Twentieth Air Force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 20th Air Force | |
|---|---|
 20th Air Force Patch |
|
| Active | 20 June 1941 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Part of | Air Force Space Command |
| Garrison/HQ | F.E. Warren Air Force Base |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Curtis LeMay |
Twentieth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base Wyoming. It is an intermediate echelon responsible primarily for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) operations.
The Twentieth Air Force commander is also the Commander, Task Force 214 (TF 214), which provides alert ICBMs to the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM).
Contents |
[edit] Mission
20th Air Force is responsible for maintaining and operating the Air Force's ICBM force. Designated as STRATCOM's Task Force 214, 20th Air Force provides on-alert, combat ready ICBMs to the president. Combined with the other two legs of the Triad, bombers and submarines, STRATCOM forces protect the United States with an umbrella of deterrence.
[edit] Organization
[edit] Wings
- 90th Space Wing
- 91st Space Wing
- 740th Missile Squadron
- 741st Missile Squadron
- 742d Missile Squadron
- 341st Space Wing
[edit] Squadrons
[edit] Facilities
Facilities utilized by the Twentieth Air Force include the following:
- Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming: Headquarters of Twentieth Air Force and 90th Space Wing
- Malmstrom AFB, Montana: Headquarters of 341st Space Wing
- Minot AFB, Minot, North Dakota: Headquarters of 91st Space Wing
[edit] History
[edit] World War II operations
During World War II, 20th AF was headquartered in the United States, under command of General Henry H. (Hap) Arnold, with direction from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, its B-29 components operated in the China-Burma-India theatre and Pacific theater of operations, carrying the air war to the Japanese. Operations climaxed with atomic attacks on Japan in August 1945.
Initially under the command of Hap Arnold, and later Curtis LeMay and Nathan Twining, in August 1945 the Twentieth Air Force was placed under the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific which was commanded by General Carl Spaatz.
Initially the attack was made via China as that was the only Allied held territory in within the flying range of Japan. The arrangements made with the Chinese national forces under the command of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek was to construct four staging bases in western China near Chengtu and supply them with by air-lift codenamed Operation Matterhorn. It was organized by XX Bomber Command operating out of India. All supplies for the operation had to be flown over the Hump from India into China as sections of the Burma Road were under Japanese control. This was never a satisfactory arrangement because not only were the Chinese Airbases difficult to supply, B29s operating from them could only reach Japan if they substituted some of the bomb load for extra fuel tanks in the bomb-bays.
When Admiral Chester Nimitz's island-hopping campaign towards Japan captured islands close enough to Japan to be within the range of B29s, XXI Bomber Command organized a much more effective bombing campaign of the Japanese home islands. Based in the Marianas (Guam and Tinian in particular) during World War II. They were assigned the responsibility of destroying Japan's industry. Because of the long ranges involved, the Twentieth air force was equipped with B-29's, the longest range bomber in the world at the time.
The damage done by the Twentieth Air Force was devastating to Japan's industry, and severely crippled its ability to fight. It was they who firebombed Tokyo on the night of March 9 - March 10, 1945, as well as dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The flight route from Marianas to Japan took bombers within radar and fighter range of Iwo Jima. The loss of Iwo Jima deprived the Japanese of an important strategic point for their defense against the Twentieth Air Force.
[edit] Units During World War II
|
|
Notes:
.* VII Fighter Command (V FC) redesignated 20th Fighter Wing in May 1946, and 46th Fighter Wing in December 1947. Inactivated in the Marianas on 24 August 1948.
.** XX Bomber Command (XX BC) combat elements moved in the summer of 1944 from the United States to India where they engaged in very-long-range Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombardment operations against Japan, Formosa, China and Burma. While in India, XX BC was supported logistically by Tenth Air Force. Other elements of XX BC moved from the United States to the Marianas, being joined there early in 1945 by the elements which had been in India. Headquarters, which had remained in the United States, was transferred to Guam in early July 1945. Inactivated on 16 July 1945.
.*** XXI Bomber Command (XXI BC) moved to the Marianas late in 1944 and, assigned to Twentieth AF, engaged in very-long range B-29 bombardment operations until mid-July 1945. The history of XXI Bomber Command terminated on 16 July 1945. On that date Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, XXI Bomber Command was redesignated Headquarters Squadron, Twentieth AF. This redesignation, which brought an end to XXI Bomber Command as an establishment, had no effect on the lineage of Twentieth AF.
[edit] Post World War II history
Following the war, Twentieth Air Force remained in the Pacific and served in combat for a short time during the Korean war. When the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel June 25, 1950, 20th AF consisted of the following:
- Naha Air Base, Okinawa
51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing/Group (F-80, F-82) - Kadena Air Base, Okinawa
31st Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, VLR (RB-29)** - Anderson Air Force Base, Guam
19th Bombardment Wing/Group (B-29)
After the Korean cease-fire, 20th AF was involved primarily in air defense of the Ryukyu Islands until it was inactivated on March 1, 1955.
Since 1991, the Twentieth Air Force is operationally responsible for all land-based inter-continental ballistic missiles 500 Minuteman III missiles remain on alert today. The current commander is Major General Thomas F. Deppe.
[edit] Timeline
- Established as Twentieth Air Force, and activated on April 4, 1944, at Washington, D.C. and assigned to Army Air Forces.
- Moved to Harmon Field, Guam, Mariana Islands, in July 1945 with assignment to U.S. Army Strategic Air Forces.
- Assigned to Pacific Air Command, U.S. Army, (later Far East Air Forces), on December 6, 1945.
- Moved without personnel or equipment to Kadena AB, Ryukyu Islands, on May 16, 1949.
- Inactivated on March 1, 1955.
- Assigned to Strategic Air Command on March 29, 1991.
- Activated at Vandenberg AFB, California, on September 1, 1991.
- Relieved from assignment to Strategic Air Command and assigned to Air Combat Command on June 1, 1992.
- Relieved from assignment to Air Combat Command and assigned to Air Force Space Command on July 1, 1993.
- Moved from Vandenberg AFB, California, to F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, effective October 1, 1993.
[edit] See also
- Pacific War
- Timeline WW II - Pacific Theatre
- South-East Asian Theatre of World War II
- United States Strategic Command
- United States Army Air Forces In China
- United States Army Air Forces In India
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from 20th Air Force Website, a public domain work of the United States Government.
- Freeman, Roger (1970), Boeing B-29 Superfortress U.S.A.A.F. 1942-1945. Camouflage & Markings No. 19, London Ducimus books
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
[edit] External links
- Operation Matterhorn
- Operation Matterhorn
- http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/WCP/ChapterXIII.htm#p252
- http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/WCP/enchApxB4.html
[edit] Related content
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
