 In May the United States Army Air Forces reorganized its very heavy bombardment units.The 872d Bombardment Squadron and the bombardment maintenance squadrons were inactivated and their personnel absorbed into the remaining three squadrons.The 497th deployed to Pacific Theater of Operations, with the ground echelon sailing 30 July on the SS "Fairisle", passing through Honolulu and Eniwetok before arriving at Saipan on 20 September.