396th Bombardment Group#Components

The 396th Bombardment Group was activated at Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho on 16 February 1943 with the 592d, 593d, 594th and 595th Bombardment Squadrons assigned.Maurer, Combat Units, p. 283Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 676Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 676-677Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 677 After initial organization and equipping with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, the group moved to Moses Lake Army Air Base, Washington. There the 396th acted as an Operational Training Unit (OTU) for B-17 units. The OTU program was patterned after the unit training system of the Royal Air Force. The OTU program involved the use of an oversized parent unit to provide cadres to "satellite groups". It assumed responsibility for their training and oversaw their expansion with graduates of Army Air Forces Training Command schools to become effective combat units.Craven & Cate, Introduction, p. xxxviGoss, p. 74Greer, p. 601 Phase I training concentrated on individual training in crewmember specialties. Phase II training emphasized the coordination for the crew to act as a team. The final phase concentrated on operation as a unit.Greer, p. 606

In August 1943, the unit's mission changed to being a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). By This time most combat units had been activated and many of them had deployed overseas. With the exception of special programs, like forming Boeing B-29 Superfortress units, training "fillers" for existing units became more important than unit training.Goss, pp. 74-75 Like OTUs, RTUs were oversized units. Their mission, however was to train individual pilots or aircrews.

In November 1943, the 396th moved to Drew Field, Florida, where it would remain for the duration of its active service. However, the Army Air Forces was finding that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.Goss, p. 75 The 592d was inactivated on 1 May 1944 at Drew Field, Florida. Its personnel and equipment became part of the 326th AAF Base Unit.See Mueller, p. 351 (simultaneous inactivation of 396th Bombardment Group units and organization of 326th Base Unit).

• Constituted as the 396th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 29 January 1943

: Activated on 16 February 1943.

: Inactivated on 1 May 1944

• II Bomber Command, 16 February 1943
• Second Air Force, 6 October 1943
• III Bomber Command, 5 November 1943 – 1 May 1944

• 592d Bombardment Squadron: 19 January 1943 – 1 May 1944
• 593d Bombardment Squadron: 19 January 1943 – 1 May 1944
• 594th Bombardment Squadron: 19 January 1943 – 1 May 1944
• 595th Bombardment Squadron: 19 January 1943 – 1 May 1944

• Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho, 16 February 1943
• Moses Lake Army Air Base, Washington, 10 April 1943
• Drew Field, Florida, 5 November 1943 – 1 May 1944

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943-1944

• B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces

{{Reflist|40em}}

{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}

• {{cite book|editor=Craven, Wesley F |editor2=Cate, James L|url=http://media.defense.gov/2010/Nov/05/2001329891/-1/-1/0/AFD-101105-019.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220184358/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Nov/05/2001329891/-1/-1/0/AFD-101105-019.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 December 2016|access-date=17 December 2016 |title=The Army Air Forces in World War II|volume=VI, Men & Planes|year=1955|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, IL|oclc=704158| lccn=48003657}}
• : {{cite book|last=Goss|first=William A.|editor=Craven, Wesley F. |editor2=Cate, James L. |url= https://media.defense.gov/2010/Nov/05/2001329890/-1/-1/0/AFD-101105-012.pdf|access-date=17 December 2016 |title=The Army Air Forces in World War II|volume=VI, Men & Planes|year=1955|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, IL|oclc=704158| lccn=48003657|chapter=The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF}}
• : {{cite book|last=Greer|first=Thomas H.|editor=Craven, Wesley F |editor2=Cate, James L. |url= https://media.defense.gov/2010/Nov/05/2001329890/-1/-1/0/AFD-101105-012.pdf |access-date=December 17, 2016 |title=The Army Air Forces in World War II|volume=VI, Men & Planes|year=1955|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, IL|oclc=704158| lccn=48003657|chapter=Recruitment and Training, Chapter 18 Combat Crew and Unit Training}}
• {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Air Force Combat Units of World War II|orig-date= 1961|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf|archive-url= https://archive.today/20210115181723/https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf|url-status= dead|archive-date= 15 January 2021|access-date= 17 December 2016|edition=reprint|year=1983|publisher= Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-02-1|lccn=61060979}}
• {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|orig-date=1969|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180455/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 20 December 2016 |edition= reprint|access-date= 17 December 2016|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402}}
• {{cite book|last=Mueller|first=Robert|title=Air Force Bases |volume=I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982|url= https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330255/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-026.pdf |access-date=17 December 2016|year=1989|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-53-6}}

{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II}}

{{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II}}

Category:Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces

Category:Military units and formations established in 1943