II Air Support Command


The II Air Support Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Third Air Force at Biggs Field, Texas, as the II Tactical Air Division, where it was inactivated on 22 December 1945.
The command was organized in September 1941 as the 2nd Air Support Command to control the tactical units of 2d Air Force.

History

reorganized its four regional air districts as Numbered Air Forces in the spring of 1941. By the fall of that year, each of these had organized as a support command and three combat commands.
In the summer of 1941 GHQ AF had decided to establish commands to direct its air support mission in each numbered air force, plus one additional command reporting directly to GHQ AF. These commands would be manned from inactivating wings, and would initially control only observation squadrons, which would be transferred from the control of the corps and divisions, although they would remain attached to these ground units. 2nd Air Force organized 2nd Air Support Command at Fort Douglas, Utah in September 1941, soon moving to Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma where it drew cadre and equipment from the 20th Bombardment Wing, which was simultaneously inactivated. New observation groups were formed, with a cadre drawn from National Guard squadrons that had been mobilized in 1940 and 1941.
However, by early 1942, the command's first commander, Hume Peabody, like two of the other commanders of air support commands had moved overseas, and similar demands led GHQ AF to believe it had little more than the "remnants" of the command remaining. However, in May, the Army Air Forces reaffirmed that each of the continental numbered air forces would have an air support command and the command's manning was brought back up.
The AAF determined that its continental air forces would specialize in their training operations and air support training would be assigned to Third Air Force. As a result, in October of 1942, AAF directed that all but one of the observation groups assigned to the command were to be reduced to 50% strength with their personnel used to form new tow target squadrons, or transferred to heavy bomber Operational Training Unit s or Replacement Training Unit s. Further, the command, now titled the II Air Support Command, was reassigned to Third Air Force in January 1943.
In August 1943, the command was redesignated the II Tactical Air Division with the intent that the command would engage in combined training with army ground forces.
The unit participated in various air-ground maneuvers, supported ground units in training, and put on air support demonstrations.

Lineage

Groups
Squadrons