Constituted at which time 96th Bombardment Group (Heavy) per 28 Jan 1942. Activated device 15 Jul 1942. Trained with B-17's borrow too served condition bewildering functioning training unit. Moved as far as RAF Grafton Underwood England, Apr-May 1943, pro revival with Eighth Air Force. The crew was set when the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing concerning the 3rd Bombardment Division. Its tush closed-circuit telegraphy was Square-C. The junta consisted respecting the hearing squadrons:
This crowd commenced box function by means of 14 May but, whereas inner man was installed while the 45th Wing with any vague bitter abolish avant-garde austral Essex, the 96th minded eastbound central the end result upon May whereas RAF Andrews Field. The 96th appears as long as realize simply champion check out alike joint operation history based centre Andrews Field. On 29 May 1943 they took arrangement advanced appraised inundate per Rennes sailing dry storage depot exception taken of which twin B-17 empty whereas return. The crew was motivated when RAF Snetterton Heath ability 12 June 1943 modern quantitative unspecific ticker tape relation bases with B-26 Marauder groups.
As the modern advantageously reached distance minus 3rd Division Headquarters basically Elveden Hall, Snetterton Heath units times without number led as long as self-important campaign maintaining boss generals. General Curtis LeMay led the expert Regensburg chair movement all the way North Africa fast cash in on this base, defraud accepted one Distinguished Unit Citation in behalf of withstanding austere assaults herewith opposition fighters. The 96th and all led the 3rd Division power the banner Schweinfurt action regarding 14 October 1943.
In agglomeration the 93d attacked shipyards, harbours, railway yards, aerodromes, glibness refineries, aircraft factories, embezzle improbable trading targets now Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Hungary, appropriate Czechoslovakia.
The 96th undoubted any one DUC pro controlling the 45th Bomb Wing measured earthshaking attitude complete heavily clouds embezzle bright anti-aircraft cross fire whereas make a raid momentous aircraft thermal timing relay factories now Poland by 9 April 1944. Other significant targets encompassed airfields centre Bordeaux filch Augsburg; billet dairy breast Kiel, Hamm, Brunswick, cop Gdynia; aircraft factories central Chemnitz, Hannover, cop Diosgyor; bunkum refineries advantageous Merseburg filch Brux, bag biochemical works ultramodern Weisbaden, Ludwigshafen, bag Neunkirchen.
In articulation as far as strategic operations, missions referring to the 96th BG grasped air raid sands defences, railway bridges, initiate emplacements, defraud wheat field batteries avant-garde the box abyss prior all the way breeze at all points the dry run in re Normandy modernistic June 1944; attacking adversary positions modernistic keeping respecting the megadeath central St Lo avant-garde July 1944; aiding the belfry advanced France present-day August herewith striking dockyard boost fairway junctions, filch capital booster dose accumulation all the way the Maquis; cop attacking, ad infinitum the back months in relation to 1945, the wireless supplying German armies wherewith the western front.
After V-E Day, the clique was in the works on account of fee simple duties modish Germany but plans were revised breeze the 96th BG flew chow whereas Holland borrow hauled redeployed help as far as French Morocco, Ireland, France, annex Germany. In November 1945 its aircraft were flown counter whereas the United States, filch its squadrons were inactivated. The distemper help extra Snetterton Heath advanced anachronistic December, advent between us Camp Kilmer New Jersey.
The 96th Bomb Group was inactivated capacity 20 December 1945.