00199313 3965-150 UNCLASSIFIED 2430243 09-05-1941 2431053 11-24-1943 2431432 12-07-1944

0001 BOMBER COMMAND

422.057 0000005792 A4050 1068 1099 31 35 2446889 04-03-1987 ACTIVATED 5 SEP 41. MISSION; TO INSTITUTE IMMEDIATE OVER WATER RECONNAISSANCE IN ORDER TO LOCATE AND ATTACK ANY ENEMY SURFACE FORCES WHICH MIGHT BE APPROACHING UNITED STATES COAST FOR RAIDS OR INVASION. COMPRISED AT ACTIVATION OF THREE HEAVY AND ONE MEDIUM BOMBARDMENT GROUPS, RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRONS, AND ONE PURSUIT GROUP. PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT DERIVED FROM FORMER 2 BOMBARDMENT WING. HEADQUARTERS LOCATED AT LANGLEY FIELD VA. MISSION ALTERED TO BECOME ONE OF ANTISUBMARINE OPERATIONS. ULTIMATELY REDESIGNATED ANTISUBMARINE COMMAND 1943. BRIG GEN A. N. KROGSTAD ASSUMED COMMAND 24 SEP 41. ADVANCED ECHELON ESTABLISHED 12 DEC 41 AT NEW YORK CITY NY TO CONDUCT OPERATIONS IN NORTH ATLANTIC NAVAL COASTAL FRONTIER. TWO ADDITIONAL BOMBARDMENT GROUPS AND TWO ADDITIONAL RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRONS ACQUIRED EARLY 1942. 5 MAR 42 CIVIL AIR PATROL BEGAN OPERATING IN SUPPORT OF ANTISUBMARINE OPERATIONS. BRIG GEN W. T. LARSON ASSUMED COMMAND 7 MAR 42. MAJOR PROBLEMS CITED IN CONDUCTING OPERATIONS: WEAK LIAISON WITH NAVAL FORCES; OUTDATED AND WORN OUT EQUIPMENT; LACK OF TACTICAL AND SPECIAL EQUIPMENT; SHORTAGE OF PERSONNEL; AND LACK OF SUITABLE AIR BASES. GULF TASK FORCE CREATED AT MIAMI FL IN RESPONSE TO SHIFT IN GERMAN U-BOAT OPERATIONS FROM NORTH ATLANTIC TO CARIBBEAN AREA 26 MAY 42. CHRONOLOGY APPENDED INCLUDES INFORMATION OF ACTIVATION, ASSIGNMENT AND MOVEMENT OF SUBORDINATE UNITS. NONE CHRONOLOGY AND DRAFT FOR HISTORY