US Air Force Combat Units of World War II Description

Constituted as 4th Bombardment Wing on 19 Oct 1940. Activated on 18 Dec 1940. Inactivated on 1 Oct 1941. Activated on 7 Jun 1942. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942. Assigned to Eighth AF. Redesignated 4th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in Aug 1943. Had no groups assigned until the spring of 1943 and was not manned from 29 Sep 1942 to 19 Jan 1943. Began combat in May 1943 and received a DUC for a mission on 17 Aug 1943 when the wing attacked an aircraft factory at Regensburg.

Commanding officers

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  Curtis LeMay

  Military | General | Commanding General | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
  306th Temporary Deputy Commander at Wendover, then transferred as Group Commander of 305th BG 4-Jun-42 to 15-May-43. ...

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  Frederick Anderson

  Military | General | Commanding General | 95th Bomb Group
  Formerly senior pilot and CG of 4th Bomb Wing at Marks Hall from May 1943. Then appointed CG VIII BC 1 July 1943 to January 1944. ...

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  James Doolittle

  Military | General | Commanding General
  Became Commanding General of 12th AF September 1942; Commanding General of Northwest African Strategic Air Force March 1943; assumed command of 15th AF November 1943; Commanding General of 8th Air Force 6 January 1944 to 9 May 1945. Medal Of Honor for...

Structure

Part of

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  VIII Bomber Command

  Command
  VIII Bomber Command was constituted and activated in 1942. It oversaw heavy bombardment operations until February 1944, when it was redesginated as the 8th Air Force.

Encompassing

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  100th Bomb Group

  Group
  "The Bloody Hundredth", so-called because of a reputation for losing a high number aircraft and crews, flew B-17s from Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. Their losses were not the highest of any Eighth Air Force Group but on several occasions the Group lost many...

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  385th Bomb Group

  Group
  The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Col. Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9...

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  388th Bomb Group

  Group
  The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...

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  390th Bomb Group

  Group
  The 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Framlingham, Suffolk, between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe. The Group was engaged in strategic missions until the invasion of Europe when its role became more of a tactical one. This...

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  94th Bomb Group

  Group
  Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942. Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas...

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  95th Bomb Group

  Group
  The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August...

Previously was

Not yet known

Became

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  4th Combat Bomb Wing

  Wing

Stations

Station	Location	Date
Based	High Wycombe	12 February 1942 – January 1943
Based	Marks Hall	18 January 1943 – June 1943
Based	Elveden Hall	June 1943 – August 1943
Redesignated		August 1943

Citations

None