History 49th Air Division



451st bombardment group b-24h liberator


the 49th air division established , activated @ columbia army air base, south carolina in march 1943 medium bomber (north american b-25 mitchell) operational training wing. reassigned greenville army air base, south carolina in april commanded training of b-25 bomb groups in southeast prior overseas deployment.


it decided redesignate wing 49th bombardment wing (heavy) , prepare command consolidated b-24 liberator heavy bomb groups part of fifteenth air force in late 1943. groups assigned wing 461st , 484th bombardment groups, training @ hammer field, california , harvard army air field, nebraska. after wing deployed bari, italy in march 1944, third group, 451st bombardment group, transferred wing 47th bomb wing.


as part of fifteenth air force groups of 49th attacked such targets oil refineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories, bridges, , airfields in italy, germany, austria, , bulgaria. subordinate units inflicted heavy damage on oil refineries @ ploiești, participated in invasion of southern france in august 1944, , supported final advances of allied armies in northern italy in april 1945.


the wing inactivated in italy on 16 october 1945.


cold war

beginning in 1947, 49th served in reserve 2 years b-29 superfortress organization, during time redesignated air division , controlled 100th bombardment group @ miami international airport , 380th bombardment group @ macdill air force base in florida.


as result of expansion of united states air forces in europe, division moved england , served command , control organization. no combat elements assigned, 20th fighter-bomber wing (raf wethersfield); 47th bombardment wing (raf sculthorpe) , 81st fighter-bomber wing @ raf bentwaters attached operations.


the division supervised , participated in numerous training missions such quick shot, kingpin, , bear claw before inactivated on 1 july 1956 result of budgetary reduction.








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