4th Air Division

4th Air Division
4th Air Division
Active	1940–41, 1942–45, 1946–49, 1951–52, 1952–88
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of strategic strike forces
Commanders
Notable; commanders	James Doolittle; Frederick W. Castle
Insignia
4th Air Division emblem (approved 25 June 1974)[1]

The 4th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. It was inactivated on 23 August 1988.

As the 4th Bombardment Wing, the unit was one of the primary B-17 Flying Fortress heavy strategic bombardment wings of VIII Bomber Command (later Eighth Air Force in World War II.

During the Cold War, the 4th Air Division' was an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command, controlling strategic bombardment and intercontinental strategic missile wings until inactivated in 1988.

History

The 4th Bombardment Wing moved to England in June 1943 and as a part of Eighth Air Force began bombing operations against German occupied Europe. Targets included shipyards, synthetic rubber plants, chemical plants, marshalling yards, and oil facilities. In July the wing grew to seven combat groups, which resulted in a reorganization of its groups on 13 September 1943 into the 3d Bombardment Division as a new higher echelon over the 4th and two wings which had groups assigned for the first time: the 13th and 45th Combat Bomb Wings. The 4th CBW administratively controlled only two groups until December 1943, when the newly arrived 447th BG was assigned to it.

In 1944, some subordinate units attacked coastline defenses and marshalling yards in preparation for the Allied invasion of France. Some units supported ground troops during the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945) and the assault across the Rhine (March 1945 – April 1945).

In the postwar years, the command was part of Air Defense Command assigned as a reserve wing assigned to First Air Force from 1946 to 1949.[1]

Rectivated in 1951 as an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command, the 4th Air Division was part of Second Air Force, controlling B-29, Boeing B-50 Superfortress and B-47 wings. In 1962, units controlled by the 4th Air Division supported 2d Air Force's post attack command and control system, and became responsible for the Advanced Airborne Command Post. It participated in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and trained in electronic countermeasures and conducted combat operations in Southeast Asia in the late 1960s.

Reassigned to SAC's Fifteenth Air Force in 1970, the 4th assured that assigned units were capable of conducting strategic aerospace warfare using intercontinental ballistic missiles, long-range bombardment, and air refueling resources, according to the Emergency War Order. In addition, the division assumed airborne command and control responsibilities that consisted of supporting auxiliary airborne command post aircraft.

Inactivated in 1988[1] as a result of budget reductions and a consolidation of SAC's command and control echelons.

Lineage

Established as the 4th Bombardment Wing on 19 October 1940

Activated on 18 December 1940

Inactivated on 1 October 1941

Activated on 7 June 1942

Redesignated 4th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 30 August 1943

Redesignated 4th Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 24 August 1944

Disestablished on 18 June 1945

Reestablished and redesignated 4th Bombardment Wing, Light on 31 December 1946

Activated in the Reserve on 20 December 1946

Redesignated 4th Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

Redesignated 4th Air Division on 1 February 1951

Organized on 10 February 1951

Discontinued on 16 June 1952

Activated on 16 June 1952

Redesignated 4th Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 September 1964

Redesignated 4th Strategic Missile Division on 30 June 1971

Redesignated 4th Air Division on 1 March 1973

Inactivated on 23 August 1988[1]

Assignments

General Headquarters Air Force, 18 December 1940 – 1 October 1941

Apparently further assigned to Northeast Air District (later, First Air Force) c. 16 January 1941

VIII Bomber Command, 7 June 1942
3d Bombardment Division, 13 September 1943 – 18 June 1945
First Air Force, 20 December 1946 – 27 June 1949
Second Air Force, 16 June 1952
Fifteenth Air Force, 31 March 1970 – 23 August 1988[1]

