RESTRICTED

444^TH BOMB GROUP (H) HISTORICAL DATA

April 1944

The April report of the 677^th Bomb Squadron tells of the experiences of one crew who made the trip to Chara by boat and ATC. After having been briefed for the trip overseas, these crews left Great Bend by train and proceeded to Camp Patrick Henry, took ten days by ship to Casablanca, stayed there around two weeks, then by ATC to Tripoli, Cairo, Adaban, Karachi, Chakulia, and finally to Charra. Nine planes made the crossing successfully, Capt. Furchner having to land in the Azores for one day. Capt. J.A. Dunn and crew were left in the states as a replacement crew.

The 678^th Bomb Squadron was the first squadron to have all of its planes arrive in Charra, none having been held up on the way, the most outstanding incident being Major Blackwell’s forced landing in the Azores. A squadron mess is being set up through the efforts of Capt. Stone, and all of its personnel are comfortably settled in good barracks.

The 679^th Bomb Squadron had a strength 0f 82 oficers and 93 enlisted men on April 30^th, all having reached Charra by B-29 or boat and ATC. With the exception of Capt. Overton and Capt. Wyatt, and their respective crews in #234 and #307, both having been grounded in Cairo and Karachi. Capt. Wood in #215 was the second ship over the “hump”, having followed Col. Clark by about an hour. He had no interception however and came back with glowing accounts of the Chinese base. Quite a few of the maintenance squadron had been sent over to form a cadre for the new base. By the end of the month, the barracks had been made comfortable, and the squadron mess hall was started with group personnel also eating there, and the squadron was “at home” with a few cases of the GI’s and inadequate showers being the only fly in the ointment.

April 1^st found the 5^th and 5^th Bomb Maintenance Squadrons debarking from the U.S.S. Mount Vernon and being transferred to Camp Worli. All received passes to visit Bombay, and five days later entrained for Charra. The trip lasting four days and will always be remembered for its hardships, but in spite of these, practically all arrived in good health and spirits, ready for the job of putting the planes back in top condition. On the 27^th of the month, 15 men from the 5^th and 1 men from the 6^th, among them Capt. Walter Jones, 1^st Lt Penwarden, 2^nd Lts. Chin and McCormick, left Charra to go over the “hump” to the new base. Strength of the 5^th is 18 officers and 360 enlisted men, while the 6^th has 19 officers and 369 enlisted men.

The 7^th and 8^th Bomb Maintenance Squadrons debarked from the S.S. Champollion on the 2^nd of April, and were taken immediately to Camp Deololi, about 100 miles north of Bombay, where there was a rest of 11 days before they entrained for the new base. Four men were taken from the train and hospitalized before it could move and two more were taken off at Raipur. The train accommodations were extremely poor and it was a weary bunch of men who pulled into Charra on the 17^th. The task of planning and setting up the organization after 75 days of inactivity was begun with real enthusiasm, both squadrons being anxious to get to work. Fourteen enlisted men and one officer of the 8^th received orders to go to China and they left on the 27^th.

At the end of April the 444^th is set up for action of any description, as the planes are ready for the offensive, while slit trenches and a defense plan would prove effective against any attack. Although the usual complaining is heard, everyone seems satisfied that Charra is the best of the B-29 bases and that were are finally ready to fight.