3d Air Division

World War II

The 3d Air Division was activated in September 1943 as an intermediate command and control organization between command and wing levels. It was assigned to VIII Bomber Command, Eighth Air Force. The Division commanded three combat bombardment wings (4th, 13th and 45th), consisting of seven B-17 Flying Fortress bomb groups. The addition of the 92nd and 93d Combat Bomb Wings in 1944 and additional bomb groups to the other wings increased the number of combat groups to fourteen. Between May 1944 and September 1944 the division operated both B-17 Flying Fortress (nine groups) and B-24 Liberator (five groups) aircraft, before converting to an all-B-17 organization for the remainder of the war. In September 1944 the 66th Fighter Wing was assigned directly to the division for fighter support.

The bomb groups were engaged in strategic bombardment combat operations against Axis targets in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). During the weeks immediately preceding D-Day (6 June 1944), division aircraft bombed tactical targets such as German communications centers and lines of support, and on D-Day hit targets on the Cherbourg Peninsula immediately behind the landing beaches.

After V-E Day, the 3d Air Division briefly became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe. As former Eighth Air Force units were withdrawn from Europe and returned to the United States during the summer and fall of 1945, the Division was assigned to VIII Fighter Command and controlled a mixture of bombardment and fighter groups before itself being inactivated on 21 November 1945.

In Europe from 1948

In August 1948, in response to the Berlin blockade, the U.S. deployed long-range B-29 Superfortress strategic bombers to four English East Anglian bases. The 3d Air Division (Provisional) was activated as part of United States Air Forces in Europe to receive, support and operationally control the B-29 units deployed for training. At this time these units were only expected to take part in 30- to 60-day temporary duty cycles. It was formed at RAF Marham, and on 23 August 1948, the provisional title was dropped, and on 8 September the headquarters moved into quarters at Bushy Park and remained there until April 1949 when it moved to the Victoria Park Estate, South Ruislip.

It also provided aircraft maintenance support at RAF Burtonwood for C-54 Skymaster aircraft used in the Berlin Airlift.

It was briefly elevated to the Major Command level from 3 January 1949 – 21 January 1951. When the Berlin Airlift ended in 1949, the division participated in the Military Assistance Program in England and began an extensive air base construction program through May 1951 and a large number of USAF organizations based in the United Kingdom.

With the advent of the Korean War and the growing Cold War threat of the Soviet Union, the U.S. and UK agreed to an even greater U.S. military presence in the United Kingdom. The resulting growing size and complexity of the American military presence required a larger command and organizational structure, that could meet the needs of the increased operations.

The 3d Air Division was inactivated on 1 May 1951. In its place United States Air Forces Europe activated Third Air Force to command its units in the United Kingdom. Strategic Air Command (SAC) had activated the 7th Air Division a few days earlier to control its forces deployed in Europe. SAC's intent in activating a separate headquarters was to maintain control of these forces by keeping them out of the control of the theater commander and avoid what it regarded as the misuse of its forces in the Korean War, in which its bombers had been kept from striking strategic targets by the theater commander.

In the Pacific from 1954

The 3d Air Division was activated again at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam in June 1954 as the headquarters for all SAC units in the Pacific. The division replaced the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command (Provisional)]], which was simultaneously discontinued at Yokota Air Base, Japan. In addition to the strategic bomber force, the division exercised operational control over numerous deployed tactical components, and all Strategic Air Command (SAC) operations in the region came under its jurisdiction. It also supported air refueling needs of all United States military agencies operating in or transiting the region.

In mid-1958, the deployment of entire SAC wings to Guam was replaced by an "Air Mail" alert program, whereby several B-47 Stratojet wings in the U.S. maintained a specific number of B-47s and KC-97s at Andersen AFB to meet both routine and alert requirements.

In April 1964, the division switched from "Air Mail" B-47 / KC-97 to "Reflex" B-52 / KC-135 alert forces, again with aircraft and crews furnished in deployed status from U.S. based SAC wings. In 1965, it became heavily involved in Arc Light and Young Tiger operations in the Far East and SE Asia (SEA). Strategic Air Command wings in the U.S. furnished the aircrews and aircraft for these operations. The first elements of the 3d Air Division to enter combat in SEA were the tanker forces under Young Tiger. In June 1965, Arc Light B-52s struck suspected Viet Cong targets in South Vietnam, commencing the first SAC combat missions. B-52s began striking targets in North Vietnam on 11 April 1966; the initial attack against the Mu Gia Pass marked the largest single bomber raid since World War II. By late 1969, most Arc Light operations staged from U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand, while others were mounted from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa and Andersen. Andersen AFB remained the primary base for SAC deployed forces from the U.S., however, and aircraft and crews were sent from Guam to Kadena and U Tapao for combat missions.

On 1 April 1970 the 3d Air Division's resources passed to the Eighth Air Force. Effective 1 January 1975, 3d Air Division again controlled all SAC operations in the Western Pacific, Far East, and Southeast Asia. Additionally, it assumed responsibility for air refueling support of all U.S. military forces in these areas. During Persian Gulf operations in late 1990 through early 1991, it tasked and supported numerous sorties supporting the deployment in the Pacific Area of Responsibility (AOR).

