VII Bomber Command

VII Bomber Command
VII Bomber Command
	VII Bomber Command B-24 Liberator in the Marianas
Active	1942–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of bomber units
Part of	Seventh Air Force
Engagements	China-Burma-India Theater; Pacific Theater of Operations

The VII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Seventh Air Force, based on Okinawa. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946.

It engaged in patrol operations from Hawaii from January 1942. On the night of 22-23 December 1942, twenty-six Consolidated B-24D Liberators of the 307th Bombardment Group staged through Midway Island for a strike on Wake Island with 135 500-pound general purpose bombs and 21 incendiaries. The attack may have taken the Japanese by surprise, as neither searchlights nor antiaircraft fire were encountered until after the bombing had begun. All planes returned safely, with only slight damage to two.^[2]

After late 1943, VII Bomber Command served in combat in the Central and Western Pacific.

Lineage[]

Constituted as the 7th Bomber Command on 23 January 1942^{[note 1]}

Activated on 29 January 1942

Redesignated VII Bomber Command c. 18 September 1942

Inactivated on 31 March 1946

Disbanded on 8 October 1948^[1]

Commanders[]

Brig Gen (29 January 1942 – 19 June 1942)
Col Albert F. Hegenberger (20 June 1942 – 25 June 1942)
Brig Gen (25 June 1942 – November 1942)
Brig Gen (8 January 1943 – January 1943)
Brig Gen Truman H. Landon (January 1943 – 10 December 1944)
Brig Gen (11 December 1944 – October 1945)^[1]

Assignments[]

Hawaiian Air Force (later 7th Air Force, Seventh Air Force) (attached to Patrol Wing 2, 1942; , May 1944-unknown), 23 January 1942^[3]
not confirmed, 1 January – 31 March 1946.

Stations[]

Hickam Field, Hawaii, 29 January 1942
Funafuti Airfield, Nanumea, Gilbert Islands, November 1943
Hawkins Field, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, January 1944^{[citation needed]}

Bairiki (Mullinix) Airfield, January–March 1944^{[citation needed]}

Kwajalein Airfield, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, March 1944
East Field (Saipan),^{[citation needed]} Mariana Islands, August 1944
Yontan Airfield,^{[citation needed]} Okinawa, July 1945 – March 1946^[1]

Components[]

Groups

5th Bombardment Group: 29 January 1942 – 4 January 1943^[4]
11th Bombardment Group: 29 January 1942 – 5 January 1943; 8 April 1943 – 23 November 1945
30th Bombardment Group: 17 October 1943 – 17 March 1945
41st Bombardment Group: 16 October 1943 – 27 January 1945
307th Bombardment Group: 1 November 1942– February 1943
494th Bombardment Group: 15 June 1944 – 8 December 1945

Squadrons

305th Fighter Control Squadron: 1 December 1945 – 1 January 1946^[5]

References[]

Notes[]

Explanatory notes

^ Maurer indicates that the unit was constituted as the "VII" Bomber Command. However, the unit was constituted and activated with an arabic number in its name. The use of roman numerals to designate Army Air Forces combat commands did not begin until September 1942. "Air Force Historical Research Agency Organizational Reconds: Types of USAF Organizations". Air Force History Index. 9 January 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2016.

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Maurer, pp. 444-445
^ Craven and Cate, "The Army Air Forces in World War II," Volume IV, p283.
^ Kane, Robert B. (6 July 2009). "Factsheet Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (PACAF) (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
^ Bailey, Carl E. (8 May 2018). "Factsheet 5 Operations Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
^ Haulman, Daniel (2 November 2016). "Factsheet 623 Air Control Squadron (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 27 December 2021.

Bibliography[]

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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.

[3] Maurer indicates that the unit was constituted as the "VII" Bomber Command. However, the unit was constituted and activated with an arabic number in its name. The use of roman numerals to designate Army Air Forces combat commands did not begin until September 1942. "Air Force Historical Research Agency Organizational Reconds: Types of USAF Organizations". Air Force History Index. 9 January 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2016.

[Maurer7BC-1] Maurer, pp. 444-445

[2] Craven and Cate, "The Army Air Forces in World War II," Volume IV, p283.

[4] Kane, Robert B. (6 July 2009). "Factsheet Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (PACAF) (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 December 2021.

[5] Bailey, Carl E. (8 May 2018). "Factsheet 5 Operations Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 27 December 2021.

[6] Haulman, Daniel (2 November 2016). "Factsheet 623 Air Control Squadron (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 27 December 2021.

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