The 75th Flying Training Wing was a flying training wing of the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
. At the time, a wing controlled several multi-squadron groups. It was last assigned to the
Army Air Forces Flying Training Command
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on Ground warfare, land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include avia ...
, and was disbanded on 15 June 1946 at
Buckingham Army Air Field
Buckingham Army Air Field is an inactive United States Army Air Forces base, approximately 10 miles east of Fort Myers, Florida. It was active during World War II as an Army Air Forces Training Command airfield. It was closed on 30 Septe ...
, Florida.
History
The
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
was a
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
command and control organization, initially part of
Eastern Flying Training Command
The Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command (EFTC) was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to the Army Air Forces Training Command, stationed at Maxwell Field, Alabama. It was inactivated on 15 December 1945.
Hi ...
. The mission of the wing was to train aerial gunners. Fixed gunnery training for air cadet pilots was carried out at
Eglin Field Eglin may refer to:
* Eglin (surname)
* Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso, Florida, Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Flor ...
, while flexible gunnery training for enlisted gunners was carried out both at
Tyndall Field
Tyndall (the original spelling, also Tyndale, "Tindol", Tyndal, Tindoll, Tindall, Tindal, Tindale, Tindle, Tindell, Tindill, and Tindel) is the name of an English family taken from the land they held as tenants in chief of the Kings of Engla ...
in northern Florida and
Buckingham Army Air Field
Buckingham Army Air Field is an inactive United States Army Air Forces base, approximately 10 miles east of Fort Myers, Florida. It was active during World War II as an Army Air Forces Training Command airfield. It was closed on 30 Septe ...
in Southwest Florida. As the men graduated from flexible gunnery school, they were assigned to combat crews either forming in the United States or as replacements to overseas combat units. The school at Buckingham was the central school for training instructors for flexible gunnery until June 1944, when it moved to
Laredo Army Air Field. Buckingham was also home to a psychological research detachment that studied psychological problems unique to aerial gunners and determined criteria for selection and training of gunners.
As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.
Lineage
* Established as the 75th Flying Training Wing (Flexible Gunnery), on 14 August 1943
: Activated on 25 August 1943
: Disbanded on 16 June 1946.
[75th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama]
Assignments
* Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command, 25 August 1943
* AAF Western Flying Training Command, 15 December 1945 – 16 June 1946
Components
; Schools
* Central Flexible Gunnery Instructor School (later AAF Flexible Gunnery School), Buckingham Army Air Field, 25 August 43 – c. 1 October 1945
* AAF Flexible Gunnery School, Tyndall Field. 25 August 1943 – unknown
* AAF Single Engine Gunnery School, Eglin Field, 25 August 1943 – c. 31 March 1944
; Units
* Psychological Research Unit # 11, 1 October 1943 – c. 31 March 1944
[
* 2106th AAF Base Unit (75th Flying Training Wing), 1 May 1944 – 16 June 1946
* 2117th AAF Base Unit (Flexible Gunnery), 1 May 1944 – c. 1 October 1945 (Buckingham Army Air Field AT-6, AT-18, BT-13, B-24)
* 2119th AAF Base Unit (Sub-Post), 1 May 1944 – c. 1 May 1945 (Naples Army Air Field)
* 2135th AAF Base Unit (Flexible Gunnery School), 1 May 1944 – unknown (Tyndall Field)
* 2136th AAF Base Unit (Sub-Post) 1 May 1944 – c. 1 October 45 ( Apalachicola Army Air Field), Florida AT-6, AT-18, BT-13)
; Groups
* 1st Single Engine Gunnery Training Group, 25 August 1943 – 1 April 1944 (Eglin Field)
* 37th Flexible Gunnery Training Group, 25 August 1943 – 31 March 1944
* 37th Flexible Gunnery Training Group (Provisional), 31 March 1944 – 30 April 1944
* 38th Flexible Gunnery Training Group,][
]
Training aircraft
The schools of the wing flew two types of aircraft, gunnery trainers and gunnery targets.
* The trainer used for fixed gunnery training for pilots was the North American AT-6 Texan.
* The trainers used for flexible gunnery training for aerial gunners were the AT-18 Hudson and non-combat rated B-24 Liberators.
* Aerial gunnery target tow planes were Vultee BT-13s.
* Non-combat rated P-40s, P-39s and P-63s, modified for aerial targets, were also used.
Stations
* Buckingham Army Air Field, Florida, 25 August 1943 – 16 June 1946
References
Notes
; Explanatory notes
; Citations
Bibliography
*
{{Portal bar, Aviation
Training wings of the United States Army Air Forces
Military units and formations established in 1943
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946