00199294 2486-13A UNCLASSIFIED 2429265 01-01-1939 2430336 12-07-1941 2431365 10-01-1944

0001 BOMBER COMMAND

422.01-1 V.1 VOL 1 OF 3 0000005791 A4049 4 206 202 35 2446889 04-03-1987 PREFACE DESCRIBES SOURCE MATERIALS USED IN WRITING HISTORY OF SECOND WING, GENERAL HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE. STATES THAT CERTAIN KEY RECORDS OF COMMAND WERE TRANSFERRED TO NORTHEAST AIR DISTRICT (NEAD) AND FIRST BOMBER COMMAND AND SUBSEQUENTLY BURNED EARLY IN 1944. INCLUDES CHRONOLOGY COVERING PERIOD 8 DEC 13 THROUGH 8 DEC 41. INCLUSIVE PERIOD OF NARRATIVE EXTENDS BACK TO ORGANIZATION OF GENERAL HEADQUARTERS, AIR FORCE (GHQAF), 1 MAR 35. GHQAF WAS TO BE COMPOSED OF HIGHLY MOBILE TACTICAL UNITS SELF-SUFFICIENT FOR SHORT PERIODS IN THE FIELD. GHQAF WAS TO PROVIDE TACTICAL COMBAT AIR FORCES AND WAS COMPOSED OF 3 WINGS STATIONED IN CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES AND RESPONSIBLE DIRECTLY TO CHIEF OF STAFF, UNITED STATES ARMY. NARRATIVE DEALS WITH PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TACTICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND BASE COMMANDERS. 1 JAN 39, SECOND WING WAS COMPOSED TWO EACH GROUPS OF PURSUIT (1 AND 8 PURSUIT GROUPS), BOMBARDMENT (2 AND 9 BOMBARDMENT GROUPS) AND TWO SQUADRONS OF RECONNAISSANCE (18 AND 21 RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRONS). UNITS WERE STATIONED AT LANGLEY FIELD VA, MITCHEL FIELD NY AND SELFRIDGE FIELD MI. GHQAF AND HEADQUARTERS SECOND WING LOCATED AT LANGLEY FIELD VA. APPARENTLY ACTIVATED 4 SEP 19. INACTIVATED 30 SEP 21. ACTIVATED AS SECOND WING 8 AUG 22. REDESIGNATED SECOND BOMBARDMENT WING 8 MAY 29. REDESIGNATED SECOND WING, GHQAF, 1 MAR 35. REDESIGNATED SECOND BOMBARDMENT WING, 15 JAN 41, ASSIGNED TO NEAD. BECAME FIRST BOMBER COMMAND ASSIGNED TO FIRST AIR FORCE. AS OF 13 DEC 38 EQUIPPED WITH B-17 AND B-18A AIRCRAFT. NARRATIVE DEALS WITH ORGANIZATION, AIRCREW EXPERIENCE, PERSONNEL STRENGTH LEVELS AND ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH COMBAT EFFICIENCY. SUMMARIZES GHQAF REPORT ON 1939 TACTICAL INSPECTION. DESCRIBES EVOLUTION OF TRAINING, MOBILIZATION, TACTICAL AND STRATEGIC PLANNING. DISCUSSES COMPILATION OF 2 BOMBARDMENT GROUP MANUAL FOR BOMBARDIERS. 2 BOMBARDMENT GROUP WAS FIRST TO BE EQUIPPED WITH B-17 AIRCRAFT. PURSUIT AVIATION IN 1939 EQUIPPED WITH P-36A AND P-35 AIRCRAFT. FIRST MAJOR EXPANSION OF SECOND WING UNDERTAKEN AFTER 1939. CONTAINS SOMEWHAT DETAILED DISCUSSION OF IMPACT OF FIVE YEAR WOODRING PROGRAM FOR EXPANSION OF THE AIR CORPS. SECOND WING WAS TO PROVIDE CADRE AND TRAINING FOR NEW TACTICAL UNITS FOR GHQAF TO BE ACTIVATED UNDER WOODRING PROGRAM. SOME OF THESE NEW UNITS WERE INTENDED FOR ASSIGNMENT TO PUERTO RICO, PANAMA AND SO-CALLED SOUTHEAST AIR BASE. DISCUSSES IN SOME DETAIL CREATION OF ADVANCED COMBAT ECHELON AND IMPACT OF 54 GROUP PROGRAM. CONTAINS CONSIDERABLE INFORMATION ON CADRES AND OTHER SUPPORT PROVIDED BY WING UNITS TO UNITS CREATED IN AIR CORPS EXPANSION PROGRAMS, 1938 THROUGH 1942. ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, CHARTS AND DIAGRAMS. NONE PART ONE: SECOND BOMBARDMENT WING, GENERAL HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE