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XIII Bomber Command
Command B-24 Liberator in 1944
Active	1943–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Role	Command of bomber units
Engagements	Southwest Pacific Theater China-Burma-India Theater Central Pacific Theater

The XIII Bomber Command was an inactive United States Army Air Forces formation. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, based at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 March 1946.

History

XIII Bomber Command was a World War II command and control organization for Thirteenth Air Force. Its mission was to provide command and control authority of Army Air Force bombardment organizations within the Thirteenth Air Force Area of Responsibility.

Participated in the following campaigns: Central Pacific; China Defensive; Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Eastern Mandates; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive.

Lineage

• Constituted as the XIII Bomber Command on 14 December 1942

Activated on 13 January 1943

Inactivated on 15 March 1946

Disbanded on 8 October 1948

Assignments

• Thirteenth Air Force, 13 January 1943 – 15 March 1946

Stations

• Pekoa Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 13 January 1943
• Carney Airfield, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 20 August 1943
• Momote Airfield, Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, June 1944
• Wakde Airfield, Wakde, Netherlands East Indies. 3 September 1944
• Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies. 17 October 1944
• Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 27 August 1945 – 15 March 1946

Components

Groups

• 5th Bombardment Group, 13 January 1943 – 15 December 1945
• 11th Bombardment Group, 9 November 1943 – 15 March 1946
• 42d Bombardment Group, 22 April 1943 – 25 December 1945 (attached to 308th Bombardment Wing, c. 24 August 1944; 310th Bombardment Wing, 3 September 1944; Thirteenth Air Task Force, c. 15 September 1944; XIII Fighter Command, 1 October 1944; XIII Bomber Command Rear Echelon, 9 January – 24 February 1945; XIII Fighter Command, c. 22 March – c. September 1945)
• 307th Bombardment Group, February 1943 – December 1945
• 494th Bombardment Group: under operational control 20–27 March 1945)

Squadrons

• 5th Tactical Air Communications Squadron: 20 October – 28 November 1945
• 9th Tactical Air Communications Squadron: 20 October – 28 November 1945
• 14th Tow Target Squadron: c. November – 27 December 1945
• 342d Fighter Squadron: attached c. 25 August – 22 September 1944
• 550th Night Fighter Squadron: attached 14 February – 7 April 1945

See also

• United States Army Air Forces in the South Pacific Area

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

1. Aircraft is Consolidated B-24D-50-CO Liberator, serial 42-40323 of the 424th Bombardment Squadron.

Citations

1. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 451
2. Kane, Robert B. (21 October 2011). "Factsheet Thirteenth Air Force (Air Forces Pacific) (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
3. Bailey, Carl E. (8 May 2018). "Factsheet 5 Operations Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
4. Haulman, Daniel (13 June 2018). "Factsheet 42 Air Base Wing (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
5. Maurer, Combat Units, p. 451 (years only).
6. Bailey, Carl E., Lineage & Honors History of the 494 Air Expeditionary Group (AMC), 28 April 2003, Air Force Historical Research Agancy
7. Dollman, TSG David (15 May 2017). "Factsheet 5 Air Support Operations Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
8. Dollman, TSG David (27 March 2017). "Factsheet 9 Air Support Operations Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
9. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 80
10. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 424
11. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 654

Bibliography

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

• 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.

v t e USAAF Thirteenth Air Force in World War II
Airfields	Pacific USAAF in the South Pacific USAAF in the Southwest Pacific
Units	Commands XIII Bomber XIII Fighter Groups Fighter 18th Fighter 347th Fighter 414th Fighter Bomber 5th Bombardment 11th Bombardment 42d Bombardment 307th Bombardment Reconnaissance 4th Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 403d Troop Carrier Squadrons Bombardment 100th Bombardment 868th Bombardment Night Fighter 418th Night Fighter 419th Night Fighter 550th Night Fighter Reconnaissance 4th Photographic Charting 17th Photographic Reconnaissance 36th Photographic Reconnaissance 38th Photographic Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 13th Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

• Intermediate bomber commands of the United States Army Air Forces
• Military units and formations established in 1943
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1946