42d Air Division

The 42d Air Division was a unit of the United States Air Force. It was established as the 42 Bombardment Wing (Dive) on 8 February 1943. The wing first saw combat in September 1943. It was inactivated in 1991.

History
Activated in 1943 as the 42d Bombardment Wing and controlled B-26 Marauder groups as part of Twelfth Air Force. The wing first saw combat in the invasion of Italy, where its units flew close support missions to stop the German counterattack on the beachhead at Salerno during September 1943. As the Allied forces progressed, the 42d took a leading part in interdicting Axis road and rail transport, and later in 1944, in the attacks against the monastery at Cassino. In August 1944, it supported the Allied landings in southern France. As the war drew to a close the 42d attacked German positions along the Siegfried Line and, in support of the Allied forces in their sweep across southern Germany, bombed enemy strong points, and communications and supply facilities.

Reactivated an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command in March 1951, the 42d Air Division equipped and trained its assigned units to conduct strategic air warfare using nuclear or conventional weapons anywhere in the world. It also trained and maintained air refueling assets. Tankers from units assigned to the 42d supported the Eielson Tanker Task Force and, over the years, occasionally deployed to Spain for Spanish Area Support. The division conducted numerous staff assistance visits and simulated no notice inspections, and participated in exercises such as Buy None and Global Shield.

Aircraft and personnel from units assigned to the division, at various times in the late 1960s and early 1970s, deployed to Southeast Asia and took part in Operation Arc Light and Operation Young Tiger missions. Subordinate units of the 42d deployed aircraft and personnel in support of the war in Southeast Asia.

Inactivated in 1991 as part of the Cold War drawdown of USAF forces.

Lineage

 * Established as 42 Bombardment Wing (Dive) on 8 February 1943
 * Activated on 16 February 1943
 * Redesignated 42 Bombardment Wing (Medium) on 31 July 1943
 * Redesignated 42 Bombardment Wing, Medium on 23 October 1944
 * Inactivated on 25 October 1945


 * Redesignated 42 Air Division on 2 March 1951
 * Organized on 10 March 1951
 * Discontinued on 16 June 1952


 * Activated on 16 June 1952
 * Inactivated on 8 January 1958


 * Activated on 15 July 1959.
 * Redesignated 42 Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 June 1962
 * Redesignated 42 Air Division on 1 July 1963
 * Inactivated on 2 July 1969
 * Activated on 1 January 1970
 * Inactivated on 9 July 1991

Assignments

 * Third Air Force, 16 February 1943
 * Twelfth Air Force, 31 July 1943
 * Northwest African Strategic Air Force, 21 August 1943
 * XII Bomber Command, 1 September 1943
 * Fifteenth Air Force 1 November 1943
 * Twelfth Air Force, 1 January 1944
 * XII Tactical Air Command, 27 November 1944
 * First Tactical Air Force (Provisional), 6 January 1945
 * XII Tactical Air Command, 21 May 1945
 * United States Air Forces in Europe, 26 July 1945


 * Army Service Forces (for inactivation), 13 25 October 1945
 * Eighth Air Force, 10 March 1951 – 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952
 * Second Air Force, 1 April 1955
 * Ninth Air Force, 1 July 1957
 * Eighteenth Air Force, 1 October 1957
 * Twelfth Air Force, 1–8 January 1958
 * Second Air Force, 15 July 1959 – 2 July 1969
 * Second Air Force, 1 January 1970
 * Eighth Air Force, 1 January 1975 – 9 July 1991

