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13th Bombardment Wing

Constituted as 13th Composite Wing on 2 Oct 1940 and activated on 10 Oct. Moved to Puerto Rico at the end of the same month. Inactivated on 25 Oct 1941.

Redesignated 13th Bombardment Wing. Activated in the US on 1 Oct 1942. Assigned to Eighth AF. Redesignated 13th Bombardment Wing (Medium) in Feb 1943. Moved to England, May-Jun 1943. Redesignated 13th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in Aug 1943. Groups were assigned in Sep 1943 and the wing served in combat in the European theater until Apr 1945. Redesignated 13th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in Jun 1945. Returned to the US in Aug 1945. Redesignated 13th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) in Aug 1945. Inactivated on 17 Oct 1945.

Groups. 25th Bombardment: 1940-1941. 36th Pursuit: 1941. 40th Bombardment: 1941. 95th Bombardment: 1943-1945. 100th Bombardment: 1943-1945. 390th Bombardment: 1943-1945. 490th Bombardment: 1945. 493d Bombardment: 1945.

Stations. Langley Field, Va, 10-26 Oct 1940; Borinquen Field, PR, 1 Nov 1940; San Juan, PR, c. 6 Jan 1941; Borinquen Field, PR, c. 1 May-25 Oct 1941. MacDill Field, Fla, 1 Oct 1942-c. 10 May 1943; Marks Hall, England, c. 2 Jun 1943; Camp Blainey, England, c. 13 Jun 1943; Horham, England, 13 Sep 1943-c. 6 Aug 1945; Sioux Falls AAFld, SD, c. 15 Aug 1945; Peterson Field, Colo, 17 Aug-17 Oct 1945.

Commanders. Capt Kenneth O Sanborn, c. 10 Oct 1940; Brig Gen Follett Bradley, c. 1 Nov 1940; Lt Col Robert V Ignico, c. 4 Aug 1941; Brig Gen Douglas B Netherwood, c. 7 Sep-25 Oct 1941. Maj Henry G Silleck, 1942-unkn; Col Alfred A Kessler Jr, 16 Sep 1943; Col Harold Q Huglin, c. 9 Feb-c. 1 Apr 1944; Col Edgar M Wittan, 17 Apr 1944; Col Karl Truesdell Jr, 13 Sep 1944; Col Hunter Harris Jr, 25 Sep 1944; Brig Gen Alfred A Kessler Jr, 5 Nov 1944; Brig Gen Harold Q Huglin, 19 Nov 1944; Lt Col Clifton D Wright, 18 Jul 1945-unkn; Lt Col Paul C Hutchins, 31 Aug 1945-unkn.

Campaigns. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Decorations. None.

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986

 8th Air Force

In the summer of 1944. The 95th, 100th and 390th Bombardment Groups of the 13th Bomb Wing participated in Operation Frantic, also known as shuttle missions.   These B-17s would fly missions and landed at bases in Russia, eastern Europe.


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