Gardner, Melvin J., SSgt

China-Burma-India, Sep 1942 - Nov 1945

"Flying Falcons" ('42-43)
"China Glippers" ('44-45)

B-25C, -3122 "Flagship of the 490th"

The 341st Bombardment Group was activated on 15 September 1942 as a medium bombardment group equipped with the B-25 Mitchell. It entered the front line early in 1943, operating against Japanese ground targets in central Burma.

In January 1944 the group was transferred to the Fourteenth Air Force, based in China. There it concentrated on anti-shipping strikes (without the 490th squadron), at sea and on China's inland waterways. It also attacked ground targets in Canton and in French Indochina. The group received a DUC for developing a bombing technique for use against bridges.

Main Bases

Karachi: 15 September 1942
Chakulia, India: 30 December 1942
Kurmitola, India: June 1943
Kunming, China: 7 January 1944
Yangkai, China: 13 December 1944-October 1945

Component Units

11th Bombardment Squadron: 1942-1945
22nd Bombardment Squadron: 1942-1945
490th Bombardment Squadron: 1942-1945
491st Bombardment Squadron: 1942-1945

Assigned To

Tenth Air Force: September 1942-January 1944
69th Composite Wing, Fourteenth Air Force: January 1944-October 1945







 

B-25 Mitchell bomber 'Tokyo Jo' with crew of 11th Bomb Squadron, US 341st Bomb Group, China, 2 Feb 1943