2nd Bombardment Wing
93rd Bombardment Group B-24D Liberator 41-23711, at RAF Alconbury, England, 1942
Active1919–21, 1922–41, 1942–45
Country United States
BranchUnited States Army Air Forces
RoleBomber operational command & control
EngagementsEuropean Theater of World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Maj Gen Oscar Westover
Lt Gen Edward Timberlake
Colonel James Stewart
Insignia
2nd Bombardment Wing emblem

The Second Bombardment Wing,[1] abbreviated as 2nd Bombardment Wing[2] of the United States Army Air Forces is a disbanded unit whose last assignment was with the Continental Air Forces, based at McChord Field, Washington. It was last active in November 1945.

History

Pre World War II

The wing was organized in 1919 at Langley Field, Virginia and assumed control of all Air Service units on the Atlantic Coast.[3] It was inactivated at Langley in 1921 and most of its personnel were assigned to Air Park No.3.[3] It was reactivated the following year and conducted mostly bombardment operations.[4] As the 2nd Wing, the unit became one of the original wings of the GHQ Air Force on 1 March 1935. It once again conducted much of the United States Army's pursuit, bombardment and observation operations in the eastern part of the United States. The wing's 2nd Bombardment Group was the first group of the Air Corps to equip with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.[1] The wing provided cadres for new tactical units activating as the Air Corps expanded under the Woodring Plan.[1] It participated in maneuvers during 1940 that influenced Air Corps doctrine on the employment of airpower.[5] The wing was inactivated in 1941 and its personnel used as the cadre for 1st Bomber Command.[6]

World War II

The group was reactivated as a heavy bomber operational command and control organization in June 1942. It moved to England, August–September 1942, and became a heavy bombardment wing of Eighth AF. In the fall of 1942, it helped to train bombardment groups assigned to Twelfth Air Force.

It served in combat in the European theater from November 1942 to June 1943. The wing ceased combat temporarily during July and August 1943 while its groups were detached to the Mediterranean theater. The wing resumed combat in the European theater in October 1943 and continued operations until April 1945. In August 1945 it returned to the US and was inactivated in November.[4]

Lineage

  • Authorized on 15 August 1919 as the 2nd Observation Wing[3]
Organized on 4 September 1919
  • Redesignated as 2nd Wing on 14 March 1921[3]
Inactivated on 30 September 1921.
  • Activated on 8 August 1922
Redesignated 2nd Bombardment Wing on 8 May 1929[3]
Redesignated 2nd Wing on 1 March 1935
Redesignated 2nd Bombardment Wing on 19 October 1940[3]
Inactivated on 5 September 1941
  • Activated on 7 June 1942
Redesignated 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) 31 August 1943
Redesignated 2nd Bombardment Wing (Heavy) June 1945
Inactivated on 7 November 1945
  • Disbanded on 15 June 1983[3]

Assignments

Stations

  • Langley Field, Virginia, 4 September 1919 – 30 September 1921
  • Langley Field, Virginia, 8 August 1922 – 5 September 1941
  • Detrick Field, Maryland, 7 June – 15 August 1942
  • Old Catton (AAF-108),[8] England, c. 7 September 1942
  • RAF Hethel (AAF-114),[8] England, 14 September 1943
  • RAF Alconbury (AAF-102),[8] England, c. 12 June – c. 25 August 1945
  • McChord Field, Washington, 6 September – 7 November 1945.

Components

Groups

Squadrons

Company

  • 19th Balloon Company (later 19th Dirigible Company, 19th Airship Company 19th Airship Squadron), 4 September 1919 – 30 September 1921 (attached to 1st Provisional Air Brigade after 6 May 1921), 8 August 1922 – 8 May 1929 (attached 8 May 1929 – 3 November 1935)[28]

Except as noted, lineage and station information is in Maurer, Combat Units.

Awards

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Abstract of HISTORY OF SECOND WING, GENERAL HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE, 1 Jan 1939 – 7 Dec 1941 (retrieved 29 December 2012)
  2. ↑ "2nd Bomb Wing – SAC – Barksdale AFB – B-47, B-52". Strategic-air-command.com. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Clay, p. 1243
  4. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 374–375
  5. ↑ Abstract History I Bomber Command, Part 1, 2nd Bombardment Wing, GHQ Air Force (retrieved 29 December 2012)
  6. ↑ Abstract, History I Bomber Command Sep 1941 – Nov 1943 (retrieved 29 December 2012)
  7. ↑ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 4989q, 15 September 1983, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
  8. 1 2 3 Station number in Anderson
  9. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 7th Operations Group 11 May 2007 (retrieved 28 December 2012)
  10. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 1st Operations Group 1 February 2008 (retrieved 28 December 2012)
  11. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 2nd Operations Group 11 February 2007 (retrieved 28 December 2012)
  12. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 8th Operations Group 11 May 2007 (retrieved 28 December 2012)
  13. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 9th Operations Group 11 May 2007 (retrieved 28 December 2012)
  14. ↑ Clay, p. 1308. The unit was assigned for mobilization, but was not organized while assigned to the wing.
  15. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 22nd Operations Group 28 November 2007 (retrieved 28 December 2012)
  16. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 31st Operations Group 28 November 2007 (retrieved 28 December 2012)
  17. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 44th Fighter Group 1 July 2011 (retrieved 28 December 2012)
  18. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 445th Operations Group 27 December 2007 (retrieved 28 December 2012)
  19. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 4
  20. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 38
  21. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 172
  22. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 175
  23. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 499
  24. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 503
  25. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 527
  26. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 531
  27. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 539
  28. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 18

Bibliography

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