Bombardment group A bombardment group or bomb group was a group of bomber aircraft the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) during World War II . It was the equivalent of an infantry regiment in the Army Ground Forces , or a bomber wing in the British Commonwealth air forces . A bombardment group was the key tactical control and administrative organization for bombers in all theaters of operation , and was commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel . Categories . U . S . bomb groups were numbered and classified into four types : Very Heavy ( VH ) , Heavy ( H ) , Medium ( M ) , and Light ( L ) . Groups which combined bombers of differing categories into a single administrative organization were designated " Composite " groups . Bomber aircraft were assigned to groups by category : TO & E . Unit organization . The " tables of organization and equipment " ( TO & E ) for all bombardment groups were roughly the same . In 1942 , existing bomb groups were expanded from three to four " numbered bombardment squadrons " ; and most bomb groups created during the war retained this structure - B - 29 groups were the exception , having only three squadrons . In addition to the flying squadrons issued Aircrew Badge s , each group contained a " group headquarters " , a " service squadron " , and " detachments " for support of aircraft , equipment , and personnel from quartermaster , aviation ordnance , military police , chemical , signal , and maintenance companies , and from a weather squadron . These support personnel were then pooled and re - distributed among an unofficial service group and detailed for various duties as needed . The service group provided support and technical sections for the group requirements as a whole : " Flying control " , " Ordnance " , " airfield security " , " firefighting " , " Post Exchange " ( PX ) , " Special Services " , " Mail " , " Transportation " ( " motor pool " ) , " Communications " , " Radar " , " Gun nery instruction " , " Personal Equipment " , and " Weather " ( Meteorology ) . The service group also had its own mess section . The service group had approximately 30 officers and 300 to 400 enlisted men . The group headquarters contained sections organized in the traditional U . S . Army structure : Personnel ( S - 1 ) , Intelligence ( S - 2 ) , Operations ( S - 3 ) , and Supply ( S - 4 ) . Including inspectors , headquarters organizations in practice totalled approximately 20 officers , some of whom were also pilots , and 60 to 80 enlisted men . Each bomb squadron , in addition to its assigned flight crews , had a " squadron headquarters " structured similarly to the group ' s , and six technical support and maintenance sections supporting its aircraft , equipment , and personnel : " Mess " , " Armament " , " Ordnance " , " Communications " , " Medical " , and " Engineering " ( aircraft maintenance ) . The ground support members of a bomb squadron numbered 15 - 20 officers and 250 to 300 enlisted men . Functionally , bomb groups were divided into an " air echelon " ( the collective aircrews ) , and a " ground echelon " ( all supporting ground personnel within the group , including those in attached Sub Depots ) . Groups commonly had two deputy commanders , termed the air executive officer and the ground executive officer , to coordinate these echelons . Personnel strengths . In 1943 , a heavy bomb group had a total complement of 294 officers and 1 , 487 enlisted men to fly and support 48 heavy bombers ; and a medium bomb group had 294 officers and 1 , 297 enlisted men for 63 medium bombers . By 1945 , the size of the 125 standardized bomb group establishments had grown to : AAF Bombardment Group Organization February 1945 The Army Air Forces also employed two composite groups with their own TO & E ' s : the 28th Bomb Group ( 15 B - 24 and 30 B - 25 ) , and the 509th Composite Group ( 15 B - 29 and 5 C - 54 ) . 19 heavy groups and one light bomb group were to be converted to very heavy groups for duty against Japan , but the war ended before the plan was carried out .