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16th Bombardment Wing
Emblem of the 16th Bombardment Wing
Active	1940–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army  United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment training
Engagements	American Theater of World War II

The 540th Combat Crew Replacement Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active in 1946 at Colorado Springs, assigned to Continental Air Forces.

History

Prewar

The 16th Bombardment Wing was first activated at Langley Field, Virginia, in December 1940 as part of the expansion of the Air Corps expansion in response to the war in Europe (Woodring Plan). Its operational components, the 45th and 46th Bombardment Groups, were assigned in January 1941. It moved to Bowman Field, Kentucky, in the spring of 1941. In September 1941, the wing was inactivated and its personnel used to form the 5th Air Support Command.

Operational Training Unit

The wing was again activated on 23 June 1942 at Wendover Field, Utah, replacing the inactivating 102nd Bombardment Wing (Provisional). The 16th Wing was responsible for the supervision and control of the operational training of heavy bombardment groups (Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator) during the second phase of their operational training. The 16th Wing inherited control from the 102nd Wing of Walla Walla Army Air Field, Ephrata Army Air Field and Geiger Field in Washington; Muroc Army Air Field in California as well as Wendover. The 16th Wing controlled the training of the following units, which on completion moved to the 17th Bombardment Wing for third phase training.

Jul 1942: 91st Bombardment Group, 303rd Bombardment Group, 305th Bombardment Group and 306th Bombardment Group.

Aug 1942: 96th Bombardment Group.

Aug-Sep 1942: 307th Bombardment Group and 302nd Bombardment Group.

Sep-Oct 1942: 88th Bombardment Group and 95th Bombardment Group.

Oct 1942: 2nd Bombardment Group, 99th Bombardment Group, 100th Bombardment Group, 304th Bombardment Group and 308th Bombardment Group.

Two groups, the 330th Bombardment Group at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico and the 331st Bombardment Group at Casper Army Air Field, Wyoming, provided second phase training to Replacement Combat Crews.

Operational Training Unit

On 2 November 1942, the Second Air Force reorganized its bombardment training. From that date its wings controlled new bombardment groups from its activation until completion of operational training. The wing also assumed responsibility for training replacement combat crews. With this reorganization the 16th Bombardment Training Wing now controlled Operational Training Units (OTUs) at Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico, Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona; Kearney Army Air Field, Nebraska and Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico. It also was assigned Replacement Control Centers (RCCs) at Pueblo Army Air Field, Colorado and Biggs Field, Texas. It was assigned the following OTU groups to conduct training:

39th Bombardment Group at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona: parent group, First Phase OTU.

302nd Bombardment Group at Pueblo AAB, Colorado: parent group, First Phase Training RCC.

330th Bombardment Group at Alamogordo AAFld, New Mexico: Second Phase OTU.

330th Bombardment Group at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas: Second Phase RCC.

333d Bombardment Group at Topeka AAF, Kansas: Third Phase Training RCC.

In May 1945 the wing mission changed to very heavy bombardment group training (Boeing B-29 Superfortress), which lasted until operations ceased in late 1945. It moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where it was a paper unit until inactivating in 1946.

Lineage

• Constituted as 16th Bombardment Wing on 19 October 1940

Activated on 18 December 1940

Inactivated on 1 September 1941

• Activated on 23 June 1942

Redesignated 16th Bombardment Training Wing in January 1943

Redesignated 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing in April 1943

Redesignated 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, Very Heavy in May 1945

• Inactivated on 9 April 1946
• Disbanded on 8 October 1948
• Reconstituted on 31 July 1985 and redesignated 540th Combat Crew Training Wing (not active)

Assignments

• First Air Force: 18 December 1940 – 1 September 1941
• Second Air Force: 23 June 1942 – 8 April 1946

Stations

• Langley Field, Virginia, 18 December 1940
• Bowman Field, Kentucky, March 1941 – 1 September 1941
• Wendover Field, Utah, 23 June 1942
• Biggs Field, Texas, November 1942
• Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, c. 1 June 1943
• Biggs Field, Texas, October 1943
• Colorado Springs, Colorado, December 1945 – 9 April 1946

Components

• 45th Bombardment Group: 15 January 1941 – 21 August 1941
• 46th Bombardment Group: 15 January 1941 – 1 September 1941
• See above for 1942–1944. After 1944 assigned various AAF Base Units.

Commanders

• Brig. Gen. Junius W. Jones, c. Apr-c. 1 Sept. 1941
• Col. Ernest H. Lawson, 23 Jun 1942
• Brig. Gen. Robert B. Williams, 4 Apr 1943
• Col. Walter R. Agee, May 1943
• Brig. Gen. Newton Longfellow, 11 Oct 1943
• Col. Claude E. Duncan, c. 25 Nov 1945-unknown

