May 13, 1941: 19th BG ferries 21 B-17s to Hickham Field

76 years ago, on May 13, 1941, the 19th BG made aviation history when it ferried 21 brand new 4-engine B-17s from Hamilton Field in California to Hickam Field in Hawaii, a feat that has been bestowed to the current 19 AW. The planes were ordered there in order to strengthen the defense of Hawaii – this was seven months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The middle image demonstrates how they planned to employ the planes around Oahu, which is the center of that 360 degree radius. The flight took only 13 hours and was uneventful, but it was noteworthy because it was the first mass flight of heavy bombers across the 2,400-mile stretch between the U.S.’s West Coast and Hawaii. Upon arrival, the planes were assigned to the Hawaiian Air Force. Five pilots and ten mechanics from the 19th remained to provide instruction to the Hawaiian Air Force, while the rest returned to San Francisco by boat before reuniting with the rest of the unit in Albuquerque. Just a few months later, the 19th BG would begin preparing for its movement to the Philippines to defend key strategic points in East Asia against purported Japanese aggression. IMAGES: On the right is an image of the B-17s at Hamilton Field before their flight to Hawaii.