382d Bombardment Group
B-29 Bomber on a long range mission in late 1945[note 1]
Active	1942–1944; 1944–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Heavy bomber
Engagements	Pacific Theater

The382d Bombardment Group is a formerUnited States Army Air Forces unit. It was last stationed atCamp Anza, California, where it was inactivated on 4 January 1946. Thegroup was active from 1942 to 1944 as aheavy bomber training unit. It was reorganized as a very heavy bomber unit and trained for deployment overseas. However, it arrived at its overseas station too late to see combat, and returned to the United States, where it was inactivated.

Thegroup was first activated atSalt Lake City Army Air Base in November 1942, with the536th,537th, 538th and 539th Bombardment Squadrons assigned.^[1][2][3][4] The group moved toDavis–Monthan Field, Arizona in January 1943 and began to operate as anOperational Training Unit (OTU) forConsolidated B-24 Liberator units.^[5] The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to providecadres to "satellite groups".^[6] In April 1943, the group moved toPocatello Army Air Field, Idaho, where its mission changed to acting as aReplacement Training Unit (RTU) for Liberatoraircrews.^[5] RTUs were also oversized units, but their mission was to train individualpilots oraircrews.^[6]

However, theArmy Air Forces (AAF) was finding that standard military units like the 382d, based on relatively inflexibletables of organization, were not well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly the AAF adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit, whose manning and equipment was tailored to the base's mission.^[7] As a result of this reorganization, the 382d was inactivated,^[5] and along with other units atMuroc Army Air Field, California, replaced by the 421st AAF Base Unit (Bombardment Replacement Training Unit-Heavy).^[8]

The group was again activated in late August 1944 atDalhart Army Air Field, Texas as aBoeing B-29 Superfortress, unit, although until 19 September it had no squadrons assigned and was commanded by asecond lieutenant. On that date, a new set of squadrons, the420th,464th, and872d Bombardment Squadrons, were assigned to the group as its combat elements. These squadrons had each been active as training units earlier, but had been assigned to other groups.^[9][10][11]

The group trained with Superfortresses until the summer of 1945. Its ground echelon deployed toGuam andTinian by ship in early August 1945 while the air echelon remained atSmoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas afterV-J Day. The ground echelon remained in the Marianas supporting other units' aircraft. The air echelon inactivated in Kansas in August 1945. The ground echelon returned to the United States in December 1945 and was inactivated after transit through theLos Angeles Port of Embarkation in January 1946.^[5][12]

• Constituted as382d Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 October 1942

Activated on 3 November 1942

Inactivated on 31 March 1944

• Redesignated382d Bombardment Group, Very Heavy and activated on 25 August 1944.

Inactivated on 4 January 1946^[5]

• II Bomber Command, 3 November 1942 – 31 March 1944^{[dubious –discuss]}
• II Bomber Command,^{[dubious –discuss]} 25 August 1944 (attached to17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing)^[13]
• 316th Bombardment Wing, 31 August 1945 – 4 January 1946^[14]

• 420th Bombardment Squadron, 19 September 1944 – 4 January 1946^[9]
• 464th Bombardment Squadron, 19 September 1944 – 4 January 1946^[10]
• 536th Bombardment Squadron, 3 November 1942 – 31 March 1944^[1]
• 537th Bombardment Squadron, 3 November 1942 – 31 March 1944 (not operational after 6 December 1943)^[2]
• 538th Bombardment Squadron, 3 November 1942 – 31 March 1944^[3]
• 539th Bombardment Squadron, 3 November 1942 – 31 March 1944^[4]
• 872d Bombardment Squadron, 19 September 1944 – 4 January 1946^[11]
• 33d Photographic Laboratory, 19 September 1944 – 4 January 1946^[15]

• Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, 3 November 1942
• Davis–Monthan Field, Arizona, 23 January 1943
• Pocatello Army Air Field, Idaho, 5 April 1943
• Muroc Army Air Field, California, 6 December 1943 – 31 March 1944
• Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 25 August 1944
• Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 11 December 1944 – 8 July 1945
• North Field, Guam 8 September-16 December 1945
• Camp Anza, California, 30 December 1945 – 4 January 1946^[5]

• Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942-1944
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1944-1945^[5]

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	American Theater without inscription	3 November 1942 – 31 March 1944, 25 August 1944 – 8 July 1945	[5]
	Asiatic–Pacific Theater without inscription	8 September 1945 – 30 December 1945	[5]

• B-24 Liberator units of the United States Army Air Forces
• List of B-29 Superfortress operators

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955).The Army Air Forces in World War II(PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.LCCN 48003657.OCLC 704158. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved17 December 2016.
  • 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. Retrieved17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer (1983) [1961].Air Force Combat Units of World War II(PDF). Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-89201-092-4. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969].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. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved17 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. Retrieved17 December 2016.

• Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces in the Japan campaign
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