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46th Fighter Wing (World War II)
Encyclopedia
The 46th Figher Wing is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based on Guam
. It was inactivated on 24 August 1948.
between 1941 and 1945. It was a part of the United States Army Air Forces
Seventh Air Force
, and later Twentieth Air Force
where its units engaged in fighter and bomber escort operations against the armed forces of the Empire of Japan
.
The command remained in the western Pacific theater as part of Far East Air Forces after the war. Redesignated 20th Fighter Wing in May 1946, and 46th Fighter Wing in December 1947.
The organization was inactivated on Guam
on 24 August 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 Pacific Air Forces, based on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. It was inactivated on 24 August 1948.
History
During most of its existence, the organization was known as the VII Fighter Command, which served in the Pacific WarPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
between 1941 and 1945. It was a part of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Seventh Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
, and later Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
where its units engaged in fighter and bomber escort operations against the armed forces of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
.
Lineage
- Constituted as VII Interceptor Command on 23 January 1942
- Activated on 2 February 1942.
- Redesignated VII Fighter Command in May 1942
- Redesignated 20th Fighter Wing in May 1946
- Redesignated 46th Fighter Wing in December 1947
- Inactivated on 24 August 1948.
Assignments
- Seventh Air ForceSeventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
, 2 February 1942 – 1 March 1945 - Twentieth Air ForceTwentieth Air ForceThe Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
, 1 March 1945 – 15 April 1946 - Far East Air Forces, 15 April 1946 – 24 August 1948
Stations
- Fort Shafter, Territory of HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
: 2 February 1942 – 20 October 1944 - Hickam Field, Territory of HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
: 20 October 1944 – 18 January 1945 - Ft Kamehameha, Territory of HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
: 18 January – 1 March 1945 - North FieldNorth Field (Iwo Jima)North Field or Iwo Jima Air Base is a World War II airfield on Iwo Jima in the Bonin Islands, located in the Central Pacific. The Bonin Islands are part of Japan...
, Bonin Islands (Japan), 1 March – 1 December 1945 - East FieldEast Field (Saipan)East Field is a former World War II airfield on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.-History:Saipan had been occupied by the Japanese since World War I, and by mid-1944, the Americans had advanced inside the Japanese ring of defense in the Pacific Theater...
, SaipanSaipanSaipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, Mariana IslandsMariana IslandsThe Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, 1 December 1945 – 15 April 1946 - North Field (later Andersen AFB)Andersen Air Force BaseAndersen Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam....
, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Mariana IslandsMariana IslandsThe Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, 15 April 1946 – 24 August 1948
Units Assigned
- 15th Fighter Group15th Operations GroupThe 15th Operations Group is the flying component of the 15th Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Thirteenth Air Force. The group is stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii....
: 23 Jan 1942 – 16 Jul 1945 - 18th Fighter Group18th Operations GroupThe 18th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 18th Wing, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan....
: 23 Jan 1942 – 14 Apr 1943 - 21st Fighter Group21st Operations GroupThe 21st Operations Group is an operational component of the 21st Space Wing, stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.The mission of the 21st OG is to provide overall management and guidance to 21 geographically separated units assigned to the wing, which provide attack warning and space...
: 24 Apr – 3 Jul 1944; 10 Nov 1944 – 16 Jul 1945 - 23d Fighter Group23d Fighter GroupThe 23d Fighter Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Wing and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....
: 10 Oct 1946 – 16 Aug 1948 - 318th Fighter Group318th Fighter GroupThe 318th Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II.-History:...
: 15 Oct 1942 – Dec 1945
Operational history
The VII Fighter Command was established in Hawaii in February 1942. Its units engaged in patrol activity from Hawaii. Later, served in combat in the Western Pacific.The command remained in the western Pacific theater as part of Far East Air Forces after the war. Redesignated 20th Fighter Wing in May 1946, and 46th Fighter Wing in December 1947.
The organization was inactivated on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on 24 August 1948.