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Air Force Special Operations in World War II
Artwork by SSgt Steve Doyle, USAF
In 1943, General H.H. “Hap” Arnold had created an unconventional warfare unit in Burma to assist the British in their fight against the Japanese. Although the Air Commando Groups enjoyed great success in the China-Burma-India and Pacific Theaters, Arnold abandoned his plans to form two Air Commando Groups for Europe. The war in Europe was rapidly winding to a close as the Nazi war machine crumbled. Additionally, Arnold's Air Commando units were unpopular with field commanders who did not appreciate the unorthodox combat tactics they employed or the virtual autonomy they enjoyed.
Still, unconventional warfare and special operations were alive and well in the European theater. These missions were flown by the daring men of the 492nd Bombardment Group, the "Carpetbaggers." The Carpetbaggers are part of the U.S. Air Force's special operations heritage, forerunners of today's Air Commando crews who specialize in the infiltration, resupply, and exfiltration of special forces behind enemy lines. While they never bore the name "Air Commando," the Carpetbaggers were Air Commandos in deed and in spirit.
In November 1943, a unit was formed to clandestinely deliver agents and supplies into Nazi-occupied Europe for the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.). The 4th and 22nd Antisubmarine Squadrons were used as the nucleus for two new squadrons which would operate under the code name "Carpetbagger." The new squadrons, the 36th and 406th Bombardment Squadrons were attached to the 482nd Bombardment Group (Provisional) at Alconbury, England.
Carpetbagger missions began in December 1943. The squadrons flew agents and supplies into southern France with B-24 Liberators specially modified for the job. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was a heavy bomber powered by four 1200 horsepower Pratt and Whitney engines and capable of delivering a bombload of 8,000 pounds. It was defended by ten fifty caliber machine guns, two each in the top, belly, and tail turrets, two in the nose, and two in the waist position, one on each side. For Carpetbagger missions, all armament was removed except in the top and tail turrets. In addition, the standard bomb shackles were removed from the bomb bay and British shackles were installed to accommodate special supply canisters. All unneeded radio gear was removed, as were the oxygen bottles. Flash suppressers were installed on the guns, flame dampeners were installed on the turbo-superchargers, and blackout curtains were installed over the waist gun windows. Light bulbs were painted red to spare night vision and special radio gear was added to assist in navigation and homing in on drop zones. The undersides of the aircraft were painted black to avoid detection by enemy searchlights.
Other modifications included removing the belly turret and installing a smooth, sheet metal shroud with plywood doors in its place. Plywood floors and handrails were installed for the comfort of the agents and the jumpmaster. When the red and green jump lights signaled arrival over the drop zone, the agents would exit the aircraft through the shroud. The agents were known as "Joes" to the aircrew and they dropped through the "Joe-hole" at an altitude of 600 feet and a speed of 125 miles per hour. The Liberators could drop eight agents in one string.
On 1 April 1944, the squadrons were reassigned to the 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional). The 801st moved to an airfield outside the village of Harrington, in Northamptonshire, England. In May, two squadrons of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses joined the 801st, also to fly Carpetbagger missions.
The B-17s flown by the 788th and 850th Bombardment Squadrons were heavy bombers powered by four 1200 horsepower Wright engines and armed with as many as thirteen 50 caliber machine guns. Carpetbagger Flying Fortresses were employed to drop leaflets over Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Greece, and the Balkans. Some leaflets informed the citizens in occupied Europe of war news and Axis losses. Others urged German troops to surrender and offered safe passage through Allied lines. Seventy-seven percent of the German troops captured in France either had one of these leaflets or had seen one.
The leaflets were a trusted source of news for the oppressed citizens of occupied Europe. They were widely read and some times carried for months and hidden in false pockets, hats, and shoes. Possession of one of the leaflets meant an automatic death sentence if caught by the Nazis.
In August 1944, the 801st Bombardment Group was absorbed by the 492nd Bombardment Group (Heavy), resulting in the renumbering of the squadrons. The 36th became the 856th, the 850th became the 857th, the 406th became the 858th, and the 788th became the 859th Bombardment Squadron.
In October 1944, three of the Carpetbagger squadrons, the 857th, 858th, and 859th, transitioned to night bombing operations. This proved to be a difficult transition, since the aircraft had been modified by the removal of the original bomb shackles and the oxygen systems. By mid-November, Headquarters, 8th Air Force decided that the Carpetbagger aircraft just were not suitable and finally allocated oxygen-equipped B-24s for the new mission. The night bombing force of the 492nd became known as the "Black Liberators."
In December 1944, Carpetbagger operations resumed. In May 1945, the Germans surrendered. In the last months of the war in Europe, the Carpetbaggers dropped bicycle tires, automatic weapons, and radio operators for the underground. They also dropped a complete mobile hospital onto an Austrian mountain; an agent dressed in the uniform of a Nazi corporal; and even a 17 year old girl into the German city of Munich.
Black-painted Douglas A-26 Invaders were added to Carpetbagger operations in March 1945. The A-26 was a twin-engined light attack bomber. It carried a crew of three and was armed with six fifty caliber machine guns in the nose, plus two each in the remote controlled top and belly turrets. For Carpetbagger operations, the armament was removed and a Plexiglas nose added. Agents were dropped from a trap door in the bomb bay. With armor and armament removed, the A-26 was capable of speeds of well over 350 miles per hour and had a range of more than 1400 miles.
British-built Mosquito fighter-bombers were also used by the Carpetbaggers. Powered by two Rolls Royce engines, the Mosquito had a top speed of 397 miles per hour. Carpetbagger Mosquitoes were used for high altitude work, circling over radio transmitters on the ground and recording coded messages from agents. The wire spool recordings were flown back to England and studied by intelligence officers there.
In April 1945, the unit flew its last Carpetbagger mission and, in July and August, the 492nd Bombardment Group returned to the United States. The unit was inactivated at Kirtland Field, New Mexico on 17 October 1945, having earned the Distinguished Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. The Carpetbaggers had flown 1,860 successful sorties in which they dropped 1,000 agents, 20,495 supply canisters, and 11,174 packages to the resistance movements throughout Nazi-occupied territory.