The 455^th flew 252 combat missions over France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria, and the Balkans.  They dropped 13, 249 tons of munitions with the following approximate targeting breakout:

   Authorized personnel strength was over 4,000 personnel.  The group lost 118 aircraft, 31 directly to fighters, 36 directly to flak, and 51 from all other causes combined.  The figure for combined causes includes causes such as collisions, ditchings, and crashes attributable to fighter or flak damage.  As time passed, the fighter opposition decreased but the Germans concentrated their anti-aircraft guns around the fewer remaining targets, so the threat from flak remained intense.  They suffered 147 KIA, 268 MIA, 179 POW, and 169 wounded in action.  On the other hand, the group is credited with 119 enemy aircraft destroyed and another 78 probables.  Only about 40% of the original crews returned.

   Most members would probably agree on the two toughest missions.  The Group hit the ball bearing plant at Steyer, Austria on 2 April 1944.  They lost 4 of 40 aircraft—40 comrades.  In addition to successful target damage, they were credited with 27 enemy aircraft destroyed and 17 probables.  It was their first heavy loss in two months of combat.  The Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for this mission.  The other consensus mission was the Moosbierbaum oil refinery at Vienna, Austria on 26 June 1944.  Thirty-six planes took off with only 26 returning.  Six of the ten losses were from a single squadron.  Several of those crews were on their 50^th mission. The Group received another Distinguished Unit Citation for this mission.