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418th Bombardment Group (later 418th Tactical Missile Wing)
Active	1943–1944
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	light bomber training

The 418th Bombardment Group is the designation held by two United States Army Air Forces advanced training units, briefly active during World War II. 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, Louisiana. It was apparently only minimally manned and never received aircraft before it was disbanded in September.

The second 418th Bombardment Group was activated in March 1944 at Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico as a Replacement Training Unit for Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircrews. However, even as the unit was being activated, the Army Air Forces (AAF) had determined that standard military units like the group, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization 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)

The United States Air Force consolidated the two groups in April 1958. In 1985, the consolidated unit was redesignated the 418th Tactical Missile Wing, 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, 1 August–15 September 1943
• 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, 28 February–1 April 1944

Components

• 696th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943
• 697th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943
• 698th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943
• 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

1. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, p.501
2. Goss, p. 75
3. See Mueller, p. 249 (activation of 231st).
4. ^ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations
5. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 705
6. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 706

Bibliography

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

• Goss, William A. (1955). "The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF". In Craven, Wesley F.; Cate, James L. (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• 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. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) . Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

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
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v t e United States Army Air Forces Third Air Force in World War II
Units	Commands II Air Support Command III Air Support Command III Bomber Command III Fighter Command III Reconnaissance Command III Tactical Air Command Divisions III Tactical Air Division Wings 8th Fighter Wing 9th Fighter Wing 40th Bombardment Wing Groups Air Commando 2nd Air Commando 3rd Air Commando Bombardment 3rd Bombardment 12th Bombardment 17th Bombardment 21st Bombardment 29th Bombardment 30th Bombardment Group 38th Bombardment 44th Bombardment 46th Bombardment 47th Bombardment 85th Bombardment 88th Bombardment 90th Bombardment 91st Bombardment 92nd Bombardment 93rd Bombardment 94th Bombardment 95th Bombardment 97th Bombardment 98th Bombardment 99th Bombardment 100th Bombardment 309th Bombardment 310th Bombardment 312th Bombardment 319th Bombardment 320th Bombardment 321st Bombardment 322d Bombardment 323d Bombardment 335th Bombardment 336th Bombardment 340th Bombardment 344th Bombardment 345th Bombardment 386th Bombardment 387th Bombardment 391st Bombardment 394th Bombardment 396th Bombardment 397th Bombardment 409th Bombardment 410th Bombardment 411th Bombardment 416th Bombardment 417th Bombardment 418th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 454th Bombardment 463rd Bombardment 483rd Bombardment 488th Bombardment Fighter 20th Fighter 31st Fighter 49th Fighter 50th Fighter 53rd Fighter 54th Fighter 56th Fighter 59th Fighter 79th Fighter 80th Fighter 81st Fighter 84th Fighter 85th Fighter 311th Fighter 332nd Fighter 337th Fighter 338th Fighter 339th Fighter 361st Fighter 369th Fighter 372nd Fighter 404th Fighter 405th Fighter 408th Fighter 414th Fighter 506th Fighter Fighter-Bomber 27th Fighter-Bomber 48th Fighter-Bomber 86th Fighter-Bomber 406th Fighter-Bomber 407th Fighter-Bomber Reconnaissance 2d Reconnaissance 9th Reconnaissance 10th Reconnaissance 26th Reconnaissance 65th Reconnaissance 67th Reconnaissance 68th Reconnaissance 69th Reconnaissance 70th Reconnaissance 75th Reconnaissance 77th Reconnaissance 423d Reconnaissance 424th Reconnaissance 426th Reconnaissance
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

• 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