492d Bombardment Group The 492d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit . It was last assigned to the Second Air Force , stationed at Kirtland Field , New Mexico . It was inactivated on 17 October 1945 . During World War II the unit entered combat in May 1944 , and sustained the heaviest losses of any other B - 24 Liberator group for a three - month period . The group was withdrawn from combat with its personnel and equipment being reassigned to other units . The 801st Bombardment Group ( Provisional ) was redesignated as the 492d Bombardment Group , and the group performed special operations missions throughout the remainder of the war in Europe . History . Established in October 1943 at Clovis Army Air Field , New Mexico under II Bomber Command as a B - 24 Liberator heavy bomb group . The 492d was one of seven Heavy Bombardment Groups – 488th through 494th - activated in the autumn of 1943 . These were to be the last Army Air Forces heavy bomb groups established . Reassigned to Alamogordo Army Airfield with a full complement of 72 crews and 72 brand new B - 24 ' s and trained there until the end of March 1944 . Was deployed to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) , being assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England . Only a small part ground unit ( 124 men ) from US left Alamogordo on 11 April 1944 and sailed on the RMS Queen Elizabeth 20 April 1944 . Main body of ground echelon from four 2 Bombardment Division groups were already in the UK . These groups had been ordered to raise additional squadron ground unit . The aircraft left Alamogordo on 1 April 1944 , to commence overseas movement by the South Atlantic Transport Route , beginning at Morrison Field , Florida , Trinidad , Brazil , Dakar and Marrakesh , French Morocco then to the United Kingdom . When the group arrived , they were the first VIII BC group with a no camouflage paint , natural - metal - finish ( NMF ) on all their aircraft . The 492d entered combat on 11 May 1944 , and throughout the month operated primarily against industrial targets in central Germany . Attacked airfields and V - weapon launching sites in France during the first week in June . Bombed coastal defenses in Normandy on 6 June 1944 and attacked bridges , railroads , and other interdiction targets in France until the middle of the month . Resumed bombardment of strategic targets in Germany and , except for support of the infantry during the Saint - Lô breakthrough on 25 July 1944 , continued such operations until August 1944 when after only 89 days of combat , the 492nd had lost 52 aircraft to enemy action , with 588 men killed or missing . In the words of one veteran , " the whole group was wiped out " . Rather than try to rebuild the shattered group , the group was stood down and the surviving members were reassigned to other units in theater . Subsequently , the organization was transferred without personnel or equipment , to RAF Harrington on 5 August 1944 and assumed personnel , equipment , and the Carpetbagger special operations mission of the 801st Bombardment Group ( Provisional ) that was discontinued . With black - painted aircraft configured with engine flame dampeners and optimized for night operations , the group operated chiefly over southern France with B - 24 ' s and C - 47 ' s , transporting agents , supplies , and propaganda leaflets to patriots . Ceased these missions on 16 September 1944 to haul gasoline to advancing mechanized forces in France and Belgium . Intermittently attacked airfields , oil refineries , seaports , and other targets in France , the Low Countries , and Germany until February 1945 . Meanwhile , in October 1944 , began training for night bombardment operations ; concentrated on night bombing of marshaling yards and goods depots in Germany , February — March 1945 . Ceased these missions on 18 March 1945 to engage in Carpetbagger operations over Germany and German - occupied territory , using B - 24 , A - 26 , and British Mosquito aircraft to drop leaflets , demolition equipment , and agents . Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for these operations , performed at night despite adverse weather and vigorous opposition from enemy ground forces , 20 March - 25 April 1945 . Also cited by the French government for similar operations over France in 1944 . Flew its last Carpetbagger mission in April 1945 and then ferried personnel and equipment to and from the Continent until July . Returned to the US , July — August 1945 and was reassigned to Kirtland Field , New Mexico and was redesignated a B - 29 Superfortress Very Heavy bomb group . Was programmed for B - 29 operations in the Central Pacific , however became unnecessary when Pacific War ended . Inactivated on 17 October 1945 . Squadrons . Note * : Squadron taken off operational combat status ; personnel and equipment of squadron were reassigned to other units . Absorbed personnel and equipment of provisional squadron in a name - only redesignation .