TheIII Tactical Air Command was aUnited States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was withThird Air Force stationed atBarksdale Field, Louisiana. It was disbanded on 24 October 1945. The command was established in 1941 as the3rd Air Support Command. It was responsible for training tactical units and aircrews for theArmy Air Forces, except for the period from August 1943 through March 1944, when it specialized in trainingreconnaissance units.
General Headquarters Air Force (GHQ AF) reorganized its four regional air districts asNumbered Air Forces in the spring of 1941. By the fall of that year, each of these had organized as a support command and three combat commands.[1] In the summer of 1941 GHQ AF decided to establish commands to direct itsair support mission in each numbered air force, plus one additional command reporting directly to GHQ AF.[2]3rd Air Force organized3rd Air Support Command.[3][2] However, by early 1942, most of the command's trained personnel had moved overseas, leading GHQ AF to believe it had little more than the "remnants" of the command remaining.[2] As a result, it was decided to disband the command on 16 March 1942.[4][check quotation syntax]However, in May, theArmy Air Forces (AAF) reaffirmed that each of the continentalnumbered air forces would have an air support command and the 3rd Air Force established a new3rd Air Support Command atBirmingham Airport on 19 May.[5][6]
The AAF determined that its continental air forces would specialize in their training operations and that all their air support commands would be reassigned toThird Air Force.[6] At various times, the III Tactical Air Command trained dive bombardment, light bombardment, and reconnaissance organizations and personnel; also gave air support to ground units in training and participated in air-ground maneuvers and demonstrations. In October of 1942, AAF directed that half of the observation groups assigned to the command were to be reduced to 50% strength or less with their personnel used to form newtow target squadrons, or transferred toheavy bomberOperational Training Unit (OTU)s orReplacement Training Unit (RTU)s.[7]
In the summer of 1943, theArmy Air Forces had begun to act to combine tactical and photographic reconnaissance functions, and in July, directed Third Air Force to establish a reconnaissance command that would train all tactical and photographic units and operate replacement training units for the personnel of those units. As a result the command was redesignatedIII Reconnaissance Command and became the central training agency for reconnaissance units, with wings atKey Field andWill Rogers Field.[8]
The command was disbanded in 1945. In 1947, when the United States Air Force (USAF) became independent, the Army transferred all Army Air Forces, Air Service and Air Corps units (there were a number of Air Corps units that had never been in the Army Air Forces, and a few Air Service units) to the USAF.[citation needed]
75th Observation Group (later 75th Reconnaissance Group, 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Group), c. 24 May 1942 – 18 April 1944[19]
77th Observation Group (later 77th Reconnaissance Group, 77th Tactical Reconnaissance Group), assigned 24 May – 21 August 1942; attached 7 September 1942 – 5 August 1943; assigned 6 August 1943 – 30 November 1943[20]
Cate, James L.; Williams, E. Kathleen (1948). "Prelude to War, Chapter 4, The Air Corps Prepares for War, 1939-41". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.).The Army Air Forces in World War II(PDF). Vol. I, Plans and Early Operations. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.LCCN48003657.OCLC704158. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 18 February 2017. Retrieved17 December 2016.
United States
United States Army
United States Air Force[note 1]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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