- 304th Air Division
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 304th Air Division
caption=
dates= 1943-1949
country=United States
allegiance=
branch=United States Air Force
type=
role= Bombardment
size=
command_structure=Fifteenth Air Force Fourth Air Force
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equipment=
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nickname=
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* World War II: European Campaign (1943-1945)
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battle_honours=The 304th Air Division (304th AD) is an inactiveUnited States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was withContinental Air Command , assigned toFourth Air Force , being stationed atLong Beach Airport ,California . It was inactivated on 24 June 1949.History
Lineage
* Established as 304th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 7 Dec 1943. : Activated on 29 Dec 1943. : Redesignated 304th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 4 May 1945. : Inactivated on 13 Oct 1945.
* Redesignated 304th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 11 Mar 1947. : Activated in the Reserves on 19 Apr 1947. : Redesignated 304th Air Division Bombardment on 16 Apr 1947. : Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949.Assignments
*
Fifteenth Air Force , 29 Dec 1943-26 Sep 1945
* Army Service Forces, 26 Sep-13 Oct 1945
*Air Defense Command :Fourth Air Force :: 25 Air Defense (later, 25 Air) Division: 19 Apr 1947 - 27 Jun 1949: ADC made a subordinate organization ofContinental Air Command , 1 Dec 1948Stations
*
Cerignola ,Italy , 29 Dec 1943-26 Sep 1945
* Camp Kilmer,New Jersey , 12-13 Oct 1945
*Long Beach Airport ,California , 19 Apr 1947-27 Jun 1949Components
Groups
* 448 Bombardment: 19 Apr 1947-27 Jun 1949
* 452 Bombardment: 19 Apr 1947-27 Jun 1949
* 454 Bombardment: 25 Jan 1944-c. 19 Jul 1945
* 455 Bombardment: 25 Jan 1944-9 Sep 1945
* 456 Bombardment: 25 Jan 1944-c. 18 Jun 1945
* 459 Bombardment: 25 Jan 1944-c. 7 Jul 1945; 19 Apr 1947-27 Jun 1949.Aircraft
*
B-24 Liberator Operational History
Activated in
Italy as a Bombardment wing in Dec 1943, the 304th participated in the strategic Bombardment of enemy occupiedEurope . Targets included harbors, marshalling yards, airdromes, bridges, industrial areas, and troop concentrations in Italy,Austria ,Germany ,Yugoslavia ,Czechoslovakia , andGreece .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, andHungary . During July and August 1944, subordinate units also prepared for and supported the invasion of southern France. Returned to theUnited States and inactivated, 13 October 1945.Activated and assigned to the Reserves in April 1947. Assigned first to
Air Defense Command , then toContinental 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 severalB-29 Superfortress -designated groups. It is not clear if these groups were actually manned or equipped. The Division was inactivated on 29 June 1949References
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
External links
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