450th Bombardment Group
The 450th Fighter-Day Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 450th Fighter-Day Wing of Tactical Air Command (TAC) at Foster AFB, Texas. It was inactivated on 11 December 1957.
| 450th Bombardment Group | |
|---|---|
B-24s of the 450th Bomb Group | |
| Active | 1943-1945, 1954-1957 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Bomber, then Fighter |
| Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation |
| Insignia | |
| 450th Bombardment Group Emblem | |
| 450th Fighter-Bomber Group Emblem | |
The 450th Bombardment Group was originally activated in 1943 and saw combat during World War II as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group under Fifteenth Air Force in Italy. They were known as "The Cottontails" because the vertical stabilizers of the bombers were painted white. The unit received two Distinguished Unit Citations in support of the invasion of Southern France, the advance of Russian troops in the Balkans, and the Allied effort in Italy. It was inactivated in October 1945.
The group was reactivated as a fighter unit briefly in the 1950s under Tactical Air Command (TAC) at Foster AFB, Texas, where it replaced a flying training unit. It was the first USAF combat group to fly the North American F-100 Super Sabre.