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The 404th Fighter Bomber Group
United States Army Ninth Airforce
The Origin of and a brief History of the 404th Fighter Bomber Group, February 1943 to
March 1944
The 404th (Dive) Bombardment Group was formed on the 4th of February 1943 at Key Field, Meridian, Mississippi. The group had four squadrons, the 620, 621, 622 and 623 bombardment squadrons. On March the 2nd 1943, five Vultee A35-A Vengeance dive bombers were assigned for evaluation. These were grounded on July 1st and a number of Douglas A-24A Dauntless aircraft were assigned as replacements. Later in July P-39 Aerocobras were assigned for just two weeks, as were some more Dauntless aircraft, this time A24Bs. Finally in November 1943 the P39s were reassigned and by early December 1943 the group had 59 P_39s and and just five A24s remaining.
During August 1943 the unit was reorganised and renamed the 404th Fighter Bomber Group and 620, 621, 622 squadrons became 506, 507 and 508 Fighter Bomber Squadrons on 19 August 43. The 623rd Squadron was disbanded on 23 August 1943.
The 620th squadron of the old 404th Bombardment Group had a squadron badge consisting of a snorting bull a " white disc, border triparted blue, white, red with a charging caricature of a red bull, horns white trimmed black, blowing two light blue aerial bombs from the nostrils, emitting speed lines in grey."
The 621st squadron had a badge defined as "red disc, border of red, yellow, light blue bands separated by white, the body and head of a black panther. eyes green, mouth red, diving though space carrying a large yellow aerial bomb under its right forepaw, point to base, all emitting white speed lines".
The 622nd squadron had a badge defined as "Over and through a light blue disc, bordure yellow-orange, piped white, a skeleton white, outlined black, reclining in a large red-orange aerial bomb falling to base, all emitting white speed lines to rear".
The fourth squadron (623), which had an emblem of a yellow bomb with a gremlin sat on it, was disbanded in 1943.
The 404th Bombardment Group also had its own headquarters insignia, a shield with four bombs point downwards falling in an echelon formation across the shield. Each bomb was coloured differently, representing one of the four original squadrons. The motto translated as Go Give Them Hell. It appears that after the restructuring of the 404th to a fighter bomber group the old heraldic devices were (at least officially) abandoned and no new one was adopted until 1945.
Many present day references to the 404th refer to it as having been a fighter group. Throughout 1943 and the first half of 1944 the 404th and its constituent squadrons consistently referred to themselves in their unit histories as a fighter bomber group and fighter bomber squadrons until June 1944. On 13 June 1944 the group was redesignated a fighter group.
November 1943
On or about the 1st of November 1943 the 404th was ordered to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina which had bombing ranges adjacent to the airfield. The group arrived on 13 November 1943 and received the first of a number of Bell P39 Airacobra aircraft.
December 1943
During December a fourth squadron, the 455th Fighter bomber squadron was formed. The group's Douglas A24 aircraft (an Air Force derivative of the US Navy’s SBD Dauntless dive bomber) were withdrawn and more P39s received .
January 1944
During January the group was working up on a variety of aircraft, having received fifty P39s and twelve Republic P47 Thunderbolts. The group also had two BC1 trainers, and one North American AT6 Texan advanced training and communications aircraft which was a development of the BC1 and had previously been styled the BC1A until a 1940 designation change.
There was a major change in the 404th’s pilot contingent in January, with 42 pilots being reassigned out of the 506, 507 and 508th squadrons. These changes were precipitated by the requirement for the 404th to operate single seat fighters as fighter bombers with an overseas combat assignment imminent. New pilots were posted in, all with a minimum of 450 hours on fighter aircraft and the group history considered that the 404th was "now potentially the strongest unit ever to be sent overseas". The unit was placed on overseas alert on 20th January and movement orders were received on the 30th January.
On the 27th of January 1944 Lieutenant Colonel Carroll W "Red" McColpin was assigned to the 404th as its commanding officer.
February 1944
The 455th squadron was transferred to the 408th Fighter Bomber Group. Captain Dudley Conner, the Group's S-2 Intelligence Officer, left for England as the advanced party of the 404th. prior to the group’s move to Britain. Mention is made of a "Group Whoop " party at The Ocean Forest Hotel in Myrtle Beach on the 22nd.
March 1944
On the 13th of March 1944 the 404th Fighter Bomber Group was ordered to proceed
overseas via New York, arriving in England on the 3rd of April 1944.
