7th Air Division
7th Air Division | |
---|---|
Active | 1944-1948; 1951-1965; 1978–1992 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Command of strike forces |
Equipment | see #Aircraft section below |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Gen John P. McConnell Brig Gen Wayne W. Lambert |
Insignia | |
7th Air Division emblem (approved 16 September 1954)[1] |
The 7th Air Division (7 AD) served the United States Air Force with distinction from early 1944 through early 1992, earning an outstanding unit decoration and a service streamer along the way.
History
Hawaii
As the 7th Fighter Wing, the division provided
On 15 December 1947 the wing was redesignated the 7 Air Division, but then inactivated on 1 May 1948. It was organized again on the same day, but then discontinued on 3 September 1948.
Strategic Air Command rotation to England
The division controlled deployed bombardment and reconnaissance forces between 1951 and 1965.
On 26 July 1956, a Boeing B-47 Stratojet under the division's operational control was practicing touch-and-go landings at RAF Lakenheath crashed into a nuclear weapons storage facility causing damage to several weapons stored at the site.[6]
It participated in alerts, exercises, operational readiness inspections, evaluations, and intensive training programs to provide an advanced combat ready force. It also assumed responsibility for air base construction and improvement, which included building complexes to accommodate bombers, fighters, and special functions such as communications, weapons storage, aircraft parts, and navigational aids.
In September 1957, B-47s in Morocco were put on ground
The development of
Strategic Air Command in Europe
From 1978, the division was activated in Europe to provide command and control for SAC units assigned to
7th Air Division in Desert Shield and Desert Storm
Source: Gulf War Air Power Survey Vol V., 21–25.
- 801st Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
- Headquarters: Morón Air Base, Spain 37°10′29″N 05°36′57″W / 37.17472°N 5.61583°W
Squadron | Aircraft type | Notes |
---|---|---|
801st Air Refueling Squadron (P) | KC-135 Stratotanker | Deployed from Barksdale AFB , Louisiana (15 Aircraft) August 1990–March 1991
|
- 801st Bombardment Wing (Provisional)
- Headquarters: Morón Air Base, Spain
- The 801st BW (P) consisted of 28 B-52G Stratofortresses and was formed around a nucleus provided by the Eaker AFB, Arkansas.
Squadron | Aircraft type | Notes |
---|---|---|
801st Bombardment Squadron (P) | B-52G Stratofortress | Deployed from 2d BW (7 Aircraft); 69th BS/42d BW (2 Aircraft); 668th BS/416th BW (8 Aircraft) January–March 1991 |
802d Bombardment Squadron (P) | B-52G Stratofortress | Deployed from 524th BS/379th BW (8 Aircraft); 340th BS/97th BW (1 Aircraft); 524th BS/379th BW (8 Aircraft) January–March 1991 |
- 802d Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
- Headquarters: Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal 38°45′42″N 027°05′26″W / 38.76167°N 27.09056°W
Squadron | Aircraft type | Notes |
---|---|---|
802d Air Refueling Squadron (P) | KC-135 Stratotanker KC-10 Extender |
Composed of flights (August 1990-March 1991) from
|
- 804th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
- Headquarters: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey 37°00′07″N 035°25′33″E / 37.00194°N 35.42583°E
Squadron | Aircraft type | Notes |
---|---|---|
804th Air Refueling Squadron (P) | KC-135 Stratotanker | August 1990-March 1991 |
- 806th Bombardment Wing (Provisional)
- Headquarters: RAF Fairford, England 51°40′56″N 001°47′24″W / 51.68222°N 1.79000°W
- The 806th BW (P) was formed around a cadre of air and ground crews provided by the Castle AFB, California.
