302d Air Division

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302d Air Division
Continental Air Command.png
Noorduyn C-64A 44-70370 (5944559584).jpg
C-64 Norseman in medical evacuation markings
Active 1943–1945; 1946-1949
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Role Command of airlift units
Engagements European Theater of Operations

The 302d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force Division. Its last assignment was with Fourteenth Air Force at Marietta Air Force Base, Georgia, where it was inactivated on 27 June 1949. ' During World War II, as the 302d Transport Wing the unit provided logistical airlift support for United States Strategic Air Forces. It was reactivated as a reserve headquarters in 1946, and was inactivated in 1949 when reserve units converted to the wing base organization and budget restrictions reduced the size of the Air Force.

United States Air Force Air and space warfare branch of the United States Armed Forces

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial and space warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces, and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially formed as a part of the United States Army on 1 August 1907, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on 18 September 1947 with the passing of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the youngest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the fourth in order of precedence. The USAF is the largest and most technologically advanced air force in the world. The Air Force articulates its core missions as air and space superiority, global integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.

Fourteenth Air Force Numbered air force of the United States Air Force responsible for space forces

The Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

Contents

History

World War II

C-47 as flown by wing units Douglas C-47 Skytrain USAF.JPG
C-47 as flown by wing units

The division was first activated as the 302d Transport Wing in December 1943, but remained a paper unit until 6 July 1944 when organization of the wing headquarters began. [1] It was not until September that the wing's flying groups were assigned, although the wing assumed operational control of the 31st Transport Group upon organization of wing headquarters. [2] The 27th Air Transport Group was transferred from Eighth Air Force and the 31st Transport Group joined the wing from Ninth Air Force. Shortly after these groups were assigned, the wing and the groups moved from England to France, [2]

In the United States Air Force, a division was an intermediate level of command, subordinate to a numbered air force, controlling one or more wings. It also controlled squadrons without associated same-function wings, i.e., 17th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron had no associated wing, but its function was part of the 24th Air Division. It is now considered obsolete.

Eighth Air Force Numbered air force of the United States Air Force responsible for strategic bomber forces

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces Strategic – Global Strike, one of the air components of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). The Eighth Air Force includes the heart of America's heavy bomber force: the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the B-1 Lancer supersonic bomber, and the B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber aircraft.

Ninth Air Force Numbered air force of the United States Air Force responsible for tactical air and ground forces

The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It has been headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, since activation on 5 August 2009. From 1990, units were deployed to the Middle East against Iraq, and from 2001 against threats emanating from Afghanistan. This prior Ninth Air Force is now known as United States Air Forces Central (USAFCENT).

The subordinate groups of the 302d carried cargo and passengers, first within Great Britain and later, to and from continental Europe. The cargo transported included medical supplies and whole blood, and materiel such as gasoline, helmets, bayonets, belly tanks, ammunition, clothing, Signal Corps equipment, and even telephone poles. "Passengers included war correspondents, entertainers, general officers, enlisted personnel, pilots, German prisoners, former Allied prisoners of war, and both Allied and enemy wounded personnel." [3] The wing also operated a courier service between Great Britain and the continent, although its 27th group moved all its operations to the continent. [4] [5]

Whole blood

Whole blood (WB) is human blood from a standard blood donation. It is used in the treatment of massive bleeding, in exchange transfusion, and when people donate blood to themselves. One unit brings up hemoglobin levels by about 10 g/L. Cross matching is typically done before the blood is given. It is given by injection into a vein.

Materiel military technology and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management

Materiel, refers to supplies, equipment, and weapons in military supply chain management, and typically supplies and equipment only in a commercial supply chain context.

During the rapid advance of Third Army, the ruined highway and rail system of France prevented the shipment of fuel to maintain its advance. A "Petrol for Patton" system was organized to airlift gasoline to his advanced elements, using not only transports of the wing and IX Troop Carrier Command, but Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators of Eighth Air Force and aircraft and crews temporarily transferred from Air Transport Command. The wing was augmented by over 400 personnel to manage this effort. [6]

IX Troop Carrier Command

The IX Troop Carrier Command was a United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 March 1946. As a component command of the Ninth Air Force, based in the United Kingdom.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber aircraft by Boeing

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications. Although Boeing lost the contract because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the four-engined B-24 and the multirole, twin-engined Ju 88.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models designated as various LB-30s, in the Land Bomber design category.

