Nearest aircraft is Consolidated B-24L-5-CO (S/N 44-41538) of the 33rd Bombardment Squadron, 22nd Bombardment Group. (U.S. Air Force photo) Aircraft #538 was named “Round Trip Ticket” and aircraft #366 B-24J S/N 44-40366 was named “Gypsy” and later renamed “Slightly Dangerous”.
LINEAGE.
Constituted 33d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 3 Feb 1944; 33d Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 30 Apr 1946; 33d Bombardment Squadron(Medium) on 28 J. 11948.
ASSIGNMENTS. 22d Bombardment Group, 1 Feb 1940; 22d Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952
AIRCRAFT. B-18, 1940-1941; B-26, 1941-1943; B-25, 1943-1944; B-24, 1944-1945; B-29, 1946-1953; 33-47, 1953—
OPERATIONS. Antisubmarine patrols, Dec iHi-Jan 1942; combat in South- west and Western Pacific, 6 Apr 1942-7 Jan 1943, 7 Oct 1943-3 Aug 1945. Not manned, 23 Nov 1945-15 Jun 1946. Combat in Korea, 13 Jul-1 Oct 1950.
CAMPAIGNS. World War II: Antisubmarine, American Theater; East Indies; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Papua; New Guinea; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon, Southern Philippines; China Offensive; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive. DECORATIONDS. Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, 23 Jul 1942-[7] Jan 1943; New Guinea, 5 Nov 1943. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 10 Jul–24 Oct 1950. EMBLEM. A red dragon’s head erased, with yellow, brown, and white markings. (Approved 10 Apr 1941. )
The book, Revenge of the Red Raiders takes the reader on an unforgettable journey with America’s young airmen across the war zones of the Southwest Pacific Theater during World War II. This comprehensively researched and definitive account of one of America’s premier Army Air Force bombardment units follows the 22nd Bomb Group from its prewar stateside formation and training, through its deployment to Northern Australia during the earliest days of WWII, to the end of the conflict on the island of Okinawa. The 22nd Bomb Group was the first air group to receive the new B-26 Marauder medium bomber when it began rolling off the Martin production line in early 1941. The struggle of testing the highly advanced aircraft, produced without a prototype, and training up the crews to the standards of the newest generation of medium bomber is fully covered in this text. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the 22nd was the first American bombardment unit to deploy to the Pacific combat theater with a full complement of aircraft. The Group pioneered the Pacific island-hopping transit route to Australia, and two of its planes conducted an attack on the Japanese carrier Akagi during the decisive Battle of Midway.
In April of 1942, once ensconced in northern Australia, the men of the 22nd were immediately thrown into battle without fighter protection to stem the Japanese tidal wave that was threatening to overwhelm the crumbling Allied position in the Southwest Pacific, and they conducted some of the earliest bombing raids on the Japanese airfield at Lae and the bastion of Rabaul from primitive airfields in New Guinea. These early American air operations are some of the most exciting of the Pacific war and are fully covered with text and photos from the American and Japanese sides. Although initially equipped with the B-26 Marauder, the 22nd later partially converted to the B-25 Mitchell before becoming a B-24 Liberator Heavy Bombardment unit during the spring of 1944 and continuing the fight across the Southwest Pacific to the very doorstep of Japan. The Group became the only Army Air Force unit to sink an enemy cruiser during the war.
Revenge of the Red Raiders consists of 624 pages and is illustrated by more than 1000 photos, four magnificent color paintings by top aviation artist Jack Fellows, 48 full-color aircraft profiles, 3 aircraft cut-away drawings and 16 detailed maps that pinpoint all bases, every mission flown and the site of each aircraft lost. Nearly every aircraft flown by the unit is depicted in the book’s extensive photo collection. This chronological text is enhanced by appendices of leaders, casualties, the history of every combat aircraft flown and an encyclopedic history of the unit’s aircraft markings and insignias. A final appendix details the histories of both the aircraft and crews of the 48 B-26, B-25 and B-24 aircraft illustrated in the color profile section. Assembled from wartime records of the U.S., Japan and Australia and supplemented by the personal experiences of hundreds of the unit’s veterans, this book stands as a landmark in aviation history. A particularly unique feature is the careful matching of information from both American and Japanese sources, providing for the first time an accurate account of virtually all of the combat encounters both in the air and against shipping at sea.
The long-awaited history of the 22nd Bombardment Group in WWII, Revenge of the Red Raiders, has been published and is now available from International Research and Publishing. It is the second volume in the series “Eagles Over the Pacific” and follows the acclaimed history of the 345th BG – Warpath Across the Pacific. Copies can be ordered directly from the website. International Research and Publishing International orders welcome.
Revenge of the Red Raiders is the most thorough account of this important US Army Air Corp bombardment group. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor the 22nd BG was rushed to Australia and went into action over Rabaul in April of 1942 with the B-26 Marauder in a series of daring unescorted raids. In mid-1943, it partially converted to the B-25 Mitchell before changing to the B-24 Liberator during the spring of 1944. The unit was stationed on Okinawa at the end of the war.
This is an encyclopedic 624-page history written by Larry Hickey (Warpath Across the Pacific), Walter Gaylor (WWII vet 22nd BG historian) and Don Evans Harry Nelson, (who served with the 22nd). The authors draw upon all available group and squadron histories, personal diaries memoirs as well as interviews with over 200 veterans. Translations of Japanese Navy and Army air force records by noted authority Sam Tagaya have been integrated into the history to provide a full account of the 22nd’s combat. The text is complemented by over 1000 photos, many from the personal collections of veterans and never before published. Sixteen detailed maps depict the locations of all missions flown and aircraft losses. Illustrations include a 32-page color section of rare photos, patches, combat paintings by Jack Fellows, and 48 color profiles of 22nd BG planes by Steve Ferguson. Fully-indexed. Copies autographed by Larry Hickey upon request.
“This is one of the most comprehensive treatments of a combat air unit ever attempted, and hopefully will be a landmark publication in aviation history. I hope that you enjoy this monumental effort.” Larry Hickey.
Bases for the 33rd Bomb Squadron
Patterson Field, Ohio, 1 Feb 1940
Langley Field, Va, 16 Nov I940
Muroc, Calif, 9 Dec 1941-28 Jan 1942
Brisbane, Australia, 25 Feb I.942
Ipswich, Australia, 1 Mar 1942
Antil Plains, Australia, 7 Apr 1942
Woodstock, Australia, 20 Jul 1942
Iron Range, Australia, 29 Sep 1942
Woodstock, Australia, 4 Feb 1943
Dobodura, New Guinea, 15 Oct 1943
Nadzab, New Guinea, c. l0 Jan 1944
Owi, Schouten Islands, 14 Aug 1944
Leyte, c. l0 Nov 1944
Angaur, 26 Nov 1944
Samar, 21 Jan 1945
Clark Field, Luzon,12 Mar 1945
Okinawa, 15 Aug 1945
Ft William McKinley, Luzon, 23 Nov 1945