307th Strategic Wing

307th Strategic Wing
Emblem of the 307th Strategic Wing
Active	1942 - 1975
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Part of	Strategic Air Command
Garrison/HQ	U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield

The 307th Strategic Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command 3d Air Division, being stationed at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand. It was inactivated on 30 September 1975.

During the Korean War, the wing received a Presidental Unit Citation for their extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy of the United Nations during the period of 11 to 27 July, 1953. At this time they flew 93 sorties and dropped 860 tons of bombs on targets at the North Korean Simanju Air Field, where despite severe aircaft icing, intense enemy anti-craft fire and co-ordinated search light fighter opposition they rendered the airfield unserviceable.

The 307th also flew the last B-29 Superfortress combat mission on 23 July 1953.

History

For additional lineage and history, see 307th Bombardment Group

Lineage

• Established as 307th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, on 28 Jul 1947

Organized on 15 Aug 1947

Discontinued on 12 Jul 1948

• Redesignated 307th Bombardment Wing, Medium, and activated on 12 Jul 1948

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Mar 1965

• Redesignated 307th Strategic Wing on 21 Jan 1970

Activated on 1 Apr 1970 by redesignation of 4258th Strategic Wing

Inactivated on 30 Sep 1975

Assignments

• Strategic Air Command, 15 Aug 1947-12 Jul 1948; 12 Jul 1948
• Fifteenth Air Force, 16 Dec 1948
• Second Air Force, 1 Apr 1950
• 6th Air Division, 10 Feb 1951

Attached to: Far East Air Forces Bomber Command, Provisional, 10 Feb-11 Aug 1951

Attached to: Far East Air Forces Bomber Command, Provisional, ADVON, 12 Aug-11 Sep 1951

Attached to: Far East Air Forces Bomber Command, Provisional, 12 Sep 1951-17 Jun 1954

Attached to: Twentieth Air Force, 18 Jun 1954-

• 818th Air (later, 818th Strategic Aerospace) Division, 11 Oct 1954-25 Mar 1965

Remained attached to Twentieth Air Force to 19 Nov 1954

Attached to: 7th Air Division, 7 Jul-5 Oct 1956

• Eighth Air Force, 1 Apr 1970

Attached to Air Division Provisional, 17th, 1 Jun 1972-31 Dec 1974

• 3d Air Division, 1 Jan-30 Sep 1975.

Components

Wing

• 82d Fighter: attached 15 Aug 1947-12 Jul 1948; attached 12 Jul-15 Dec 1948

Groups

• 306th: attached 1 Aug 1948-31 Aug 1950 (not operational, 1-12 Aug 1948)
• 307th: 15 Aug 1947-12 Jul 1948; 12 Jul 1948-16 Jun 1952 (detached 16 Jul-3 Nov 1948 and 8 Aug 1950-9 Feb 1951; not operational, 10 Feb 1951-16 Jun 1952.)

Squadrons

• 99th Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 1 Jan-30 Sep 1975
• 307th Air Refueling: attached c. 1 Aug-15 Sep 1950 (not operational); assigned 16 Jun 1952-1 Jul 1953 (detached); assigned 8 Nov 1954-1 Jun 1960 (detached 8 Nov 1954-31 Jan 1955, 8 Apr-21 May 1955, 2 Jul-3 Oct 1957, c. 1 Oct 1958-9 Jan 1959, and c. 4 Jul-5 Oct 1969)
• Bombardment Squadron Provisional, 364th*: attached 1 Jul 1972-30 Jun 1975 (not operational, 1 Jul 1972-c. 29 Jan 1973 and 9-30 Jun 1975)
• Bombardment Squadron Provisional, 365th*: attached 1 Jul 1972-1 Jul 1974 (not operational, 1 Jul 1972-c. 29 Jan 1973)
• 370th: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-25 Mar 1965
• 371st: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-25 Mar 1965
• 372d: attached 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952, assigned 16 Jun 1952-25 Mar 1965
• 424th: 1 Sep 1958-1 Jan 1962
• Air Refueling Squadron Provisional*, 901st: attached 1 Jul 1974-30 Sep 1975
• 4180th: 1 Oct 1970-31 Dec 1971 (not operational)
• 4181st: 1 Apr 1970-31 Mar 1972 (not operational)
• 4362d Support (later, 4362d Post Attack Command Control): attached 20 Jul 1962-24 Dec 1964 (not operational, 20-c. 31 Jul 1962)

