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

Established as the 310 Bombardment Wing, Medium on 20 January 1944

Activated on 1 February 1944

Inactivated on 25 March 1946

Redesignated 310 Bombardment Wing, Light on 27 May 1947

Activated in the Reserve on 26 July 1947

Redesignated 310 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, 26 July 1947
Fourteenth Air Force, 1 July 1948
Twelfth Air Force, 12 January – 27 June 1949^[1]

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

Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1944-c. 1945
Douglas A-26 Invader, 1944-c. 1945
Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1944-c. 1945
North American B-25 Mitchell, 1944-c. 1945
Beechcraft C-43 Traveler, 1944-c. 1945
Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor, 1944-c. 1945
Lockheed F-5 Lightning, 1944-c. 1945
Stinson L-5 Sentinel, 1944-c. 1946
Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1944-c. 1945
Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1944-c. 1945
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1944-c. 1945
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944-c. 1945
Northrop P-61 Black Widow, 1944-c. 1945
Douglas P-70 Havoc, 1944-c. 1945
Curtiss C-46 Commando, c. 1945-c. 1946
Douglas C-47 Skytrain, c. 1945-c. 1946
Consolidated OA-10 Catalina, c. 1945-c. 1946
North American P-51 Mustang, c. 1945-c. 1946.

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Factsheet 310 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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