The 69th Air Division is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army Signal ...

organization. Its last assignment was with

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

, assigned to

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

Greater Pittsburgh Airport Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, is a civil–military international airport in Findlay Township and Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Located about 10 miles (15 km) west of downtown Pittsbu ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. It was inactivated on 24 June 1949.

History

"Activated in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

in 1943, the wing engaged in sea sweeps and attacks against Japanese inland shipping. Between late 1943 and 1945 its units bombed and strafed such targets as trains, harbors, railroads in

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

, and the Canton Hong Kong area of South China. These units also provided air support to Chinese ground troops. Fighter aircraft defended Allied air bases, the eastern terminus of

The Hump The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and t ...

route, and the bases in the area of

Kunming Kunming (; ), also known as Yunnan-Fu, is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province, China. It is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province as well as the seat of the provincial government. The headquar ...

and attacked bridges, oil and gas storage facilities, supply dumps, convoys, and enemy troop concentrations. After the Japanese surrender, the 69th's troop carrier aircraft ferried troops and supplies in China, helped to evacuate prisoners of war, and flew mercy missions in China, French Indochina, and Manchuria." "It activated in the Reserves in

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

and performed training duties until June

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

Lineage

* Established as the 69 Bombardment Wing on 9 August 1943 : Activated on 3 September 1943 : Redesignated 69 Composite Wing on 21 December 1943 : Inactivated on 26 December 1945 * Redesignated 69 Troop Carrier Wing on 28 January 1947 : Activated in the Reserve on 23 March 1947 : Redesignated 69 Air Division, Troop Carrier on 16 April 1948 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949 : Redesignated 69 Air Division on 1 September 1959 (remained inactive)

Assignments

Fourteenth Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...

, 3 September 1943 *

Tenth Air Force The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswell AF ...

, 24 August – 26 December 1945 *

Eleventh Air Force The Eleventh Air Force (11 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska.This unit is not related to the Eleventh Air Force headquarte ...

, 23 March 1947 * First Air Force, 1 July 1948 *

, 23 February – 27 June 1949

Stations

* Kunming Airport, China, 3 September 1943 * Tsuyung Airfield, China, c. 12 January 1944 * Kunming Airport, China, by 30 April 1944 – c. 26 December 1945 *

, Pennsylvania, 23 March 1947 – 27 June 1949.

Components

* 51st Fighter Group: 2 October 1943 – c. 26 December 1945 * 341st Bombardment Group: 26 December 1943 – 21 June 1945; 1 – 25 August 1945 * 375th Troop Carrier Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 * 419th Troop Carrier Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 * 433d Troop Carrier Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 * 436th Troop Carrier Group: 1 July 1948 – 27 June 1949

References

Notes

Bibliography

* {{USAAF 14th Air Force World War II 069