During World War II the unit entered combat in May 1944, and sustained the heaviest losses of any Consolidated B-24 Liberator group for a three-month period.

In June 2017 official USAF descriptions said that the wing organized, trained and equipped forces to conduct special operations missions.

It led Major Command irregular warfare activities and executes special operations test and evaluation programs.

[3] The group was established in October 1943 at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico[note 2] as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber unit, drawing its cadre from the 859th Bombardment Squadron, a former antisubmarine squadron located at Blythe Army Air Base, California.

During the first week in June, the group was diverted from strategic targets to support Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy by attacking airfields and V-weapon launching sites in France.

On D-Day it bombed coastal defenses in Normandy and attacked bridges, railroads, and other interdiction targets in France until the middle of the month.

[11][note 5] After only 89 days of combat, the 492nd had lost 52 aircraft to enemy action, with 588 men killed or missing.

[4] Throughout 1944 the group's missions intermittently included attacks on airfields, oil refineries, seaports, and other targets in France, the Netherlands and Germany.

These operations concentrated on marshaling yards and goods depots in Germany, which the group undertook from February through March 1945.

The 856th Squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation for operations during March and April 1945, performed at night despite adverse weather and vigorous opposition from enemy ground forces.

[1] The 492nd was programmed for Boeing B-29 Superfortress operations in the Pacific, but apparently was not equipped when Japan surrendered.

[3] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency