41st Bombardment Group

41st Tactical Group
Rag Wings and Radials' B-25J is restored as "Panchito." It served with the 396th Bomb Squadron, 41st Bomb Group, 7th Air Force, stationed in the Central Pacific.
Active	1940–1946; 1966–1970
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Medium Bombardment, control of deployed forces
Part of	United States Air Forces Europe
Engagements	Pacific Theater of World War II

The 41st Tactical Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 7217th Air Division at Cigli Air Base, Turkey, where it was inactivated in 1970. From 1966 to 1970 the group controlled deployed fighter squadrons.

During World War II, the unit was a North American B-25 Mitchell unit serving with Seventh Air Force in the Pacific. It was inactivated in January 1946 at Manila, Philippines.

A World War II medium bomber unit, the 41st was cited for extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy Japanese forces during the Okinawa Campaign, from 4 April 1945 to 14 July 1945. Bearing the burden of land-based aircraft bombardment missions, the 41st Bombardment Group began the first sustained medium bombardment strikes against the main islands of Japan. It established its facilities and operated its aircraft under the most hazardous field conditions. Undeterred by either the constant rain during April and May or by heavy enemy artillery shelling and repeated day and night aerial bombing of the air strips, the unit succeeded in carrying out highly effective aerial operations against the enemy from Kyushu to the southern-most island of the Ryukyu Group, flying reconnaissance and search missions, escort missions, day and night bomber strikes.

The 41st Bombardment Group was activated 15 January 1941 at March Field, California. Its components were the 46th, 47th, and 48th Bombardment Squadrons. Attached to the 19th Bombardment Group for training, the 41st received a cadre of 4 officers and 120 enlisted men from the parent organization. During February the Group received additional personnel, and four months after activation it received its first aircraft, one PT-17 for each squadron. In June, two B-18s were assigned to each squadron. Meanwhile, on 14 May the Group moved to Tucson, where it grew to a third of its authorized strength. It was not until after it moved to the Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range, California, four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, that the Group received a full complement of personnel and equipment. Within a month, a large increment of pilots had arrived from flying school and 45 A-29s had been assigned to the Group.