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{{about|the 3d Air Support Command disbanded in March 1942|the
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=3rd Air Support Command
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|dates=1941-1942
|country={{USA}}
|branch={{army|USA}}<br/>{{air force|USA}}<ref group=note>In September 1947, when the United States Air Force became an independent service, all former Air Corps units were put under its control, including disbanded units.</ref>
|type=
|role=Command and training of reconnaissance and light bomber forces
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}}
The '''3rd Air Support Command''' was a [[United States Army Air Forces]] command, assigned to the [[3rd Air Force]] throughout its existence. It was organized at [[Hunter Army Airfield|Army Air Base, Savannah]], Georgia. By early 1942, most of its trained personnel had been lost to overseas theaters. It moved to [[Drew Field]], Florida, where it was disbanded on 16 March 1942.
==History==
[[General Headquarters Air Force]] (GHQ AF) reorganized its four regional air districts as [[Numbered Air Force]]s in the spring of 1941. By the fall of that year, each of these had organized as a support command and three combat commands.<ref>Cate & Williams,
[[File:North American O-47B 1941.jpg|thumb|North American O-47B during the 1941 war games]]
In the summer of 1941 GHQ AF had decided to establish commands to direct its [[air support]] mission in each numbered air force, plus one additional command reporting directly to GHQ AF. These commands would be manned from inactivating [[wing (military aviation unit)|wings]], and would initially control only observation squadrons, which would be transferred from the control of the corps and divisions, although they would remain attached to these ground units.<ref name=Futrell13>Futrell, p. 13</ref> [[3rd Air Force]] organized '''3rd Air Support Command'''
The command trained air force organizations for support operations and assisted in training ground forces.<ref name=MaurerIIIASC/> During the [[Carolina Maneuvers]] of 1941, the command was attached to [[IV Corps (United States)|IV Corps]]. Unlike the opposing force, the command's headquarters were located about sixty miles distant from that of the ground forces it supported, giving it greater freedom of action. As a result, its forces were used more aggressively and more frequently in an offensive role, than those of the opposing force.<ref>Futrell, p. 19</ref> After the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] it also conducted [[anti-submarine warfare|antisubmarine patrols]].<ref name=MaurerIIIASC/>
However, by early 1942, the command's first commander, Asa N. Duncan, like two of the other commanders of air support commands had moved overseas, and similar demands led GHQ AF to believe it had little more than the "remnants" of the command remaining.<ref name=Futrell13/> As a result, it was decided to disband the command. Its [[headquarters]] were moved to [[Drew Field]], Florida on 1 March and it was disbanded there on 16 March 1942.<ref name=MaurerIIIASC/>
== Lineage ==
* Constituted as the '''3rd Air Support Command''' on 21 August 1941<ref group=note>Maurer indicates unit was constituted as the "III" Air Support Command. However, the unit was constituted and activated with an [[arabic number]] in its name. The use of [[roman numeral]]s to designate Army Air Forces combat commands did not begin until September 1942. {{cite web |url=
: Activated on 1 September 1941
: Disbanded on 16 March 1942<ref name=MaurerIIIASC/>
===Assignments===
* 3rd Air Force, 1 September 1941 – 16 March 1942<ref name=MaurerIIIASC/><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.
===Components===
* [[3rd Bombardment Group]], 1 September – 8 December 1941; 2 January – February 1942<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.
* [[27th Bombardment Group]], 1 September – c. 20 November 1941.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.
* [[67th Observation Group]], 1 September 1941 – [16] March 1942.<ref>{{cite web |url=
* [[68th Observation Group]], 1 September 1941 – [16] March 1942.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.
* [[85th Bombardment Group]], 10 February - 16 March 1942<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.
* [[312th Bombardment Group]], 15-16 March 1942<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.
===Stations===
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! Notes
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|[[File:American Campaign Streamer.png|200px]]||Antisubmarine||7 December
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===Bibliography===
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
* {{cite book|last1=Cate|first1=James L. |last2=Williams|first2=E. Kathleen |editor=Craven, Wesley F |editor2=Cate, James L|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Nov/05/2001329898/-1/-1/0/AFD-101105-005.pdf |
* {{cite web |url= https://www.
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Air Force Combat Units of World War II|orig-year= 1961|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf |archive-url= https://archive.today/20210115181723/https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 15 January 2021 |edition=reprint|year=1983|publisher=Office of Air Force History|___location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-02-1|lccn=61060979}}
{{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II}}
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