Strategic Air Command in The United Kingdom - B-29 Deployments

B-29 Deployments

Strategic Air Command B-29s began deploying to Europe on a regular basis during 1947, and during that year, nine aircraft of the 97th Bomb Group were based at Giebelstadt Army Airfield, West Germany, for a thirty-day training/goodwill tour.

Several weeks before the Soviets blockaded Berlin, SAC – as a precautionary measure – sent a B-29 squadron from the 301st Bombardment Group to Furstenfeldbruck Air Base, West Germany and temporarily stationed two other squadrons from the 301st at Goose Bay Air Base, Newfoundland, Canada, where they were held in readiness for instant deployment to European bases. The Pentagon hoped that the stationing of these atomic weapon-capable bombers would have a deterrent effect in the conflict. However, there were safety risks posed by putting the B-29s so close to the Soviet-occupied zone—Giehelstadt and Furstenfeldbruck were 100 and 200 kilometers from the Iron Curtain respectively, and therefore well within the reach of Soviet fighter-bombers operating from bases in East Germany and Czechoslovakia. All things considered, the SAC decided not to send future B-29 deployments to bases in West Germany but to less vulnerable bases in England.

All B-29 operations in England were placed under the command of the newly-formed 3rd Air Division, headquartered at the RAF Bomber Command base at RAF Marham. In addition, the RAF had put several other airfields at the Americans' disposal including RAF Scampton, RAF Waddington and RAF Lakenheath.

One of the first Groups to arrive in England for a ninety-day tour was the 28th Bombardment Group which deployed from Rapid City AFB, South Dakota, to RAF Scampton during 1948. 28th BG aircraft carried a Black R within a Black circle on both sides of the fin. The R denoted the Group while the circle identified the parent unit, the 15th Air Force. Many units later carried their parent numbered Air Force unit badge on the base of the fin. These aircraft also had various colored nose wheel doors and fin tips denoting their respective squadrons.

The 2nd Air Force carried a Black square on its B-29s and the 8th Air Force used a triangle. It is believed that when a Group or Wing transferred from one numbered Air Force to another, their identification letter remained the same; however, the numbered air force geometric identification symbol changed.

During this time frame, the B-29s often carried colorful personal markings and squadron colors. The squadron colors were usually carried on the nose wheel doors, fin tips and as fuselage bands. Some B-29s retained the Korean War flat black undersurfaces while others carried red tail sections and outer wing panels, known as Arctic markings, which were used to make the aircraft more visible in the event of a forced landing on snow covered terrain.

Aircraft of the 93rd Bombardment Group carried individual squadron letters on the fuselage sides followed by the last two digits of the aircraft's serial number. The three squadrons within the Group were, the 328th Bomb Squadron (A), the 329th Squadron (C) and the 330th Squadron (B). By 1954, the use of Bomb Group letter codes and Air Force geometric identification symbols had terminated.

A number of B-29s of the 97th Bombardment Group paid a similar visit to RAF Marham. These early B-29s carried no group markings and most were overall natural metal, although a few had Flat Black undersurfaces. The aircraft carried standard USAF markings, with buzz numbers in Black on natural metal aircraft and in Yellow on aircraft with Flat Black undersurfaces. Later, B-29s began carrying geometric symbols painted on the fin, usually surrounding a Group identification letter.

Occasionally, SB-29 rescue aircraft were also seen in the United Kingdom. These aircraft carried their usual rescue markings including a Yellow, outlined in Black, rear fuselage identification band. SB-29 deployments were usually accompanied by an F-13 (RB-29) photo reconnaissance aircraft. These aircraft also carried the Yellow rescue markings and sometimes a Black tail code.