58th Air Division

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58th Air Division (Defense)

Official crest of the 58th Air Division (Defense)
Active 22 April 1943–12 October 1944;
1 February 1945–16 October 1948;
3 May 1955–1 February 1959
Country United States
Branch Air Force
Part of see "Assignments" section below
Garrison/HQ see "Stations" section below
Equipment see "Aerospace vehicles" section below
Decorations

see "Lineage and honors" section below


Contents

[edit] History

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Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] Mission

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Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] Operations

The 58th wing's units transported supplies over the Himalaya Mountains to staging bases in China in 1944. Operating later from bases in India, and at times staging through fields in China, the subordinate units struck such Japanese targets as transportation centers, naval installations, iron works, and aircraft plants in Burma, Thailand, China, Japan, Indonesia, and Formosa. The wing moved to Tinian in early 1945 and continued Bombardment operations against Japan. Its units made daylight attacks from high altitudes on strategic targets, participated in incendiary raids on urban areas, and dropped mines in Japanese shipping lanes. After the Japanese surrender, they dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners of war in Japan, Korea, and Formosa, and took part in show of force missions. Inactive for seven years, the 58th activated as an Air Division (defense) in September 1955 and assumed responsibility for the defense of parts of Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, and supported operations, when necessary, of other commands. It supervised training programs for its subordinate units and supported exercises such as Hour Hand, Blue Light, Red Cap, Iron Bar, and Surefire.

[edit] Lineage and honors

Established as 58 Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Heavy) on 22 April 1943. Activated on 1 May 1943. Redesignated as 58 Bombardment Wing (Heavy) on 12 July 1943; 58 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 19 November 1943; 58 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, Special on 13 January 1944. Disestablished on 12 October 1944.

Reestablished as 58 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 1 February 1945. Activated on 8 February 1945. Redesignated 58 Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948. Inactivated on 16 October 1948.

Redesignated 58 Air Division (Defense) on 3 May 1955. Activated on 8 September 1955. Inactivated on 1 February 1959.

[edit] Service streamers

This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:

World War II Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

[edit] Campaign streamers

This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:

none

[edit] Armed forces expeditionary streamers

This unit earned the following organizational expeditionary streamers:

none

[edit] Decorations

This unit earned the following organizational decorations:

none

[edit] Awards

[edit] Emblem

A shield per bend argent and checky of the first and sable in chief an escutcheon gules charged with a cross or between four stylized arrowheads, tips to center, of the last. (Approved 11 January 1956.)


[edit] Assignments

Second Air Force, 1 May 1943; II Bomber Command, 15 May 1943; Army Air Forces, 8 June 1943; Second Air Force, 15 October 1943; XX Bomber Command, 20 November 1943; Twentieth Air Force, 29 June 1944–12 October 1944.

XX Bomber Command, 8 February 1945; XXI Bomber Command, 29 March 1945; Twentieth Air Force, 16 July 1945; Army Service Forces, c.15 November 1945; Fourth Air Force, 7 December 1945; Second Air Force, 29 March 1946; Fifteenth Air Force, 31 March 1946; Eighth Air Force, 1 November 1946; Strategic Air Command, 1 March 1948–16 October 1948.

Eastern Air Defense Force, 8 September 1955–1 February 1959.

[edit] Components

Groups:

Squadron:

[edit] Stations

Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 1 May 1943; Cobb County Army Air Field, Georgia, 15 June 1943; Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 15 September 1943–12 March 1944; Chakulia, India, 2 April 1944; Kharagpur, India, 23 April 1944–12 October 1944.

Hijli Base Area, India, 8 February 1945–24 February 1945; West Field, Tinian, 29 March 1945–15 November 1945; March Field, California, 2 December 1945; Fort Worth Army Air Field, Texas, 9 May 1946; Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, 1 March 1948–16 October 1948.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 8 September 1955–1 February 1959.

[edit] Aerospace vehicles

B-29 Superfortress, 1943–1944.

B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1946.

F-86 Sabre, 1955–1958; F-89 Scorpion, 1956–1958; F-94 Starfire, 1956–1957.

[edit] Commanders

Unknown, 1 May 1943–20 June 1943; Brigadier General Kenneth B. Wolf, 21 June 1943; Colonel Leonard F. Harmon, 27 November 1943; Brigadier General LaVern G. Saunders, by 31 March 1944-unknown.

Colonel Dwight O. Monteith, 8 February 1945; Brigadier General Roger M. Ramey, 24 April 1945–1 November 1946; Unknown, 1 November 1946–16 October 1948.

Brigadier General Von R. Shores Jr., 8 September 1955; Colonel William E. Elder, by 30 June 1957–14 September 1958; Unknown, 15 September 1958–1 February 1959.

[edit] See also

United States Air Force Portal

[edit] References


This article incorporates text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website which, as a United States government publication, is in the public domain.

[edit] External links