IV Bomber Command
Douglas B-18s of the19th Bombardment Group
Active	1941-1944
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army  United States Air Force
Role	Command and training of bombardment units
Engagements	Antisubmarine Campaign[1]
Commanders
Notable commanders	Frank D. LacklandBarney M. Giles[1]
Insignia
IV Bomber Command emblem[note 1][1]

TheIV Bomber Command is a disbandedUnited States Air Force headquarters. It was established in September 1941, shortly before theattack on Pearl Harbor to command bomber units assigned to4th Air Force. Following the entry of the United States intoWorld War II, it flew patrols off the Pacific coast. However, its main efforts soon began organizing and training bomber units and aircrews. It was disbanded atSan Francisco, California on 31 March 1944.

GHQ Air Force (GHQ, AF) had been established with two major combat functions, to maintain a striking force against long range targets, and theair defense of the United States.^[2] In the spring of 1941, GHQ, AF reorganized its Southwest Air District as4th Air Force. To carry out its mission of training and maintaining a strike force, 4th Air Force organized a provisional Bomber Command, 4th Air Force atMarch Field by April 1941. In September, the provisional command was replaced by4th Bomber Command atDavis-Monthan Field, Arizona in September 1941. The command moved toHamilton Field, California, after theattack on Pearl Harbor.^[1] The new command drew much of its initialcadre from the1st Bombardment Wing, which had been stationed at Davis-Monthan since May.^[3]

Shortly after the command became organized, theattack on Pearl Harbor caused the command to relocate to move toHamilton Field and concentrate its efforts onantisubmarine patrols off the southern Pacific coast, reinforcing units of theWestern andNorthwestern Sea Frontiers of theUnited States Navy.^[4] However, it shortly became apparent that there was little threat from Japanesesubmarines. and the command shifted its focus to the training of bomber units and crews. Simultaneously, the AAF moved almost all itsheavy bomber training inSecond Air Force, while Fourth Air Force focused onfighter aircraft, training, so the command did not grow.^{[citation needed]}

In late 1943, someheavy bomber training was moved fromSecond Air Force, which had been the primary command for that training, to the command in order to enable combined training betweenfighters and bombers. In conjunction with this transfer, the command adopted the three phase training system for its training units: Phase I (individual training); Phase II (crew training) and Phase III (unit training).^[5]

In the spring of 1944, the AAF reorganized its training units to provide more flexibility in manning, rather than continuing to use rigidtable of organization units.^[6] In this reorganization, the command was disbanded on 31 March 1944 and its personnel absorbed into the 400th AAF Base Unit (Headquarters, Fourth Air Force).^[1][7]

• Constituted as the4th Bomber Command on 1 September 1941^{[note 2]} 1^{[note 3]}

Activated on 19 September 1941

RedesignatedIV Bomber Command on 18 September 1942

Disbanded on 31 March 1944^[1]

• Fourth Air Force, 1 September 1941 – 31 March 1944^[1]

Groups

• 14th Pursuit Group, 19 September 1941 – 26 January 1942 (attached to4th Interceptor Command, 17 October – December 1941)^{[8][note 4]}
• 19th Bombardment Group, 19 September– c. 23 October 1941^[9]
• 30th Bombardment Group, 20 January 1942 – 11 October 1943^[10]
• 41st Bombardment Group, 19 September 1941 – October 1943
• 42d Bombardment Group, 25 January 1942 – 14 March 1943^[11]
• 47th Bombardment Group, attached 17 December 1941 – 15 February 1942^[12]
• 51st Pursuit Group, 19 September 1941 – c. 11 January 1942 (attached to4th Interceptor Command after 14 October 1941)^[13]
• 399th Bombardment Group, 3 December 1943 – 31 March 1944^[14]
• 456th Bombardment Group, c. 2 October 1943 – January 1944
• 470th Bombardment Group, 6 January–31 March 1944^[15]
• 483d Bombardment Group, 20 September–7 November 1943

Squadrons

• 32nd Bombardment Squadron (attached 26 January – 16 March 1942)^[16]
• 38th Reconnaissance Squadron, 19 September – 16 December 1941 (attached to19th Bombardment Group^[17]

• Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 19 September 1941
• Hamilton Field, California, c. 8 December 1941
• San Francisco, California, 5 January 1942 – 31 March 1944^[1]

Notes

Citations

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

• 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.LCCN 48003657.OCLC 704158. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 18 February 2017. 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, ed. (1983) [1961].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. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 15 January 2021. Retrieved17 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 August 2023. Retrieved17 December 2016.
• White, Jerry (August 1949)."Combat Crew and Unit Training in the AAF 1939-1945, USAF Historical Study No. 61"(PDF). Air Historical Office, United States Air Force. Retrieved30 January 2022.

• Intermediate bomber commands of the United States Army Air Forces
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1944
• Military units and formations established in 1941

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