Date of Activation:  January 15, 1941.

Date stationed in Orlando:  June 6, 1941 - January 20, 1942

Aircraft:  B-18 Bolo, B-25 Mitchell, A-29 Hudson

Other Assignments:  Langley Field, VA, Westover Field, MA.

Notes:  After the US entered the war the group searched for enemy U-boats and covered friendly convoys off the east coast of the US. Served with First Air Force and later with AAF Antisubmarine Command. Inactivated on 30 Nov 1942.

Date of Activation:  Activated on June 1, 1942 at Orlando Army Airfield.

Date stationed in Orlando:  June 1, 1942 - June 29. 1942

Aircraft:  B-17 Flying Fortress

Other Assignments:  MacDill Field, FL, Pendleton Field, OR, Gowen Field, ID, Walla Walla, WA, Sioux City AAB, IA , Navarin, Algeria, Oudna, Tunisia, Tortorella Airfield, Italy, and Marcianise, Italy.

Notes:  Moved to North Africa, Feb-May 1943, and assigned to Twelfth AF. Entered combat in Mar 1943 and bombed targets in Tunisia, Sardinia, Sicily, Pantelleria, and Italy until Dec 1943. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for performance on July 5, 1943 when the group helped to neutralize fighter opposition prior to the invasion of Sicily by penetrating enemy defenses to bomb the Gerbini airfield. Assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in November 1943 and moved to Italy in December. Flew long-range missions to attack Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Received another DUC for withstanding severe fighter assaults to bomb the aircraft factory at Wiener Neustadt on April, 23 1944. Other operations included assisting ground forces at Anzio and Cassino, February through March 1944; participating in the pre-invasion bombing of southern France, August 1944; and supporting the Allied offensive in the Po Valley, April 1945. Inactivated in Italy on 8 Nov 1945.

Date of Activation:  June 1, 1942 at Orlando Army Airfield.

Date stationed in Orlando:  June 1, 1942 - June 18, 1942

Aircraft:  B-17 Flying Fortress.

Other Assignments:  Barksdale Field, LA, Pendleton Field, OR, Gowen Field, ID, Walla Walla, WA, Wendover Field, UT, Sioux City AAB, IA, Kearney AAFld, NE, Thorpe Abbotts, England and Camp Kilmer, NJ

Notes:  Moved to England, May through June 1943, and assigned to Eighth Air Force. Operated chiefly as a strategic bombardment organization until the war ended. From June 1943 to May 1944, concentrated its efforts France and Germany. Received a DUC for seriously disrupting German fighter plane production with an attack on an aircraft factory at Regensburg on August 17, 1943. Completed a series of attacks against Berlin in March 1944 and received a DUC for the missions. The group engaged in support of the Normandy invasion in June 1944. Covered the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945. Received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for attacking heavily defended installations in Germany and for dropping supplies to French Forces of the Interior, June through December 1944. Returned to the US and inactivated in December 1945.

Date of Activation:  Organized on 1 Aug 1922.

Date stationed in Orlando:  October 31, 1942 - March 8, 1944

Aircraft:  B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-29 Superfortress, B-26 Marauder.

Other Assignments:  Mitchell Field, NY, Rio Hato, Panama, Waller Field, Trinidad, Dalhart AAFld, McCook AAFld, NE, North Field, Tinian, South Pacific.

Notes:  Trained, took part in maneuvers, and participated in air shows, during the period 1922-1940. Equipped with B-10's and B-18's in the late 1930's and early 1940's. Moved to Panama late in 1940 to serve as part of the defense force for the canal. Used B-17's for antisubmarine operations in the Caribbean. Returned to the US in 1942. Equipped with B-17, B-24, and B-26 aircraft. Trained cadres for bombardment units and tested equipment.

