491st Bombardment Group

491st Bombardment Group "Ringmasters"
Emblem of the 491st Bombardment Group
Active	1943–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Role	Bomber
Part of	Eighth Air Force

The 491st Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last assigned to the II Bomber Command, stationed at McChord Field, Washington. It was inactivated on 8 September 1945.

During World War II the group was an Eighth Air Force B-24 Liberator unit stationed in England. Assigned to RAF North Pickenham in early 1944. The group flew 187 combat missions, being awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for a raid over Misburg on 26 November 1944. The unit flew its last mission on 25 April 1945.

Activated 1 October 1943 at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb group; assigned to II Bomber Command for training. The 491st 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 Biggs Field near El Paso, Texas on 11 November 1943 and trained there until January 1944 when, during training, most of ground unit was transferred to Pratt Army Airfield, Kansas, to augment a new B-29 Superfortress group being trained by Second Air Force. Throughout November and December, personnel strength was further reduced by transfer to other B-24 groups of personnel and aircraft until only four full aircrews and a few extra crew members remained, in addition to the Group Staff.

On 7 January 1944, orders came through for the 491st to move to Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado to complete training. Upon arrival at Pueblo, the 491st personnel were assigned to the 471st Combat Crew Training School for additional instruction. Additional crews arrived almost at once, bringing the Group total to 24. These new crews were part of a sizable detachment that had left Davis-Monthan field together after completing Phase I training. However, when their train reached Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico, late at night, many of the crews got off to become the air echelon of the 492d Bombardment Group, while the crews assigned to the 491st continued on. The 471st was redesignated a Heavy Bomb Group and moved out on 24 January, leaving the 491st in sole possession of the buildings, equipment and aircraft at Pueblo AAB. New B-24s were assigned to the group from Consolidated and training was completed by April.