The 40th Air Division is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force at

Malmstrom Air Force Base Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place (CDP) in Cascade County, Montana, United States, adjacent to the city of Great Falls. It was named in honor of World War II POW Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom. ...

, Montana. It was inactivated on 14 June 1991. As the 40th Bombardment Wing, the unit was one of the primary B-17 Flying Fortress heavy strategic bombardment wings of

VIII Bomber Command 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of ...

and later, Eighth Air Force in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

History

The 40th Bomb Wing was established on 15 January 1943 and officially activated on 21 January 1943. In May of that year, the Wing deployed to

Brampton Grange The Brampton Grange in Brampton, Cambridgeshire, England, is a historic building that dates back to 1773. The building was once vital to the planning and bombing of Germany as the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 1st Bombardment Division, pa ...

, England. During the war, the wing went through a succession of name changes starting on 3 May 1943 when they were redesignated the 40 Bombardment Wing (Heavy). This was quickly followed by another change on 30 August 1943 when they were redesignated the 40 Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy). In September 1943, the wing received three bombardment groups and began combat operations against

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, striking such targets as Nantes, Emden,

Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsh ...

, and Bremen. Its units participated in a mission to

Schweinfurt Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultural and educational hub. The urban ag ...

on 14 October 1943 that resulted in the loss of over half of the aircraft dispatched. The final name change came on 13 August 1943 when they became 40 Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy. For the remainder of World War II, the wing flew numerous missions against military targets throughout occupied Europe and Germany. Following the end of the war the Wing was inactivated on 25 December 1946. "Redesignated the 40th Air Division in March 1951, it assumed a supervisory role over assigned units of the Strategic Air Command, ensuring that they were manned, trained, and equipped to conduct long range bombardment missions using either nuclear or conventional weapons. It also developed and maintained the capability for effective

air refueling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft ...

and

Minuteman II The LGM-30 Minuteman is an American land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in service with the Air Force Global Strike Command. , the LGM-30G Minuteman III version is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States and re ...

( intercontinental ballistic missile) operations. In these roles the division conducted staff assistance visits and participated in numerous exercises such as Buy None, Buckskin Rider and Busy Player." "After July 1989, the 40th Air Division established policies to ensure support for wartime execution of a strategic ICBM wing and a strategic air refueling wing in accordance with the Single Integrated Operational Plan and

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

directed conventional war-fighting commitments."

Lineage

* Established as the 40th Bombardment Wing on 15 January 1943 : Activated on 21 January 1943 : Redesignated: 40th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 3 May 1943 : Redesignated: 40th Combat Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 30 August 1943 : Redesignated: 40th Combat Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 13 August 1944 : Redesignated: 40th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 9 June 1945 : Inactivated on 25 December 1946 * Redesignated 40th Air Division on 2 March 1951 : Organized on 14 March 1951 : Discontinued on 1 July 1952 * Activated on 1 July 1952The simultaneous discontinuation and activation in 1952 represents a change between a Table of Distribution unit and a Table of Organization unit : Inactivated on 1 April 1957 * Activated on 1 July 1959 : Inactivated on 8 June 1988 * Activated on 7 July 1989 : Inactivated on 14 June 1991

Assignments

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in ...

, 21 January 1943 * Eighth Air Force, 6 June 1943 *

, 8 June 1943 *

1st Bombardment Division First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

(later 1 Air Division), 13 September 1943 *

United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

, c. 31 October 1945 * European Air Materiel Command, 20 – 25 December 1946 *

Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defende ...

, 14 March 1951 – 1 April 1957 * Second Air Force, 1 July 1959 * Eighth Air Force, 1 January 1975 – 8 June 1988 * Fifteenth Air Force, 7 July 1989 – 14 June 1991

Components

Wings *

17th Bombardment Wing 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as ...

: 1 February – 1 July 1963; 1 July 1971 – 1 July 1973 *

31st Fighter-Escort Wing The 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe major command and the Third Air Force. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base ...

(later 31st Strategic Fighter Wing): 14 March 1951 – 1 July 1952; 1 July 1952 – 1 April 1957 (detached 10 July – 11 October 1952 and 10 November 1953 – 12 February 1954) * 108th Fighter Wing: 14 March – 16 November 1951 * 146th Fighter Wing: 17 April – c. 1 September 1951 * 301st Air Refueling Wing: 2 July 1966 – 31 March 1970; 1 July 1973 – 1 July 1975; 7 July 1989 – 14 June 1991 *

305th Air Refueling Wing 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

: 1 July 1973 – 1 December 1982 * 341st Strategic Missile Wing: 7 July 1989 – 14 June 1991 * 351st Strategic Missile Wing: 1 July 1973 – 1 December 1982 *

379th Bombardment Wing 379th may refer to: * 379th Aero Squadron, training unit assigned to Benbrook Field, former World War I military airfield, 0.5 miles north of Benbrook, Texas * 379th Air Expeditionary Wing (379 AEW) is a provisional United States Air Force unit ass ...

: 9 January 1961 – 8 June 1988 * 410th Bombardment Wing: 1 February 1963 – 1 September 1964; 31 March 1970 – 8 January 1988 *

416th Bombardment Wing 416th may refer to: * 416th Air Expeditionary Operations Group, provisional unit assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command * 416th Bombardment Wing, inactive United States Air Force unit * 416th Engineer Command (TEC), US Army Re ...