Campaigns

• 
• American Theater of World War II

References

Notes

1. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 385
2. Futrell, p. 13
3. The 102nd Bombardment Wing (Provisional) was activated on 5 June 1942 History of the 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, 5 June to 31 December 1942, United States Air Force Microfilm #B0917, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, , p. 1, .
4. History of the 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, p. 4.
5. History of the Second Air Force, December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1942, United States Air Force Microfilm #A4091, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, p. 245
6. History of the Second Air Force, p. 246
7. Lineage through 1948 in Maurer, Combat Units, p. 385
8. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Futrell, Robert F. (September 1956). "Command of Observation Aviation: A Study in Control of Tactical Airpower, USAF Historical Study No. 24" (PDF). Research Studies Institute, USAF Historical Division, Air University. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) . Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1.
• History of the Second Air Force, December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1942, United States Air Force Microfilm #A4091, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
• History of the 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, 5 June to 31 December 1942, United States Air Force Microfilm #B0917, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

v t e USAAF First Air Force in World War II
Airfields	First Air Force Group Training Stations First Air Force Replacement Training Stations First Air Force Tactical Airfields Freeman Army Airfield Godman Army Airfield Selfridge Field
Units	Commands I Bomber Command I Fighter Command I Ground Air Support Command Wings 25th Antisubmarine 50th Troop Carrier 52d Troop Carrier 53d Troop Carrier 60th Troop Carrier 61st Troop Carrier Boston Fighter New York Fighter Norfolk Fighter Philadelphia Fighter Groups Bombardment 2d Bombardment 13th Bombardment 22d Bombardment 34th Bombardment 43d Bombardment 45th Bombardment 301st Bombardment 302d Bombardment 400th Bombardment 402d Bombardment 455th Bombardment 459th Bombardment 460th Bombardment 471st Bombardment Combat Cargo 1st Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo 4th Combat Cargo Fighter 8th Fighter 31st Fighter 33d Fighter 52d Fighter 56th Fighter 57th Fighter 58th Fighter 59th Fighter 79th Fighter 80th Fighter 83d Fighter 87th Fighter 324th Fighter 325th Fighter 326th Fighter 327th Fighter 332d Fighter 348th Fighter 352d Fighter 353d Fighter 355th Fighter 356th Fighter 358th Fighter 359th Fighter 361st Fighter 362d Fighter 365th Fighter 366th Fighter 368th Fighter 370th Fighter 371st Fighter 373d Fighter 402d Fighter 413th Fighter 476th Fighter Reconnaissance 26th Reconnaissance 73d Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 10th Troop Carrier 60th Troop Carrier 61st Troop Carrier 62d Troop Carrier 63d Troop Carrier 89th Troop Carrier 313th Troop Carrier 314th Troop Carrier 315th Troop Carrier 316th Troop Carrier 317th Troop Carrier 349th Troop Carrier 375th Troop Carrier 403d Troop Carrier 433d Troop Carrier 434th Troop Carrier 435th Troop Carrier 436th Troop Carrier 437th Troop Carrier 438th Troop Carrier 439th Troop Carrier 440th Troop Carrier 441st Troop Carrier 442d Troop Carrier Other 1st Search Attack 477th Composite Incidents Freeman Field Mutiny
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v t e USAAF Second Air Force in World War II
Airfields	Airfields
Units	Commands II Air Support Command II Bomber Command II Fighter Command IV Air Support Command XX Bomber Command XXI Bomber Command XXII Bomber Command Wings 5th Bombardment 15th Bombardment Training 16th Bombardment Operational Training 17th Bombardment Training 18th Replacement 21st Bombardment 46th Bombardment Operational Training 58th Bombardment 73rd Bombardment 315th Bombardment 316th Bombardment Groups Bombardment 2nd Bombardment 6th Bombardment 7th Bombardment 9th Bombardment 12th Bombardment 16th Bombardment 17th Bombardment 19th Bombardment 25th Bombardment 29th Bombardment 34th Bombardment 39th Bombardment 40th Bombardment 42nd Bombardment 46th Bombardment 47th Bombardment 48th Bombardment 85th Bombardment 86th Bombardment 86th Bombardment 88th Bombardment 94th Bombardment 95th Bombardment 96th Bombardment 99th Bombardment 100th Bombardment 301st Bombardment 302nd Bombardment 303rd Bombardment 304th Bombardment 305th Bombardment 306th Bombardment 307th Bombardment 308th Bombardment 312th Bombardment 330th Bombardment 331st Bombardment 333rd Bombardment 346th Bombardment 351st Bombardment 376th Bombardment 379th Bombardment 381st Bombardment 382nd Bombardment 383rd Bombardment 384th Bombardment 385th Bombardment 388th Bombardment 390th Bombardment 393rd Bombardment 395th Bombardment 396th Bombardment 398th Bombardment 399th Bombardment 400th Bombardment 401st Bombardment 407th Bombardment 415th Bombardment 418th Bombardment 444th Bombardment 445th Bombardment 446th Bombardment 447th Bombardment 448th Bombardment 449th Bombardment 450th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 452nd Bombardment 453rd Bombardment 454th Bombardment 455th Bombardment 456th Bombardment 457th Bombardment 458th Bombardment 459th Bombardment 460th Bombardment 461st Bombardment 462nd Bombardment 464th Bombardment 467th Bombardment 468th Bombardment 469th Bombardment 470th Bombardment 471st Bombardment 472nd Bombardment 484th Bombardment 485th Bombardment 486th Bombardment 487th Bombardment 488th Bombardment 489th Bombardment 490th Bombardment 491st Bombardment 493rd Bombardment 494th Bombardment 497th Bombardment 498th Bombardment 499th Bombardment 500th Bombardment 501st Bombardment 502nd Bombardment 504th Bombardment 505th Bombardment 509th Composite Fighter 20th Fighter 54th Fighter 84th Fighter 85th Fighter 507th Fighter 508th Fighter Reconnaissance 2nd Reconnaissance 3rd Reconnaissance 4th Reconnaissance 5th Reconnaissance 6th Reconnaissance 7th Reconnaissance 8th Reconnaissance 71st Reconnaissance 77th Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 443nd Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

• Military units and formations established in 1940
• Training wings of the United States Air Force