The 418th Bombardment Group is the designation held by two

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 ...

advanced training units, briefly active during

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 ...

. The two groups were consolidated in 1958 and redesignated the 418th Tactical Missile Wing in 1985, but the consolidated unit has never been active.

History

The first 418th Bombardment Group was activated in August 1943 at

Lake Charles Army Air Field A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

, Louisiana. It was apparently only minimally manned and never received aircraft before it was disbanded in September.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p.501 The second 418th Bombardment Group was activated in March 1944 at

Alamogordo Army Airfield Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...

, New Mexico as a Replacement Training Unit for

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...

aircrews. However, even as the unit was being activated, 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 ...

(AAF) had determined that standard military units like the group, 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 un ...

not well adapted to the training mission. The AAF had already determined to change to a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit. The 418th was disbanded and bomber training activities at Alamogordo were assigned to the new 231st AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Bombardment, Heavy)''See'' Mueller, p. 249 (activation of 231st). The

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

consolidated the two groups in April 1958. In 1985, the consolidated unit was redesignated the 418th Tactical Missile Wing,Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations but has not been active since.

Lineage

; 418th Bombardment Group (Light) * Constituted as the 418th Bombardment Group (Light) on 16 July 1943 : Activated on 1 August 1943 : Disbanded on 15 September 1943 : Reconstituted and consolidated with the 418th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy as the 418th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy in April 1958 ; 418th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy * Constituted as the 418th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 28 February 1944 : Activated on 11 March 1944 : Disbanded on 1 April 1944 : Reconstituted and consolidated with the 418th Bombardment Group (Light) in April 1958 : Redesignated 418th Tactical Missile Wing on 31 July 1985

Assignments

II Tactical Air Division The II Air Support Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Third Air Force at Biggs Field, Texas, as the II Tactical Air Division, where it was inactivated on 22 December 1945. The command was organized in Se ...

, 1 August–15 September 1943 * 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, 28 February–1 April 1944

Components

* 696th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 705 * 697th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943 * 698th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 706 * 699th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943

Stations

* Lake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana, 1 August–15 September 1943 * Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico, 28 February–1 April 1944

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * {{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 1943 Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944 Military units and formations established in 1958 Bombardment groups of the United States Air Force 1943 establishments in Louisiana