304th Air Division
Encyclopedia
The 304th Air Division (304th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force
organization. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Command
, assigned to Fourth Air Force
, being stationed at Long Beach Airport, California. It was inactivated on 24 June 1949.
as a Bombardment wing in December 1943, the 304th participated in the strategic Bombardment of enemy occupied Europe. Targets included harbors, marshalling yards, airdromes, bridges, industrial areas, and troop concentrations in Italy, Austria
, Germany, Yugoslavia
, Czechoslovakia
, and Greece
.
In May 1944, some subordinate units began an intensive bombing campaign against enemy oil resources, which included refineries at Ploesti, Romania, and oil and storage plants in Austria, Germany, and Hungary
. During July and August 1944, subordinate units also prepared for and supported the invasion of southern France
. Returned to the United States and inactivated, 13 October 1945.
Activated and assigned to the Reserves in April 1947. Assigned first to Air Defense Command, then to Continental Air Command
(ConAC) when ADC was made a subordinate command of ConAC. While active in the Reserve the 304th was redesignated as a division and commanded several B-29 Superfortress
-designated groups. It is not clear if these groups were actually manned or equipped. The Division was inactivated on 29 June 1949
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
organization. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
, assigned to Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, being stationed at Long Beach Airport, California. It was inactivated on 24 June 1949.
Lineage
- Established as 304th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 7 December 1943.
- Activated on 29 December 1943.
- Redesignated 304th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 4 May 1945.
- Inactivated on 13 October 1945.
- Redesignated 304th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 11 March 1947.
- Activated in the Reserves on 19 April 1947.
- Redesignated 304th Air Division Bombardment on 16 April 1947.
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949.
Assignments
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 29 December 1943 – 26 September 1945 - Army Service Forces, 26 September – 13 October 1945
- Air Defense Command
- Fourth Air ForceFourth Air ForceThe Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
- 25 Air Defense (later, 25 Air) Division: 19 April 1947 – 27 June 1949
- ADC made a subordinate organization of Continental Air CommandContinental Air CommandContinental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
, 1 December 1948
Stations
- Cerignola Airfield, Italy, 29 December 1943 – 26 September 1945
- Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 12–13 October 1945 - Long Beach Airport, California, 19 April 1947 – 27 June 1949
Components
Groups- 448 Bombardment448th Supply Chain Management WingThe 448th Supply Chain Management Wing , a wing of the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center , an Air Force Material Command unit, United States Air Force serves as the Air Force's new supply chain manager headquartered at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma as an associate tenant.-Mission:Plan...
: 19 April 1947 – 27 June 1949 - 452 Bombardment452d Air Mobility WingThe 452d Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force air mobility unit located at March ARB, California. It is assigned to Air Force Reserve Command , and is operationally gained by Air Mobility Command .-Mission:...
: 19 April 1947 – 27 June 1949 - 454 Bombardment454th Bombardment WingThe 454th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command 42d Air Division, stationed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It was inactivated on 25 July 1968....
: 25 January 1944-c. 19 July 1945 - 455 Bombardment455th Air Expeditionary WingThe 455th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force Air Combat Command unit. It is one of two AEWs in Afghanistan, presently assigned to Bagram Airfield. Most of the wing personnel are located at the Air Force Village known as Camp Cunningham.The wing's primary mission is to...
: 25 January 1944 – 9 September 1945 - 456 Bombardment456th Bomb GroupThe 456th Bomb Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. A "heavy bombardment group," the 456th operated B-24 Liberator aircraft and was known unofficially as "Steed's Flying Colts," after its commander.The 456th Bomb Group flew 249 bombing...
: 25 January 1944-c. 18 June 1945 - 459 Bombardment459th Air Refueling WingThe 459th Air Refueling Wing is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility since 1954.-Overview:...
: 25 January 1944-c. 7 July 1945; 19 April 1947 – 27 June 1949.
Operational history
Activated in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
as a Bombardment wing in December 1943, the 304th participated in the strategic Bombardment of enemy occupied Europe. Targets included harbors, marshalling yards, airdromes, bridges, industrial areas, and troop concentrations in Italy, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Germany, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
In May 1944, some subordinate units began an intensive bombing campaign against enemy oil resources, which included refineries at Ploesti, Romania, and oil and storage plants in Austria, Germany, and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. During July and August 1944, subordinate units also prepared for and supported the invasion of southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
. Returned to the United States and inactivated, 13 October 1945.
Activated and assigned to the Reserves in April 1947. Assigned first to Air Defense Command, then to Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
(ConAC) when ADC was made a subordinate command of ConAC. While active in the Reserve the 304th was redesignated as a division and commanded several B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
-designated groups. It is not clear if these groups were actually manned or equipped. The Division was inactivated on 29 June 1949