4th Air Division
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4th Air Division
| 4th Air Division | |
|---|---|
 4th Air Division emblem |
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| Active | 19 October 1940 – 1 October 1941 7 June 1942 – 18 June 1945 31 December 1946 – 27 June 1949 1 February 1951 – 16 June 1952 16 June 1952 – 23 August 1988 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | see "Stations" section below |
| Equipment | see "Aircraft / Missiles / Space Vehicles" section below |
| Decorations | see "Lineage and Honors" section below |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
James Doolittle Frederick W. Castle |
The 4th Air Division (4th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. It was inactivated on 23 August 1988.
As the 4th Bombardment Wing, the unit was one of the primary B-17 Flying Fortress heavy strategic bombardment wings of VIII Bomber Command and later, Eighth Air Force in World War II.
During the Cold War, the 4th AD was an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command, controlling strategic bombardment and intercontinental strategic missile wings until inactivated in 1988.
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Contents
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History
Lineage
- Established as 4 Bombardment Wing on 19 October 1940
- Activated on 18 December 1940
- Inactivated on 1 October 1941
- Activated on 7 June 1942
- Redesignated as: 4 Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 30 August 1943
- Redesignated as: 4 Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 24 August 1944
- Disestablished on 18 June 1945
- Reestablished, and redesignated 4 Bombardment Wing, Light on 31 December 1946
- Activated in the Reserve on 20 December 1946
- Redesignated 4 Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949
- Redesignated 4 Air Division on 1 February 1951
- Organized (Table of Distribution) on 10 February 1951
- Discontinued on 16 June 1952
- Activated (Table of Organization) on 16 June 1952
- Redesignated as: 4 Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 September 1964
- Redesignated as: 4 Strategic Missile Division on 30 June 1971
- Redesignated as: 4 Air Division on 1 March 1973
- Inactivated on 23 August 1988.
Assignments
- General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force, 18 December 1940 – 1 October 1941.
- Apparently further assigned to Northeast Air District (later, First Air Force) c. 16 January 1941
- VIII Bomber Command, 7 June 1942
- 3d Bombardment Division, 13 September 1943 – 18 June 1945
- First Air Force, 20 December 1946 – 27 June 1949
- Second Air Force, 16 June 1952
- Fifteenth Air Force, 31 March 1970 – 23 August 1988.
Components
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Wings
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Groups
Squadron
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Stations
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Aircraft and missiles
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Operations
The 4th Bombardment Wing moved to England in 1943 and as a part of Eighth Air Force began bombing operations against German occupied Europe. Targets included shipyards, synthetic rubber plants, chemical plants, marshalling yards, and oil facilities. In 1944, some subordinate units attacked coastline defenses and marshalling yards in preparation for the Allied invasion of France. Some units supported ground troops during the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945) and the assault across the Rhine (March 1945 – April 1945).
In the postwar years, the command was part of Air Defense Command assigned as a reserve wing assigned to First Air Force (1946–1949)
Rectivated in 1951 as an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command, the 4th Air Division was part of Second Air Force, controlling B-29, B-50 and B-47 wings. In 1962, units controlled by the 4th Air Division supported 2d Air Force's post attack command and control system, and became responsible for the Advanced Airborne Command Post. It participated in the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 and trained in electronic countermeasures and conducted combat operations in Southeast Asia in the late 1960s.
Reassigned to SAC's Fifteenth Air Force in 1970, the 4th assured that assigned units were capable of conducting strategic aerospace warfare using intercontinental ballistic missiles, long-range bombardment, and air refueling resources, according to the Emergency War Order. In addition, the division assumed airborne command and control responsibilities that consisted of supporting auxiliary airborne command post aircraft.
Inactivated in 1988 as a result of budget reductions and a consolidation of SAC's command and control echelons.
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of 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.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Air Force Historical Research Agency: 4th Air Division
External links
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