 In November 1943 The 444th reorganized as a very heavy group and added the 5th Bombardment Maintenance Squadron, which was paired with the 676th to maintain its B-29s.In early April 1944, the squadron left the United States and deployed to a former Liberator base at Charra Airfield, India.The first airplane of the 444th group landed at Charra on 11 April 1944.