1st Air Commando Group
Encyclopedia
The 1st Air Commando Group is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the Army Service Forces
, based at Camp Kilmer
, New Jersey
. It was inactivated on 3 November 1945.
The unit was a United States Army Air Forces
group
of fighters
, bomber
s, transports
, military glider
s and small planes operating in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II
. They were part of the U.S. Tenth Air Force
providing close air support
for the British Fourteenth Army in the Burma Campaign
.
, amidst the Quebec Conference
in August 1943, was impressed by Brigadier Orde Wingate's account of what could be accomplished in Burma
with proper air support. To comply with Roosevelt's proposed air support for British long range penetration
operations in Burma, the United States Army Air Forces
created the 5318th Air Unit to support the Chindits
. In March 1944, they were designated the 1st Air Commando Group by USAF Commander General Hap Arnold. Arnold chose Colonel John R. Alison
and Colonel Philip Cochran
as co-commanders of the unit.
Alison was a veteran flight instructor of P-40
aircraft, and gained renown as a pilot with Major David Lee "Tex" Hill's 75th Fighter Squadron
, part of Col Robert Lee Scott, Jr.
's 23d Fighter Group
, the USAF successor of the AVG
's famed Flying Tigers
in the China-Burma-India Theatre
. General Claire Lee Chennault
lobbied to Arnold, who knew Alison from service at Langley Field, suggesting Alison be given the new command. Cochran was a decorated P-40 veteran pilot from the North African Campaign
noted for his unconventional aerial tactics.
The group consisted of a squadron of 30 P-51 Mustangs
led by Lt. Col. Grattan M. "Grant" Mahony, a squadron of 12 B-25H
bombers led by Lt. Col. Robert T. Smith
, 13 C-47
air transports led by Major William T. Cherry, Jr., 225 Waco CG-4A
military gliders
led by Captain William H. Taylor, Jr., and 100 L-1 and L-5 Sentinel
liaison aircraft
led by Major Andrew Rebori and Lt. Col. Clinton B. Gaty. The group tested the United States' first use of a helicopter
in combat
, six Sikorsky R-4
s led by Lt. Col. Clinton B. Gaty, in May 1944.
' Chindit
memoirs The Road Past Mandalay stated the Chindits' relationship with the Royal Air Force
was problematic: "Whatever we asked them to do they declared to be difficult, impossible or against Air Force policy. Whatever they offered to do, we didn't need" Cochran earned their respect by allowing the Chindits to call in their own air support and evacuating a Chindit injured in a training accident by landing an L-5
in a field 400 ft (121.9 m) long when 600 ft (182.9 m) was the minimum.
Later in the campaign, they supported other units of the British Fourteenth Army during their drive to Rangoon
. One of the glider pilots participating in landing the Chindits was actor Jackie Coogan
.
After a glider training accident, the Commander of the Chindits, General Orde Wingate, sent the 1st Air Commando a message:
"Please be assured that we will go with your boys, any place, any time, any where." It was adopted by the 1st Air Commando as their motto, and it is still used as an abbreviated form as the motto of the USAF Special Operations Command
.
The unit was deactivated on 3 November 1945.
-supported insurgencies in Third World
countries at the insistence of General Curtis LeMay
. The unit had a two-fold purpose: counter-insurgency
training and combat operations in Third World countries. It was the first unit of its kind in the Air Force. The 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS) was the official designation of the initial and parent unit; the designation was later changed to the 1st Air Commando Group with the name air commando applying to individuals as well as wings, squadrons or detachments.
"Jungle Jim
" was a code name and nickname of the original 4400th CCTS and Air Commandos. Members wore an Australian-type green fatigue slouch hat
in the style Johnny Weissmuller
wore in the Jungle Jim films. The Air Commandos deployed to Laos
and South Vietnam
in October 1961, as part of Operation Farm Gate
in the Vietnam War
. The unit was redesignated the 1st Air Commando Wing on 1 June 1963, the 1st Special Operations Wing on 8 July 1968, the 834th Tactical Composite Wing on 1 July 1974 and the 1st Special Operations Wing
on 1 July 1975.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. It was last assigned to the Army Service Forces
Army Service Forces
The Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...
, based at Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It was inactivated on 3 November 1945.
The unit was a United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
group
Group (air force)
A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. Usage of the terms group and wing differ from one country to another, as well as different branches of a defence force, in some cases...
of fighters
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s, transports
Military transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...
, military glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
s and small planes operating in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II
South-East Asian theatre of World War II
The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in Burma , Ceylon, India, Thailand, Indochina, Malaya and Singapore. Conflict in the theatre began when the Empire of Japan invaded Thailand and Malaya from bases located in Indochina on December 8,...
. They were part of the U.S. Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
providing close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
for the British Fourteenth Army in the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
.
