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42nd Air Division
B-52G as flown by division wings in the 1980s
Active	1943–1945; 1951–1958; 1959–1969; 1970–1991
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of strike forces
Decorations	French Croix de Guerre with Palm
Insignia
42nd Air Division emblem[a][1]

The42nd Air Division was a unit of theUnited States Air Force. It was established as the42 Bombardment Wing (Dive) on 8 February 1943. The wing first saw combat in September 1943. It was inactivated in 1991.

Activated in 1943 as the42nd Bombardment Wing and controlledMartin B-26 Marauder groups as part ofTwelfth Air Force. "The wing first saw combat in the invasion of Italy, where its units flew close support missions to stop the German counterattack on the beachhead atSalerno during September 1943. As theAllied forces progressed, the 42nd took a leading part in interdictingAxis road and rail transport, and later in 1944, in theattacks against themonastery atCassino. In August 1944, it supported the Allied landings in southern France. As the war drew to a close the 42nd attacked German positions along theSiegfried Line and, in support of the Allied forces in their sweep across southern Germany, bombed enemy strong points, and communications and supply facilities."^[1]

The FrenchBretagne Bombardment Group was attached in 1943.

Reactivated an intermediate command echelon ofStrategic Air Command in March 1951, the42nd Air Division "equipped and trained its assigned units to conduct strategic air warfare using nuclear or conventional weapons anywhere in the world. It also trained and maintained air refueling assets. Tankers from units assigned to the 42nd supported the Eielson Tanker Task Force and, over the years, occasionally deployed to Spain for Spanish Area Support. The division conducted numerous staff assistance visits and simulated no notice inspections, and participated in exercises such as Buy None and Global Shield."^[1]

Aircraft and personnel from units assigned to the division, at various times in the late 1960s and early 1970s, deployed to Southeast Asia and took part inOperation Arc Light and Operation Young Tiger missions. Subordinate units of the 42nd deployed aircraft and personnel in support of theVietnam War.^[1]

The division was inactivated in 1991 as part of the post-Cold War reduction of USAF forces.^[1]

• Established as the42nd Bombardment Wing (Dive) on 8 February 1943

Activated on 16 February 1943

Redesignated42nd Bombardment Wing (Medium) on 31 July 1943

Redesignated42nd Bombardment Wing, Medium on 23 October 1944

Inactivated on 25 October 1945

• Redesignated42nd Air Division on 2 March 1951

Organized on 10 March 1951

Discontinued on 16 June 1952

• Activated on 16 June 1952^[2]

Inactivated on 8 January 1958

• Activated on 15 July 1959.

Redesignated42nd Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 June 1962

Redesignated42nd Air Division on 1 July 1963

Inactivated on 2 July 1969

Activated on 1 January 1970

Inactivated on 9 July 1991^[1]

Wings

• 2nd Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1965 – 2 July 1969; 1 December 1982 – 16 June 1988
• 12th Fighter-Escort Wing (later 12 Strategic Fighter Wing, 12 Fighter-Day Wing): 9 April 1951 – 16 June 1952 (detached 20 July – 20 November 1951). 16 June 1952 – 8 January 1958 (detached 18 May – 10 August 1953 and 10 May – 7 August 1954)
• 17th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1973 – 30 September 1975
• 19th Bombardment Wing (later 19 Air Refueling Wing): 30 June 1971 – 16 June 1988
• 27th Fighter-Escort Wing (later 27 Strategic Fighter wing, 27 Fighter Bomber Wing): 6 August 1951 – 16 June 1952. 16 June 1952 – 8 January 1958 (detached 6 October 1952 – 13 February 1953 and 7 May – 17 August 1955)
• 43rd Bombardment Wing: 1–31 January 1970
• 68th Bombardment Wing: 30 June 1971 – 30 September 1982
• 97th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1963 – 2 July 1969. 1 January 1970 – 30 June 1971; 1 July 1973 – 16 June 1988
• 131st Fighter-Bomber Wing: c. 10 March – c. 31 July 1951
• 301st Air Refueling Wing: 31 March 1970 – 1 July 1973; 1 July 1975 – 30 September 1979
• 305th Air Refueling Wing: 1 January 1970 – 1 July 1973; 1 December 1982 – 16 July 1988
• 306th Bombardment Wing: 30 June 1971 – 1 July 1974
• 308th Strategic Missile Wing: 1 January – 31 March 1970; 1 April 1973 – 1 December 1982
• 319th Bombardment Wing: 16 June 1988 – 9 July 1991
• 321st Strategic Missile Wing: 16 June 1988 – 9 July 1991
• 381st Strategic Missile Wing: 1 March 1962 – 1 July 1963
• 454th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1963 – 2 July 1969
• 4347th Combat Crew Training Wing: 15 July 1959 – 15 June 1963
• 4397th Air Refueling Wing: 15 July 1959 – 15 June 1962^[1]

Groups

• 1st Fighter Group: 24 August – 15 December 1953
• 17th Bombardment Group: 24 August 1943 – 29 May 1945
• 31 Bombardment (French Air Force): attached 6 January – c. 1 May 1945
• 34 Bombardment (French Air Force): attached 6 January – c. 1 May 1945
• 68th Air Refueling Group: 30 September 1982 – 16 June 1988
• 319th Bombardment Group: 24 August 1943 – 10 November 1944
• 320th Bombardment Group: 24 August 1943 – 29 May 1945
• 325th Fighter Group: 24 August – 22 October 1943^[1]

Squadrons

• 307th Air Refueling Squadron, 1 July 1953 – 18 November 1953^[1]

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1940Martin B-26 Marauder, 1943–1945Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1943^[1]

Convair B-36 Peacemaker, 1951–1957Republic F-84 Thunderjet, 1951–1958Boeing KB-29 Superfortress, 1953–1957McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, 1957–1958Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, 1957–1958^[1]

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1963–1969Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1963–1969LGM-25C Titan II, 1963–1969Boeing EC-135, 1966–1969^[1]

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1970, 1973–1988Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1972–1988LGM-25C Titan II, 1970, 1973–1982Boeing EC-135, 1970–1973, 1982–1988McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, 1982–1988Rockwell B-1 Lancer, 1988–1991Minuteman-III (LGM-30G), 1988–1991^[1]

This unit earned the followingunit decorations:

• FrenchCroix de Guerre with Palm, April 1944 – June 1944^[1]

• List of United States Air Force air divisions

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961].Air Force Combat Units of World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-02-1.LCCN 61060979.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984).Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

• Military units and formations established in 1943
• Units and formations of Strategic Air Command
• Air divisions of the United States Air Force

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