Although most of the wing squadrons flew the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, the 320th Transport Squadron of its 27th group was equipped with Noorduyn UC-64 Norseman aircraft for medical evacuation missions. [7] In February 1945, the wing began to ferry aircraft as well. Ferrying aircraft had been part of the mission of the wing's groups prior to their assignment to the wing, but when the wing assumed command of the two groups, Base Air Depot Area took over management of aircraft ferrying, although using crews from the 302d. Aircraft ferried included Boeing B-17 Flying Fortressess, Consolidated B-24 Liberators, Martin B-26 Marauders, Douglas A-20 Havocs, North American P-51 Mustangs, Consolidated C-109 Liberator Expresses, and numerous other models within the European theater of operations. [3] In total, over 85 types of aircraft were flown by the wing's 310th Ferrying Squadron. [8]

Douglas C-47 Skytrain Military transport aircraft derived from DC-3

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remains in front line service with various military operators.

Martin B-26 Marauder twin-engine medium bomber

The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American World War II twin-engined medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company in Middle River, Maryland from 1941 to 1945. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe.

Douglas A-20 Havoc multi-role combat aircraft family by Douglas

The Douglas A-20 Havoc is a United States attack, light bomber, intruder, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II.

During the Central Europe Campaign, the wing established a detachment of its 311th Ferrying Squadron, which had been transferred from the 27th group to the direct control of the wing, at Toussus-le-Noble Airport to maintain a communications flight for the Air Staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces, located at Reims. [8]

Toussus-le-Noble Airport airport in France

Toussus-le-Noble Airport is a regional airport in France. It supports general aviation with no commercial airline service scheduled. French governmental aircraft are hangared and maintained at the airport. It is the most active airfield for general aviation in France with a record of 210,000 movements.

Reims Subprefecture and commune in Grand Est, France

Reims, a city in the Grand Est region of France, lies 129 km (80 mi) east-northeast of Paris. The 2013 census recorded 182,592 inhabitants in the city of Reims proper, and 317,611 inhabitants in the metropolitan area. Its primary river, the Vesle, is a tributary of the Aisne.

Reserve operations

The wing was activated in the reserves under Air Defense Command (ADC) at Marietta Army Air Field in December 1946 and was shortly redesignated the 302d Troop Carrier Wing. In 1947 it was assigned two troop carrier groups, located at Marietta and at Morrison Field, Florida. [9] [10] Continental Air Command assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC in July 1948. [11] At the same time, the adoption of the wing base organization system by the regular Air Force called for wings to be single base organizations, and the unit became the 302d Air Division. [3]

The 302d participated in routine reserve training with its assigned trainer aircraft and supervised the training of its assigned groups until it was inactivated in June 1949 when President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget also required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force. [12] Most of the division's equipment and personnel were used to form the 94th Bombardment Wing, which was simultaneously activated at Marietta. [13] [14]

Lineage

Activated on 5 December 1943
Inactivated on 15 December 1945
Redesignated 302 Troop Carrier Wing on 31 December 1946
Redesignated 302 Air Division, Troop Carrier on 16 April 1948
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
Redesignated 302 Air Division on 1 September 1959 [15]

Assignments

Stations

Components

Groups
Squadrons

Aircraft

Commanders

  • Col Leslie P. Arnold, c. 5 December 1943
  • Col Charles W. Steinmetz, 6 July 1944
  • Col Leslie P. Arnold, 1 September 1944
  • Col Martin A. Bateman, 3 December 1944 - unknown
  • Col H. C. Allen, by 6 August 1945 - unknown
  • Unknown, 20 Dec 1946
  • Col William L. Plummer, 17 January 1947 - unknown [15]

Campaigns

Campaign StreamerCampaignDatesNotes
Streamer EAMEC.PNG European Theater without inscription5 December 1943 – 21 May 1945302d Transport Wing [15]

See also

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ Maguire, p. 13
  2. 1 2 Maguire, p. 15
  3. 1 2 3 "Factsheet 302 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  4. 1 2 Maguire, p. 16
  5. ↑ Maguire, p. 17
  6. ↑ Maguire, pp. 17-18
  7. ↑ Maguire, p. 19
  8. 1 2 3 4 Maguire, p. 27
  9. ↑ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 306-307
  10. ↑ Mueller, p. 108
  11. ↑ "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index. 27 December 1961. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  12. ↑ Knaack, p. 25
  13. ↑ See Ravenstein, pp. 132-133 (organization of 94th Bombardment Wing at Marietta AAF.)
  14. ↑ See Mueller, p. 109
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lineage, including assignments, components, stations and aircraft in Air Force Historical Agency Fact Sheet 302 Air Division except as noted.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Station numbers in Anderson
  17. ↑ 1 Rue de Tillsit at Champs Elysees
  18. ↑ See Maguire, p. 19
  19. ↑ Maguire, p. 23

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .

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