96th Air Division

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 96th Air Division, Bombardment


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dates= 11 January 1944–17 October 1945;
12 June 1947–27 June 1949.
country= United States
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branch= Air Force
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commander1_label= Current commander
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commander2_label= Current vice-commander
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commander3_label= Current command chief
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History

Mission

Operations

The 97th Wing's units entered combat in early 1944, bombing oil refineries, marshaling yards, steel plants, and tank factories plus numerous other assorted targets in the European theater. In September 1944, some of the units ceased bombardment missions and instead flew gasoline for Army units to airfields in France. Others air-dropped supplies to Allied troops during the airborne attack on Holland that same month. During the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 through January 1945, subordinate units of the 97th aided Allied ground forces by bombing German transportation lines. Besides strategic bombardment, they also dropped supplies to Allied troops during the airborne assault across the Rhine River in March 1945. Active in the Reserves from June 1947 to June 1949, the organization was redesignated as a division in April 1948.

Lineage and honors

Established as 96 Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 8 November 1943.Activated on 11 January 1944.Redesignated: 96 Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 7 August 1944; 96 Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 9 June 1945; 96 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 17 August 1945.Inactivated on 17 October 1945.

Activated in the Reserves on 12 June 1947.Redesignated 96 Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948.Inactivated on 27 June 1949.

Service streamers

This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:

* World War II European-African-Middle Eastern Theater.

Campaign streamers

This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:

none

Armed forces expeditionary streamers

This unit earned the following organizational expeditionary streamers:

none

Decorations

This unit earned the following organizational decorations:

none

Awards

Emblem

None.

Assignments

Eighth Air Force, 11 January 1944;2 Bombardment (later, 2 Air) Division, 22 February 1944;
VIII Fighter Command, 16 July 1945–6 August 1945;
Army Service Forces, 6 August 1945–c.14 August 1945;
Second Air Force, c.14 August 1945–17 October 1945.

Second Air Force, 12 June 1947;
Tenth Air Force, 1 July 1948–27 June 1949.

Components

Groups:
* 44 Bombardment: 26 June 1945–24 July 1945.
* 93 Bombardment: c.6 June 1945–24 July 1945.
* 351 Bombardment: 4 June 1948–27 June 1949.
* 381 Bombardment: 17 October 1947–4 June 1948.
* 392 Bombardment: c.6 July 1944–c.7 June 1945.
* 446 Bombardment: 1 June 1945–c.30 July 1945.
* 448 Bombardment: 6 July 1944–23 July 1945.
* 458 Bombardment: c.8 February 1944–25 July 1945.
* 466 Bombardment: c.14 March 1944–c.2 October 1945.
* 467 Bombardment: c.18 March 1944–c.17 October 1945.
* 491 Bombardment: c.5 May 1944–c.16 June 1945.

Stations

Horsham St Faith, England, 11 January 1944;Ketteringham, England, c.1 June 1945–c.5 August 1945;
Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, c.14 August 1945;
Peterson Field, Colorado, 16 August 1945–17 October 1945.

Scott Field, Illinois, 12 June 1947–27 June 1949.

Aerospace vehicles

B-24 Liberator, 1944–1945.

AT-6 Texan, 1948–1949;
AT-11 Kansan, 1948–1949.

Commanders

Brigadier General Walter R. Peck, 11 January 1944;Colonel Irvine A. Rendle, c.10 May 1945;Brigadier General Walter R. Peck, 1 June 1945–unkn.;Colonel Fred Feasel, 31 August 1945–unkn.

"Unknown", 12 June 1947–27 June 1949.

ee also

* Second Air Force

References

External links

* [http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/rso/airdivision_pages/0096ad.asp Air Force Historical Research Agency: 96th Air Division, Bombardment]