79th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces) explained

Unit Name:	79th Flying Training Wing
Dates:	1943–1946
Country:	United States
Branch:	United States Army Air Forces
Type:	Command and Control
Role:	Training
Command Structure:	Army Air Forces Training Command
Battles:	World War II World War II American Theater

The 79th Flying Training Wing was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces. It was last assigned to the Eastern Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at Midland Army Airfield, Texas.

It has no lineage link with the United States Air Force 79th Medical Wing, established on 13 January 1942 as the 79th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) at Dale Mabry Army Airfield, Florida.

History

As a gunnery training wing, both enlisted flexible gunnery schools for bomber-crew defensive gunners, and pilot-training, fixed-gunnery schools were included. After graduation, air cadets were commissioned as second lieutenants, received their "wings", and were reassigned to operational or replacement training units operated by one of the four numbered air forces in the zone of interior.^[1]

Lineage

Established as 79th Flying Training Wing on 14 August 1943

Activated on 25 August 1943

Disbanded on 30 December 1945^[2]

Assignments

Army Air Forces Central Flying Training Command, 25 August 1943
Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command, 15 October-30 December 1945^[2]

Training aircraft

The schools of the wing used Beechcraft AT-11 and Lockheed AT-18s for airborne gunnery trainers. Trainee gunners fired at modified AT-6s and Bell RP-39Qs with nonpiercing ammunition that would break apart on contact. Also, older, noncombat-suitable B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses were used in the latter part of training.^[1]

Fixed gunnery training at Matagorda Island used North American AT-6s to attack fixed targets on the range with machine guns and concrete practice bombs.

Assigned schools

Harlingen Army Airfield, Harlingen, Texas

AAF Gunnery School (Flexible)

93d Flexible Gunnery Training Group

Opened: January 1942, closed: February 1946 (AT-6, AT-11, AT-18, B-24, RP-39Q)^[3]

Used modified AT-6s (later RP-39Qs) as air gunnery targets; closed February 1946; reopened as Harlingen Air Force Base, 1950; closed 1962

Laredo Army Airfield, Laredo, Texas

AAF Gunnery School (Flexible)

2d Aerial Gunnery Training Group

Opened: April 1942, Closed: November 1945 (AT-6, AT-11, AT-18, B-17, B-24, RP-39Q)^[4]

Used modified AT-6s (later RP-39Qs) as air gunnery targets; closed November 1945; reopened as Laredo Air Force Base, 1950; closed 1974

Matagorda Island General Bombing and Gunnery Range, Matagorda Island, Texas

AAF Gunnery School (Fixed)

62d Single Engine Flying Training Group (856th, 857th, 858th, 859th) Single-Engine Gunnery Squadrons

Opened: June 1942, Closed: April 1945 (AT-6)^[5]

Also known as Matagorda Peninsula Army Airfield; Sub-Field of Foster Field, Texas

Stations

Harlingen Army Airfield, Texas, 25 August 1943
Maxwell Field, Alabama, 15 October–30 December 1945^[2]

Notes and References

Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
79th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
Web site: www.accident-report.com: Harlingen Army Airfield . 2014-03-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141008021530/http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/harlingen.html . 2014-10-08 . dead .
Web site: www.accident-report.com: Laredo Army Airfield . 2014-03-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141007181917/http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/laredo.html . 2014-10-07 . dead .
http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/matagordapeninsula.html www.accident-report.com: Matagorda Peninsula Army Airfield