Squadron | Aircraft type | Notes |
---|---|---|
806th Bombardment Squadron | B-52G Stratofortress | 97th BW (6 Aircraft); 596th BS/2d BW (2 Aircraft); 668th BS/416th BW (2 Aircraft); 328th BS/93d BW (1 Aircraft) January–March 1991 |
- 807th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
- Headquarters: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
Squadron | Aircraft type | Notes |
---|---|---|
807th Air Refueling Squadron (P) | KC-135 Stratotanker | August 1990–March 1991 |
- 810th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
- Headquarters: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
Squadron | Aircraft Type | Notes |
---|---|---|
810th Air Refueling Squadron (P) | KC-135 Stratotanker | August 1990-March 1991 |
- 4300th Bombardment Wing (Provisional)
- Headquarters: Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] 7°18′48″S 72°24′40″E / 7.31333°S 72.41111°E
- The lead unit for the 4300th BW (P) was the 69th Bomb Squadron/42d BW from Loring AFB, Maine.[11] Aircraft were also drawn from the 328th BS/93d BW at Castle AFB, California. Six aircraft were transferred to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 17 January 1991 and they were replaced by six B-52Gs from the 1500th SW (P) at Andersen AFB, Guam.
Squadron | Aircraft type | Notes |
---|---|---|
4300th Bombardment Squadron (P) | B-52G Stratofortress | Composed of 69th BS/42d BW (16 Aircraft); 328th BS/93d BW (16 Aircraft) |
Lineage
- Established as the 7 Fighter Wing on 31 March 1944
- Activated on 21 April 1944
- Redesignated 7 Air Division on 15 December 1947
- Inactivated on 1 May 1948
- Organized on 1 May 1948
- Discontinued on 3 September 1948
- Activated on 20 March 1951
- Inactivated on 16 June 1952
- Organized on 16 June 1952
- Discontinued on 30 June 1965
- Activated on 1 July 1978
- Inactivated on 1 February 1992[1]
Assignments
- Seventh Air Force, 21 April 1944 (attached to VII Fighter Command after 24 April 1944)
- Army Air Forces, Pacific Ocean Area, 15 August 1944
- Provisional Army Air Forces, Middle Pacific, attached 1 July 1945 and assigned, 22 November 1945
- Seventh Air Force (later Pacific Air Command), 1 January 1946 – 1 May 1948
- Pacific Air Command, 1 May – 3 September 1948
- Strategic Air Command, 20 March 1951 – 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952 – 30 June 1965; 1 July 1978
- Strategic Air Command, 16 June 1952 – 30 June 1965
- Strategic Air Command, 1 July 1978
- Eighth Air Force, 31 January 1982 – 1 February 1992[1]
Components
- Wings
- 17th Reconnaissance Wing: 1 October 1982 – 30 June 1991
- 81st Fighter Wing: 1 May – 3 September 1948
- 306th Strategic Wing: 1 July 1978 – 1 February 1992
- 706th Strategic Missile Wing: 20 February 1958 – 1 April 1960 (not operational)
- Hickam (later, 6502) Composite Wing: 1 May – 3 September 1948[1]
- Groups
- 11th Strategic Group: 15 November 1978 – 7 August 1990
- 15th Fighter Group: attached 1 August 1944 – 5 February 1945; attached 30 November 1945 – 1 March 1946; assigned 22 April – 15 October 1946
- 21st Fighter Group: assigned 3 July – 10 November 1944, attached 10 November 1944 – 9 February 1945
- 30th Bombardment Group: 15 August 1945 – 1 March 1946 (not operational 15 February – 1 March 1946)
- 81st Fighter Group: 15 October 1946 – 1 May 1948
- 508th Fighter Group: attached 6 January – 25 November 1945[1]
- Squadrons
- 6th Night Fighter Squadron: attached 27 September – 11 December 1944; assigned 12 May 1945 – 1 March 1946; assigned 22 April – 31 May 1946
- 19th Surveillance Squadron: 1 December 1979 – 1 May 1983
- 41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 18 April – 13 June 1945
- 43d Reconnaissance Squadron: attached 20 September 1945 – 22 February 1946 (further attached to 30 Bombardment Group for same period)
