III Tactical Air Command
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The III Tactical Air Command was a
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 ...
formation. Its last assignment was with
Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
stationed at
Barksdale Field Barksdale may refer to: Places *Barksdale, Mississippi, an unincorporated community *Barksdale, Texas, an unincorporated community * Barksdale, Wisconsin, a town ** Barksdale (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community * Barksdale Air Force ...
, Louisiana. It was disbanded on 24 October 1945. The command was established in 1941 as the 3rd Air Support Command. It was responsible for training tactical units and aircrews for 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 ...
, except for the period from August 1943 through March 1944, when it specialized in training
reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
units.


History


Background

General Headquarters Air Force The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
(GHQ AF) reorganized its four regional air districts as
Numbered Air Force A Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, major command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squ ...
s in the spring of 1941. By the fall of that year, each of these had organized as a support command and three combat commands. In the summer of 1941 GHQ AF decided to establish commands to direct its
air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement ...
mission in each numbered air force, plus one additional command reporting directly to GHQ AF.Futrell, p. 13
3rd Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in Eu ...
organized 3rd Air Support Command.Maurer, p. 439 However, by early 1942, most of the command's trained personnel had moved overseas, leading GHQ AF to believe it had little more than the "remnants" of the command remaining. As a result, it was decided to disband the command on 16 March 1942. However, in May, 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) reaffirmed that each of the continental
numbered air force A Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, major command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squ ...
s would have an air support command and the 3rd Air Force established a new 3rd Air Support Command at
Birmingham Airport Birmingham Airport , formerly ''Birmingham International Airport'', is an international airport located east-southeast of Birmingham city centre, west-northwest of Coventry slightly north of Bickenhill village, in the Metropolitan Borou ...
on 19 May.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 441Futrell, p. 15


Training tactical forces

The AAF determined that its continental air forces would specialize in their training operations and that all their air support commands would be reassigned to
Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
. At various times, the III Tactical Air Command trained dive bombardment, light bombardment, and reconnaissance organizations and personnel; also gave air support to ground units in training and participated in air-ground maneuvers and demonstrations. In October of 1942, AAF directed that half of the observation groups assigned to the command were to be reduced to 50% strength or less with their personnel used to form new tow target squadrons, or transferred to
heavy bomber Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...
Operational Training Unit Royal Air Force Operational Training Units (OTUs) were training units that prepared aircrew for operations on a particular type or types of aircraft or roles. OTUs ; No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (1 OTU): The Unit was formed in ...
(OTU)s or Replacement Training Unit (RTU)s. In the summer of 1943, 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 ...
had begun to act to combine tactical and photographic reconnaissance functions, and in July, directed Third Air Force to establish a reconnaissance command that would train all tactical and photographic units and operate replacement training units for the personnel of those units. As a result the command was redesignated III Reconnaissance Command and became the central training agency for reconnaissance units, with wings at
Key Field Meridian Regional Airport is a joint civil-military public use airport located at Key Field, a joint-use public/military airfield. It is located southwest of Meridian, a city in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States. The Meridian Airpo ...
and
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 ...
.Futrell, p. 27 The command was disbanded in 1945. In 1947, when the United States Air Force (USAF) became independent, the Army transferred all Army Air Forces, Air Service and Air Corps units (there were a number of Air Corps units that had never been in the Army Air Forces, and a few Air Service units) to the USAF.


Lineage

* Constituted as the 3rd Ground Air Support Command on 15 May 1942Maurer and Haulman indicate the unit was constituted as the "III" Ground Air Support Command. However, the unit was constituted and activated with an
arabic number Arabic numerals are the ten numerical digits: , , , , , , , , and . They are the most commonly used symbols to write decimal numbers. They are also used for writing numbers in other systems such as octal, and for writing identifiers such as c ...
in its name. The use of
roman numeral Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, eac ...
s to designate Army Air Forces combat commands did not begin until September 1942.
: Activated on 19 May 1942. : Redesignated III Air Support Command c. 18 September 1942 : Redesignated III Reconnaissance Command 18 August 1943 : Redesignated III Tactical Air Command c. 10 March 1944 : Disbanded on 24 October 1945


Assignments

*
Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
, 19 May 1942 – 24 October 1945


Components

; Divisions * I Tactical Air Division (later III Tactical Air Division,
III Reconnaissance Command The III Reconnaissance Command is a disbanded United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, where it was inactivated on 8 April 1946. After transferring to ...
): c. 10 March 1944 – 1944 *
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 ...
: c. 10 March 1944 – 24 October 1945 * III Tactical Air Division (later
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 ...
): c. 10 March 1944 – 24 October 1945 ; Wings *
22d Bombardment Training Wing D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''. History The ...
: 5 December 1942 – 6 August 1943 * 88th Reconnaissance Training Wing: 18 August – 20 December 1943''See'' Futrell, p. 27 (establishment of training wings at Key Field and Will Rogers Field). (thereafter disbanded). * 89th Reconnaissance Training Wing: 18 August 1943 – c. 1 April 1944 ; Groups *
8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of the ...
(later 8th Reconnaissance Group), 1 October–27 October 1943 *
47th Bombardment Group 47th may refer to: Chicago Transit Authority stations * 47th station (CTA Green Line) 47th is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's "L" system, located in the Grand Boulevard community area of Chicago, Illinois and serving the Green ...
, attached 29 June 1942, assigned 10 August – 27 September 1942 * 48th Bombardment Group, 10 August 1942 – 6 August 1943 *
67th Observation Group 67 may refer to: * 67 (number) * one of the years 67 BC, AD 67, 1967, 2067 * ''67'', a 1992 song by Love Battery from the album ''Between the Eyes'' * 67 (rap group), a drill music group from London See also * 67th Regiment (disambiguation) * 67 ...
, 15 May – 23 June 1942; 4 July – 21 August 1942 *
69th Reconnaissance Group The 69th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force that was part of Air Combat Command, the group was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota where it was a tenant of the 319th Air Base Wing. The group served in ...
(later 69th Tactical Reconnaissance Group), 6 August – 9 October 1943 *
75th Observation Group The 75th Air Base Wing (75 ABW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah, Ogden Utah. It provides base operating support for the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, the 388th Fighter Wing, 388th, 419th Figh ...
(later 75th Reconnaissance Group, 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Group), c. 24 May 1942 – 18 April 1944 * 77th Observation Group (later 77th Reconnaissance Group, 77th Tactical Reconnaissance Group), assigned 24 May – 21 August 1942; attached 7 September 1942 – 5 August 1943; assigned 6 August 1943 – 30 November 1943 * 85th Bombardment Group, 10 August - 2 November 1942 *
312th Bombardment Group 31 may refer to: * 31 (number) Years * 31 BC * AD 31 * 1931 CE ('31) * 2031 CE ('31) Music * ''Thirty One'' (Jana Kramer album), 2015 * ''Thirty One'' (Jarryd James album), 2015 * "Thirty One", a song by Karma to Burn from the album ''Wild, ...
, 10 August 1942 – 20 February 1943 *
405th Bombardment Group 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...
(later 405th Fighter-Bomber Group), 1 March – 15 August 1943 *
410th Bombardment Group 41 may refer to: * 41 (number) * one of the years 41 BC, AD 41, 1941, 2041 Art and entertainment * ''41'' (film), a 2007 documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the Station nightclub fire * ''41'', a 2012 film by Glenn Triggs * ...
, 1 July – 6 August 1943 (attached to 46th Bombardment Group) *
416th Bombardment Group 416th may refer to: *416th Air Expeditionary Operations Group, provisional unit assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command *416th Bombardment Wing, inactive United States Air Force unit *416th Engineer Command (TEC), US Army Reser ...
, 5 February – 6 August 1943 ; Squadrons *
1st Air Support Communications Squadron The United States Air Force's 1st Air Support Operations Group is a combat support unit located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The group provides tactical command and control of airpower assets to the Joint Forces Air Component Comma ...
, c. 19 May – 3 November 1943 (attached to I Tactical Air Division after c. 8 September 1943) * 1st Reconnaissance Squadron (Special) (later 41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron): 1 October – 4 December 1944 * 2nd Communications Squadron, Air Support: 31 May – 26 December 1942 * 2d Composite Squadron (see 6th Reconnaissance Squadron) * 3d Composite Squadron (see 7th Reconnaissance Squadron) *
