Part 1 covers the period from 15 January 1941through 25 February 1942. The unit is formed with Cadre from the 22nd Bomb Group at Langley Field, Virginia. transferred to Jackson Army Air Base for training, Pearl Harbor and movement to Australia on the Tasker H. Bliss.

Key Words: Langley Field, Jackson Army Air Base, Cow Palace, Canton Island and all Book Marks.

Part 2 covers the period from 26 February 1942 through 26 October 1942. The 38th marks time until the arrival of the air echelon with intensive military training, being used as a labor battalion building up camp areas and installing infrastructure , the air echelon arrives  and Group moves up to the Darwin area for further training and then begins to stage to Horn Island and fly combat missions to New Guinea. The Group supported the battle for Buna-Gona and earned a DUC for a running battle with the Japanese convoys arriving at Lae. The first combat crew losses  occur .                                                                                                                                             Ballarat, Key Search Terms. Ballarat Burdum, 69th Squadron, 70th Squadron, 71st Squadron, 405th Squadron, Lt. Maggart, Lt Brandon, Lt Carey, Buna, Gona, convoys.

Part 3 covers the period from October 1942 through January 1943. The 38th Bomb Group moves to New Guinea, lock stock and barrel, the first bomb group to be permently station there. Col Brian "Shanty" O'Niell assumes command.

Key words Buna, Lae Laloki. Durand, Ward Drome,

Part 4 covers the period 24 January 1943 through 31 May 1943. The battle of the Bismarck Sea was a complete victory for the 5th Air Force. The Australian Beaufighters led the 38th followed by the 3rd Attack across the convoy. Low level bombing and strafing was born in the 5th AF that day and the 38th made it a speciality the rest of the war.

Key Words: Bismarck Sea, Cape Gloucester, Major Chelli, C0l Shanty O'Neill, MacArthur, Kenney,Markham Valley, Narakapor, Nadzab, Bulibum, Angari, Yonga

Part 5 covers the period 1 June 1943 through 30 September 1943. Ground Crew Men for two new squadrons leave Camp Shanks, NY. The air crews for two new squadron, the 822nd and 823rd arrive in Australia to begin training. Wewak is destroyed by the 5th Air Force Mitchells from the 3rd Attack, 38th and 345th Bomb Groups. Major Cheli is shot down at Wewak. Shipping is hit in Wawak Harbor and Lt Barber is lost

Key search words: 822nd, 823rd, Durand Wewak, Markham Valley, Bogadjim, Alexishaven, Wewak Harbor, Lt. Grover, Lt Middlebrook, Lt Beers, Lt Paquin, Major Chelli, Lt Charles Barber

Part 6 covers the period1 October 1943 through February 1944. Shanty O'Neill returns home after burning his mouth with caustic when he reaching for his favorite dry cheese in the mess hall. The cooks had rearranged the store room and led to injury of his mouth. He was returned to the states for medical treatment and the 38th lost a great leader.The air crews and planes of the 822nd and 823rd join the Group and the 38th becomes a 4 squadron Group. Rabaul was reduced by the 5th Air Force until it was considered to have no worth while targets remaining. The 5th AF turned its attention westward towards Hollandia and began the advance to the Philippines.

Key words: Shanty, Momote, Shaggy Ridge, Alexishaven, Cape Gloucester, Madang , Nadzab, Dobodura, Wewak, But, Arawe, Wewak harbor.

Part 7 covers the March 1944 period and the bomb line keeps moving farther west and alway closer to Japan  Use the book morks to search the contents  

Key words: Cape Gloucester, Arawe Rabaul

Part 1 through Part 7 covered the 38th history from it's formation , early training , movement overseas, training in Australia, movement to New Guinea and missions flown through March 1944. Part 8 covers 1 January 1943 through 15 January 1943 and is the beginning of a more detailed story starting in January of 1943 of the of the day to day missions flown by the 38th.  MIssions are listed by day/month/year, the Mission Number and the target. Please use the bookmarks to search the narrative.

Key words: Sanananda, Lae, Finschaven, Gasmata, Bismarck Sea

Part 9 covers the period from 16 January 1943 through 31 January 1943. The 38th was busy pounding Lae and surrounding area. Please use the book marks to search by mission number, date and target

Key words: Finchaven,Lae, Gasmata

Covers the period of Feb 1 through Feb 13. 1943

Key words - none use Bookmarks

The 38th was tasked to fly top cover for shipping as protection against Japanese submarines. The Group pounded the Lae Area and the supply areas from Gasmata to Finschaven unrelentlaessly. Lae was becoming a "milk run".

Key words: Lae, Gasmata,Finschaven, Cape Gloucester,Angari

Missions are book marked by mission Number, date and target.

The Battle of the Bismarck Sea was a decisive victory for the 5th AF. The Japanese never attempted reinforce from the Rabaul Side and all Jap reinforcements were sent to Wewak.

Key words; Convoy Patrol. Lae ,Finschaven. The pages are book marked and easier to search using the book marks.

The last half of March 1943 wa spent protecting our convoys as they built up the supplies and manpower in the Buna-Gona area. Also a lot of area was photographed to bring our ground maps up to date.

Key Words; use book marks to locate mission number,date and target

The first 16 days of April 1943 were spent flying top cover for convoys. Japanese submarines were active in the waters surrounding New Guinea and were the only means of supply to Lae after the battle of the Bismarck Sea. The 38th flew a few stikes against supply and storage areas in the Lae-Finschaven areas,

Key words: Use the book marks to navigate within the page of history

The 38th was not heavily engaged during the month of April 1943. A lot of training was done and protecting our shipping as they delivered supplies to the Dobodura area for the Infantry and the airfields being constructed. Many Reccos were flown and much mapping of the entire area was accomplished.

Key Words: The pages are book marked as to Mission Number, Date and Type or Target

Part 16 Covers May 1, 1943 to May 16 1943. The 38th was flying convoy cover and striking the Gasmata and Cape Gloucester areas as well as Lae and Finschaven ares. Barge searchs, transporting General Whitehead and other officers to Milne Bay and Dobodura. The weather was a factor in cancellation of a couple of missions.

Use the Book marks to search the files. The book marks are by mission number , followed by the date and last the target or type.

Part 17 covers the activities of the 38th from 17 May 1943 through the end of the month. Barge searchs, convoy top cover , strikes against the Gasmata A/D and surrounding area as well as The Cape Gloucester A/D and supply areas.

Key words: Use the book marks to navigate to items of interest.

Covers period 1 June 1943 - 15 June 1943. The war had slowed down and the Allies were consolidating and resuppling the Buna-Gona ground forces. The 38th was attacking the Japanese supply routes, dumps and Air Fields. Many sub patrols were flown protecting against submarines that theartened the supply ships.

Please use the book marks to search by date or mission number.

The second half of the month was a repeat of the first half. The 38th ran sub patrols flew strikes against suspected supply areas and trained hard in formation flying and low level skip bombing.

Please use the Book marks to search for missions and dates.

The first half of the month of July 1943 saw the 38th busy training and flying top cover for convoys moving in and out of Port Morseby. Attack missions were flown against land targets in and around Lae and Finschaven.

Use the Book Marks to navigat the files