The official wording of the Second Unit Citation

The 483rd Bombardment Group (H) is cited for outstanding performance of duty in armed Conflict with the enemy. On 24 March 1945 the group was notified to prepare their aircraft to participate in the longest mission ever undertaken by the Fifteenth Air Force to the Daimler-Benz Tank Works at Berlin, Germany. A successful completion of this mission would seriously reduce the output of tanks to the Germans on the Eastern front in their losing battle against our Russian Allies. With the fall of Germany believed to be imminent, the ground crews enthusiastically and sedulously applied their greatest efforts to bring aircraft maintenance to peak efficiency to make every aircraft ready to participate.

Operations and Intelligence personnel untiringly devoted their coordinated efforts to insure that all combat crews participating would have the accurate and complete information necessary for the mission's successful accomplishment. On 24 March 1945, twenty-seven B-17 type aircraft took off, successfully rendezvoused according to plan with other units participating in this operation, and set course for the objective. Maintaining a compact echelon and evading all known flak areas, the group arrived at the initial point on the briefed course and schedule.

Almost immediately a formation of 16 enemy jet aircraft that were above and behind the formation pressed their very aggressive attacks on the bomber formation. The fighters broke into attack units of two and three aircraft and attacked from five and seven o'clock high, pressing their attack within close range, firing rockets as well as cannon and machine guns, and then passing below the bomber formation and breaking off alternately to right and left. With exemplary discipline and outstanding airmanship. The pilots of the group kept their formation compact and straight, presenting a maximum amount of firepower against the attackers. In addition, heavy, intense, and accurate enemy antiaircraft fire was encountered while the aerial battle was taking place.

Gunners of the group, permitted only a 10-second burst at the speedy jet aircraft as they bore in, succeeded in positively destroying six of the German fighters and were given credit for four probably destroyed and one damaged, thus establishing a record for jet aircraft shot down by a heavy bombardment group on one mission. All the time the battle was in progress, the group was pressing steadily on toward the target, despite the harassing attacks of the fighters and the fierce enemy antiaircraft barrage. Although only one aircraft was lost to enemy action, several sustained severe damage.

Relentlessly and with unswerving devotion to duty, the bomber formation made a highly successful bombing run, concentrated their bomb load in the immediate target area, and inflicted grave damage to vital enemy installations and supplies. By the conspicuous courage, great determination, outstanding professional skill and exemplary leadership of the combat crews, together with the highly technical skill, unusual diligence and supreme devotion to duty of the ground personnel, the 483rd Bombardment Group (H) reflected great credit on itself and the entire armed forces of the United States. (General Orders 3641, Headquarters Fifteenth Air Forces, 4 July 1945, as approved by the Commanding General, Mediterranean Theater.)