335th Bombardment Group

The 335th Bombardment Group was a United States Army Air Forces training formation created during the rapid expansion of American military aviation in World War II. Constituted as the 335th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 9 July 1942 and activated on 17 July 1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, it operated under Third Air Force and, from 31 July 1942, III Bomber Command. Its principal mission was not overseas combat but the preparation of replacement personnel for medium-bomber operations. The group was equipped with the Martin B-26 Marauder, a twin-engine medium bomber that required specialized pilot, navigator, bombardier, and crew training. Its initial cadre came from the 17th Bombardment Group, which was itself transitioning from the North American B-25 Mitchell to the B-26. The 335th's four component units were the 474th, 475th, 476th, and 477th Bombardment Squadrons. Together, they formed a Replacement Training Unit, or RTU. This type of oversized wartime formation trained individual airmen and complete aircrews before they were assigned to operational organizations. The group's existence reflected the Army Air Forces' effort to build a large and sustainable bomber force. Training units such as the 335th supported the personnel pipeline needed by combat formations without deploying the training organization itself as a conventional combat group. Its activities were therefore part of the domestic training infrastructure that underpinned American medium-bomber operations. In 1944, the Army Air Forces concluded that conventional units organized under relatively fixed tables of organization were not well suited to the changing requirements of training bases. It consequently introduced a more functional system in which each installation was organized around a numbered base unit with sections assigned particular responsibilities. During this reorganization, the 335th Bombardment Group and its component and supporting units at Barksdale Field were disbanded on 1 May 1944. They were replaced by the 331st Army Air Forces Base Unit (Medium, Bombardment). The former group headquarters became Section N, while the four bombardment squadrons were converted into Sections O, P, T, and U. The revised base organization also included a section responsible for training Free French aviators on the Marauder. The lineage was later revived in an inactive capacity. On 31 July 1985, the former group was reconstituted and redesignated the 335th Air Refueling Wing. The reconstitution also involved consolidation of three of the group's four squadrons with postwar fighter squadrons. Despite this later organizational continuation, the wing has not been active since its reconstitution. The historical subject is therefore best understood as an inactive United States military lineage rather than a commercial brand: its significance lies in wartime training, organizational development, aircraft operations, and the preservation of Air Force unit heritage.

The 335th Bombardment Group emerged from the Army Air Forces' wartime expansion and the resulting need for dedicated replacement training. It was constituted as a medium-bomber group on 9 July 1942 and activated eight days later at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. The group was assigned to Third Air Force, the command responsible for much of the Army Air Forces' domestic medium-bomber training, and then became part of III Bomber Command on 31 July 1942. At activation, the group comprised the 474th, 475th, 476th, and 477th Bombardment Squadrons. It received Martin B-26 Marauders and drew its initial cadre from the 17th Bombardment Group, which was converting from the B-25 Mitchell to the B-26. The transfer of experienced personnel helped establish a training organization for the newer aircraft and supported the broader process of expanding the Army Air Forces' bomber capability. The 335th functioned as a Replacement Training Unit. Unlike a conventional combat group, an RTU was designed to train individual pilots and aircrew members, as well as complete crews, before they moved to operational units. Its work at Barksdale Field formed part of the domestic system that supplied trained personnel to medium-bomber formations. The group did not receive a combat campaign assignment in the material available for this entry; its historical role was primarily instructional and organizational. The Army Air Forces later determined that standard military formations were poorly adapted to the variable requirements of large training installations. Their fixed tables of organization could not easily match the changing mix of instructors, trainees, maintenance personnel, and support functions required at individual bases. In response, the service introduced a functional base-unit structure. As this change reached Barksdale Field in the spring of 1944, the 335th Bombardment Group, its four squadrons, and associated support elements were disbanded on 1 May 1944. The 331st Army Air Forces Base Unit (Medium, Bombardment) replaced the group. The old headquarters became Section N, and the 474th, 475th, 476th, and 477th Bombardment Squadrons became Sections O, P, T, and U. The reorganized base also included a section for training Free French aviators on the B-26 Marauder. The lineage was reconstituted on 31 July 1985, when the organization was redesignated the 335th Air Refueling Wing. Three of the former group's four squadrons were also consolidated with postwar fighter squadrons. The reconstituted wing has remained inactive. Consequently, the 335th's institutional importance is historical: it illustrates how the wartime Army Air Forces organized specialized bomber training and how the United States Air Force later preserved selected unit lineages through redesignation and consolidation.

• 1985

  Reconstitution as an air refueling wing

  [1]335th Bombardment Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The lineage was reconstituted in inactive status on 31 July 1985 and redesignated the 335th Air Refueling Wing.

• 1944

  Disbandment during base reorganization

  [1]335th Bombardment Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group and its component squadrons were disbanded on 1 May 1944 and replaced at Barksdale by the 331st Army Air Forces Base Unit.

• 1942

  Constitution as a medium-bomber group

  [1]335th Bombardment Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The organization was constituted as the 335th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 9 July 1942.

• 1942

  Activation at Barksdale Field

  [1]335th Bombardment Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group was activated on 17 July at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, with four bombardment squadrons and Martin B-26 Marauders.

• 1942

  Assignment to III Bomber Command

  [1]335th Bombardment Groupen.wikipedia.org

  After initially joining Third Air Force, the group was assigned to III Bomber Command on 31 July 1942.

A wartime Army Air Forces replacement-training formation focused on preparing B-26 Marauder aircrews for assignment to operational units.

• Medium bomber · 1942

  Martin B-26 Marauder

  The Martin B-26 Marauder was the group's principal aircraft from 1942 to 1944. The 335th used the twin-engine bomber in its replacement-training role, preparing pilots and other aircrew for later assignment to operational medium-bomber units. The aircraft also served in training connected with Free French aviators at the reorganized Barksdale installation.

• 1985

  Reconstitution and redesignationOther

  Background

  The United States Air Force later preserved the lineage of the inactive wartime group through a new organizational designation.

  Action taken

  The group was reconstituted in inactive status and redesignated the 335th Air Refueling Wing.

  Aftermath

  The reconstituted wing has not subsequently been active, while elements of the lineage were consolidated with postwar fighter squadrons.

  Source

• 1944

  Conversion from a group structure to a functional base-unit systemStrategy

  Background

  The Army Air Forces determined that fixed tables of organization were not sufficiently flexible for the changing personnel and support requirements of training bases.

  Action taken

  The 335th Bombardment Group and its associated units were disbanded and replaced by the 331st Army Air Forces Base Unit, with the former headquarters and squadrons converted into numbered sections.

  Aftermath

  The change ended the group's active existence while preserving its personnel functions within a more flexible base organization.

  Source

1. 1335th Bombardment Groupen.wikipedia.org