20th Bombardment Wing

20th Bombardment Wing
Active	1940–1941; 1942–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Force
Role	Bombardment (Command & Control)
Part of	Eighth Air Force

The 20th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Eighth Air Force, based at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 10 November 1946.

History

Prewar bombardment wing in the northwest. 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 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 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) in 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.

Assignments

Second Air Force, 18 December 1940 – 1 December 1941
Third Air Force, November 1942-8 May 1943
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 Airfield, South Dakota, c. 15 August 1945
Peterson Field, Colorado, 17 August 1945
MacDill Field, Florida, 14 May – 10 November 1946.

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

External links

Strategic Air Command (SAC)

Bases

Active
(MAJCOM)

CONUS	Altus (AETC) Andersen (PACAF) Andrews (AMC) Barksdale (ACC) Beale (ACC) Bolling (AFDW) Cannon (AFSOC) Columbus (AETC) Davis-Monthan (ACC) Dyess (ACC) Eielson (PACAF) Ellsworth (ACC) Eglin (AFMC) F. E. Warren (AFSPC) Fairchild (AMC) Forbes (ANG) Grand Forks (AMC) Grissom (AFRC) Homestead (AFRC) Lincoln (ANG) Little Rock (AETC) MacDill (AMC) Malmstrom (AFSPC) March (AFRC) McChord (AMC) McConnell (AMC) McGuire (AMC) Minot (ACC) Mountain Home (ACC) Nellis (ACC) Offutt (ACC) Patrick (AFSPC) Pease (ANG) Rickenbacker (ANG) Robins (AFMC) Seymour Johnson (ACC) Sheppard (AETC) Selfridge (ANG) Travis (AMC) Vandenburg (AFSPC) Westover (AFRC) Whiteman (ACC) Wright-Patterson (AFMC)

Overseas	RAF Alconbury (USAFE) Diego Garcia (USN) Kadena (PACAF) RAF Fairford (USAFE) RAF Lakenheath (USAFE) RAF Mildenhall (USAFE) Thule (AFSPC)

Inactive

CONUS	Amarillo Bergstrom Biggs Calumet Air Force Station Carswell Castle Chennault Clinton-Sherman Dow Eaker Glasgow Grand Island (AAF) Griffiss Hunter K. I. Sawyer Kearney Kincheloe Larson Loring Lowry Mather McCoy Plattsburgh Presque Isle Ramey R.I. Bong (unbuilt) Schilling Stead Turner Walker Wurtsmith

Overseas	RAF Bassingbourn Ben Guerir Boulhaut RAF Brize Norton RAF Bruntingthorpe RAF Burtonwood RAF Chelveston RAF Greenham Common Goose Bay Ernest Harmon RAF High Wycombe RAF Upper Heyford Torrejón RAF Manston Morón Nouasseur Rabat-Salé RAF Scampton RAF Sculthorpe Sidi Slimane RAF South Ruislip U-Tapao RAF Waddington RAF Woodbridge RAF Wyton Zaragoza

Units

Air Forces

Divisions

Air	3d 4th 5th 6th 7th 12th 14th 17th 19th 21st 36th 40th 42d 45th 47th 57th 100th 311th 801st 802d 806th 817th 822d 823d 4310th

Strategic Aerospace	1st 18th 22d 810th 813th 816th 818th 819th 820th 821st 825th

Strategic Missile	13th

Reconnaissance

Aerospace	310th 385th 462d

AFCON	95th 98th 306th 307th 376th

MAJCOM	3918th 3920th 3960th 3970th 3973d 4026th 4038th 4039th 4042d 4043d 4047th 4080th 4081st 4082d 4083d 4123d 4126th 4128th 4130th 4133d 4134th 4135th 4136th 4137th 4138th 4141st 4157th 4158th 4170th 4228th 4238th 4239th 4241st 4245th 4252nd 4258th 4321st

Support

40th

USAAF
Groups
*=Initial Assigned
Unit Upon SAC's
Activation

Bombardment	2d (7/47) 7th (10/46) 28th (8/46) 40th (3/46) 43rd (10/46) 44th (3/46) 92nd (10/46) 93d (3/46) 97th (8/46) 98th (7/47) 301st (8/46) 307th (8/46) 444th (3/46) 448th (3/46) 449th (3/46) 467th (3/46) 485th (3/46) 498th (3/46) 509th Composite (3/46)

Fighter	27th (6/47) 55th (2/47)

Reconnaissance	91st Strategic Reconnaissance (1/47)

Major
weapon
systems

Bombers	B-1B B-2 B-29 B-36 B-45 B-47 B-50 B-52 B-58 FB-111

Command & Control	DC-130 E-4 EC-135 RC-135

Fighters	F-51 F-82 F-84 F-86 F-102 F-111

Missiles	ADM-20 AGM-28 AGM-69 AGM-84 AGM-86 AGM-129 HGM-16 LGM-30A/B LGM-30F LGM-30G LGM-118A SM-62 PGM-17A PGM-19A

Reconnaissance	SR-71 TR-1 U-2 RB-57D RB-17 RB-29

Tankers	KB-29 KB-50 KC-10 KC-97 HC-130 KC-130 KC-135

Transport	C-45 C-47 C-54 C-82 C-97 C-118 C-119 C-124 C-131 C-135

Commanders

Emblems

Strategic Air Command Emblem Gallery

USAAF Eighth Air Force in World War II

Stations

United Kingdom	Alconbury Aldermaston Andrews Field Atcham Attlebridge Bassingbourn Bodney Bottisham Bovingdon Boxted Bungay Burtonwood Depot Bury St. Edmunds Bushey Hall Chalgrove Cheddington Chelveston Chipping Ongar Daws Hill Debach Debden Deenethorpe Deopham Green Duxford Earls Colne East Wretham Eye Fersfield Fowlmere Framlingham Glatton Goxhill Grafton Underwood Great Ashfield Great Dunmow Halesworth Hardwick Harrington Hethel Honington Horham Horsham St. Faith Ibsley Keevil Kimbolton Kings Cliffe Kirton In Lindsey Knettishall Lavenham Leiston Little Walden Martlesham Heath Membury Mendlesham Metfield Molesworth Mount Farm North Pickenham Nuthampstead Old Buckenham Podington Polebrook Rackheath Ramsbury Rattlesden Raydon Ridgewell Seething Shipdham Snetterton Heath Steeple Morden Sudbury Thorpe Abbots Thurleigh Tibenham Wattisham Watton Wendling Westhampnett Wormingford

Okinawa	Bolo Ie Shima Kadena Futenma Yontan

Units

Commands

VIII Air Support
VIII Bomber
VIII

Air Divisions

Wings

Bombardment	1st 2d 3d 4th 5th 12th 316th

Fighter	6th 65th 66th 67th 301st

Groups

Bombardment	34th 44th 91st 92d 93d 94th 95th 96th 97th 100th 301st 303d 305th 306th 310th 319th 320th 322d 323d 333d 346th 351st 379th 381st 382d 383d 384th 385th 386th 387th 388th 389th 390th 392d 398th 401st 445th 446th 447th 448th 452d 453d 457th 458th 466th 467th 486th 482d 487th 489th 490th 491st 492d 493d 801st (Provisional)

Fighter	1st 4th 14th 20th 31st 48th 55th 56th 78th 318th 339th 350th 352d 353d 354th 355th 356th 357th 358th 361st 362d 364th 413th 479th 495th 496th 507th

Troop Carrier	60th 62d 315th

Reconnaissance	3d 7th 25th 67th

United States Army Air Forces

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