bridges, German military vehicles, fuel and ammo dumps and rail lines. It also took part in the fighting at Caen and St Lo in July and the siege of Brest in August and September.
During the drive on Cherbourg in late June one attack by the 410th was analysed for its impact, and demonstrated some of the limits of air power. The group had destroyed a German gun position with four dual purpose 88s, but the guns weren't close to the front line and thus had little impact on the fighting the attack was meant to support.
The group moved to France in September 1944 and helped support the Allies armies as they streamed towards Germany. During the battle of the Bulge the group attacked marshalling yards and railheads as well as German vehicles in the battle area itself. The group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attacks between 23-25 December 1944.
From February to April 1945 the group supported the advance into Germany. In February it experimented with night attacks, using B-26 Marauders to drop flares, A-26 Invaders to mark targets and the A-20s for the actual attack. In April the group began to convert to the A-26 Invader, but the war ended before it could take that aircraft into action.
The group returned to the US in June-August 1945 and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
July 1943-Spring 1945: Douglas A-20 Havoc
Spring 1945-November 1945: Douglas A-26 Invader
| 16 June 1943 | Constituted as 410th Bombardment Group (Light) |
| 1 July 1943 | Activated |
| March-April 1944 | To England and Ninth Air Force |
| September 1944 | To France |
| June-August 1945 | Returned to US |
| 7 November 1945 | Inactivated |
Unkn: 1 Jul-13 Aug
1943
Lt Col Clark L Miller: 13 Aug 1943
Col Ralph Rhudy: 17 Sep 1943
Col Sherman
R Beaty: 3 Jul 1944
Col Robert J
Hughey: Dec 1944-1945
Will Rogers Field, Okla: 1
Jul 1943
Muskogee AAFld, Okla: Oct
1943
Laurel AAFld, Miss: Jan 1944
Lakeland
AAFld, Fla: c. 8 Feb-c. 13 Mar 1944
Birch, England: c. 4 Apr 1944
Gosfield,
England: c. 16 Apr 1944
Coulommiers,
France: Sep 1944
Juvincourt, France: Feb
1945
Beaumont-sur-Oise, France: May-
Jun 1945
Seymour Johnson Field, NC:
Aug 1945
Myrtle Beach AAFld, SC: c.5 Oct-7 Nov 1945
644th Bombardment Squadron: 1944-1945
645th Bombardment Squadron: 1943-1945
646th Bombardment Squadron: 1943-1945
647th Bombardment Squadron: 1943-1945
1944-45: 97th Bombardment Wing; 9th Bombardment Division (Medium); Ninth Air Force