310th Air Division


The 310th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Continental Air Command 's Twelfth Air Force at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where it was inactivated on 27 June 1949.
The division was first activated as the 310th Bombardment Wing in New Guinea during World War II. It served as a task force headquarters, commanding advanced elements of Fifth Air Force during the New Guinea campaign and the liberation of the Philippines. After VJ Day, it moved to Japan, serving in the occupation forces until inactivating in March 1946. The wing was again activated in the reserves in 1947, becoming a division the following year.

History

World War II

During World War II, the 310 Bombardment Wing, Medium was a command echelon of Fifth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific theater, controlling numerous fighter and bomber groups and squadrons until the Japanese surrender in 1945. Its attached units "flew missions against Japanese shipping, coastal installations, gun positions, airdromes, and troop concentrations. Fighting in New Guinea and later in the Philippine Islands, attached fighter units flew escort for bombing, supply, and reconnaissance missions." In October 1945, the wing moved to Japan and served in the occupation force. It was inactivated in Japan during early 1946.

Air Force Reserve

The 310th Bombardment Wing was activated as a reserve unit under Air Defense Command at Tinker Field, Oklahoma on 26 July 1947, but had no units assigned until September when the 323d Bombardment Group was activated at Tinker and assigned to the wing. The 177th AAF Base Unit supervised the training of reserve units at Tinker. Later that fall, at the end of October, the 340th Bombardment Group was activated at Tulsa Municipal Airport and assigned to the wing. Although the units were designated as bombardment units, it appeared they were equipped with North American AT-6 Texan and Beechcraft AT-11 aircraft only.
In 1948, when the regular Air Force implemented the wing base organization system, the wing, along with other multi-base reserve wings was redesignated as an air division. The same year, Continental Air Command assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.
The 310th was inactivated when Continental Air Command reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system in June 1949. The division's personnel and equipment were transferred to the 323d Bombardment Wing, which was activated at Tinker the same day and assumed command of the 323d Bombardment Group. President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget also required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force, and the 340th Group was inactivated in August and not replaced as reserve flying operations at Tulsa ceased.

Lineage

World War II

; Groups
; Squadrons