From 1943 through June 1945, the 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit stationed in England. The 390th was assigned to the 13th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a “Square-J”.
Its mission was to cripple or destroy German strategic targets, including the Messerschmitt aircraft complex at Regensburg; antifriction-bearing plants at Schweinfurt; various aircraft factories, instrument plants, and air parks; marshaling yards at Frankfurt; bridges at Cologne; oil facilities at Zeitz; multiple factories at Mannheim; naval installations at Brenmen; and synthetic oil refineries at Merseburg.
Fifteen minutes before Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, the 390th bombed the French coast near Caen.
Crews of the 390th Flying Fortresses bombed enemy artillery in support of ground forces during the breakthrough at Saint-Lo in July of ’45. They cut German supply lines during the Battle of the Bulge that December. They struck airfields in support of the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.
Instead of bombs, they flew humanitarian missions and dropped food supplies to the desperate Dutch during the week prior to V-E Day, May 8, 1945.
The 390th Bomb Group flew its last combat mission on 20 April 1945. In over 300 missions with 8,725 sorties, they dropped 19,000 tons of bombs. They lost 181 aircraft. Many crewmembers of the 390th spent the last year of the war as German POW’s. Seven hundred-fourteen didn’t make it home.
The 390th Memorial Museum re-opened September 28, 2013 after a significant expansion. The Museum is on the grounds of the Pima Air & Space Museum and commemorates the sacrifice & courage of the men of the 390th.
In 1943, when they flew their B-17’s over enemy territory and faced withering fire from German Messerschmitt’s, most were in their 20’s. Today, those who are still with us are in their 90’s. The stories they tell are simply amazing.
They did their share and more to destroy the monster that was Nazi Germany. Those of us born since have reaped the benefits of their courage and sacrifice. Today, we can honor them by supporting the mission of the 390th Memorial Museum.Â
To learn about more worthwhile museums in Tucson, whether art, history, science, or just fun, see our list of the Best Museums here.