6th Photographic Technical Squadron 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
: 1 December 1943 – 13 May 1944 * 6th Reconnaissance Squadron (Special) (later 2d Composite Squadron): 20 August – 8 November 1943; 1 October 1944 – 25 October 1945 * 7th Reconnaissance Squadron (Special) (later 3d Composite Squadron): 20 August – 8 November 1943; 1 October 1944 – 25 October 1945 * 11th Communications Squadron, Air Support (later
11th Air Support Communications Squadron The United States Air Force's 11th Air Support Operations Squadron was a combat support unit located at Fort Hood, Texas. The squadron provided tactical command and control of airpower assets to the Joint Forces Air Component Commander and Join ...
, 11th Air Support Control Squadron): 18 September 1942 – 11 December 1943 *
13th Air Support Communications Squadron In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octave ...
: 15 January – 7 June 1943 *
14th Air Support Communications Squadron 14 (fourteen) is a natural number following 13 and preceding 15. In relation to the word "four" ( 4), 14 is spelled "fourteen". In mathematics * 14 is a composite number. * 14 is a square pyramidal number. * 14 is a stella octangula number ...
: 15 February – 3 March 1943 *
15th Air Support Communications Squadron 15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 and preceding 16. Mathematics 15 is: * A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and . * A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky number, a pernicious n ...
: 15 February – 23 August 1943 * 18th Air Support Communications Squadron, 1 April – 3 November 1943 * 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: 23 August – 26 December 1943 * 24th Combat Mapping Squadron: 12 October – 26 December 1943 *
27th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...
: 12 October – c. 4 November 1943 *
28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
: 15 August – 27 September 1943 * 30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 12 October 1943 – 4 February 1944 *
31st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron The 31st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 74th Reconnaissance Group, stationed at Mitchel Field, New York. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949. History Established ...
: 11 August 1943 – 31 March 1944 *
32d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron The ROMP is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor designed by IBM in the late 1970s. It is also known as the Research OPD Miniprocessor (after the two IBM divisions that collaborated on its inception, IBM Research and the Off ...
: 11 August 1943 – c. 20 April 1944 *
33d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron The 24th Intelligence Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The squadron was first activated as the 24th Observation Squadron during World War II. it conducted aerial reconnaissance traini ...
: 11 August 1943 – 1 May 1944 * 34th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 11 August – 9 October 1943 * 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 30 November 1943 – 5 May 1944 * 40th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 21 October 1943 – 18 April 1944 * 41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (see 1st Reconnaissance Squadron) * 106th Reconnaissance Squadron, 23 August – 19 November 1943 * 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, c. 25 October 1943 – c. 16 February 1944 * 158th Liaison Squadron, 1 October – 13 December 1944 * 161st Liaison Squadron, 15 May – 24 June 1944; 1 September – 25 October 1945 * 162nd Liaison Squadron, 1 September – 25 October 1945 * 398th Fighter Squadron, 1 September – 25 October 1945 (attached to 372d Fighter Group after 2 October 1945)Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 489


Stations

* Birmingham Airport (later Birmingham Army Air Base), Alabama, 19 May 1942 *
Barksdale Field Barksdale may refer to: Places *Barksdale, Mississippi, an unincorporated community *Barksdale, Texas, an unincorporated community * Barksdale, Wisconsin, a town ** Barksdale (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community * Barksdale Air Force ...
, Louisiana, c. 1 April 1944 – 24 October 1945


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * {{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II 03
003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to: *003, fictional British 00 Agent *003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986) *1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen * OO3 gauge model railway *''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...