Lineage

Established as 3d Bombardment Division on 30 August 1943

Activated on 13 September 1943 Redesignated 3d Air Division on 1 January 1945 Inactivated on 21 November 1945 Organized on 23 August 1948 Discontinued on 1 May 1951

Redesignated 3d Air Division (Operational) on 8 October 1953

Activated on 25 October 1953 Inactivated on 1 March 1954

Redesignated 3d Air Division on 8 June 1954

Activated on 18 June 1954 Inactivated on 1 April 1970

Activated on 1 January 1975

Inactivated on 1 April 1992

Assignments

VIII Bomber Command (later, Eighth Air Force), 13 September 1943

VIII Fighter Command, 16 July – 21 November 1945

United States Air Forces in Europe, 23 August 1948

United States Air Force, 3 January 1949

United States Air Forces in Europe, 21 January – 1 May 1951, 25 October 1953 – 1 March 1954

Strategic Air Command, 18 June 1954 – 1 April 1970, 1 January 1975

Fifteenth Air Force, 31 January 1982 – 1 April 1992

Wings

VIII Bomber Command

4 Combat Bombardment: 13 September 1943 – 18 June 1945 4 Bombardment (Provisional): 18 November 1944 – 10 February 1945 13 Combat Bombardment (later, 13th Bombardment): 13 September 1943 – c. 6 August 1945 45 Combat Bombardment: 13 September 1943 – 18 June 1945 92 Combat Bombardment: 31 March 1944 – c. 13 June 1945 93 Combat Bombardment: 10 January 1944 – c. 13 July 1945 401 Provisional Combat, Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943 402 Provisional Combat, Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943 403 Provisional Combat, Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943

VIII Fighter Command

1 Bombardment: 12 August – c. 26 August 1945 2 Bombardment: 12 August – c. 25 August 1945 14 Bombardment: 16 June – 26 August 1945 20 Bombardment: 16 June – c. 6 August 1945 65 Fighter: 1 June – 1 November 1945 66 Fighter: 15 September 1944 – 1 November 1945 67 Fighter: 12 August – 1 November 1945

Eighth Air Force

307 Strategic: 1 January – 30 September 1975 376 Strategic: 1 January 1975 – 30 October 1991

Fifteenth Air Force

6 Bombardment 9 August 1990 – 1 April 1992

Temporary attached Air Mail/Reflex units not listed. Check AFHRA link for details.

Groups

VIII Bomber command

385 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943 388 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943 390 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943 94 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943; 18 June – 12 August 1945; 28 September – 1 November 1945 95 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943 96 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943; 18–12 August 1945; 28 September – 1 November 1945 100 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943; 18 June – 12 August 1945; 28 September – 1 November 1945 493 Bombardment: 1–10 January 1944

VIII Fighter Command

4 Fighter: 16 October – 1 November 1945 339 Fighter: 14 April – c. 6 August 1944 355 Fighter: 16 July – October 1945 479 Fighter: 16 July – October 1945

United States Air Forces in Europe

2 Bombardment: attached 23 August – 17 November 1948; attached 21 February – c. 15 May 1950 22 Bombardment: attached 19 November 1948 – 14 February 1949; attached 17 November 1949 – 17 February 1950 28 Bombardment: attached 23 August – 18 October 1948 43 Bombardment: attached 20 August – 18 November 1949 92 Bombardment: attached 6 February – 6 May 1949 97 Bombardment: attached 4 November 1948 – 15 February 1949; July 1950 – February 1951 98 Bombardment: attached 18 May – 18 August 1949 301 Bombardment: attached 19 October 1948 – 17 January 1949; attached 19 May – c. 3 July 1950 307 Bombardment: attached 23 August – 4 November 1948; attached 15 February – 30 April 1949 509 Bombardment: attached 4 May – 30 August 1949 20 Fighter Bomber: attached 20 July – 10 December 1950

Squadrons

VIII Fighter Command

36 Bombardment: 12 August – 1 September 1945 652 Bombardment (Weather Reconnaissance): 25 August – 1 September 1945; 12 October – 1 November 1945. 653 Bombardment (Weather Reconnaissance): 12 October – 1 November 1945. 862 Bombardment: attached 17 February – 7 May 1945. 418th Bombardment Squadron: attached 7 April 1944 - 31 December 1945.

United States Air Forces in Europe

2 Air Refueling: attached 6 April – c. 15 May 1950 23 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 22 December 1949 – 6 March 1950 72 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 1 June – 15 November 1950 301 Air Refueling: attached 19 May – c. 3 July 1950.

Fifteenth Air Force

82 Strategic Reconnaissance: 25 August 1967 – 2 January 1968

Stations

Camp Blainey, England, 13 September 1943

RAF Honington, England, c. 27 October – 21 November 1945

RAF Marham, England, 23 August 1948

Bushy Park, England, 8 September 1948

Victoria Park Estate (later, USAF Station), South Ruislip, England, 15 April 1949 – 1 May 1951

Wiesbaden AB, West Germany, 25 October 1953 – 1 March 1954

Andersen AFB, Guam, 18 June 1954 – 1 April 1970; 1 January 1975 – 12 September 1988

Hickam AFB, Hawaii, 12 September 1988 – 1 April 1992.

World War II

B-17 Flying Fortress 1943–1945;

B-24 Liberator 1944;

P-47 Thunderbolt 1944–1945;

P-51 Mustang 1944–1945.

Strategic Air Command

B-50 Superfortress 1954;

B-36 Peacemaker 1954–1955 1955–1956;

RB-36 {reconnaissance} 1955;

B-47 Stratojet 1955 1956–1964;

B-52 Stratofortress 1964–1970;

KC-97 Stratotanker 1957 – c. 1965;

KC-135 Stratotanker 1965–1970.

B-52 Stratofortress 1975–1992;

KC-10 Extender (tankers in TDY status) 1986–1988;

KC-135 Stratotanker 1975–1992;

RC-135 Rivet Joint 1975–1992.