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 had decided to establish commands to direct itsair support mission in each numbered air force, plus one additional command reporting directly to GHQ AF. These commands would be manned from inactivatingwings, and would initially control only observation squadrons, which would be transferred from the control of the corps and divisions, although they would remain attached to these ground units.[2]4th Air Force organized4th Air Support Command atFresno Army Air Base, California in September 1941, soon moving toWill Rogers Field, Oklahoma where it drewcadre and equipment from the15th Bombardment Wing, which was simultaneously inactivated.[3][2][4] New observation groups were formed, with acadre drawn fromNational Guard squadrons that had been mobilized in 1940 and 1941.[2]
Following theattack on Pearl Harbor the command came under the control of theWestern Theater of Operations[2] and flew antisubmarine patrols off the Pacific coast. Most of the command'sobservation units were withdrawn formantisubmarine operations in June 1942, although some patrols continued until January 1943.[4][5] However, by early 1942, the command's first commander, like two of the other commanders of air support commands had moved overseas, and similar personnel demands led GHQ AF to believe it had little more than the "remnants" of the command remaining.[2]
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.[5]
In August 1943, the command was redesignated theIII Tactical Air Division with the intent that the command would engage in combined training with army ground forces.[6]
At various times, it supervised heavy bomber flights toHawaii, gave air support to ground units in training, participated in air-ground maneuvers, and put on air support demonstrations.[3]
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.
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