309th Air Division

309th Air Division
P-61 Black Widow of the 547th Night Fighter Squadron
Active	1944–1946; 1947-1949
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of tactical aircraft
Part of	Continental Air Command

The 309th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force at Hensley Field, Texas. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949.

History

"The 309th Bombardment Wing from February 1944 served as the forward [command] element of all Fifth Air Force units. Numerous tactical and support components were assigned or attached to the wing during World War II. Its subordinate units flew missions against shipping, coastal installations, storage buildings, gun positions, airdromes, and, when possible, Japanese troop concentrations, and its tactical reconnaissance units flew numerous photo missions."^[1]

"After the Japanese surrendered, 309th personnel systematically destroyed Japanese aircraft and equipment of no value to the U.S. Government. Another effort involved supporting aircraft that staged through Chitose Air Base on their return to the United States. Operational duties consisted of surveillance flights by North American P-51 Mustang aircraft covering northern Honshū and Hokkaido Islands. Inactivated in Japan during early 1946."^[1]

Activated as part of the Air Force Reserve at Hensley Field, Texas in 1947 controlling groups nominally equipped with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The organization was redesignated as an Air Division in April 1948 as part of the realignment of the United States Air Force command echelon structure. It was primarily an administrative organization. It inactivated in 1949.^[1]

Lineage

Established as the 309 Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 20 January 1944

Activated on 1 February 1944

Inactivated on 25 March 1946

Redesignated 309 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 6 January 1947

Activated in the Reserve on 10 January 1947

Redesignated 309 Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948

Inactivated on 27 June 1949^[1]

Assignments

Fifth Air Force, 1 February 1944 – 25 March 1946
Tenth Air Force, 10 January 1947
Fourteenth Air Force, 1 July 1948
Twelfth Air Force, 12 January – 27 June 1949^[1]

Stations

Lae Airfield, New Guinea, 1 February 1944
Kornasoren Airfield Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, New Guinea, 28 July 1944
Owi Airfield, Schouten Islands, New Guinea, 9 November 1944
San Marcelino Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 8 February 1945
Lingayen Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, c. 29 May 1945
Chitose Airfield, Japan, 12 October 1945 – 25 March 1946
Hensley Field, Texas, 10 January 1947 – 27 June 1949^[1]

Components

Groups

3d Air Commando Group: attached 29 May - c. 8 August 1945 and c. 27 October 1945 – 25 March 1946
35th Fighter Group: 1 August – September 1944
38th Bombardment Group: 29 May – 25 September 1945
49th Fighter Group: 29 May – 25 September 1945
58th Fighter Group: 25 August 1944 – 1 January 1945
71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group: 29 May – 25 September 1945
345th Bombardment Group: c. 8 February – 25 September 1945
348th Fighter Group: c. 25 August – 7 November 1944; 8 February – 25 September 1945
417th Bombardment Group: c. 25 August – 6 December 1944
446th Bombardment Group: 26 March 1948 – 27 June 1949
455th Bombardment Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949
475th Fighter Group: 29 May – 23 September 1945^[1]

Squadrons

26th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 29 May - c. 25 Sep 1945
547th Night Fighter Squadron: 29 May - c. 25 Sep 1945
868th Bombardment Squadron: c. 25 Aug - c. 15 Sep 1944^[1]

Aircraft

Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1944
consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1944
North American B-25 Mitchell, 1944-1945
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944
Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1945
Lockheed F-5 Lightning, 1945
Lockheed P-38 Lighting, 1945
North American F-6 Mustang, 1945
North American P-51 Mustang, 1945
Northrop P-61 Black Widow, 1945^[1]

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Factsheet 309 Air Division, Bombardment". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2014.

Bibliography

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

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

USAAF Fifth Air Force in World War II

Previously: Philippine Department Air Force (1941); Far East Air Force (1941-1942)

Airfields

Pacific	USAAF in Australia USAAF in the Southwest Pacific USAAF in Okinawa

Units

Commands

Wings

Groups

Air Commando	3d Air Commando

Bombardment	3d Bombardment 7th Bombardment 19th Bombardment 22d Bombardment 27th Bombardment 38th Bombardment 43d Bombardment 90th Bombardment 312th Bombardment 345th Bombardment 380th Bombardment 417th Bombardment

Combat Cargo	2d Combat Cargo

Fighter	8th Fighter 24th Pursuit 35th Fighter 49th Fighter 58th Fighter 348th Fighter 475th Fighter

Reconnaissance	6th Reconnaissance 71st Reconnaissance

Troop Carrier	317th Troop Carrier 374th Troop Carrier 375th Troop Carrier 433d Troop Carrier

Squadrons

Bombardment	31st Bombardment

Night Fighter	418th Night Fighter 421st Night Fighter 547th Intelligence

Reconnaissance	2d Observation 8th Photographic Reconnaissance 36th Photographic Reconnaissance

Troop Carrier	21st Troop Carrier 22d Troop Carrier 65th Troop Carrier 66th Troop Carrier

United States Army Air Forces

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