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307th Bombardment Wing




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


HISTORY


World War II

Constituted as 307th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 15 Apr 1942. Trained and flew patrols off the west coast, first in B-17's and later in B-24's. Moved to Hawaii, Oct-Nov 1942, and assigned to Seventh AF. Trained and flew patrol and search missions. Attacked Wake Island, Dec 1942-Jan 1943, by staging through Midway. Moved to Guadalcanal in Feb 1943 and assigned to Thirteenth AF. 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 29 Mar 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 3 Oct 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, Dec 1945-Jan 1946. Inactivated on 18 Jan 1946.


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, 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.


Operational Units

  • 307th Bombardment Group, Medium (August 1950 - February 1951)

  • --- 370th Bombardment Squadron

  • --- 371st Bombardment Squadron

  • --- 372nd Bombardment Squadron



Stations

  • Kadena AB, Okinawa, (August 1950 - June 1952)



Aircraft Flown



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. 4362 Support Squadron (later the 4352nd Post Attack Command and Control Squadron was attached July 20, 1962 - Dec. 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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