: 30 June 1971 – 1 July 1973; 1 December 1982 – 8 June 1988 * 449th Bombardment Wing: 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1977 *

499th Air Refueling Wing The 499th Air Refueling Wing is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) unit that was last active at Westover AFB, Massachusetts in June 1966. The wing was first activated as the 499th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces, w ...

: 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1977 *

500th Air Refueling Wing 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...

: 1 July 1963 – 15 December 1964 *

508th Fighter-Escort Wing 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...

(later 508 Strategic Fighter Wing): 1 July 1952 – 11 May 1956 (detached c. 8 February -c. 13 May 1953 and 12 February-c. 7 May 1954) * 4026th Strategic Wing: 1 July 1959 – 9 January 1961 *

4042d Strategic Wing The United States Air Force's 410th Air Expeditionary Wing (410 AEW) is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command (ACC) It may be activated or inactivated at any time. The unit was known to be active during the ...

: 1 July 1959 – 1 February 1963 *

4043d Strategic Wing The 17th Training Wing (17 TRW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Second Air Force. It is stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. The wing is also the host unit at Goodfellow. It was ac ...

: 1 July 1959 – 1 February 1963 *

4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing The 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force (USAF) wing last assigned to the 12th Strategic Aerospace Division of Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Davis–Monthan AFB, Arizona. It was SAC's high altitude r ...

: 1 May 1956 – 1 April 1957 *

4239th Strategic Wing The 449th Air Expeditionary Group (449 AEG) is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Third Air Force supporting United States Africa Command. It is stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. It flies missions for Africa Command ...

: 1 July 1959 – 1 February 1963 Groups *

2d Bombardment Group 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to: Airports *0O2, Baker Airport *O02, Nervino Airport Astronomy *1996 OO2, the minor planet 7499 L'Aquila *1990 OO2, the asteroid 9175 Graun Fiction *002, fictional British 00 Agent *'' 002 Operazione Lu ...

, 15 December 1945 – 28 February 1946 *

92d Bombardment Group 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...

, 13 September 1943 – 28 February 1946 *

305th Bombardment Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

, 13 September 1943 – 16 May 1945; 31 December 1945 – 25 December 1946 *

306th Bombardment Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

, 13 September 1943 – 16 May 1945; 16 December 1945 – 25 December 1946 *

384th Bombardment Group 384th may refer to: *384th Air Expeditionary Group, provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command *384th Air Expeditionary Wing, inactive unit of the United States Air Force *384th Air Refueling Squadron (384 ARS) is p ...

, 31 May 1945 – 28 February 1946 *

492d Bombardment Group 49 may refer to: * 49 (number) * "Forty Nine", a song by Karma to Burn from the album '' V'', 2011 * one of the years 49 BC, AD 49, 1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pak ...

, by 31 October 1944-c. May 1945 Squadron *

100th Air Refueling Squadron The 100th Fighter Squadron (100 FS) is a unit of the Alabama Air National Guard 187th Fighter Wing located at Dannelly Field, Alabama. The 100th is equipped with the General Dynamics F-16C+ Fighting Falcon. The 100th FS was one of the Tuskege ...

: 20 January – 23 May 1953; 24 – 25 November 1953

Stations

MacDill Field MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...

, Florida, 21 January–May 1943 * Brampton Grange (AAF-103), England, 6 June 1943 *

RAF Thurleigh Royal Air Force Thurleigh or more simply RAF Thurleigh is a former Royal Air Force station located north of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. Thurleigh was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force on 9 December 1942 ...

(AAF-111), England, c. 16 September 1943 * Istres-Le Tubé Airfield (Y-17), France, 26 June 1945 * AAF Station Erlangen, Germany, 15 November 1945 – 25 December 1946 * Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, 14 March 1951 – 1 July 1952; 1 July 1952 – 1 April 1957 *

Wurtsmith Air Force Base Wurtsmith Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force base in Iosco County, Michigan. It operated from 1923 until decommissioned in 1993. On January 18, 1994 it was listed as a Superfund due to extensive groundwater contaminatio ...

, Michigan, 1 July 1959 – 8 June 1988 *

, Montana, 7 July 1989 – 14 June 1991

Aircraft and Missiles

* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1946 * Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1944–1945 *

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained ...

, 1944–1945 *

Douglas A-26 Invader The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during several major Col ...

, 1945 *

North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...

, 1945 * de Havilland Mosquito, 1945 *

Republic F-84 Thunderjet The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thun ...

, 1951–1957 *

Boeing KB-29 Superfortress The Boeing KB-29 was a modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress for air refueling needs by the USAF. Two primary versions were developed and produced: KB-29M and KB-29P. The 509th and 43d Air Refueling Squadrons (Walker AFB, NM and Davis-Month ...

, 1953–1956 *

Martin B-57 Canberra The Martin B-57 Canberra is an American-built, twin-engined tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1953. The B-57 is a license-built version of the British English Electric ...

, 1956–1957 * Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1961–1988 *

KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of trans ...

, 1961–1988, 1989–1991 *

Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Design and developm ...

, 1963–1964 * Minuteman-II (LGM-30F), 1973–1988, 1989–1991 * Minuteman-III (LGM-30G), 1989–1991

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II

040 The Motorola 68040 ("''sixty-eight-oh-forty''") is a 32-bit microprocessor in the Motorola 68000 series, released in 1990. It is the successor to the 68030 and is followed by the 68060, skipping the 68050. In keeping with general Motorola n ...

Units and formations of Strategic Air Command Bombardment units and formations of the United States Air Force