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 Nov 1946.

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 20th Bombardment Wing on 19 Oct 1940

Activated on 18 Dec 1940

Inactivated on 1 Sep 1941

• Activated on 1 Nov 1942

Redesignated 20th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in Feb 1943

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

Redesignated 20th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in Jun 1945

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

Redesignated VIII Bomber Command (Very Heavy) in Oct 1945

Inactivated on 10 Nov 1946

Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948.

Assignments

• Northwest Air District, 18 Dec 1940-1 Dec 1941
• Third Air Force, Nov 1942-8 May 1943
• Eighth Air Force, 1 Jul 1943
• 2d Bombardment Division, 13 Sep 1943-6 Aug 1945
• Continental Air Forces, 15 Aug 1945
• Eighth Air Force, 14 May-10 Nov 1946

Units assigned

• 7th Bombardment Group: 1940-1941
• 34th Bombardment Group: 1945
• 42d Bombardment Group: 1941
• 93d Bombardment Group: 13 Sep 1943-12 Jun 1945
• 385th Bombardment Group: 1945

• 388th Bombardment Group: 1945
• 446th Bombardment Group: 4 Nov 1943-July 1945
• 448th Bombardment Group: 30 Nov 1943- 6 July 1945
• 452d Bombardment Group: 1945
• 489th Bombardment Group: 14 Aug-29 Nov 1944

Stations

• Ft Douglas, Utah, 18 Dec 1940-1 Sep 1941
• MacDill Field, Fla, Nov 1942-c. 8 May 1943
• Camp Lynn, England, c. 9 Jun 1943
• RAF Cheddington, England, c. 1 Jul 1943
• RAF Horsham St Faith, England, c. 14 Sep 1943
• RAF Hethel, England, 24 Sep 1943

• RAF Hardwick, England, c. 7 Nov 1943
• RAF Snetterton Heath, England, c. 13 Jun-6 Aug 1945
• Sioux Falls AAF1d, SD, c. 15 Aug 1945
• Peterson Field, Colo, 17 Aug 1945
• MacDill Field, Fla, 14 May-10 Nov 1946.

Operations

Prewar bombardment wing in the northwest. Moved to England, May-Jun 1943, for duty with Eighth AF. Received its first groups in Nov 1943 and served in combat in the European theater from Dec 1943 until Apr 1945.

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

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 0892010924.