330th Bombardment Group (VH) - Aircraft

Aircraft

The sixty or so aircraft that made up the 330th were divided into three Bombardment Squadrons (BS):

• 457th Bombardment Squadron commanded by LtCol Lindsay H. Vereen
• 458th Bombardment Squadron commanded by Maj Elmer E. Ambrose
• 459th Bombardment Squadron commanded by LtCol Robert W. Ryder

On their vertical stabilizers they wore a 12-foot (4 m) square black box unit identification mark with a large capital letter K superimposed. This was to assist with identifying squadron aircraft out of a crowded sky to form up on during the daylight missions. In late summer the 'K' was infilled with a bright orange–yellow paint for better recognition. In late summer in 1945, it was ordered that all aircraft would have their undersides painted a glossy black. The intention was to mask them from enemy searchlights.