20th Bomber Command

20th Bomber Command
Unit name	20th Bomber Command
Dates	1944–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Type	Bomber command
Role	Strategic bombing
Garrison	Harmon Field, Guam
Battles	Pacific War (World War II)
Notable commanders	Curtis LeMay, Haywood S. Hansell Jr., Kenneth B. Wolfe

20th Bomber Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation activated in 1944 to direct long-range strategic bombing operations in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Tasked with employment of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress against industrial and military targets in the Empire of Japan, the command coordinated units, bases, logistics, and tactics across island airfields including Tinian, Saipan, and Guam. Operating alongside organizations such as United States Pacific Fleet, Twentieth Air Force, and numbered air forces, the command influenced campaigns that contributed to the air offensives culminating in the surrender of Japan at Surrender of Japan.

History

Activated in 1944 under the aegis of Army Air Forces expansion, the command emerged amid strategic debates involving leaders such as Henry H. Arnold, Frank M. Andrews, and Leslie Hollingworth. Early planning connected to Operation Matterhorn and basing concepts from Chennault, the command shifted its focus following the capture of the Mariana Islands during Guam campaign (1944), Battle of Saipan, and Battle of Tinian. The transition to heavy bomber operations from Marianas airfields coincided with the establishment of Twentieth Air Force centralized command directed by Arnold and implementation of tactics envisioned by Curtis LeMay and influenced by experiences from European Theater of Operations (United States Army) strategic campaigns such as the Bombing of Dresden and Operation Argument. Logistical support involved ports like Apra Harbor and staging areas such as Harmon Field, Guam.

Organization and Units

The command comprised multiple bomber wings, groups, and squadrons, integrating formations like the 5th Bombardment Group, 6th Bombardment Group, 9th Bombardment Group (United States) and later heavy wings reassigned from Eighth Air Force elements. Support units included maintenance squadrons, reconnaissance detachments such as Fifteenth Air Force-style photo units, and logistic organizations akin to Air Transport Command. Ground echelon responsibilities mirrored structures used by Seventh Air Force and Thirteenth Air Force, coordinating with naval bases administered by United States Navy logistics staffs and civil engineering units from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Aircrews often rotated between squadrons modeled after personnel systems used by 389th Bombardment Group and 444th Bombardment Group (World War II).

Operations and Campaigns

20th Bomber Command executed strategic bombardment campaigns against Japanese industry, shipping, and urban centers, participating in operations that paralleled raids such as the Bombing of Tokyo (1945) and later incendiary assaults reminiscent of tactics refined during the Combined Bomber Offensive. Missions targeted facilities in Kyushu, Honshū, and the Kagoshima area, and interdicted transportation networks including the Tōkaidō Main Line. Nighttime area incendiary raids and high-altitude precision strikes reflected doctrinal shifts by commanders influenced by Haywood S. Hansell Jr. and Curtis LeMay, as well as technological inputs from programs like Manhattan Project security constraints and radar developments exemplified by H2X radar. The command also supported operations such as mining campaigns in conjunction with Operation Starvation efforts, and coordinated missions with naval units during strikes similar to Battle of the Philippine Sea carrier operations.

Aircraft and Equipment

Primary equipment centered on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, including variants equipped with radar systems like AN/APQ-13 and defensive armaments modified under guidance from firms such as Boeing and Wright Aeronautical. Secondary aircraft for reconnaissance and rescue included models akin to the Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer, Curtiss C-46 Commando transports for logistics, and Grumman JRF Goose for air-sea operations. Maintenance, armament, and fuel supply chains involved depot practices from Ogden Air Depot-style facilities, and ordnance included incendiary munitions such as M-69 bomblet and high-explosive bombs produced by corporations like General Electric and DuPont-supplied explosives.

Commanders

Command leadership featured officers with prior strategic bombing experience and staff expertise: Haywood S. Hansell Jr. contributed early doctrinal development, succeeded by or working with figures such as Curtis LeMay and Kenneth B. Wolfe, with oversight and coordination involving Henry H. Arnold at higher headquarters. Other senior staff and group commanders included officers drawn from units like the 5th Bombardment Wing and veterans of campaigns under leaders such as Jimmy Doolittle and Frank A. Armstrong Jr..

Honors and Decorations

Units and personnel received campaign credits for participation in the Pacific War, including battle honors related to the Marianas campaign and the aerial offensive against Japan. Individual citations encompassed awards conferred by Department of War (United States) such as the Distinguished Service Cross (United States), Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross (United States), and unit recognitions aligned with Presidential Unit Citation standards. Postwar commemorations involved monuments and entries in archival collections at institutions like the National Museum of the United States Air Force and records preserved by the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

Category:United States Army Air Forces commands