RAF Kimbolton

File:Kimbolton-10-aug-1945.jpg

Aerial Photo of Kimbolton Airfield - 10 August 1945.

RAF Kimbolton is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 8 miles W of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. The airfeld was origionally built in 1941 for RAF Bomber Command, then expanded for use by American heavy bombers during 1942.

USAAF Use

Kimbolton was assigned USAAF designation Station 117.

91st Bombardment Group (Heavy)

The airfield was opened in 1942 and was first used by the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from Walla Walla AAF, Washington during September.

The 91st Bomb Group consisted of the following operational squadrons flying B-17s :

• 322d Bomb Squadron (LG)
• 323d Bomb Squadron (OR)
• 324th Bomb Squadron (DF)
• 401st Bomb Squadron (LL)

The 91st stayed at Kimbolton only a few weeks, because the runways at Kimbolton were not strong or long enough for the safe operation of Fortresses. The group then was transferred to RAF Bassingbourn on 14 October.

17th Bombardment Group (Medium)

The next USAAF unit to use Kimbolton was the 17th Bombardment Group (Medium), arriving in October from Barksdale AAF Louisiana. The 17th was originally intended to use RAF Bassingborn, however with the move of the 91st, the unit utilized Kimbolton as its shorter runways could accomodate the smaller, twin-engined medium bombers.

The 17th consisted of the following squadrons:

• 34th Bomb Squadron
• 37th Bomb Squadron
• 95th Bomb Squadron
• 432d Bomb Squadron

The 17th flew the B-26 "Marauder" medium bomber, and used Kimbolon as a transitory airfield on it's way to the North African campaign. The Group departed in November for Telergma, Algeria, with its last elements leaving in early December. With the departure of the B-26s, extensions were made to the NW-SE runway to facilitate the operation of fully-loaded B-17s.

379th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

Lockheed/Vega B-17G-15-VE Flyng Fortress Serial 42-97462 of the 527th Bomb Squadron after a belly landing. This aircraft was repaired and returned to combat duty.

On 21 May 1943 the 379th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrived from Sioux City AAF, Iowa.

The 379th Bomb Group consisted of the following operational squadrons flying B-17s :

• 524th Bomb Squadron (WA)
• 525th Bomb Squadron (FR)
• 526th Bomb Squadron (LF)
• 527th Bomb Squadron (FO)

The 379th BG operations with Eighth AF on 19 May 1943, and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for operations over Europe from May 1943 through July 1944. The group engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets such as industries, oil refineries, storage plants, submarine pens, airfields, and communications centers in Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Norway, and Poland.

Specific targets included a chemical plant in Ludwigshafen, an aircraft assembly plant in Brunswick, ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt and Leipzig, synthetic oil refineries at Merseburg and Gelsenkirchen, marshalling yards at Hamm and Reims, and airfields in Mesnil au Val and Berlin.

The Group received another DUC for flying without fighter protection into central Germany to attack vital aircraft factories on 11 January 1944. On several occasions the Group attacked interdictory targets and operated in support of ground forces. Bombed V-weapon sites, airfields, radar stations, and other installations before the Normandy invasion in June 1944, and bombed defended positions just ahead of the Allied landings on 6 Jun; and struck airfields, rail choke points, and gun emplacements during the campaign that followed.

During the Battle of France, the Group bombed enemy positions to assist ground troops at St Lo during the breakthrough, 24-25 Jul 1944, attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945, and bombed bridges and viaducts in France and Germany to aid the Allied assault across the Rhine, Feb-Mar 1945.

The combat record of the 379th was the most successful of all the Eighth Air Force heavy bomber groups. It held records as far as bomb tonnage dropped - 26,459 tons - more than any other unit including those operational before the 379th arrived in the UK. It also exceeded all other UK Bomb Groups in the total number of missions flown. currying out 330 between May 1943 and May 15 1945. One B-17G, "Ole Guppy" itself completed 157 missions, probably more than any other Eighth Air Force bomber.

After V-E Day, the 379th Bomb Group was transferred to Casablanca, French Morocco during June 1945. The unit was deactivated in place in Morocco during July.

Postwar Use

After World War II, Kimbolton was closed in 1946, however it was maintained in a "standby" status until the early 1960s. Most of the buildings were torn down and the concrete areas removed, however parts of the old hardstands are used for go-kart racing.

See also

• List of RAF stations
• USAAF Eighth Air Force - World War II

References

• Freeman, Roger A., Airfields Of The Eighth, Then And Now, 1978
• www.controltowers.co.uk Kimbolton
• mighty8thaf.preller.us Kimbolton
• Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, 1983
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present [1]

External links

• Satellite Image of RAF Kimbolton From Google Earth
• Aerial Photo of RAF Kimbolton From Multimap.Com