History
President Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, amidst the Quebec Conference
Quebec Conference, 1943
The First Quebec Conference was a highly secret military conference held during World War II between the British, Canadian and United States governments. The conference was held in Quebec City, August 17, 1943 – August 24, 1943. It took place at the Citadelle and at the Château Frontenac. The...
in August 1943, was impressed by Brigadier Orde Wingate's account of what could be accomplished in Burma
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
with proper air support. To comply with Roosevelt's proposed air support for British long range penetration
Long range penetration
A Long-range penetration patrol, group, or force is a special forces military unit able to remain in and move long distances behind enemy lines far away from direct contact with friendly forces as opposed to Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol a small group engaged in scouting missions...
operations in Burma, the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
created the 5318th Air Unit to support the Chindits
Chindits
The Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
. In March 1944, they were designated the 1st Air Commando Group by USAF Commander General Hap Arnold. Arnold chose Colonel John R. Alison
John R. Alison
- External links :* The All-American Airman, Walter J. Boyne, March 2000*John R. Alison Papers, 1945–1957*John R. Alison Collection, including extended video interview available online.*" John R. Alison Enshrinee Biography...
and Colonel Philip Cochran
Philip Cochran
Philip Gerald Cochran was an officer in the United States Army Air Corps. Cochran developed many tactical air combat, air transport, and air assault techniques during the war, particularly in Burma during operations as co-commander of the 1st Air Commando Group...
as co-commanders of the unit.
Alison was a veteran flight instructor of P-40
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
aircraft, and gained renown as a pilot with Major David Lee "Tex" Hill's 75th Fighter Squadron
75th Fighter Squadron
The 75th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....
, part of Col Robert Lee Scott, Jr.
Robert Lee Scott, Jr.
Robert Lee Scott Jr. was a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force. Scott is best known for his autobiography God is My Co-Pilot about his exploits in World War II with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma...
's 23d Fighter Group
23d Fighter Group
The 23d Fighter Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Wing and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....
, the USAF successor of the AVG
American Volunteer Group
The American Volunteer Groups were volunteer air units organized by the United States government to aid the Nationalist government of China against Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War...
's famed Flying Tigers
Flying Tigers
The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...
in the China-Burma-India Theatre
China Burma India Theater of World War II
China Burma India Theater was the name used by the United States Army for its forces operating in conjunction with British and Chinese Allied air and land forces in China, Burma, and India during World War II...
. General Claire Lee Chennault
Claire Lee Chennault
Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault , was an American military aviator. A contentious officer, he was a fierce advocate of "pursuit" or fight-interceptor aircraft during the 1930s when the U.S. Army Air Corps was focused primarily on high-altitude bombardment...
lobbied to Arnold, who knew Alison from service at Langley Field, suggesting Alison be given the new command. Cochran was a decorated P-40 veteran pilot from the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
noted for his unconventional aerial tactics.
The group consisted of a squadron of 30 P-51 Mustangs
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
led by Lt. Col. Grattan M. "Grant" Mahony, a squadron of 12 B-25H
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
bombers led by Lt. Col. Robert T. Smith
Robert T. Smith
Robert Tharp Smith was born in York, Nebraska. His family moved to Red Cloud from Hooper, Nebraska in 1927 when his father, Earl W. Smith, was hired as Superintendent of Schools. He graduated Red Cloud High School in 1935. Smith attended the University of Nebraska before joining the U.S...
, 13 C-47
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
air transports led by Major William T. Cherry, Jr., 225 Waco CG-4A
Waco CG-4
The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used United States troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4 by the United States Army Air Forces, and named Hadrian in British military service....
military gliders
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
led by Captain William H. Taylor, Jr., and 100 L-1 and L-5 Sentinel
L-5 Sentinel
The Stinson L-5 Sentinel was a World War II era liaison aircraft used by all branches of the U.S. military and by the British Royal Air Force. Along with the Stinson L-1 Vigilant, the L-5 was the only other American liaison aircraft of WWII that was purpose-built for military use and had no...
liaison aircraft
Liaison aircraft
A liaison aircraft is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. The concept developed before World War II and included also battlefield reconnaissance, air ambulance, column control, light cargo delivery...
led by Major Andrew Rebori and Lt. Col. Clinton B. Gaty. The group tested the United States' first use of a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
in combat
Military helicopter
A military helicopter is a helicopter that is either specifically built or converted for use by military forces. A military helicopter's mission is a function of its design or conversion...
, six Sikorsky R-4
Sikorsky R-4
The Sikorsky R-4 was a two-place helicopter designed by Igor Sikorsky with a single, three-bladed main rotor and powered by a radial engine. The R-4 was the world's first large-scale mass-produced helicopter and the first helicopter to enter service with the United States Army Air Forces, Navy, and...
s led by Lt. Col. Clinton B. Gaty, in May 1944.
Operations
John MastersJohn Masters
Lieutenant Colonel John Masters, DSO was an English officer in the British Indian Army and novelist. His works are noted for their treatment of the British Empire in India.-Life:...
