7th bomb group. Feb 6, 2026 · At some later date, six B-17E Flying Fortresses from the 88th Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Bomb Group were assigned to Southern Bomber Command which eventually made its way to Australia together with one B-17 from the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron and five B-17s from the 22nd Bomb Squadron. Redesignated 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in 1939. Activated in 1921, it inherited the lineage of the 1st Army Observation Group, which was established and organized, on 6 September 1918. The 7th Bombardment Group was en route to the Philippines with its B-17s when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. 7th Bombardment Group Marker The 7th Bombardment Group (7th BG) was assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF) in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). The group was on its way to the Philippines when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941. The 7th Operations Group is a direct successor organization of the 7th Bombardment Group, one of the 15 original combat air groups formed by the United States Army before World War II. Aircraft included B-12's, B-18's, and B-17's. Six of the groups' B-17s arrived at Pearl Harbor during the attack, but were able to land safely. The ground echelon, on board ship, was rerouted to Australia and subsequently sent to Java. zeqz qswcc vpgcop oiixq vlfcl hiua oci lhgecgy luyg vdi