45th Air Division

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 45th Air Division


caption= 45th Air Division emblem
dates= 15 February 1943–18 June 1945
24 September 1954–18 January 1958
20 November 1958–15 June 1989
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
type=
role=
size=
command_structure=
garrison= see "Stations" section below
garrison_label=
equipment= see "Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles" section below
equipment_label=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
colors_label=
march=
mascot=
battles=
anniversaries=
decorations= see "Lineage and honors" section below
battle_honours=
current_commander=
current_commander_label=
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=

History

The 45th Bombardment Wing, began bombing operations against German occupied Europe on 14 September 1943. Its bombers attacked targets in such German cities as Bremen, Emden, Kiel, Ludwigshafen, Munster, Saarbrucken, Schweinfurt, and Wilhelmshaven. In June 1944 the 45th supported the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, with tactical missions, against enemy airdromes, airfields, bridges, coastal defenses, field batteries, gun positions, and railway junctions. On 21 June 1944, Colonel Archie J. Old Jr., commanding officer of the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing, served as the task force commander of a shuttle bombing mission to the Soviet Union. The task force raided a synthetic oil plant just south of Berlin, and then proceeded to Poltava in the Soviet Union, where a large number of the 45th's bombers were destroyed on the ground during a raid by German bomber and fighter aircraft. The surviving bombers bombed an oil plant at Drohobycz, Poland, while returning from Poltava to Foggia, Italy. Shortly before the German surrender, in late April 1945, the wing flew five "Chow Hound" mercy missions, dropping food and other supplies to the people in occupied Holland. After the German surrender on 8 May 1945, it helped transport displaced Europeans back to their respective native countries. The 45th, reestablished as an Air Division, in October 1954, assumed responsibility for the training and combat readiness of its assigned units. It achieved this goal through staff assistance visits and supervising or participating in exercises such as Golden Hour Tango, Rubber Ball, and Sky Shield.

Background of name

Mission

Operations

Lineage and honors

Established as 45 Bombardment Wing (Medium) on 15 February 1943.Activated on 1 April 1943.Redesignated: 45 Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 6 April 1943; 45 Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 30 August 1943; 45 Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 24 August 1944.Disestablished on 18 June 1945.

Reestablished, and redesignated 45 Air Division, on 24 September 1954.Activated on 8 October 1954.Inactivated on 18 January 1958.

Activated on 20 November 1958.Inactivated on 15 June 1989.

Service streamers

This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:

* World War II: European African Middle Eastern (EAME) Theater.

Campaign streamers

This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:

none

Armed forces expeditionary streamers

none

Decorations

This unit earned the following unit decorations:

none

Awards

Emblem

Argent, a bend azure charged in dexter chief with the Big Dipper of the first, over all centered in nombril point a compass rose palewise or, in middle chief the Polaris of the like, in sinister chief a stylized aircraft and missile bendwise volant of the second, each emitting two vapor trails of the last and all within a diminished border of the third. (Approved 12 May 1960)

Assignments

Third Air Force, 1 April 1943–c.5 August 1943;
Eighth Air Force, c.25 August 1943;3 Bombardment Division (later, 3 Air Division), by 18 August 1944–18 June 1945.

Eighth Air Force, 8 October 1954–18 January 1958.

Eighth Air Force, 20 November 1958;
Second Air Force, 31 March 1970;Eighth Air Force, 1 January 1975–15 June 1989.

Components

Wings:
* 17 Bombardment: 2 July 1969–30 June 1971.
* 42 Bombardment: 8 October 1954–18 January 1958; 1 December 1958–29 March 1989.
* 95 Strategic: 2 October 1966–30 September 1976.
* 99 Bombardment: 30 June 1971–31 March 1974.
* 380 Strategic Aerospace (later, 380 Bombardment): 1 July 1968–2 July 1969; 30 June 1971–29 March 1989.
* 702 Strategic Missile: 1 January 1959–25 June 1961.
* 416 Bombardment: 2 July 1969–30 June 1971; 1 July 1973–1 December 1982.
* 509 Bombardment: 30 June 1971–9 March 1989.
* 4081 Strategic: 1 January 1959–25 June 1966.
* 4082 Strategic: 1 January 1959–2 October 1966.

Stations

MacDill Field (later, MacDill Air Force Base), Florida, 1 April 1943–4 August 1943;
Brampton Grange, England, c.25 August 1943;Snetterton Heath (later, RAF Snetterton Heath), England, 13 September 1943–18 June 1945.

Loring Air Force Base, Maine, 8 October 1954–18 January 1958.

Loring Air Force Base, Maine, 20 November 1958;
Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, 30 June 1971–15 June 1989.

Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles

B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945.

B-36 Peacemaker, 1954–1956;
KC-97 Stratotanker, 1955–1957;
B-52 Stratofortress, 1956–1958;
KC-135 Stratotanker, 1957–1958.

B-52 Stratofortress, 1958–1989;KC-135 Stratotanker, 1958–1989;
Snark (SM-62), 1959–1961;
FB-111 Aardvark, 1971–1989.

Commanders

*Major Carl L. Liles, c. April 1943;
*Colonel Archie J. Old Jr., 14 September 1943;
*Brigadier General Charles P. Cabell, c.1 December 1943;
*Brigadier General Archie J. Old Jr., 12 April 1944–18 June 1945.

*Brigadier General Bertram C. Harrison, 8 October 1954;
*Brigadier General William K. Martin, 18 June 1955–18 January 1958.

*Brigadier General Selmon W. Wells, 20 November 1958;
*Brigadier General William B. Kieffer, 1 July 1960;
*Brigadier General John C. Meyer, 7 September 1961;
*Brigadier General William E. Creer, 1 August 1962;
*Brigadier General Frank B. Elliott, 6 May 1964;
*Brigadier General Robert J. Dixon, 18 September 1965;
*Brigadier General Albert J. Bowley, 15 July 1967;
*Brigadier General Madison M. McBrayer, 16 October 1968;
*Brigadier General Harry C. Bayne, 18 April 1970;
*Brigadier General Eugene Q. Steffes Jr., 1 July 1971;
*Brigadier General Harold E. Confer, 15 June 1972;
*Brigadier General Richard M. Baughn, 13 February 1973;
*Brigadier General Thomas F. Rew, 24 May 1974;
*Brigadier General Jack L. Watkins, 28 July 1975;
*Colonel Edward Batchelor, 30 November 1977;
*Brigadier General Guy L. Hecker Jr., 11 January 1978;
*Colonel Edward Batchelor, 4 December 1978;
*Brigadier General Robert E. Messerli, 30 March 1979;
*Brigadier General Gerald D. Larson, 23 June 1980;
*Brigadier General Thomas G. Tobin, 29 June 1982;
*Brigadier General Martin J. Ryan Jr., November 1983;
*Brigadier General John R. Allen Jr., 4 June 1986;
*Brigadier General Stanley O. Smith, 17 September 1987;
*Colonel Jimmie R. Campbell, 10 April 1989–15 June 1989.

ee also

* Second Air Force
* Eighth Air Force

References

External links

* [http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/rso/airdivision_pages/0045ad.asp Air Force Historical Research Agency: 45th Air Division]