' Chindit
Chindits
The Chindits were a British India "Special Force" that served in Burma and India in 1943 and 1944 during the Burma Campaign in World War II. They were formed into long range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines...
memoirs The Road Past Mandalay stated the Chindits' relationship with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
was problematic: "Whatever we asked them to do they declared to be difficult, impossible or against Air Force policy. Whatever they offered to do, we didn't need" Cochran earned their respect by allowing the Chindits to call in their own air support and evacuating a Chindit injured in a training accident by landing an L-5
L-5 Sentinel
The Stinson L-5 Sentinel was a World War II era liaison aircraft used by all branches of the U.S. military and by the British Royal Air Force. Along with the Stinson L-1 Vigilant, the L-5 was the only other American liaison aircraft of WWII that was purpose-built for military use and had no...
in a field 400 ft (121.9 m) long when 600 ft (182.9 m) was the minimum.
Later in the campaign, they supported other units of the British Fourteenth Army during their drive to Rangoon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
. One of the glider pilots participating in landing the Chindits was actor Jackie Coogan
Jackie Coogan
John Leslie Coogan , known professionally as Jackie Coogan, was an American actor who began his movie career as a child actor in silent films. Many years later, he became known as Uncle Fester on 1960s sitcom The Addams Family...
.
After a glider training accident, the Commander of the Chindits, General Orde Wingate, sent the 1st Air Commando a message:
"Please be assured that we will go with your boys, any place, any time, any where." It was adopted by the 1st Air Commando as their motto, and it is still used as an abbreviated form as the motto of the USAF Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
.
The unit was deactivated on 3 November 1945.
Cold War
In April 1961, the Air Commandos were regrouped at Hurlburt Field, Florida in response to SovietSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
-supported insurgencies in Third World
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
countries at the insistence of General Curtis LeMay
Curtis LeMay
Curtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968....
. The unit had a two-fold purpose: counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
training and combat operations in Third World countries. It was the first unit of its kind in the Air Force. The 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS) was the official designation of the initial and parent unit; the designation was later changed to the 1st Air Commando Group with the name air commando applying to individuals as well as wings, squadrons or detachments.
"Jungle Jim
Jungle Jim
Jungle Jim is the fictional hero of a series of jungle adventures in various media. The series began in 1934 as an American newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of Asia-based hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle Jim...
" was a code name and nickname of the original 4400th CCTS and Air Commandos. Members wore an Australian-type green fatigue slouch hat
Slouch hat
A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat with a chinstrap, most commonly worn as part of a military uniform. It is a survivor of the felt hats worn by certain 18th century armies. Since then, the slouch hat has been worn by military personnel from many nations including Australia, Britain,...
in the style Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
wore in the Jungle Jim films. The Air Commandos deployed to Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
in October 1961, as part of Operation Farm Gate
Farm Gate
Farm Gate was the codename for an American air force mission in Vietnam.In the early 1960s, the US armed forces were developing units specifically designed to counter guerrilla warfare...
in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The unit was redesignated the 1st Air Commando Wing on 1 June 1963, the 1st Special Operations Wing on 8 July 1968, the 834th Tactical Composite Wing on 1 July 1974 and the 1st Special Operations Wing
1st Special Operations Wing
The 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of two United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command ....
on 1 July 1975.
Lineage
- Constituted as 5318th Provisional Air Unit late 1943
- Redesignated as 1st Air Commando Group
- Constituted as 1st Air Commando Group on 25 Mar 1944
- Activated in India on 29 Mar 1944
- Inactivated on 3 Nov 1945
- Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948
Assignments
- Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 29 Mar 1944 – 6 Oct 1945 - Army Service ForcesArmy Service ForcesThe Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...
(for inactivation), 1–3 Nov 1945
Components
- 5th Fighter Squadron (Commando)5th Fighter Squadron (Commando)The 5th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 1st Air Commando Group stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 3 November 1945...
, 1 September 1944 – 3 November 1945 - 6th Fighter Squadron (Commando), 30 September 1944 – 3 November 1945
- 164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1 September 1944 – 3 November 1945
- 165th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1 September 1944 – 3 November 1945
- 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1 September 1944 – 3 November 1945
- 319th Troop Carrier Squadron, 1 September 1944 – 2 September 1945
Stations
- Hailakandi AirfieldHailakandi AirfieldHailakandi Airfield is a former wartime United States Army Air Forces airfield in India used during the Burma Campaign 1944-1945. It is now abandoned.Hailakandi is a district of the Indian state of Assam.-History:...
, India, 29 Mar 1944 - Asansol Airfield, India, 20 May 1944 – 6 Oct 1945
- Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 1–3 Nov 1945
Aircraft
- P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, 1944–1945 - P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1945 - C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, 1944–1945 - B-25H MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
See also
- Former United States special operations unitsFormer United States special operations unitsFormer United States special operations units are disbanded or otherwise inactive unconventional warfare units of the United States military. Most units were created to fulfill specific duties within a particular conflict, and were disbanded once that conflict ended...
- 2d Air Commando
- 3d Air Commando
- 4th Air Commando
- 5th Air Commando
- 6th Air Commando