Redesignated 9th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in March 1944. Prepared for combat with B-29's. Moved to the Pacific theater, November 1944 through February 1945, and assigned to Twentieth Air Force. Commenced operations late in January 1945 with attacks against Japanese. Struck industrial targets in Japan, conducting the missions in daylight and at high altitude. Received a DUC for bombing the industrial area of Kawasaki in April 1945. Beginning in March 1945 the group carried out incendiary raids at night on area targets in Japan. During April and May it assisted the Allied assault on Okinawa by hitting airfields. Also conducted operations against Japanese shipping, receiving second DUC for such actions in the Inland Sea during May 1945. After the war, dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners and took part in show-of-force missions over the Japanese home islands. Moved to the Philippines in April 1946 and to the Marianas in June 1947. Inactivated on Guam on October 20 1948.

Date of Activation:  November 12, 1942 at Orlando Army Airfield.

Date stationed in Orlando:  November 12, 1942 - February 16, 1943

Aircraft:  P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt

Other Assignments:  Richmond AAB, VA, Philadelphia Municipal Airport, PA, Steeple Morden, England, Gablingen, Germany.

Notes:  Moved to England in July 1943 and assigned to Eighth Air Force. Flew its first combat mission, a fighter sweep over Belgium, on September 14, 1943 and afterward served primarily as escort for bombers that attacked Berlin, Karlsruhe, Neuberg, Misburg, Gelsenkirchen, and Minden. Also flew fighter sweeps, area patrols, and bombing missions. On April 5, 1944, shortly after converting from P-47's to P-51's, the group successfully bombed and strafed German airdomes during a snow squall, a mission for which the group was awarded a DUC. Provided fighter cover for Allied forces landing in Normandy on June 6 1944. Supported ground forces during the breakthrough at St Lo in July. Remained in the theater after the war for duty with United States Air Forces in Europe. Moved to Germany in July 1945 as part of the army of occupation. Transferred to the US on August 1, 1946. Inactivated on November 20, 1946.

Date of Activation:  January 15, 1941

Date stationed in Orlando:  March 22, 1943 - November 19, 1943 and February 1, 1944 to March 13, 1944

Aircraft:  P-40 Warhawk, P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-70 Nighthawk, DB-7 Boston

Other Assignments:  Selfridge Field, MI, Key Field, MS, Alachua AAFld, FL, Lymington, England, Carentan, France, Meautis, France, Orly, France, Laon, France, Lyons/Bron, France, Toul/Ochey, France, Giebelstadt, Germany, Mannheim, Germany, La Junta AAFld, CO

Notes:  Functioned as part of the Fighter Command School, testing equipment and conducting training in air defense operations; trained pilots and furnished cadres to night fighter units. Later operated with AAF School of Applied Tactics, training personnel in fighter tactics under simulated combat conditions.

Moved to England, April 1944. Assigned to Ninth Air Force and began operations by making a fighter sweep over France on May 1. Engaged primarily in escort and dive-bombing missions for the next month. Covered the beach during the invasion of Normandy on June 6 and 7, and moved to the Continent late that month. Attacked multiple targets during the Normandy campaign. Bombed targets in the St Lo region in July and supported the subsequent drive across France. Assisted in stemming the German offensive in the Saar-Hardt area early in January 1945 and supported the drive that breached the Siegfried Line and resulted in the movement of Allied forces into southern Germany in March and April 1945. Received a DUC for close cooperation with Seventh Army in March during the assault on the Siegfried Line; in spite of the hazards of enemy opposition and difficult weather conditions, the group struck enemy defenses and isolated battle areas. Received second DUC for a mission on April 25 1945 when, despite intense antiaircraft fire, the group destroyed or damaged many enemy aircraft on an airfield southeast of Munich. Ended operations in May 1945. Returned to the US in August and was inactivated on November 7, 1945.

Date of Activation:  February 15, 1943 

Date stationed in Orlando:  February 25, 194 - March 18, 1944

Aircraft:  B-25 Mitchell, A-20 Havoc, P-39 Airacobra, A-24 Dauntless, A-26 Invader.

Other Assignments:  Alachua AAFld, FL and Dalhart AAFld, TX

Notes:  Served as a training and demonstration organization at AAF School of Applied Tactics and later as a replacement training unit of the Second Air Force. Disbanded on April 5, 1944.