55th Fighter Wing

55th Bombardment Wing
Emblem of the 55th Bomb Wing
Active	1943–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Role	Bombardment
Part of	Fifteenth Air Force
Engagements	World War II European Campaign (1943–1945)

The 55th Bombardment Wing (55th BW) was a World War II United States Army Air Force organization assigned to Fifteenth Air Force as an intermediate-level command and control organization. It was stationed at Bari, Italy and was inactivated on 9 September 1945.

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 55th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Medium) on 17 March 1943

Activated on 31 March.

Redesignated 55th Bombardment Wing (Medium) in October 1943

Redesignated 55th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in December 1943

Inactivated 9 September 1945.

Assignments

• Third Air Force, 31 March 1943 – February 1944
• Fifteenth Air Force, March 1944 – 9 September 1945

Stations

• MacDill Field, Florida, 31 March 1943 – February 1944
• Spinazzola Airfield, Italy, March 1944
• Pantanella Airfield, Italy (465th Bomb Group)
• Bari Airfield, Italy, July–September 1945

Components

• 460th Bombardment Group, 5 February 1944 – 15 June 1945
• 464th Bombardment Group, 2 October 1943 – 31 June 1945
• 465th Bombardment Group, 1 April 1944 – 15 June 1945
• 485th Bombardment Group, 1 April 1944 May-15 May 1945

Aircraft

• B-24 Liberator

References

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

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