491st Bombardment Group - RAF Metfield

The 491st Bombardment Group (H) was a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber unit assigned to the 8th Air Force's 2nd Air Division. It flew from RAF Metfield and North Pickenham, England against German industrial, military, and transportation targets from April 1944 to April 1945.

The group arrived in England in April 1944 and flew its first combat mission on 2 June 1944 with a target of the marshaling yards at Amiens, France in preparation for the D-Day landings at Normandy. Operations began with attacks on airfields, bridges, and coastal defenses both preceding and during the invasion of Normandy. Later the group concentrated its attacks on strategic objectives in Germany, striking communications centers, oil refineries, storage depots, industrial areas, shipyards, and other targets in such places as Berlin, Hamburg, Kassel, Cologne, Gelsenkirchen, Bielefeld, Hannover, and Magdeburg. On one occasion, the headquarters of the German General Staff at Zossen, Germany was attacked.

During preparations for a mission on 15 July 1944, ground crews were loading bombs onto B-24 Liberators when a catastrophic explosion occurred. A 500-lb bomb detonated prematurely while being handled or loaded. The initial blast triggered a chain reaction, causing multiple bombs and nearby aircraft to explode. At least five B-24s parked on the hardstands were destroyed almost instantly, along with several others heavily damaged. The explosion created a massive fireball and shockwave across the airfield and surrounding countryside. The exact cause was never definitively proven, but likely factors included, accidental detonation during handling of the bombs, possible fuse or arming error and the inherent danger of loading large quantities of high explosives under operational pressure. This was one of the worst ground accidents involving the 8th Air Force in England where it is estimated approximately 28 personnel were killed and more than 60 were injured.

While on a mission to bomb an oil refinery at Misburg on 26 November 1944, the group was attacked by large numbers of enemy fighters. Although about one-half (approximately 15 - 16) of its planes were destroyed, the remainder fought off the interceptors, successfully bombed the target, and were subsequently awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). Although engaged primarily in strategic bombardment, the group also supported ground forces at St Lo in July 1944, bombed V-weapon sites and communications lines in France during the summer of 1944. Supplies to paratroops were dropped on 18 September 1944 during the airborne attack in Holland. The group joined in the bombing of German supply lines and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945. Support was provided for Allied forces in the airborne drop across the Rhine in March 1945 and interdicted attacks on enemy communications were carried out during the Allied drive across Germany in April 1945. The group flew their last mission on 25 April 1945 attacking the rail marshaling yards at Salzburg.

By the end of the war, the group had flown a total of 187 combat missions and destroyed 22 enemy aircraft. The group lost 70 aircraft in combat and non-combat operations.

Campaigns
The 491st Bombardment Group participated in the following campaigns: Air Offensive - Europe, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.

Decorations
Distinguished Unit Citations (DUC): for action at Misburg, Germany 26 November 1944.

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