68th Composite Wing

68th Conposite Wing
Active	1943–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Role	Fighter
Part of	Fourteenth Air Force
Garrison/HQ	China Burma India Theater of World War II
Engagements	World War II Asiatic-Pacific Campaign (1944–1945)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Clinton D. Vincent

The 68th Composite Wing was a United States Army Air Forces organization. It was a command and control organization of Fourteenth Air Force that fought in the China Burma India Theater of World War II.

The wing was formed as an expansion of the Fourteenth Air Force Forward Echelon in 1943, becoming the command and control organization for the 23d Fighter Group and 308th Bomb Group. It served in combat from December 1943 until August 1945. The mixed unit was composed of fighters, fighter bombers and heavy bombers, flown by both American and Chinese airmen.

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 68th Fighter Wing on 9 August 1943.

Activated on 3 September 1943.

Redesignated 68th Composite Wing in December 1943.

Inactivated on 10 October 1945.

Assignments

• Fourteenth Air Force, 3 September 1943 – 10 October 1945

Stations

• Kunming Airport, China, 3 September 1943
• Kweilin Airfield, China, c. 23 December 1943
• Liuzhou Airfield, China, c. 15 September 1944
• Luliang Airfield, China, c. 7 November 1944
• Peishiyi Airfield, China, c. 19 September-10 October 1945

Components

• 23d Fighter Group August 1943 – October 1945 (P-40, P-51)
• 308th Bombardment Group March 1943 – February 1945 (B-24)

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

External links

USAAF Fourteenth Air Force in World War II
Previously: 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers" (Dec 1941-July 1942) China Air Task Force (July 1942-Mar 1943)
Airfields	China Ankang Chanyi Chengkung Chengtu Chihkiang Hanchung Hankow Hsian Hsingching Huhsien Kanchow Kiangwan Kunming Kwanghan Kweilin Laifeng Laohwangping Loping Liangshan Liuchow Luliang Nanning Peishiyi Pungchacheng Shwangliu Suichwan Tsuyung Yangkai Yunnani
Units	Wings 68th Composite 69th Composite 312th Fighter Chinese-American Composite Wing (Provisional) Groups Bombardment 308th Bombardment 341st Bombardment 402d Bombardment Fighter 23d Fighter 33d Fighter 51st Fighter 81st Fighter 311th Fighter 476th Fighter Transport 443d Troop Carrier Squadrons Combat Cargo 1st Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo 11th Combat Cargo Night Fighter 426th Night Fighter 427th Night Fighter Reconnaissance 21st Photographic Reconnaissance 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Transport 322d Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth