45th Air Division

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45th Air Division

Official crest of the 45th Air Division
Active 15 February 194318 June 1945
24 September 195418 January 1958
20 November 195815 June 1989
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Garrison/HQ see "Stations" section below
Equipment see "Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles" section below
Decorations see "Lineage and honors" section below


Contents

[edit] History

The 45th Bombardment Wing, began bombing operations against German occupied Europe on 14 September 1943. Its bombers attacked targets in such German cities as Bremen, Emden, Kiel, Ludwigshafen, Munster, Saarbrucken, Schweinfurt, and Wilhelmshaven. In June 1944 the 45th supported the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, with tactical missions, against enemy airdromes, airfields, bridges, coastal defenses, field batteries, gun positions, and railway junctions. On 21 June 1944, Colonel Archie J. Old, commanding officer of the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing, served as the task force commander of a shuttle bombing mission to the Soviet Union. The task force raided a synthetic oil plant just south of Berlin, and then proceeded to Poltava in the Soviet Union, where a large number of the 45th's bombers were destroyed on the ground during a raid by German bomber and fighter aircraft. The surviving bombers bombed an oil plant at Drohobycz, Poland, while returning from Poltava to Foggia, Italy. Shortly before the German surrender, in late April 1945, the wing flew five "Chow Hound" mercy missions, dropping food and other supplies to the people in occupied Holland. After the German surrender on 8 May 1945, it helped transport displaced Europeans back to their respective native countries. The 45th, reestablished as an Air Division, in October 1954, assumed responsibility for the training and combat readiness of its assigned units. It achieved this goal through staff assistance visits and supervising or participating in exercises such as Golden Hour Tango, Rubber Ball, and Sky Shield.

[edit] Background of name


[edit] Mission


[edit] Operations


[edit] Lineage and honors

Established as 45 Bombardment Wing (Medium) on 15 February 1943. Activated on 1 April 1943. Redesignated: 45 Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 6 April 1943; 45 Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 30 August 1943; 45 Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 24 August 1944. Disestablished on 18 June 1945.

Reestablished, and redesignated 45 Air Division, on 24 September 1954. Activated on 8 October 1954. Inactivated on 18 January 1958.

Activated on 20 November 1958. Inactivated on 15 June 1989.

[edit] Service streamers

This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:

  • World War II: European African Middle Eastern (EAME) Theater.

[edit] Campaign streamers

This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:

none

[edit] Armed forces expeditionary streamers

none

[edit] Decorations

This unit earned the following unit decorations:

none

[edit] Awards

[edit] Emblem

Argent, a bend azure charged in dexter chief with the Big Dipper of the first, over all centered in nombril point a compass rose palewise or, in middle chief the Polaris of the like, in sinister chief a stylized aircraft and missile bendwise volant of the second, each emitting two vapor trails of the last and all within a diminished border of the third. (Approved 12 May 1960)

[edit] Assignments

Third Air Force, 1 April 1943–c.5 August 1943; Eighth Air Force, c.25 August 1943; 3 Bombardment Division (later, 3 Air Division), by 18 August 194418 June 1945.

Eighth Air Force, 8 October 195418 January 1958.

Eighth Air Force, 20 November 1958; Second Air Force, 31 March 1970; Eighth Air Force, 1 January 197515 June 1989.

[edit] Components

Wings:

[edit] Stations

MacDill Field (later, MacDill Air Force Base), Florida, 1 April 19434 August 1943; Brampton Grange, England, c.25 August 1943; Snetterton Heath (later, RAF Snetterton Heath), England, 13 September 194318 June 1945.

Loring Air Force Base, Maine, 8 October 195418 January 1958.

Loring Air Force Base, Maine, 20 November 1958; Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, 30 June 197115 June 1989.

[edit] Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles

B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945.

B-36 Peacemaker, 1954–1956; KC-97 Stratotanker, 1955–1957; B-52 Stratofortress, 1956–1958; KC-135 Stratotanker, 1957–1958.

B-52 Stratofortress, 1958–1989; KC-135 Stratotanker, 1958–1989; Snark (SM-62), 1959–1961; FB-111 Aardvark, 1971–1989.

[edit] Commanders

[edit] References


[edit] External links