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307th Strategic Wing

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The 307th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing, last assigned to Strategic Air Command in 1975.

307th Bombardment Wing
307th Bombardment Wing Insignia
Active1942 - 1975
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
RoleBombardment
Part ofStrategic Air Command
Garrison/HQU-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield

History

Lineage

Bases Assigned

Aircraft Flown

Operational Squadrons

  • 370th Bombardment Squadron
  • 371st Bombardment Squadron
  • 372d Bombardment Squadron
  • 364th Bombardment Squadron
  • 365th Bombardment Squadron
  • 424th Bombardment Squadron
  • 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
  • 307th Air Refueling Squadron
  • 901st Air Refueling Squadron

Operational History

World War II

Constituted as 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on January 28, 1942. Activated on April 15, 1942. Trained and flew patrols off the west coast, first in B-17's and later in B-24's.

Moved to Hawaii, October - November 1942, and assigned to Seventh Air Force. Trained and flew patrol and search missions. Attacked Wake Island, December 1942- January 1943, by staging through Midway Island.

Moved to Guadalcanal in February 1943 and assigned to Thirteenth Air Force. Served in combat, primarily in the South and Southwest Pacific, until the war ended. Attacked Japanese airfields, installations, and shipping in the Solomons and Bismarcks. Helped to neutralize enemy bases on Yap and in the Truk and Palau Islands. Received a DUC for an unescorted, daylight attack on heavily defended airfields in the Truk Islands on March 29, 1944. Supported operations in the Philippines by striking Japanese shipping in the southern Philippines and by bombing airfields on Leyte, Luzon, Negros, Ceram, and Halmahera. Also took part in Allied air operations against the Netherlands Indies by hitting airfields, shipping, and installations. Received a DUC for an unescorted mission against vital oil refineries at Balikpapan, Borneo, on October 3, 1944. Supported Australian forces on Borneo and bombed targets in French Indochina during the last three months of the war.

Flew patrol missions along the Asiatic mainland and ferried liberated prisoners from Okinawa to Manila after V-J Day. Returned to the US, December 1945 - January 1946. Inactivated on January 18, 1946.

Postwar Years

Established as the 307th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on July 28, 1947. Organized on August 15, 1947. Discontinued July 12, 1948. Redesignated 307th Bombardment Wing, Medium and activated on July 12, 1948 at MacDill Field (later AFB), Florida.

The 307th replaced the 94th Combat Bombardment Wing VHB (Provisional) and other organizations in August 1947. From then until December 15, 1948 the 307th Wing controlled, in addition to its own units, the 82d Fighter Wing at Grenier Field, NH. In September 1947 it began training other SAC combat units in anti-submarine warfare. In February, it began operating a B-29 transition training school and standardized combat training for all SAC units.

Korean War

In August 1950, the 307th deployed to Okinawa. Detached from SAC, it began operations under Far East Air Forces (FEAF) Bomber Command, provisional. The attached 306th Bomb Group transferred to its parent wing on September 1, 1950 and until February 10, 1951 the 307th had no tactical mission. On that date, wing resources were used to train the 6th Air Division at MacDill and the wing deployed without personnel to Kadena AB, where it absorbed resources of the 307th Bomb Group and began flying combat missions.

By the end of the hostilities, the wing (including its tactical group) had flown 5,810 combat sorties in 573 combat missions. The wing remained in the Far East in combat ready status and on August 15, 1953 Kadena AB, Okinawa became its permanent base.

Cold War

The 307th returned to the United States in November 1954 and disposed of its B-29's at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. It proceeded to its new base, Lincoln AFB, Nebraska. There it began flying the new B-47 Stratojet and the KC-97 tanker.

It conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC's global commitments. 4362d Support Squadron (later the 4352d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron was attached July 20, 1962 - December 24, 1964.

In January 1965 the wing began phasing down. Discontinued and inactivated on March 25, 1965.

Vietnam War

Redesignated the 307th Strategic Wing and reactivated at U-Tapao Air Base, Thailand on January 21, 1970 replacing the 4258th Strategic Wing. The 307th was the only regular Air Force SAC Wing stationed in Southeast Asia.

Using aircraft and crews loaned from other SAC wings, the 307th conducted conventional bombardment operations and provided KC-135 aerial refueling of U.S. aircraft in Southeast Asia as directed through the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. It ended all combat operations on August 14, 1973.

The final B-52 left the wing in June 1975, but the wing continued some KC-135 and refueling and RC-135 reconnaissance operations until inactivated on September 30, 1975.

See also

References

  • Futrell, Robert Frank (1983) The United States Air Force In Korea, 1950-1953, Maxwell AFB, Alabama Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0912799714
  • Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
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