20th Bomb Squadron from 2nd Bomb Group (15USAAF)

[Zoran Petek]

Originally Posted by Buckeye30

Jan. I still think it's Insignia Blue not black; look how dark the star/bar is. Roger Freeman, Jerry Scutts and Ed Munday thought Blue.


Regarding the Square "Y" on 2BG planes in March-April it seems the 4 x B-17 groups were allocated it with groups identified by numbers 1--4 underneath ie. the 2nd. had "1" for the first group; 42-31473 MY BABY in a photo above had number "3" for the 99th, the third group in the Wing, before going to the 2BG. That would make sense but could be wrong.


Nick
.....................

Hi. You're right (about both).
15th AF (and 5th BW) used Insignia Blue lettering in White symbols Mar-Apr 1944.
Example:
[Y] - denoting 5th BW, Insignia Blue on White
serial (Yellow on OD, Black on NM)
(1) - 2nd BG, (2) - 97th, (3) 99th, (4) 301st BG.
Exception: NM 42-97152 of 20th BS (shot down on 29 Mar 44 by ANR) had only black serial, no unit markings.
Later markings were Y in previous symbols, as You said.
But there were exceptions also, 2nd BG 44-8020 had only 'V' for squadron and no group markings, except dark (Blue, I guess) tail control surfaces.
Zoran