73d Air Division
Encyclopedia
The 73d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, based at Tyndall Air Force Base
, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966.
on 17 February 1943. Its original mission was a control organization for Replacement Training Units (RTU), with command and control over B-17/B-24 training units based in the midwest. It was inactivated on 15 October 1943 with the phasedown of heavy bomber training.
The wing was reactivated and redesignated as the 73d Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) on 20 November 1943 at Smokey Hill AAF
, Kansas
. The new B-29 Superfortress
wing was assigned four newly organized groups, (497th, 498th, 499th and 500th Bombardment Groups) which were training in New Mexico
and Arizona
on B-17 and B-24s, due to a lack of B-29 aircraft. In April 1944, the groups were brought to several airfields in Kansas (Great Bend AAF
, Smokey Hill AAF
and Walker AAF
) where they were equipped with new B-29s manufactured by Boeing
at their Wichita
, Kansas plant.
By August the wing's groups completed their training and their aircraft were readied for deployment. Originally assigned to Twentieth Air Force
's XX Bomber Command in India
, the wing was instead assigned to the new XXI Bomber Command in the Pacific Theater
. The 73d Wing deployed to newly-constructed airfields on Saipan
in the Northern Mariana Islands
.
From Saipan, the groups of the 73d Bomb Wing flew several bombing missions against Truk
to gain combat experience before bombing Iwo Jima
. In November 1944, the groups of the 73rd began bombing Japan, with only moderate success. Poor weather, the lack of precision radar bombing equipment, and tremendous winds encountered at high altitudes over Japan made accuracy difficult. Consequently, it turned to devastating low altitude incendiary attacks
. In addition to Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka
, the 73d fire bombed numerous Japanese cities until war's end.
for scrapping, or were flown to storage facilities in Texas or Arizona
. The 73d Bomb Wing was reassigned to the United States in December 1945, being assigned first to Continental Air Force's Fourth Air Force
, then to the new Strategic Air Command
on 21 March 1946. However demobilization was in full swing and few SAC units were actually equipped and manned. The 73d Bomb Wing was inactivated on 31 March and the unit was allocated on paper to the Air Force Reserve.
In 1947, the 73d Bomb Wing was reactivated with the 338th and 351st Bomb Groups being assigned to it, both reserve B-29 Superfortress organizations. A third group, the 381st was added in 1948. However SAC was having enough difficulties keeping its front-line active duty bomb units in the air to maintain even minimal pilot proficiency in the late 1940s. The wing and its bomb groups were all inactivated in 1949.
tactics, equipment, aircraft, guided missiles, and related equipment and armaments. It also maintained active contact with Army, Navy, and other Air Force commands to assure coordinated military effort in the use of rocket and missile ranges, defense plans, air sea land rescue, and airspace and airways directly concerned with the operations of the Air Defense Command Weapons Center.
With the diminishing need for an active-duty air defense mission in the United States, the 73d Air Division was inactivated on 1 April 1966.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, based at Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt Frank Benjamin Tyndall...
, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 April 1966.
World War II
The 73d Bombardment Wing was activated as part of Second Air ForceSecond Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
on 17 February 1943. Its original mission was a control organization for Replacement Training Units (RTU), with command and control over B-17/B-24 training units based in the midwest. It was inactivated on 15 October 1943 with the phasedown of heavy bomber training.
The wing was reactivated and redesignated as the 73d Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) on 20 November 1943 at Smokey Hill AAF
Salina Municipal Airport
Salina Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Salina, a city in Saline County, Kansas, United States. It is owned by the Salina Airport Authority....
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. The new B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
wing was assigned four newly organized groups, (497th, 498th, 499th and 500th Bombardment Groups) which were training in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
on B-17 and B-24s, due to a lack of B-29 aircraft. In April 1944, the groups were brought to several airfields in Kansas (Great Bend AAF
Great Bend Municipal Airport
Great Bend Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located four nautical miles west of the central business district of Great Bend, a city in Barton County, Kansas, United States. It is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline...
, Smokey Hill AAF
Salina Municipal Airport
Salina Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Salina, a city in Saline County, Kansas, United States. It is owned by the Salina Airport Authority....
and Walker AAF
Walker Army Airfield (Kansas)
Walker Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located north of Interstate 70 in Ellis County, 4 miles northeast of Victoria, Kansas....
) where they were equipped with new B-29s manufactured by Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
at their Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Kansas plant.
