01129167
UNCLASSIFIED
2450328
09-01-1996
WING/0042/AIR BASE
Air Education and Training Command
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MAXWELL AFB AND THE 42d AIR BASE WING
K-WG-42-HI
48932
132
163
89
2451653
04-18-2000
06
51
2451813
09-25-2000
2451856
11-07-2000
INCLUDES BRIEF DETAILED HISTORY OF MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE AL. ORVILLE WRIGHT RECORDED THE FIRST POWERED FLIGHT IN MONTGOMERY'S HISTORY WHEN HE SOARED OVER THE COTTON FIELDS, 26 MAR 10. FLYING SCHOOL ESTABLISHED AND FIVE STUDENTS SELECTED TO ATTEND. 27 MAY 10, FLYING SCHOOL CLOSED. BI-PLANE DISASSEMBLED, PLACED ONTO FREIGHT CARS, AND SENT TO INDIANAPOLIS, IN. 302 ACRES, WRIGHT FIELD, LEASED TO UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR USE AS AN AVIATION REPAIR DEPOT. WRIGHT FIELD WENT THROUGH FIVE NAME CHANGES: ENGINE AND REPAIR DEPOT (APR 18), ENGINE AND PLANE REPAIR DEPOT NUMBER 3 (SEP 18), AVIATION REPAIR DEPOT (MAR 19), MONTGOMERY AIR INTERMEDIATE DEPOT (JAN 21), AND 8 NOV 22, THE WAR DEPARTMENT REDESIGNATED THE DEPOT AS MAXWELL FIELD IN HONOR OF 2LT WILLIAM C. MAXWELL, ALABAMA NATIVE WHO DIED IN THE PHILIPPINES WHEN HIS DH-4 AIRCRAFT STRUCK A FLAGPOLE AFTER SWERVING TO AVOID STRIKING A GROUP OF CHILDREN PLAYING. AIR CORPS TACTICAL SCHOOL'S (ACTS) RELOCATION FROM LANGLEY FIELD TX TO MAXWELL FIELD AL ANNOUNCED 5 DEC 28 BY WAR DEPARTMENT. CONGRESSMAN LISTER HILL INSTRUMENTAL IN THE MOVE. CAPT CLAIRE L. CHENNAULT FOUNDED THE FLYING TRAPEZERS AND THE SKYLARKS, AERIAL ACROBATIC TEAMS, AT MAXWELL FIELD. GEN HENRY "HAP" ARNOLD ARRIVED AT MAXWELL FIELD AND ANNOUNCED THAT THE INSTALLATION WAS TO BE CONVERTED INTO A PILOT TRAINING CENTER 21 MAY 40. PILOT TRAINING CENTER REDESIGNATED ARMY AIR FORCES EASTERN FLYING TRAINING COMMAND 23 AUG 43. MAXWELL FIELD'S FIRST FOREIGN TRAINING PROGRAM BEGAN FALL OF 1941. MID-1942, MAXWELL FIELD CLOSED ITS ADVANCED FLYING TRAINING PROGRAM AND ESTABLISHED CENTRAL INSTRUCTORS SCHOOL. CENTRAL INSTRUCTORS SCHOOL DEPARTED AND A SPECIALIZED FOUR-ENGINE PILOT SCHOOL ESTABLISHED. B-24 AIRCRAFT TRAINING BEGAN. 1945, B-29 SUPERFORTRESS BOMBER TRANSITION TRAINING REPLACED THE B-24 PROGRAM. 4 AVIATION SQUADRON, ALL NEGRO UNIT ESTABLISHED 10 JUN 41, PRIMARY MISSION INCLUDED SERVICE AS BUGLERS, CUSTODIANS, CHAUFFEURS, DRUMMERS, FOOT MESSENGERS, HOSPITAL AND MESS HALL ATTENDANTS, MILITARY POLICE, AND TRUCK DRIVERS. SPRING OF 1943, 156 MEMBERS OF THE WOMEN'S ARMY AUXILIARY CORPS (WAAC) ARRIVED AT MAXWELL AND WORKED AS CLERKS, PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNICIANS, STENOGRAPHERS, AND RADIO AND TELEPHONE OPERATORS. MARY LETT, OF VERBENA AL, WORKED AS A MECHANIC AT GUNTER FIELD BASIC FLYING SCHOOL. ARMY AIR FORCES SCHOOL OF APPLIED TACTICS ESTABLISHED IN ORLANDO FL AND REDESIGNATED ARMY AIR FORCES SCHOOLS 1 JUN 45. 