USAAF (United States Army Air Forces)
June 1941 to September 1947
United States of America
TYPE: Air force
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Arlington, VA
FORMER NAME: USAAC (United States Army Air Corps)
SUBSEQUENT NAME: USAF (United States Air Force)
All Commandos ever built were ordered by and delivered to the USAAF. Being by far the single largest Commando operator ever, the USAAF is further subdivided into units that operated the type:
Categories
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Air Service Command / Air Materiel Command
October 1941 to April 1961United States of America
TYPE: USAAF Unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Wright Field, OH
FORMER NAME: Materiel Division
OTHER NAMES: Air Service Command (ASC) (1941-1945), Air Technical Service Command (ATSC) (1945-1946), Air Materiel Command (AMC) (1946-1961)
SUBSEQUENT NAME: Air Force Logistics Command
The Air Service Command, Air Technical Service Command & Air Materiel Command were the USAAF (and later USAF) commands responsible for logistics, aircraft maintenance, research and development during and in the decade that followed World War II. They managed the air depots, which by the post-war period were renamed "materiel areas". The following air depots & air material areas processed Commandos:
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16 October 1943 to 31 March 1946
United States of America
TYPE: USAAF Unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: RAF Cottesmore, England (1943), Grantham, England (1943-1944), Ascot, England (1944-1945), Stout AAF, IN (1945-1946), Greenville AAB, SC (1946)
FORMER NAME: Nil
SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil
Commandos operated, wing, group and squadron unknown:
- Curtiss C-46A-20-CU Commando: 41-24683
The mission of IX Troop Carrier Command was air transport for the Allied airborne divisions in the European Theater of Operations. Its primary aircraft was the C-47 Skytrain and its variant, the C-53 Skytrooper. However in 1945, IX Troop Carrier Command equipped one group with 117 Commandos to determine their viability in the theatre. As a result of a 28% loss ratio during Operation Varsity resulting from the Commando's high inflammability, IX TCC did not convert to the Commando, even though its cargo-carrying capacity was twice that of the C-47.
The following units were components of IX TCC:
- 349th Troop Carrier Group (April 1945 to July 1945)
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February 1942 to present
United States of America
TYPE: USAAF Unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: New Delhi, India
FORMER NAME: Nil
SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil
USAAF was activated on 12 February 1942 to cover the China-Burma-India theater. It mainly operated from India, and its primary function was the defense of the ferry route over the Hump. From Kunming, Yunnan, its China Air Task Force struck at enemy installations, port facilities, and shipping in the China Sea, while its India Air Task Force guarded the Assam end of the route and insured neutralization of airfields at Myitkyina and other places in northern Burma. Although duties of the China Air Task Force were assumed by the 14th Air Force from March 1943, the 10th continued to operate from bases in Assam, disrupting enemy lines of communications, flying sweeps over the Bay of Bengal, and mining harbors at Rangoon, Bangkok, and Moulmein. Later, 10th Air Force units participated in all important phases of the Burma campaign, furnishing airborne support to General Wingate's forces, dropping supplies to Merrill's Marauders, and facilitating General Stilwell's reconquest of North Burma. By April 1945, some 350,000 men were wholly dependent upon air supply by these units. In August 1945, the 10th moved to China, anticipating an offensive against Japan proper.
The 10th Air Force operated Commandos in the Combat Cargo role, under the following groups:
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December 1942 to September 2012
United States of America
TYPE: USAAF Unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield, New Caledonia (1943), Pekoa Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides (1943-1944), Carney Airfield, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands (1944), Momote Airfield, Admiralty Islands (1944), Hollandia Airfield, New Guinea, Netherlands East Indies (1944), Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, (1944-1945), Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines (1945-1946), Fort William McKinley, Luzon, Philippines (1946-1947), Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines (1947-1948), Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan (1948-1949), Clark AFB, Luzon, Philippines (1949-1991), Andersen AFB, Guam (1991-2005), Hickam AFB, HI (2005-2012)
FORMER NAME: Nil
SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil
The 13th Air Force was formed to engage in operations in the South Pacific theatre. It operated mainly in the Solomons, Gilbert, Marshall, Marianna and Philippine Islands compains. After the war, the 13th was mostly headquartered at Clark AB, Luzon, Philippines. The 13th Air Force operated Commandos in the Troop Carrier role under the following groups:
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March 1943 to present
United States of America
TYPE: USAAF Unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Kunming, Yunnan, China
FORMER NAME: 1st American Volunteer Group (1941-1942), 10th Air Force's China Air Task Force (1942-1943)
SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil
USAAF started operating in China as far back as 1941, with the 1st American Volunteer Group (the "Flying Tigers"), which was officially part of the Chinese Air Force under General Claire Chennault. In April 1942, the Flying Tigers were integrated into the USAAF as the China Air Task Force, a branch of the 10th Air Force. Only in March 1943 did USAAF's Chinese operation become a full Air Force, the 14th Air Force, still under Chennault's leadership. Its operations went on to cover the entire Chinese theatre of operations, including Indochina and Formosa. The 14th Air Force operated Commandos under the following groups:
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April 1944 to present
United States of America
TYPE: USAAF Unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Washington, DC (1944-1945), Harmon Field, Guam (1945-1949), Kadena AFB, Okinawa (1949-1955), Vandenberg AFB, CA (1991-1993), Francis E. Warren AFB, WY (1993-present)
FORMER NAME: Nil
SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil
The 20th Air Force was brought to existence to carry out the strategic bombing of Japan, using the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Past experience proved that strategic assets could occasionally be diverted by field commanders, thence preventing them to be used effectively for their primary mission. The bombing of strategic targets in the Japanese home islands was seen as the primary way to end the war, and it was consequently given top priority by General Henry "Hap" Arnold. The 20th Air Force was divided into two separate bomber commands, each one corresponding to a theatre of operations which was seen as a possible base from which to carry out the bombings: the XX Bomber Command was assigned to China, while the XXI Bomber Command was assigned to the Marianna Islands. Only the former operated Commandos, specifically assigned to supply the B-29 operation from China.
Commandos operated, group unknown:
- Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando: 43-47265