Components
Wings
 * 2nd Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1965 – 2 July 1969; 1 December 1982 – 16 June 1988
 * 12 Fighter Escort (later, 12 Strategic Fighter; 12 Fighter Day) Wing: 9 April 1951 – 16 June 1952 (detached 20 July – 20 November 1951). 16 June 1952 – 8 January 1958 (detached 18 May – 10 August 1953 and 10 May – 7 August 1954)
 * 17th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1973 – 30 September 1975
 * 19th Bombardment (later, 19 Air Refueling) Wing: 30 June 1971 – 16 June 1988
 * 27th Fighter Escort (later, 27 Strategic Fighter; 27 Fighter Bomber) Wing: 6 August 1951 – 16 June 1952. 16 June 1952 – 8 January 1958 (detached 6 October 1952 – 13 February 1953 and 7 May – 17 August 1955)
 * 43rd Bombardment Wing: 1–31 January 1970
 * 68th Bombardment Wing: 30 June 1971 – 30 September 1982
 * 97th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1963 – 2 July 1969. 1 January 1970 – 30 June 1971; 1 July 1973 – 16 June 1988
 * 131st Fighter Bomber Wing: c. 10 March-c. 31 July 1951
 * 301st Air Refueling Wing: 31 March 1970 – 1 July 1973; 1 July 1975 – 30 September 1979
 * 305th Air Refueling Wing: 1 January 1970 – 1 July 1973; 1 December 1982 – 16 July 1988
 * 306th Bombardment Wing: 30 June 1971 – 1 July 1974
 * 308th Strategic Missile Wing: 1 January – 31 March 1970; 1 April 1973 – 1 December 1982
 * 319th Bombardment Wing: 16 June 1988 – 9 July 1991
 * 321st Strategic Missile Wing: 16 June 1988 – 9 July 1991
 * 381st Strategic Missile Wing: 1 March 1962 – 1 July 1963
 * 454th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1963 – 2 July 1969
 * 4347st Combat Crew Training Wing: 15 July 1959 – 15 June 1963
 * 4397th Air Refueling Training Wing: 15 July 1959 – 15 June 1962.

Groups
 * 1st Fighter Group: 24 August – 15 December 1953
 * 17th Bombardment Group: 24 August 1943 – 29 May 1945
 * 31 Bombardment (French Air Force): attached 6 January – c. 1 May 1945
 * 34 Bombardment (French Air Force): attached 6 January – c. 1 May 1945
 * 68th Air Refueling Group: 30 September 1982 – 16 June 1988
 * 319th Bombardment Group: 24 August 1943 – 10 November 1944
 * 320th Bombardment Group: 24 August 1943 – 29 May 1945
 * 325th Fighter Group: 24 August – 22 October 1943.

Squadrons
 * 307th Air Refueling Squadron, 1 July 1953 – 18 November 1953

Stations

 * Birmingham Army Airfield, Alabama, 22 February – 31 July 1943
 * Deployed at Anniston Army Airfield, Alabama, 16–30 June 1943


 * Ariana Airfield, Tunisia, 21 August 1943
 * Elmas Airfield, Sardinia, 15 November 1943
 * Borgo Airfield, Corsica, 21 September 1944
 * Dijon-Longvic Airfield (Y-9), France, 24 November 1944
 * Camp Shanks, New York, 24–25 October 1945


 * Bergstrom AFB, Texas, 10 March 1951 – 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952 – 8 January 1958
 * McConnell AFB, Kansas, 15 July 1959
 * Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, 1 July 1963 – 2 July 1969; 1 January 1970
 * McCoy AFB, Florida, 30 June 1971
 * Blytheville AFB (later, Eaker AFB), Arkansas, 1 September 1973
 * Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, 16 June 1988 – 9 July 1991

Aircraft and missiles
P-40 Warhawk, 1940; B-26 Marauder, 1943–1945; P-38 Lightning, 1943.

B-36 Peacemaker, 1951–1952; F-84 Thunderjet, 1951–1952.

B-36 Peacemaker, 1952–1957; F-84 Thunderjet, 1952–1958; KB-29 Superfortress, 1953–1957; F-101 Voodoo, 1957–1958; KC-97 Stratotanker, 1957–1958.

B-52 Stratofortress, 1963–1969; KC-135 Stratotanker, 1963–1969; Titan II (LGM-25C), 1963–1969; EC-135, 1966–1969.

B-52 Stratofortress, 1970, 1973–1988; KC-135 Stratotanker, 1972–1988; Titan II (LGM-25C), 1970, 1973–1982; EC-135, 1970–1973, 1982–1988; KC-10 Extender, 1982–1988; B-1 Lancer, 1988–1991; Minuteman-III (LGM-30G), 1988–1991.

Decorations
This unit earned the following unit decorations:


 * French Croix de Guerre with Palm, April 1944 – June 1944.

Emblem
Per chevron inverted azure and light blue between in chief a fleur de lis or enarched with four mullets of four points above two of same argent, all between two lightning bolts gules fimbriated of the fourth and in base saltirewise a palm and an olive branch of the last, in fess point a cloud formation of the like and over all in pale a winged mace displayed or, all within a diminished border of the last. (Approved 29 December 1965)