306th Fighter Wing

The 306th Fighter Wing (306th FW) was a World War II United States Army Air Forces organization assigned to Fifteenth Air Force as an intermediate-level command and control organization. It was last stationed at Drew Field, Florida and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 306th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 7 December 1943.
 * Activated on 15 January 1944.
 * Redesignated 306th Fighter Wing in May 1944
 * Inactivated on 7 November 1945.

Assignments

 * Fifteenth Air Force, 15 January 1944 – 15 July 1945
 * Continental Air Command
 * Third Air Force, August −7 November 1945

Stations

 * Bari Airfield, Italy, 15 January 1944
 * Foggia Airfield, Italy, 27 January 1944
 * Lucera Airfield, Italy, 23 February 1944
 * Torremaggiore, Italy, 8 March 1944
 * Lesina Airfield, Italy, 3 September 1944
 * Fano Airfield, Italy, 5 March – 15 July 1945
 * Drew Field, Florida, August −7 November 1945

Components

 * Transferred from 5th Bombardment Wing:
 * 1st Fighter Group 27 March – November 1944
 * 82d Fighter Group 27 March 1944 – 13 June 1945
 * 325th Fighter Group May 1944 – 13 June 1945


 * Transferred from Twelfth Air Force
 * 14th Fighter Group 1 November 1943 – 27 March 1944
 * 31st Fighter Group 2 April 1944 – 13 June 1945
 * 52d Fighter Group 14 May 1944 – 13 June 1945
 * 332d Fighter Group 28 May 1944 – 13 June 1945

All units were transferred to 305th Fighter Wing

Aircraft

 * P-38 Lightning (1st, 14th 82d FG 1 November 1943 – Summer 1944)
 * P-51 Mustang (All)
 * P-47 Thunderbolt, B-26 Marauder (325th FG, also P-51 Mustang)

Operational history
Constituted originally as the 306th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 7 December 1943. Activated in Italy on 15 January 1944. Assigned to Fifteenth Air Force.

Entered combat in Mar as a fighter organization. Re-designated 306th Fighter Wing in May 1944. Operated in the Mediterranean and European theaters until the end of the war.

Moved to the US, July–August 1945. Inactivated on 7 November 1945.