29 NOV 45, ARMY AIR FORCES SCHOOL MOVED TO MAXWELL FIELD AND REDESIGNATED AIR UNIVERSITY 12 MAR 46. LAYOUT OF MAXWELL FIELD DESIGNED BY GEORGE B. FORD AND FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED, JR. ALSO INCLUDES BRIEF DETAILED HISTORY OF 42 AIR BASE WING. ARMY AIR CORPS ESTABLISHED 452 BOMBARDMENT GROUP (MEDIUM) 20 NOV 40. 42 BOMBARDMENT GROUP (MEDIUM) ACTIVATED 15 JAN 41, FORT DOUGLAS UT AND PLACED UNDER COMMAND OF COL JOHN V. HART. 42 BOMBARDMENT GROUP CONSISTED OF 75, 76, AND 77 BOMBARDMENT SQUADRONS. STRICT FLYING REGIMEN BEGAN AFTER GROUP RECEIVED SIX TWIN-ENGINE DOUGLAS B-18 BOLO BOMBERS JUN 41. B-18 BOMBER REPLACED BY B-26 MARAUDER BOMBER. JAPAN ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR 7 DEC 41. UNITED STATES CONGRESS DECLARED WAR ON JAPAN 8 DEC 41 AND WAR ON GERMANY AND ITALY 11 DEC 41. 42 BOMBARDMENT WING (HEAVY) ESTABLISHED, ACTIVATED 25 FEB 53, AND ASSIGNED TO STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (SAC) LIMESTONE (LATER LORING) AIR FORCE BASE ME. AIRCRAFT USED INCLUDED B-36, PROPELLER-DRIVEN KC-97C TANKERS, BOEING B-52 STRATOFORTRESS, KC-135A TANKERS, AND B-36 AIRCRAFT CONVERTED TO B-52 AIRCRAFT. 42 AIR BOMBARDMENT WING BECAME AN ALL-JET FORCE WITH ASSIGNMENT OF 42 AIR REFUELING SQUADRON. COLD WAR TENSIONS BETWEEN UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA CAME TO A HEAD. OCT 62, PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY INFORMED THE AMERICAN PUBLIC OF OFFENSIVE NUCLEAR-CAPABLE MISSILE SITES IN CUBA . FEB 65, 42 AIR REFUELING SQUADRON SUPPORTED YOUNG TIGER OPERATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, BULLET SHOT, AND LINEBACKER II. FOLLOWING VIETNAM WAR, 42 BOMBARDMENT WING PARTICIPATED IN STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL EXERCISES WORLDWIDE. 7 AUG 90, 42 BOMBARDMENT WING DEPLOYED AIRCRAFT, PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT TO SOUTHWEST ASIA IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM. 407 AIR REFUELING SQUADRON INACTIVATED 1 OCT 90. PRESIDENTIAL ORDER TO STAND DOWN FOR FIRST TIME IN LORING'S HISTORY GIVEN 3 OCT 90. 42 BOMBARDMENT WING (HEAVY) REDESIGNATED 42 WING. HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE (HQ USAF) INACTIVATED STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND, REASSIGNED 42 WING TO AIR COMBAT COMMAND (ACC), AND ACC REDESIGNATED 42 WING AS 42 BOMB WING 1 JUN 92. LORING AIR FORCE BASE CLOSED AND 42 WING INACTIVATED 20 SEP 94. 1 OCT 94, HQ AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND (AETC) INACTIVATED 502 AIR BASE WING AT MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE AL AND REPLACED IT WITH 42 AIR BASE WING.
INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS, KEY PERSONNEL (UNIT COMMANDERS) LIST, CHRONOLOGIES, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE CHARTS.
WING/0042/AIR BASE
2451856
11-07-2000
pmc
2451856
11-07-2000