XX Bomber Command

XX Bomber Command. It was a United States Army Air Forces Bomber formation created during World War II for a unique long-range strategic mission. Operating primarily from bases in India and China, it was tasked with striking industrial targets in Japan and Japanese-occupied territories. The command is historically significant for its pioneering use of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress in combat and its challenging logistical operations across the Hump.

History

The unit was activated on 4 November 1943 at Smoky Hill Army Air Field in Kansas under the auspices of the Twentieth Air Force, which reported directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, D.C.. Its creation was driven by the Arsenal of Democracy policy and the specific requirements of Operation Matterhorn, a plan conceived by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his advisors to bomb the Japanese archipelago from forward bases in Asia. The command's initial training and organization were hampered by the rushed development and technical problems of its primary aircraft. Deploying to the China-Burma-India theater in early 1944, its operations were immediately constrained by immense logistical challenges, requiring all fuel, bombs, and supplies to be flown from India to China over the Himalayas, a route known as the Hump. Despite these difficulties, it conducted the first B-29 Superfortress combat mission on 5 June 1944, bombing Bangkok and marking the start of the strategic bombing campaign against Japan.

Organization

The command was a subordinate unit of the Twentieth Air Force, which was uniquely commanded from Washington, D.C. by the Chief of the Army Air Forces, General Henry H. Arnold. Its primary operational component was the 58th Bombardment Wing, which controlled its combat groups. The initial bombardment groups assigned were the 40th Bombardment Group, 444th Bombardment Group, 462nd Bombardment Group, and 468th Bombardment Group. These groups were stationed at a complex of forward airfields around Chengdu in China, such as Pengshan Airfield and Xinjin Airport, with their main support and staging base located at Kharagpur in India. This bifurcated structure created a massive and inefficient supply chain, managed in part by the Air Transport Command and involving operations from other key bases like Jorhat Airport and Tezpur Air Force Station.

Operations

Its combat operations, conducted under the codename Operation Matterhorn, began in earnest with raids on Japanese homeland targets. The first raid on the Japanese archipelago targeted the Yawata Steel Works on 15 June 1944. Subsequent missions struck facilities in Anshan, Manchuria, and Singapore, as well as repeated attacks on Kyushu and Formosa. These long-distance missions were plagued by mechanical failures, inaccurate bombing, and fierce Japanese fighter opposition, such as from the Kawasaki Ki-61. The command also conducted tactical support missions, including the mining of Saigon harbor and strikes on Rangoon. The immense logistical burden, where multiple supply flights over the Hump were required for a single combat sortie, rendered the campaign unsustainable. Following the capture of the Mariana Islands, including Saipan and Tinian, the strategic focus shifted, and the command's assets were gradually transferred to the XXI Bomber Command in the Pacific by early 1945.

Aircraft

The command was equipped exclusively with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the most advanced and complex Heavy bomber of the war. These aircraft were modified with the removal of some defensive armament to save weight for the long-range missions from China. The B-29s faced significant teething problems, particularly with their Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone engines, which were prone to overheating and catching fire. Maintenance in the primitive conditions of forward bases in China and India was extraordinarily difficult. Despite these challenges, the operations provided critical combat data that led to modifications and improved tactics later employed with devastating effect by the XXI Bomber Command in the firebombing of Tokyo and other Japanese cities.

Commanders

* Brigadier General Kenneth B. Wolfe: 6 November 1943 – 4 July 1944. Wolfe oversaw the initial organization, training, and deployment of the command but was relieved by General Henry H. Arnold due to perceived cautiousness in launching initial combat operations. * Brigadier General LaVern G. Saunders: 4 July 1944 – 29 August 1944. Saunders served as interim commander during a transitional period. * Major General Curtis LeMay: 29 August 1944 – 20 January 1945. A veteran of the European theater with the 305th Bombardment Group, LeMay implemented new formation tactics and aggressive procedures that improved operational effectiveness before he was transferred to lead the XXI Bomber Command in the Mariana Islands.

Category:United States Army Air Forces bomber commands Category:Military units and formations established in 1943 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945