Bombardment group

A bombardment group, also called a bomb group, was a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) command and administrative formation used primarily during World War II. It was not a commercial brand or an independent aircraft type, but a numbered military organization responsible for bringing together bomber squadrons, aircrews, aircraft, maintenance personnel, operational staff, and other support functions. The group normally operated under the command of a colonel and served as an important level of organization between higher headquarters and individual bombardment squadrons. Bombardment groups were classified according to the performance and role of their assigned aircraft. The principal categories were Very Heavy, Heavy, Medium, and Light. Very Heavy groups were associated with aircraft such as the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and Consolidated B-32 Dominator. Heavy groups operated Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators, while Medium groups used North American B-25 Mitchells and Martin B-26 Marauders. Light groups operated aircraft including the Douglas A-20 Havoc and Douglas A-26 Invader. Some organizations combined aircraft of different categories and were designated Composite groups. Aircraft such as the Douglas A-24 Banshee and North American A-36 Mustang were initially handled within light or dive-bomber classifications before their eventual treatment as fighter types. The standard group structure expanded as the war developed. In 1942, existing groups generally changed from three to four numbered bombardment squadrons, and most groups created during the war followed that pattern. B-29 groups were an important exception, normally having three squadrons. Alongside its flying squadrons, a group included a headquarters, a service squadron, and specialized detachments supporting maintenance, ordnance, communications, weather, transportation, medical needs, military police, chemical defense, and other functions. Operationally, the organization was divided into an air echelon and a ground echelon. The air echelon comprised the flight crews and associated flying elements. The ground echelon included the personnel who maintained aircraft, supplied equipment, managed communications, protected the airfield, handled administration, and sustained daily operations. Groups commonly used separate air and ground executive officers to coordinate these two sides of the organization. Headquarters sections followed the Army staff pattern of personnel, intelligence, operations, and supply, while the service group provided technical and logistical capabilities such as firefighting, radar, gunnery instruction, weather services, mail, transportation, food service, and recreation. Personnel and equipment allowances grew substantially during the war. A 1941 establishment provided for approximately 35 aircraft, while the authorized complement had risen to 72 aircraft by February 1945. In 1943, a heavy bombardment group was organized to support 48 heavy bombers with approximately 294 officers and 1,487 enlisted personnel; a medium group supported 64 medium bombers with a similar officer complement and approximately 1,297 enlisted personnel. By February 1945, the USAAF had 125 standardized bomb-group establishments. Two groups received distinctive composite arrangements: the 28th Bomb Group combined B-24 and B-25 aircraft, while the 509th Composite Group combined B-29 bombers with C-54 transport aircraft. Plans also called for converting selected heavy and light groups to the Very Heavy category for operations against Japan, but the end of the war prevented that program from being completed. The bombardment-group system belongs to the historical organization of the USAAF and should not be confused with a current commercial entity.

Bombardment groups developed as a principal USAAF formation for organizing bomber operations during World War II. The group provided an administrative and operational layer above individual bombardment squadrons, enabling the Army Air Forces to coordinate aircraft, crews, maintenance, logistics, intelligence, and mission planning within a single command. Groups were numbered and normally commanded by colonels. The classification of a group reflected the type and intended role of its bombers. Very Heavy groups were associated with the B-29 Superfortress and the planned B-32 Dominator force. Heavy groups operated B-17 and B-24 aircraft, Medium groups operated B-25 and B-26 aircraft, and Light groups operated aircraft such as the A-20 and A-26. The USAAF also created Composite groups when one administrative formation contained bombers from different categories. The 28th Bomb Group and the 509th Composite Group were notable examples of this arrangement. Some aircraft that initially appeared in light or dive-bomber group classifications were later reclassified as fighters. The tables of organization and equipment changed as wartime requirements increased. In 1941, a group establishment provided for approximately 35 aircraft. By February 1945, the allowance had risen to 72 aircraft, and aircrew strength could reach roughly two crews per aircraft. During 1942, existing groups generally expanded from three to four numbered bombardment squadrons. Most newly established groups adopted the four-squadron structure, although B-29 groups generally retained three squadrons. A typical group contained a headquarters, a service squadron, and several attached or supporting detachments. Headquarters staff followed the standard Army arrangement of S-1 personnel, S-2 intelligence, S-3 operations, and S-4 supply sections. The service organization supported flying operations through maintenance, ordnance, communications, transportation, radar, weather, firefighting, airfield security, medical, food-service, mail, personnel-equipment, and other technical functions. Support specialists could be drawn from quartermaster, aviation ordnance, military police, chemical, signal, maintenance, and weather organizations and then allocated according to the group's immediate needs. The group was also divided functionally into air and ground echelons. The air echelon consisted of flight crews and related flying personnel, while the ground echelon supported aircraft, equipment, administration, and personnel. Separate air and ground executive officers were often used to coordinate these elements. Each bombardment squadron had its own headquarters and technical sections, including mess, armament, ordnance, communications, medical, and aircraft-engineering functions. The scale of these formations was substantial. In 1943, a heavy group supporting 48 heavy bombers had approximately 294 officers and 1,487 enlisted personnel. A medium group supporting 64 medium bombers had approximately 294 officers and 1,297 enlisted personnel. By February 1945, 125 standardized bomb-group establishments were identified. The USAAF planned to convert 19 heavy groups and one light group to the Very Heavy category for the projected campaign against Japan, but the war ended before those conversions could be completed. As a historical formation, the bombardment group was part of the USAAF system that preceded the creation of the independent United States Air Force.

• 1945

  Peak standardized organization

  [1]Bombardment groupen.wikipedia.org

  By February, the authorized aircraft allowance had reached 72 per group, and 125 standardized bomb-group establishments were identified.

• 1945

  Uncompleted conversion plan

  [1]Bombardment groupen.wikipedia.org

  Plans to convert 19 heavy groups and one light group into Very Heavy groups for operations against Japan were overtaken by the end of the war.

• 1943

  Large-scale group establishments

  [1]Bombardment groupen.wikipedia.org

  A typical heavy group supported 48 heavy bombers with about 294 officers and 1,487 enlisted personnel, while a medium group supported 64 medium bombers with about 294 officers and 1,297 enlisted personnel.

• 1942

  Expansion to four bombardment squadrons

  [1]Bombardment groupen.wikipedia.org

  Existing groups generally expanded from three to four numbered bombardment squadrons, a structure adopted by most groups created during the war.

• 1941

  Early wartime establishment

  [1]Bombardment groupen.wikipedia.org

  The authorized aircraft allowance for a bombardment group was approximately 35 aircraft at this stage of the war.

A wartime military command-and-control and operational support formation for organizing United States Army Air Forces bomber units.

1. 1Bombardment groupen.wikipedia.org