Twentieth_Air_Force_tail_markings USAAF_unit_identification_aircraft_markings

1 twentieth air force tail markings

1.1 xx bomber command
1.2 xxi bomber command
1.3 509th composite group

twentieth air force tail markings

for period of 6 months twentieth air force operated 2 bomber commands, each different method of identifying b-29 superfortress groups. april 1945 forward twenty groups, organized 5 bomb wings, assigned xxi bomber command, standardized markings.

xx bomber command

the 58th bomb wing had been first deploy, beginning combat in june 1944 handful of b-29 s painted in standard olive drab camouflage. each of 4 groups employed different method while based in china burma india theater part of xx bomber command. 40th bg painted 4 horizontal stripes across upper tail fin letter identification of airplane below it. 444th bg numbered aircraft , placed within large blue diamond outlined in yellow on tail fin. 462nd bg painted rudders otherwise did not designate group. 468th painted 2 diagonal stripes on rudders of aircraft. when wing , groups transferred tinian in april 1945 58th wing changed letter-symbol system.

xxi bomber command

b-29 dinah might of 9th bg on march 4, 1945, showing 313th bomb wing markings in use (occasion: first b-29 land on iwo jima.) note aircraft s call sign x triangle 9 .

the 73rd bomb wing began combat in october 1944 isley field, saipan, , marked aircraft of fifteenth air force 55th cbw. letter denoting group painted on upper third of tail fin, square symbol in center, , aircraft identifier, known victor number, in lower third. aircraft commonly used tail identifiers radio voice calls (call signs), i.e. lucky irish (serial 42-24622) of 870th bomb squadron, 497th bomb group (lost november 24, 1944, on tokyo) had voice call square 26 .

the 313th bomb wing moved north field (tinian), in january 1945. aircraft used system identical of 73rd wing, symbol triangle.

the 314th bomb wing based @ north field, guam (now andersen air force base) beginning in january 1945, of groups beginning combat operations in february. in order mark increasing numbers of aircraft, 314th wing painted 96-inch black boxes on tail fins , stenciled group identifier, either m, o, p or k in bmf 72-inch block letters. later infilled bright orange/yellow in mid summer 1945.

the 58th bomb wing relocated india west field, tinian (now tinian international airport), in april 1945 , 315th wing began arriving @ northwest field, guam, in may. earlier system of marking aircraft discarded in april both 73rd , 313th wings. 73rd wing dropped use of symbols , marked aircraft group letter only, painted in 126-inch-high (3,200 mm) black lettering. except 314th wing, maintained markings throughout war, remaining wings of xxi bomber command used 126-inch-diameter (3,200 mm) symbols in black outline 63-inch-high (1,600 mm) group letters. symbol outline of 313th wing circle, of 58th wing triangle, , of 315th wing diamond.

20af group letter identifiers:

58th bomb wing (triangle outline symbol):

40th bg - s, 444th bg - n, 462nd bg - u, 468th bg - i

73rd bomb wing (square outline symbol, 10.5-foot letters):

497th bg - a, 498th bg - t, 499th bg - v, 500th bg - z

313th bomb wing (circle outline symbol):

6th bg - r, 9th bg - x, 504th bg - e, 505th bg (january march) - k, (april september) - w

314th bomb wing (solid black square):

315th bomb wing (diamond outline):

16th bg - b, 331st bg - l, 501st bg - y, 502nd bg - h



509th composite group

509th s straight flush in livery of 444th bg.

the 509th composite group, sent tinian drop atomic bomb, assigned 313th bomb wing. consisting of single squadron, tail marking circle outline around arrowhead pointing forward, while flying combat missions fifteen b-29 s used tail markings of other groups , wings security measure. richard h. campbell, in silverplate bombers, reports xxi bomber command feared japanese survivors on tinian observing 509th operations, had been quite extensive before august 1, , reporting them clandestine radio tokyo. (pg. 219, chapter 3 note 6)

the 509th repainted tail identifier of 4 xxi bomber command groups in combat, , altered victor numbers avoid misidentification actual aircraft bearing numbers. new victor numbers 82, 89, 90, , 91, carried markings of 6th bomb group (circle r); victors 71, 72, 73, , 84 of 497th bomb group (large ); victors 77, 85, 86, , 88 of 444th bomb group (triangle n); , victors 83, 94, , 95 of 39th bomb group (square p).