509TH COMPOSITE GROUP

UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES

FLAGS, COLORS & GUIDONS
509th COMPOSITE GROUP • TWENTIETH AIR FORCE
WORLD WAR II

The 509th Composite Group was activated on 17 December 1944, at Wendover Army Airfield, Utah. Its highly secret mission was to develop tactics and techniques for the delivery of the atomic bombs then under development and, ultimately, to carry out atomic air attacks against the Axis powers.

The 509th CG embodied a headquarters squadron, the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, the 320th Troop Carrier Squadron and the attached 390th Air Service Group. The 393rd BS was equipped with modified B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers. Code-named Silverplate, these bombers, ultimately fourteen in number, were specially configured to deliver the Little Boy and Fat Man atomic bombs. The 320th TCS was initially equipped with the C-47 Skytrain transport, later replaced by the larger, longer-range C-54 Skymaster. The 390th ASG had a headquarters and base services squadron that functioned as the station complement at Wendover, an air material (logistics) squadron, and an air engineering (maintenance) squadron. The 1st Ordnance Squadron (responsible for the assembly and loading of the atomic bombs) and the 1395th Military Police Company were attached to the group. This unique organization was adopted to make the 509th CG as autonomous as possible, both to facilitate operations and to preserve security.

After extensive training and preparations, the 509th CG deployed to the Pacific Theater in May-June 1945. The group was based in Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands, nominally under the command of the 313th Bomber Wing. In fact, however, the 509th took its orders directly from General Carl Spaatz, commanding United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific, through Headquarters, Twentieth Air Force. In July and early August, the group flew numerous training and combat missions (the latter with high explosive “pumpkin bombs” identical in size, shape and weight to the Fat Man plutonium bomb) to hone its proficiency. Finally, on 6 August 1945, the first atomic attack against Japan was carried out, with the city of Hiroshima as target. Three days later, on 9 August, a second atomic attack was carried out against the city of Nagasaki. These strikes had the desired effect: In a radio address on 15 August, the Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s acceptance of the Allied surrender terms. With that, the Pacific War was over.

The group, usually composed of three to five squadrons, was the color-bearing echelon of the US Army Air Corps (USAAC). Organizational standards for groups were of the standard Army pattern for mounted and mechanized units, made of silk, 3 feet at the hoist by 4 feet on the fly, plus 2 1/2-inch fringe. The field of the standard was ultramarine blue and the fringe was golden orange. The standard was always carried or displayed with a National Standard of the same materials and dimensions. Squadrons of groups and separate squadrons had flags and guidons based on the colors ultramarine blue and golden orange, the Air Corps branch colors. Guidons were made of wool bunting, 20 inches at the hoist by 27 3/4 inches on the fly with a 10-inch fork. Guidons of squadrons assigned to groups had the group number above and the squadron number below the branch insignia. Service units assigned to groups that were not part of the USAAC had flags and guidons of the designs authorized for their parent branches.

Note: The enormous expansion of the USAAC during the war makes it doubtful that all groups received a coat of arms and a unique organizational standard. Shown below are the National and Organizational Standards of the 8th Pursuit Group, a prewar unit. Wartime units that did not receive a coat of arms may have had a standard with the eagle's breast feathered and a badge above its head, as authorized by AR 260-10 for color-bearing units with no coat of arms. Pursuit Groups were retitled Fighter Groups in 1942.

Credits: The drawings on this page are based on the specifications given in Army Regulation 260-10 dated 25 October 1944, a copy of which was kindly provided by FOTW Mailing List member Joseph McMillan. Order of battle information was taken from Dr. Leo Niehorster’s outstanding and essential website, World War II Armed Forces: Orders of Battle and Organizations.