20th Bombardment Wing

The 20th Bombardment Wing is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Eighth Air Force at MacDill Field, Florida, where it was inactivated on 10 November 1946. It was later disbanded in October 1948

20th Bombardment Wing
Active	1940–1941; 1942–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army  United States Air Force
Role	Command of Bombardment units
Engagements	European Theater of World War II[1]

History

The 20th Bombardment Wing was activated in December 1940 at Fort Douglas, Utah and assigned to Second Air Force.^[1] The following month, it was assigned its combat elements, the 7th and 42d Bombardment Groups. In September 1941, the wing was inactivated and its personnel used to form the 2nd Air Support Command.^[2]

Moved to England, May–June 1943, for duty with Eighth Air Force. Received its first groups in November 1943 and served in combat in the European theater from December 1943 until April 1945.

Returned to the US in August 1945 and prepared for Boeing B-29 Superfortress operations, although had no combat components assigned. Reassigned to Strategic Air Command postwar Eighth Air Force in May 1946 and elevated to VIII Bombardment Command. Inactivated before becoming operational in November 1946.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 20th Bombardment Wing on 19 October 1940

Activated on 18 December 1940

Inactivated on 1 September 1941

• Activated on 1 November 1942

Redesignated 20th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in February 1943

Redesignated 20th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in August 1943

Redesignated 20th Bombardment Wing (Heavy)' on 20 June 1945

Redesignated 20th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) in August 1945

Redesignated VIII Bomber Command (Very Heavy) in October 1945

Inactivated on 10 November 1946

Disbanded on 8 October 1948^[1]

Assignments

• Second Air Force, 18 December 1940 – 1 December 1941
• Third Air Force, November 1942 – 8 May 1943
• VIII Bomber Command (later Eighth Air Force), 1 July 1943 – 6 August 1945
• Continental Air Forces, 15 August 1945
• Eighth Air Force, 14 May – 10 November 1946

Units assigned

7th Bombardment Group: 16 January – 5 September 1941 34th Bombardment Group: 18 June – 28 August 1945 42d Bombardment Group: 16 January – 1 September 1941 93d Bombardment Group: 13 September 1943 – 12 June 1945 385th Bombardment Group: 18 June – 4 August 1945

388th Bombardment Group: 18 June – 13 August 1945 446th Bombardment Group: November 1943 – 1 June 1945 448th Bombardment Group: 30 November 1943 – 6 July 1945 452d Bombardment Group: 18 June – 12 August 1945 489th Bombardment Group: 14 August – 29 November 1944

Stations

Fort Douglas, Utah, 18 December 1940 – 1 September 1941 MacDill Field, Florida, November 1942 – c. 8 May 1943 Camp Lynn (AAF-101), England, c. 9 June 1943 RAF Cheddington (AAF-113), England, c. 1 July 1943 RAF Horsham St Faith (AAF-123), England, c. 14 September 1943 RAF Hethel (AAF-114), England, 24 September 1943

RAF Hardwick (AAF-104), England, c. 7 November 1943 RAF Snetterton Heath (AAF-138), England, c. 13 June – 6 August 1945 Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, c. 15 August 1945 Peterson Field, Colorado, 17 August 1945 MacDill Field, Florida, 14 May – 10 November 1946[1]

References

Notes

1. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 386-387
2. Futrell, p. 13

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Futrell, Robert F. (September 1956). "Command of Observation Aviation: A Study in Control of Tactical Airpower, USAF Historical Study No. 24" (PDF). Research Studies Institute, USAF Historical Division, Air University. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

External links