Components

Wings

2d Bombardment Wing: 1 April 1963 – 1 September 1964
28th Bombardment Wing: 15 January 1973 – 1 May 1982
44th Strategic Missile Wing: 30 June 1971 – 1 May 1982; 23 January 1987 – 15 July 1988
55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing: 1 October 1976 – 1 April 1980
90th Strategic Missile Wing: 30 June 1971 – 23 August 1988
91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (later 91st Strategic Missile Wing): 10 February – 11 September 1951; 30 June 1971 – 30 November 1972
92d Strategic Aerospace Wing: 31 March 1970 – 30 June 1971
97th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1959 – 1 July 1963
301st Bombardment Wing (later 301st Air Refueling Wing): 10 February 1951 – 15 April 1958 (detached 3 December 1951 – c. 4 March 1953; c. 10 February-c. 17 April 1954); 5 January – 23 August 1988
319th Bombardment Wing: 1 September 1964 – 30 June 1971; 15 January 1973 – 22 January 1975; 1 May 1982 – 23 January 1987
321st Strategic Missile Wing: 1 November 1964 – 22 January 1975; 1 May 1982 – 23 January 1987
340th Bombardment Wing: 1 September 1963 – 1 September 1964 (detached c. 1–31 August 1964). 321 Strategic Missile: 1 November 1964 – 22 January 1975; 1 May 1982 – 23 January 1987
341st Strategic Missile Wing: 30 June 1971 – 15 January 1973; 23 January 1987 – 23 August 1988
351st Strategic Missile Wing: 30 June 1971 – 1 July 1973
376th Bombardment Wing: 1 June 1951 – 3 December 1957 (detached 1 June – 10 October 1951)
401st Provisional Combat Bommbardment Wing: 6 June – 14 September 1943
410th Bombardment Wing: 1 September 1964 – 31 March 1970
454th Bombardment Wing: 1 February – 1 July 1963
494th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1963 – 1 July 1964
4130th Strategic Wing: 1 July-l September 1963
4228th Strategic Wing: 1 July 1958 – 1 February 1963
4238th Strategic Wing: 1 March 1958 – 1 April 1963[1]

Groups

34th Bombardment Group: 18 August-c. 1 October 1941
43d Bombardment Group: August-5 September 1941
94th Bombardment Group: 13 June 1943 – 6 January 1945
95th Bombardment Group: July-13 September 1943
96th Bombardment Group: c. May-c. September 1943
100th Bombardment Group: 6 June 1943 – 1 January 1944
319th Bombardment Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949
320th Bombardment Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949
385th Bombardment Group: c. June 1943-c. August 1945
388th Bombardment Group: c. July 1943-c. August 1945
390th Bombardment Group: c. July-13 September 1943
447th Bombardment Group: c. November 1943-c. June 1945
486th Bombardment Group: c. January-c. June 1945
487th Bombardment Group: c. January-c. August 1945[1]

Squadron

376th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 June 1951 – 20 May 1952; 1 December 1957 – 15 April 1958[1]

Stations

Mitchel Field, New York, 18 December 1940
Westover Field, Massachusetts, 20 March – 1 October 1941; 7 June 1942
Bolling Field, District of Columbia, c. 28 July c. 28 August 1942
RAF High Wycombe (Camp Lynn) (AAF-101), England, 12 September 1942
Marks Hall (AAF-160), England, 18 January 1943
Camp Blainey, England, June 1943

RAF Bury St Edmunds (AAF-468), England, 13 September 1943 – 18 June 1945
Mitchel Field, New York, 20 December 1946 – 27 June 1949
Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, 10 February 1951 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952 – 1 September 1964
Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, 1 September 1964
Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, 30 June 1971 – 23 August 1988[1]

Aircraft and missiles

A-29 Hudson 1941
B-17 Flying Fortress 1941
B-18 Bolo 1941
LB-30 1941
B-17 Flying Fortress 1943–1945
B/RB-45 Tornado 1951
RB-50 Superfortress 1951
B-29 Superfortress 1951 – 1952, 1952–1954
KB-29 Superfortress 1951 – 1952, 1952–1953
B-47 Stratojet 1953 – 1958
KC-97 Stratofreighter 1953 – 1958

B/E/EB-47 Stratojet 1954 – 1957
RB-47 Stratojet 1958
B-52 Stratofortress 1959 – 1988
KC-135 Stratotanker 1959 – 1988
LGM-30A Minuteman I 1963 – 1974
LGM-30F Minuteman II 1965 – 1988
LGM 30G Minuteman III 1971 – 1972 1973 – 1988
C-135 Stratolifter 1977 – 1980
E-4 Nightwatch 1977 – 1980
EC-135 Looking Glass 1977 – 1982
RC-135 Rivet Joint 1977 – 1980
LGM-118A Peacekeeper 1986 – 1988[1]

References

Notes

"Factsheet 4 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2014.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

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.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

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[4ADfacts-1] "Factsheet 4 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2014.