Thewing was organized in 1919 atLangley Field, Virginia and assumed control of allAir Service units on the Atlantic Coast.[3] It was inactivated at Langley in 1921 and most of its personnel were assigned toAir Park No.3.[3] It was reactivated the following year and conducted mostlybombardment operations.[4] As the2nd Wing, the unit became one of the original wings of theGHQ Air Force on 1 March 1935. It once again conducted much of theUnited States Army'spursuit, bombardment andobservation operations in the eastern part of the United States. The wing's2nd Bombardment Group was the firstgroup of theAir Corps to equip with theBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress.[1] The wing provided cadres for new tactical units activating as the Air Corps expanded under the Woodring Plan.[1] It participated inmaneuvers during 1940 that influenced Air Corps doctrine on the employment of airpower.[5] The wing was inactivated in 1941 and its personnel used as the cadre for1st Bomber Command.[6]
The group was reactivated as a heavy bomber operational command and control organization in June 1942. It moved to England, August–September 1942, and became a heavy bombardment wing ofEighth Air Force. In the fall of 1942, it helped to train bombardment groups assigned toTwelfth Air Force. It served in combat in the European theater from November 1942 to June 1943. The wing ceased combat temporarily during July and August 1943 while its groups were detached to the Mediterranean theater. The wing resumed combat in the European theater in October 1943 and continued operations until April 1945. In August 1945 it returned to the US and was inactivated in November.[4]
21st Reconnaissance Squadron, 1 September 1936 –ca. September 1940 (attached to 2nd Bombardment Group to September 1939, 7th Naval District to 1940)[24]
41st Reconnaissance Squadron, 1 March 1935 – 1 September 1936 (attached to Air Corps Advanced Flying School), (attached 1 February 1940 –ca. December 1940)[25]
19th Balloon Company (later 19th Dirigible Company, 19th Airship Company 19th Airship Squadron), 4 September 1919 – 30 September 1921 (attached to 1st Provisional Air Brigade after 6 May 1921), 8 August 1922 – 8 May 1929 (attached 8 May 1929 – 3 November 1935)[28]
Except as noted, lineage and station information is in Maurer,Combat Units.
United States
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency