392nd Pathfinder Squadron enters the War

…..From the 392nd squadron history:

Lt. Gabriel "Gig" Martin was one of the 12 original Army Air Corps pilots assigned to the air echelon of the 392nd squadron when it was being formed with the 30th Bombardment Group at March Field in Riverside, CA. The 30th Bomb Group (H) had formed with 4 squadrons of B-24s at March Field in 1943. They were the 27th, 38th, 392nd and 819th Heavy Bombardment Squadrons. The Group would come to be known as “The Atoll Busters”.

These early flight crews consisted of four officers and 5 enlisted men. Each of the crews of this squadron was assigned a new B-24J. After receiving orders for overseas duty with the 7th AAF in Hawaii they would soon be deployed to the Central Pacific Theatre. They flew these 12 B-24s on the 12 hour flight from Hamilton Field, Ca. on Oct. 6, 1943 to Hickam field in Hawaii, arriving the next day. The 392nd was then based at Barking Sands on the island of Kauai for 5 weeks of continued training until deploying south to the Central Pacific theatre at Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands on Nov. 12th, 1943.

…….The first operations of the squadron at this advanced base were sea searches into the Japanese held Gilberts and further northwest into the Marshalls. With the squadron’s first 4 plane combat mission on 11/22/43 against Mille Atoll they would commence the famous ”Island Hopping" campaign. The next mission was a ten plane strike against Taroa Island in the Maloelap Atoll on 11/30/43.

They spent 2 months at Topham Field on that bare sandy speck near the equator with a lighthouse and one lone palm tree as it's only landmarks. They shared that base for awhile with the 26th Bomb Squadron of the 11th Bomb Group. From there they would use Baker Island as a staging base for raids up in the Marshalls to take part in combat missions until relocating to a new base in the Gilberts at Apamama on Jan. 19th, 1944. They were joined there by the 30th Bomb Group H.Q. at the new airfield, known as O’Hare. It was much more of a tropical paradise than the barren island they left at Canton.

………..More from the 392nd squadron history:

Feb. 1st 1944 saw six of our planes over Kwajalein. This was D-Day for the Marshall Island invasion. 15 two thousand pound block busters were dropped from an altitude of 4000 feet all hitting defenses on the end of the island, paving the way for the Seventh Army Division landing at Kwajalein . From this low level the gunners on the B-24s were able to strafe enemy ground positions, with good results. 30th Bomb Group Deputy Commander Lt. Col. Pardee was with Lt. Jack Randall as pilot were on that mission as squadron leader in #281 “Battling Hornet”.Also present during that mission was Lt. Phil Ranger in #405 “Tropical Trollop”.

It was at this time that 7th Bomber Command authorized 30 day leave and reassignment to combat crews if they so desired after the completion of 30 missions over enemy territory.

……Feb 14th brought this squadron’s first raid on the Caroline Islands at Ponape. Staging at Tarawa, There would be more.

March 14th the first land based bomber raid, lead by Col. Edwin B. Miller, against Truk in the Caroline Islands, staged through Kwajalein. The first aircrews on the newly captured island agreed “Kwaj” did not leave a good first impression, it was better suited to be a city dump, and it stunk like Hell. ……

Towards the end of April 1944 Lt. Martin's crew along with two other 392nd squadron aircrews were transferred to 38th Bomron. Martin's crew finished their 30th mission on May 31st, 1944 and took their 30 day leave and reassignment.

Officers;

Lt Gabriel Martin - pilot

Lt. Dilver A.Paustian - co-pilot

Lt. Philip Black - Bombardier

Lt. Milton C. Redmond- Navigator

Enlisted airmen;

T/Sgt. Percy C. Connick, Engineer

T/Sgt. Roy O. Rhodes, A/Engineer

T/Sgt.Mike Knazovich , Top Turret #15116294 - [*news April 1 Truk nite mission]“

S/Sgt. Paul A. Lester, Nose Gunner #35370433

S/Sgt.Frank Slavinski, A/Radioman #33353673

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1st photo recon mission to Saipan 4/17/44 -18th mission of 30 with ditching of Lt. Smisson's "Battling Bitch"

30 missions completed by crew in May, 1944

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Total for this aircraft - 77 missions - WO war weary

Lt. Gabriel Martin