308th Bombardment Wing (World War II)
Encyclopedia
The 308th Bombardment Wing (308th BW) is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with Far East Air Forces, based at Nagoya, Japan. It was inactivated on 30 June 1948.
The wing served in combat with Fifth Air Force
from February 1944 to August 1945, operating as a command and control echelon with various groups that were attached for brief periods. Moved to Korea
late in 1945 and, as a component of Far East Air Forces, became part of the occupation force. Transferred, without personnel and equipment, to Japan in 1947 and was not remanned. Inactivated on 30 June 1948.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last assignment was with Far East Air Forces, based at Nagoya, Japan. It was inactivated on 30 June 1948.
The wing served in combat with Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
from February 1944 to August 1945, operating as a command and control echelon with various groups that were attached for brief periods. Moved to Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
late in 1945 and, as a component of Far East Air Forces, became part of the occupation force. Transferred, without personnel and equipment, to Japan in 1947 and was not remanned. Inactivated on 30 June 1948.
Lineage
- Constituted as 308th Bombardment Wing on 20 January 1944 and activated same date.
- Inactivated on 30 June 1948
Assignments
- Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
, 20 January 1944 – 31 August 1945 - Far East Air Forces, 1 September 1945 – 30 June 1948
Stations
- Oro Bay (Cape Sudest) AirfieldOro Bay AirfieldOro Bay Airfield is a former World War II airfield in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state.-History:...
, New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, 1 February 1944 - Owi AirfieldOwi AirfieldOwi Airfield is a World War II airfield located on Pulau Owi island in the Schouten Islands, Indonesia.The airfield was built by the Americans and used as a major command and control, as well as an operational fighter and bomber base in from the summer of 1944 until the end of the war in September...
, Schouten IslandsSchouten IslandsThe Indonesian Schouten Islands are an island group of Papua province, eastern Indonesia in the Cenderawasih Bay 50 km off the north-western coast of the island of New Guinea...
, Netherlands East Indies, 2 July 1944 - HollandiaSentani AirportSentani Airport is an airport serving Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. The name of this airport is taken from a lake nearby.-History:...
, Netherlands East Indies, 10 August 1944 - Bayug AirfieldBayug AirfieldBayug Airfield is a World War II airfield located in the east of Burauen, Leyte, Philippines, and to the west of San Pablo Airfield, to the north of the Marabong River in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It was closed after the war.-History:...
, LeyteLeyteLeyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
, Philippines, 22 October 1944 - San Marcelino AirfieldSan Marcelino AirfieldSan Marcelino Airfield is a World War II airfield located in Zambales province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It was closed after the war.-History:...
, LuzonLuzonLuzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Philippines, 11 January 1945 - Hamasaki (Motobu Airfield)Motobu AirfieldMotobu Airfield is a World War II airfield on the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa, near the East China Sea coast. The airfield was deactivated after 1945.-History:...
, Okinawa, Japan, 16 June 1945 - Seoul, Korea, 22 September 1945
- Kimpo, KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, 7 January 1946 - Nagoya, Japan, March 1947 – 30 June 1948.
Units assigned
- Various groups attached for brief periods, 1 February 1944 – 1 September 1945
- 3d Air Commando Group, attached, 26 January – 18 May 1945
- 49th Fighter Group, 26 September – 8 December 1944
- 475th Fighter Group, attached, 23 September 1945 – 1 January 1946; 1 February 1946 – 22 March 1947