The 411th Bombardment Group is an inactive

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

unit. Its last assignment was with

III Bomber Command The III Bomber Command is a disbanded United States Air Force headquarters. It was established in September 1941, shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor to command bomber units assigned to 3rd Air Force. Following the entry of the United Sta ...

Florence Army Air Field Florence Regional Airport is three miles east of Florence, in Florence County, South Carolina. The only scheduled flights are American Eagle to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, about 30 minutes. Facilities The airport covers and has ...

, South Carolina, where it served as a Replacement Training Unit until it was disbanded on 1 May 1944. In July 1985, the group was reconstituted as the 411th Tactical Missile Wing, but has never been active under that name.

History

The 411th Bombardment Group was activated at

Will Rogers Field Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

, Oklahoma on 1 August 1944. Its original squadrons were the 648th, 649th, 650th and 651st Bombardment Squadrons.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 694–695Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 695Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 695–696 Two weeks later it moved to

, South Carolina, where it absorbed the personnel of the 65th Reconnaissance Group, which had been training observation crews on

North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...

aircraft there.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 296 The group was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Replacement Training Unit, using

Douglas A-20 Havoc The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for a bomber, it was o ...

light bombers. Replacement Training Units were oversized units that trained individual

aircrew Aircrew, also called flight crew, are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose. Commercial aviation Flight deck positions ...

s. After graduating, the airmen were assigned to overseas combat units. However, standard military units, based on relatively inflexible

tables of organization A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as well as the u ...

were proving poorly adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, the

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit. The group was disbanded on 1 May 1944 and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 334th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light Bombardment). On 31 July 1985 the group was reconstituted and redesignated the 411th Tactical Missile Wing, but was not activated.Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations

Lineage

* Constituted as 411th Bombardment Group (Light) on 14 July 1943 : Activated on 1 August 1943 : Disbanded on 1 May 1944 * Reconstituted on 31 July 1985 and redesignated 411th Tactical Missile Wing

Assignments

, 1 August 1943 *

I Tactical Air Division The I Tactical Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Biggs Field, Texas. It was inactivated on 22 December 1945. History General Headquarters Air Force (GHQ AF) reorganize ...

, August 1943 – 1 May 1944

Components

* 648th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August 1943 – 1 May 1944 * 649th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August 1943 – 1 May 1944 * 650th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August 1943 – 1 May 1944 * 651st Bombardment Squadron: 1 August 1943 – 1 May 1944

Stations

* Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 1 August 1943 * Florence Army Air Field, South Carolina, 15 August 1943 – 1 May 1944

Aircraft

* Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1943–1944 * North American B-25 Mitchell, 1943–1944

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* :: * *

External links

{{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944 Military units and formations established in 1985 1943 establishments in the United States