303rd Fighter Wing
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2012) |
303rd Fighter Wing | |
---|---|
Active | 1943–1945 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Army Air Forces |
Role | Fighter Command and Control |
The 303rd Fighter Wing is an inactive
XXIX Tactical Air Command
. It was disbanded on 12 August 1945.
History
Established and organized at Norfolk Army Airfield, Virginia in 1943 as a command and control organization. Deployed to the
Normandy Invasion
in June 1944.
Operational missions included strafing and dive-bombing armored vehicles, trains, bridges, buildings, factories, troop concentrations, gun emplacements, airfields, and other targets in preparation for the invasion of Normandy. Also flew some escort missions with
B-24 Liberator
strategic bombers.
Participated in the June 1944
United States Third Army toward Germany in August and September. Reassigned to XIX Tactical Air Command in November 1944 and continued supporting Third Army with Air-Ground support missions, moving through Nancy and Metz to the Siegfried Line near Saarbrücken and Haguenau
.
Reassigned to support the
Rhine River
. By 10 March, the Rhine had been reached in all sectors of Ninth Army's front. It was not until after 20 March that Ninth Army units first crossed the Rhine itself.
Attacked ground targets in the
Elbe River
in late April 1945, the wing engaging targets of opportunity in enemy-controlled areas until combat was ended on 5 May 1945.
Remained in Europe after the war as part of
United States Air Forces in Europe
, performing occupation duty and the destruction or shipment to the United States of captured enemy combat equipment. Demobilized in Germany and organization was inactivated on 20 November 1945.
Operations and decorations
- Combat Operations: Combat in European Theater of Operations (ETO), 8 March 1944-May 1945.
- Campaigns: Air Offensive, Europe ;Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
- Decorations: Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 1 Oct 1944-; Dec 1944-Jan 1945. Belgian Fourragere
Lineage
- Constituted as 303rd Fighter Wing on 15 Nov 1943
- Activated on 24 Nov 1943
- Disbanded on 12 August 1945[1]
Assignments
- First Air Force, 24 November 1943 – 8 March 1944
- IX Fighter Command, 8 March-1 November 1944
- XIX Tactical Air Command, 1 November 1944 – 15 December 1944
- XXIX Tactical Air Command, 15 December 1944 – 20 November 1945
Components
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Stations
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References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4
- Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
- ^ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 416