79th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

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

There is no lineage between 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, and this organization.

History
The wing was a World War II Command and Control organization which supported Training Command with both enlisted flexible gunnery schools for bomber crew defensive gunners, and pilot training fixed gunnery schools. 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 fores in the zone of interior.

Lineage

 * Established as 79th Flying Training Wing on 14 August 1943
 * Activated on 25 August 1943
 * Disbanded on 30 December 1945.

Assignments

 * Army Air Forces Central Flying Training Command, 25 August 1943
 * Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command, 15 October-30 December 1945.

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 non-piercing ammunition that would break apart on contact. Also, older, non-combat suitable B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses were used in the latter part of training.

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)
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * 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.