The 418th Bombardment Group is the designation held by two United States Army Air Forces advanced training units, briefly active during World War II. The two groups were consolidated in 1958 and redesignated the 418th Tactical Missile Wing in 1985, but the consolidated unit has never been active.
History The first 418th Bombardment Group was activated in August 1943 at Lake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana. It was apparently only minimally manned and never received aircraft before it was disbanded in September.Maurer, Combat Units, p.501
The second 418th Bombardment Group was activated in March 1944 at Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico as a Replacement Training Unit for Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircrews. However, even as the unit was being activated, the Army Air Forces (AAF) had determined that standard military units like the group, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization not well adapted to the training mission. The AAF had already determined to change to a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.Goss, p. 75 The 418th was disbanded and bomber training activities at Alamogordo were assigned to the new 231st AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Bombardment, Heavy)See Mueller, p. 249 (activation of 231st).
The United States Air Force consolidated the two groups in April 1958. In 1985, the consolidated unit was redesignated the 418th Tactical Missile Wing,Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations but has not been active since.
Lineage 418th Bombardment Group (Light) Constituted as the 418th Bombardment Group (Light) on 16 July 1943 Activated on 1 August 1943 Disbanded on 15 September 1943 Reconstituted and consolidated with the 418th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy as the 418th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy in April 1958
418th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy Constituted as the 418th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 28 February 1944 Activated on 11 March 1944 Disbanded on 1 April 1944 Reconstituted and consolidated with the 418th Bombardment Group (Light) in April 1958 Redesignated 418th Tactical Missile Wing on 31 July 1985
Assignments II Tactical Air Division, 1 August–15 September 1943 16th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, 28 February–1 April 1944
Components 696th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 705 697th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943 698th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 706 699th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August–15 September 1943
Stations Lake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana, 1 August–15 September 1943 Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 28 February–1 April 1944
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