Description

701st BS ‘Hell’s Warrior’ B-24 Model

Fly with the 701st BS, 445th BG, 8th Air Force, or otherwise known as ‘Hell’s Warrior’ in this handcrafted model. Each piece is carved from wood and hand painted to provide a piece you’ll love.

• Length – 11.5 inches
• Wingspan – 17.5 inches
• Made from Mahogany
• US Veteran-Owned Business
• Officially Licensed by Lockheed Martin
• The product is not intended to be used by children 12 years and younger.

LOCKHEED MARTIN®, B-24 Liberator®, associated emblems and logos, and body designs of vehicles are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Lockheed Martin Corporation in the USA and/or other jurisdictions, used under license by Squadron Nostalgia LLC

The 701st BS was activated on April 1, 1943 at Gowen Field in Idaho, where its initial organization took place. Some key personnel traveled to Orlando, Florida for training at the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics. Both elements of the 701st met at Wendover Army Air Field in Utah on June 8, 1943, where they received initial training on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. In July 1943, the squadron moved to Sioux City Army Air Base in Iowa to complete their training. In September, the 701st began receiving B-24H aircraft, which they would use in combat.

On October 20, 1943, the ground echelon of the 701st traveled to Camp Shanks in New York and boarded the RMS Queen Mary on October 26, sailing the next day. They arrived in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland on November 2, 1943 and disembarked at Gourock. The air echelon left Sioux City late in October 1943 and flew to the United Kingdom via a southern route that went through Florida, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and West Africa. Upon arrival, the 701st was stationed at RAF Tibenham as part of the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing.

The 701st BS began combat operations on December 13, 1943 by attacking U-boat installations at Kiel. They primarily conducted strategic bombing operations until the end of the war, targeting industries in Osnabrück, synthetic oil plants in Lutzendorf, chemical works in Ludwigshafen, marshalling yards at Hamm, an airfield at Munich, an ammunition plant at Duneberg, underground oil storage facilities at Ehmen, and factories at Münster. The 701st received a Distinguished Unit Citation for their role in the Allied campaign against the German aircraft industry during Big Week in February 1944, specifically for their attack on a Me 110 aircraft assembly plant at Gotha on February 24. The 701st also occasionally flew air interdiction and air support missions, including supporting the invasion of Normandy by bombing airfields and V-1 and V-2 launch sites. They also dropped propaganda leaflets and supplies to the French resistance, for which they were awarded the Croix de guerre with Palm by the French government. However, one of the 701st’s most tragic missions was the attack on Kassel on September 27, 1944, in which they were separated from their division and faced heavy attacks from the Luftwaffe, resulting in many casualties. The 701st continued to fight until the end of the war, participating in the Battle of the Bulge and dropping supplies to Allied troops during the assault across the Rhine. The unit was inactivated on August 28, 1945.