- 305th Fighter Control Squadron, 15 August 1944 – 14 July 1945[12]
- 548th Night Fighter Squadron: 16 September – 20 October 1944
- 549th Night Fighter Squadron: 20 October – 1 November 1944[1]
Stations
- Fort Shafter, Hawaii, 21 April 1944
- Wheeler Field(later Wheeler Army Air Base, Wheeler Air Force Base), Hawaii, 18 November 1946 – 1 May 1948
- Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, 1 May 1948 – 3 September 1948
- RAF South Ruislip, England, 20 March 1951 – 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952
- U.S. Air Base High Wycombe (later, High Wycombe Air Station), England, 1 July 1958 – 30 June 1965
- Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 1 July 1978 – 1 February 1992[1]
Aircraft
- Douglas A-24 Banshee: 1944
- Douglas RA-24 Banshee: 1944–1945
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator: 1944–1945, 1945–1946
- Consolidated F-7 Liberator: 1945–1946
- North American B-25 Mitchell: 1944–1945
- North American TB-25 Mitchell: 1945
- Martin B-26 Marauder: 1944–1945
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning: 1944–1945
- Lockheed F-5 Lightning: 1945
- Bell P-39 Airacobra: 1944
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk: 1944
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (later F-47): 1944–1945, 1948
- North American P-51 Mustang: 1944–1946, 1946–1947
- Northrop P-61 Black Widow 1944–1946
- Douglas P-70 Havoc: 1944
- UC-7 [sic]: 1944–1945
- Douglas A-26 Invader (later B-26): 1945–1946, 1948
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress: 1945–1946
- Boeing TB-17 Flying Fortress: 1945–1946
- Boeing ERB-17 Flying Fortreaa: 1946
- Boeing SB-17 Flying Fortress: 1948.
- CQ-3 Expeditor: 1945
- Stinson L-5 Sentinel: 1945–1946
- Culver PQ-14 Cadet: 1945–1946
- Curtiss C-46 Commando: 1948
- Douglas C-54 Skymaster: 1948
- Stinson L-5 Sentinel: 1948;
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress: 1951–1953
- Boeing KB-29 Superfortress: 1951–1953
- Boeing RB-29 Superfortress: 1951–1952
- Boeing ERB-29 Superfortress: 1955–1956
- North American B-45 Tornado: 1951–1952;
- North American RB-45 Tornado: 1951–1952;
- Boeing B-50 Superfortress: 1952–1956
- Boeing RB-50 Superfortress: 1952–1956
- Republic F-84 Thunderjet: 1951, 1953, 1955
- Convair B-36 Peacemaker: 1952–1956
- Convair RB-36 Peacemaker: 1951–1954
- Douglas C-47 Skytrain: 1952–1953;
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet: 1953–1965;
- Boeing RB-47 Stratojet: 1954, 1956–1965;
- Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter: 1953–1958, 1962–1964
- Martin RB-57 Canberra: 1959
- Lockheed U-2: 1962
- Convair B-58 Hustler: 1964[1]
After activation on 1 July 1978, the division controlled aircraft such as the:
See also
References
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Factsheet 7 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 4 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Factsheet 5 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 4 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ Schake, et al. p. 77
- ^ Schake, et al. p. 131
- ^ Schake, et al. p. 175
- ^ Schake, et al. p. 137
- ^ Schake, et al. pp. 181–182
- ^ Schake, et al. pp. 206-207
- ^ Schake, et al. p. 281, Table 17
- ^ Schake, et al. pp. 220-223
- ^ Baugher, Joe, Service of Boeing B-52G Stratofortress, 2003
- ^ Haulman, Daniel (2 November 2016). "Factsheet 623 Air Control Squadron (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from 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. 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. 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.
- Schake, Col Kurt W. (1998). Strategic Frontier: American Bomber Bases Overseas, 1950-1960 (PDF). Trondheim, Norway: Norwegian University of Science and Technology. ISBN 978-8277650241. Retrieved 27 July 2015.