30th BOMBARDMENT GROUP, US Army Air Force
Constituted as 30th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 20 November 1940. Activated on 15 January 1941 at March Field, California under the command of Captain Budd J. Peaslee. Trained with B-18's and A-29's. Equipped with B-24's for operations. Patrolled the west coast, 1942-1943, and trained crews for other organizations. Moved to the Territory of Hawaii in October 1943 and assigned to the Seventh (former Hawaiian) Air Force. Sailed for the Central Pacific in November. Began operations from the Ellice Islands in Novembver 1943. Assisted the invasion of the Gilberts by attacking enemy installations on those Islands and by raiding airfields in the Marshalls to help prevent the launching of Japanese planes against the amphibious assault on Tarawa. After moving to the Gilberts in January 1944, bombed installations in the Marshall Islands in preparation for the invasion. Moved to Kwajalein in March 1944 and raided airfields and navy bases in the Truk Islands to keep them neutralized before and during the amphibious attack on the Marianas; also bombed Wake Island, Guam and Saipan. Moved to Saipan in August 1944 and attacked airfields and shipping in the Bonin and Volcano Islands until Iwo Jima was occupied early in 1945. Struck bypassed islands in the Carolines and Marianas. Returned to Oahu, Territory of Hawaii in March 1945. Trained and flew patrol missions. Inactivated in Hawaii on 25 June 1946. Transferred to the Department of the Air Force per the National Security Act of 26 July 1947.
21st Bombardment Squadron: 1941-1943
27th Bombardment Squadron: 1941-1946
28th Bombardment Squadron: 1941-1946
392d Bombardment Squadron: 1942-1945
819th Bombardment Squadron: 1943-1945
CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT
Antisubmarine, American Theater
Air Offensive, Japan
New Orleans, Louisiana c.June 1941
Muroc, California, 24 December 1941;
March Field, California, 7 February 1942-28 September 1943;
Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii, 20 October 1943;
Nanumea, Ellice Islands, 12 November 1943;
Abemama, 4 January 1944;
Kwajalein, c.20 March 1944;
Saipan, 4 August 1944;
Wheeler Field, Territory of Hawaii, March 1945;
Kahuku Field, Territory of Hawaii, 29 September 1945;
Wheeler Field, Territory of Hawaii, February-25 June 1946.
Major Thomas W. Steed, 10 February 1941;
Lt Col Newton Longfellow, 1941;
Major Thomas W. Steed, c.December 1941;
Lt Col Jack Wood, 21 August 1942;
Col Robert O. Cork, May 1943;
Col Edwin B. Miller, Jr, 30 August 1943;
Coll John J. Morrow, c.2 November 1944;
Lt Col Elliott T. Pardee, March 1945;
Col Elder Patterson, 1 July 1945-to unknown date.
DISTINCTIVE UNIT INSIGNIA
On a shield divided per pale gold and blue a pair of wings conjoined argent enfolding a drop bomb proper, in chief a nebuly divided barry of eight, white, red, and blue repeated. In base the unit motto ATOLL BUSTERS as adopted by the unit personnel early in World War II.
Orange gold and blue are the colors of the Army Air Forces, the wings and drop bomb relate to the unit mission, the nebuly denotes the skies, the area of operations for a air force unit as the barry of eight denote the colors of the Hawaiian flag and refer to the 8 islands of the Territory of Hawaii. The motto refers to t he unit mission in World War II.