310th Air Division

310th Air Division

OA-10 Catalina as flown by the 3d Emergency Rescue Squadron
Active 1944–1946; 1947-1949
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Command of tactical forces
Part of Continental Air Command
Engagements South West Pacific Theater of World War II
Decorations Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

The 310th Air Division (310th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949.

History

World War II

During World War II, the 310 Bombardment Wing, Medium was a command echelon of Fifth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific theater, controlling numerous fighter and bomber groups and squadrons until the Japanese surrender in 1945. Its attached units "flew missions against Japanese shipping, coastal installations, gun positions, airdromes, and troop concentrations. Fighting in New Guinea and later in the Philippine Islands, attached fighter units flew escort for bombing, supply, and reconnaissance missions."[1] In October 1945, the wing moved to Japan and served in the occupation force. It was inactivated in Japan during early 1946.[1]

Air Force Reserve

The 310th Bomb Wing (Light) was organized as an Reserve unit on 19 February 1947 at Tinker Field on 10 July 1947.[1] The 323d Bombardment Group and 456th Bombardment Squadron at Tinker Field, the 340th Bombardment Group, 487th and 488th Bombardment Squadrons at Tulsa Municipal Airport, and the 489th Bombardment Squadron at Davis Field were activated between 9 September and 12 November 1947, with requests for activation of up to five more bombardment squadrons pending as of early 1948.

Even before the bomb wing’s activation, it was decided that it should be equipped with the Douglas A-26 Invader light bombardment aircraft. The bomb wing’s reservists received several of these light bombers by mid-1948, with the promise of more. Plans were underway soon afterwards to activate the 323d Bombardment Group, and the 455th and 456th Bombardment Squadrons, all subordinate units of the 310th Bombardment Wing.

By April 1948 the 310th Bombardment Wing was redesignated the 310th Air Division with (by then) Brigadier General Lewis remaining in command. From that point, the 323d Bombardment Wing became the focal point for Air Force Reserve activities in Oklahoma.

The 310th Air Division seemed to have become largely an administrative headquarters, and it slipped into obscurity for the remainder of its existence at Tinker Air Force Base, eventually being inactivated on 27 June 1949.

Lineage

Activated on 1 February 1944
Inactivated on 25 March 1946
Activated in the Reserve on 26 July 1947
Redesignated 310 Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948
Inactivated on 27 June 1949[1]

Assignments

Stations

  • Gusap Airfield, New Guinea, 1 February 1944
  • Hollandia, New Guinea, 6 May 1944
  • Wama Drome, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 18 September 1944
  • Bayug Airfield, Leyte, Philippines, 14 November 1944
  • McGuire Field, Mindoro, Philippines, 15 December 1944
  • Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 23 August 1945
  • Itami Airfield, Japan, 21 October 1945 – 25 March 1946
  • Tinker Field (later Tinker Air Force Base), Oklahoma, 26 July 1947 – 27 June 1949[1]

Components

Groups

  • 3d Bombardment Group: 1 May 1944 – September 1944; 15 January 1945 – 31 May 1946
  • 8th Fighter Group: c. 31 May 1944 – c. 25 March 1946
  • 18th Fighter Group: c. 24 March – 26 April 1945
  • 35th Fighter Group: c 1 February – 1 August 1944; 2 October 1944 – 25 March 1946
  • 38th Bombardment Group: 19 October 1944 – c. 25 March 1946
  • 42d Bombardment Group: c. January–25 March 1946
  • 49th Fighter Group: c. 1 February – 3 September 1944; 9 January – 10 November 1945
  • 58th Fighter Group: 9 January – 7 April 1945
  • 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group: 9 January – 10 November 1945
  • 90th Bombardment Group: 31 May – 3 September 1944; 15 January – 23 November 1945
  • 312th Bombardment Group: 31 May – 3 September 1944; 1 July – 13 October 1945
  • 323d Bombardment Group: 9 September 1947 – 27 June 1949
  • 348th Fighter Group: 1 May – 25 August 1944; 25 September 1945 – 25 March 1946
  • 375th Troop Carrier Group: 24 March – 9 August 1945
  • 380th Bombardment Group: c. 24 March 1945 – unknown
  • 417th Bombardment Group: 9 January – 1 November 1945
  • 475th Fighter Group: 14 May – 16 June 1944[1]

Squadrons

  • 3d Emergency Rescue Squadron: 9 January 1945 – unknown
  • 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 29 May – 3 September 1944; c. 24 March – 3 April 1945
  • 25th Liaison Squadron: c. 15 January 1945 – unknown
  • 25th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: c. 9 January 1945 – unknown
  • 26th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: c. 1 July – 3 September 1944
  • 41st Troop Carrier Squadron: c. 17 May – 3 September 1944
  • 65th Troop Carrier Squadron: c. 15 January 1945 – unknown
  • 66th Troop Carrier Squadron: c. 15 January 1945 – unknown
  • 82d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: 9 January 1945 – unknown
  • 110th Reconnaissance Squadron (later 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron): c. 1 February – 10 April 1944; c. 9 January 1945 – unknown
  • 318th Troop Carrier Squadron: c. 15 January 1945 – unknown
  • 418th Night Fighter Squadron: 15 May – 9 November 1944; 26 December 1944 – 30 January 1945; 22 October – 10 November 1945
  • 421st Night Fighter Squadron: c. 31 May – 3 September 1944
  • 547th Night Fighter Squadron: 9 January 1945 – unknown; 22 October – 10 November 1945[1]

Aircraft

See also


References

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Factsheet 310 Air Division, Bombardment". Air Force Historical Research Agency. October 5, 2007. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2014.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.