By August the wing's groups completed their training and their aircraft were readied for deployment. Originally assigned to Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
's XX Bomber Command in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the wing was instead assigned to the new XXI Bomber Command in the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
. The 73d Wing deployed to newly-constructed airfields on Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
in the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
.
From Saipan, the groups of the 73d Bomb Wing flew several bombing missions against Truk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
to gain combat experience before bombing Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. In November 1944, the groups of the 73rd began bombing Japan, with only moderate success. Poor weather, the lack of precision radar bombing equipment, and tremendous winds encountered at high altitudes over Japan made accuracy difficult. Consequently, it turned to devastating low altitude incendiary attacks
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
. In addition to Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, the 73d fire bombed numerous Japanese cities until war's end.
Strategic Air Command
With the end of the war the wing's four bomb groups were all returned to the United States, with their B-29s either being flown to Clark Air BaseClark Air Base
Clark Air Base is a former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles City, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991...
for scrapping, or were flown to storage facilities in Texas or Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The 73d Bomb Wing was reassigned to the United States in December 1945, being assigned first to Continental Air Force's Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, then to the new Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
on 21 March 1946. However demobilization was in full swing and few SAC units were actually equipped and manned. The 73d Bomb Wing was inactivated on 31 March and the unit was allocated on paper to the Air Force Reserve.
In 1947, the 73d Bomb Wing was reactivated with the 338th and 351st Bomb Groups being assigned to it, both reserve B-29 Superfortress organizations. A third group, the 381st was added in 1948. However SAC was having enough difficulties keeping its front-line active duty bomb units in the air to maintain even minimal pilot proficiency in the late 1940s. The wing and its bomb groups were all inactivated in 1949.
Air Defense Command
The organization was reactivated as part of Air Defense Command (ADC) in 1957 as the 73d Air Division. As part of ADC, it evaluated, upgraded, and determined the proficiency of the Air Defense Command fighter-interceptor and missile squadrons, 1 July 1957 – 1 April 1966. The division developed and tested Air Defense CommandAerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1946 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the integrated air defense system of the Continental United States , exercise direct control of all active...
tactics, equipment, aircraft, guided missiles, and related equipment and armaments. It also maintained active contact with Army, Navy, and other Air Force commands to assure coordinated military effort in the use of rocket and missile ranges, defense plans, air sea land rescue, and airspace and airways directly concerned with the operations of the Air Defense Command Weapons Center.
With the diminishing need for an active-duty air defense mission in the United States, the 73d Air Division was inactivated on 1 April 1966.
Lineage
- Constituted as 5th Heavy Bombardment Processing Headquarters on 9 February 1943.
- Activated on 17 February 1943
- Redesignated 73d Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Heavy) on 12 August 1943.
- Inactivated on 15 October 1943
- Redesignated 73d Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 19 November 1943
- Activated on 20 November 1943
- Redesignated: 73d Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, Special on 13 January 1944
- Redesignated; 73d Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 24 June 1944.
- Inactivated on 31 May 1946.
- Activated in the Air Force Reserve on 12 June 1947.
- Redesignated 73d Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948.
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949.
- Redesignated 73d Air Division (Weapons) on 1 April 1957.
- Activated on 1 July 1957.
- Redesignated 73d Air Division on 1 March 1963.
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 April 1966..
Assignments
- Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
,
- 12 August – 15 October 1943
- 2 June – 30 July 1944
- 12 June 1947 – 1 July 1948
- XX Bomber CommandXX Bomber CommandThe XX Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Far East Air Forces, based on Okinawa. It was inactivated on July 16, 1945.- History:...
, 20 November 1943 – 2 June 1944 - Twentieth Air ForceTwentieth Air ForceThe Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
, c. 6 August – 9 November 1944; 16 July – 7 December 1945 - XXI Bomber CommandXXI Bomber CommandThe XXI Bomber Command was a unit of the Twentieth Air Force in Guam for strategic bombing during World War II.- Lineage:* Constituted as XXI Bomber Command on 1 Mar 1944, and activated the same day.-Assignments:...
, 9 November 1944 – 16 July 1945
- XX Bomber Command
- Fourth Air ForceFourth Air ForceThe Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 7 December 1945 – 5 January 1946 - Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 5 January 1946 – 21 March 1946 - Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 21–31 March 1946 - Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 31 March – 31 May 1946 - Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 1 July 1948 – 27 June 1949 - Air Defense Command, 1 July 1957 – 1 April 1966
Bases Assigned
- Walker AAFWalker Army Airfield (Kansas)Walker Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located north of Interstate 70 in Ellis County, 4 miles northeast of Victoria, Kansas....
, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 17 February 1943 - Smoky Hill AAFSalina Municipal AirportSalina Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Salina, a city in Saline County, Kansas, United States. It is owned by the Salina Airport Authority....
, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
,
- 30 June – 15 October 1943
- 20 November 1943
- Colorado Springs AAF, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, 29 February – 17 July 1944 - Isley AirfieldSaipan International Airport- See also :* East Field * USAAF in the Central Pacific-References:* Dorr, Robert F. B-29 Units of World War II. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-285-7...
, SaipanSaipanSaipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, Mariana IslandsMariana IslandsThe Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, 24 August 1944 – 20 October 1945
- Colorado Springs AAF, Colorado
- MacDill Field, Florida, 15 January – 31 May 1946.
- Orchard Place Airport/Douglas FieldO'Hare International AirportChicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
,
- 12 June 1947 – 29 June 1949.
- Tyndall AFB, Florida, 1 July 1957 – 1 April 1966.
World War II
- 497th Bombardment Group497th Bombardment GroupThe 497th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit was inactivated on 31 March 1946.The unit was part of the United States Army Air Force and Twentieth Air Force during World War II. The 497th BG engaged in very heavy bombardment operations against Japan...
: 20 November 1943 – 31 March 1946 - 498th Bombardment Group: 20 November 1943 – 31 May 1946
- 499th Bombardment Group: 20 November 1943 – 16 February 1946
- 500th Bombardment Group: 20 November 1943 – 17 January 1946
Strategic Air Command
- 338th Bombardment Group338th Bombardment GroupThe 338th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active with Continental Air Command, being based at O'Hare International Airport, Illinois. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949.-History:...
: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 - 351st Bombardment Group: 17 October 1947 – 4 June 1948
- 381st Bombardment Group: 4 June 1948 – 27 June 1949
Sector
- Montgomery Air Defense Sector
- Gunter AFB, Alabama, 1 October 1964 – 1 April 1966
Wings
- 4750th Air Defense Wing4750th Air Defense WingThe 4750th Air Defense Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 73d Air Division, Air Defense Command, stationed at MacDill AFB, Florida...
- Vincent AFB, Arizona, 1 July 1957 – 25 June 1960
- 4751st Air Defense Wing
- Eglin Auxiliary Field #9Hurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Florida, 15 January 1958 – 1 October 1959- 4756th Air Defense Wing4756th Air Defense WingThe 4756th Air Defense Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Training Command, being stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida...
- 4756th Air Defense Wing
- Tyndall AFB, Florida, 1 July 1957-1 July 1960;1 September 1962-1 April 1966
- 4780th Air Defense Wing4780th Air Defense WingThe 4780th Air Defense Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Tenth Air Force, being stationed at Perrin Air Force Base, Texas...
- 4780th Air Defense Wing
- Perrin AFB, Texas, 1 July 1962 – 1 April 1966
Group
- 4756th Air Defense Group4756th Air Defense GroupThe 4756th Air Defense Group is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4756th Air Defense Wing, being stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida...
- Tyndall AFB, Florida, 1 July 1960 – 1 September 1962
Aircraft
- B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 1943–1946. - B-57 CanberraB-57 CanberraThe Martin B-57 Canberra was a United States-built, twin jet engine light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, which entered service with the United States Air Force in 1953. The B-57 was initially a version of the English Electric Canberra built under license. However, the Glenn L...
, c. 1957 – c. 1960; - F-86D Sabre, c. 1955 - c. 1957;
- F-102 Delta DaggerF-102 Delta DaggerThe Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
, c. 1957 – c. 1966; - F-104 StarfighterF-104 StarfighterThe Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is a single-engine, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed for the United States Air Force by Lockheed. One of the Century Series of aircraft, it served with the USAF from 1958 until 1969, and continued with Air National Guard units...
, c. 1957 – c. 1960; - T-33 Shooting StarT-33 Shooting StarThe Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star is an American-built jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948, piloted by Tony LeVier. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A. It was used by the...
, c. 1957 – 1966; - F-101 VoodooF-101 VoodooThe McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
, c. 1960 – c. 1966; - F-106 Delta DartF-106 Delta DartThe Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date...
, c. 1960 – c. 1966.
See also
- List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
- Aerospace Defense Command Fighter SquadronsAerospace Defense Command Fighter SquadronsThe second iteration of Aerospace Defense Command was established on 21 March 1946 as a component of the United States Army Air Forces, with the mission of planning for and executing the air defense of the United States...
- List of United States Air Force air divisions