.* Composed of aircraft deployed from multiple CONUS-based wings

Stations

• MacDill AFB, Florida, 15 Aug 1947-12 Jul 1948; 12 Jul 1948-14 Aug 1953

Operational components operated from: Kadena AB, Okinawa, 8 Aug 1950-9 Feb 1951

Operated from: Kadena AB, Okinawa, 10 Feb 1951-14 Aug 1953

• Kadena AB, Okinawa, 15 Aug 1953-19 Nov 1954;
• Lincoln AFB, Nebraska, 20 Nov 1954-25 Mar 1965
• U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand, 1 Apr 1970-30 Sep 1975.

Aircraft Flown

• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1947-1950
• Boeing B-50 Superfortress, 1950
• Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1955-1965 (EB-47, 1962-1964)
• Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker, 1955-1960
• Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1972-1972, 1974-1975 (RC-135, 1975)
• Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1970-1975

Operations

The 307th replaced the 94th Combat Bombardment Wing VHB (Provisional) and other organizations in August 1947. From then until December 15, 1948 the 307th Wing controlled, in addition to its own units, the 82d Fighter Wing at Grenier Field, NH. In September 1947 it began training other SAC combat units in anti-submarine warfare. In February, it began operating a B-29 transition training school and standardized combat training for all SAC units.

Korean War

In August 1950, the 307th deployed to Okinawa. Detached from SAC, it began operations under Far East Air Forces (FEAF) Bomber Command, provisional. The attached 306th Bomb Group transferred to its parent wing on September 1, 1950 and until February 10, 1951 the 307th had no tactical mission. On that date, wing resources were used to train the 6th Air Division at MacDill and the wing deployed without personnel to Kadena AB, where it absorbed resources of the 307th Bomb Group and began flying combat missions.

By the end of the hostilities, the wing (including its tactical group) had flown 5,810 combat sorties in 573 combat missions. The wing remained in the Far East in combat ready status and on August 15, 1953 Kadena AB, Okinawa became its permanent base.

Cold War

The 307th returned to the United States in November 1954 and disposed of its B-29's at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. It proceeded to its new base, Lincoln AFB, Nebraska. There it began flying the new B-47 Stratojet and the KC-97 tanker.

It conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet SAC's global commitments. 4362d Support Squadron (later the 4352d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron was attached July 20, 1962 - December 24, 1964. In January 1965 the wing began phasing down as Lincoln AFB was being closed and the wing's B-47s were retired. Discontinued and inactivated on March 25, 1965.

Vietnam War

Activated as the 307th Strategic Wing and reactivated at U-Tapao Air Base, Thailand on January 21, 1970. The 307th replaced the 4258th Strategic Wing as SAC was phasing out its 4-digit Major Command Wing designations, and redesignating them as USAF wings with a combat lineage. The 307th was the only regular Air Force SAC Wing stationed in Southeast Asia.

Using aircraft and crews deployed from CONUS-based SAC wings, the 307th conducted conventional bombardment operations and provided KC-135 aerial refueling of U.S. aircraft in Southeast Asia as directed through the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. It ended all combat operations on August 14, 1973 as a result of the Congressionally-mandated end of US Combat activities over Laos and Cambodia.

The final B-52 returned to its home unit in June 1975, but the wing continued some KC-135 and refueling and RC-135 reconnaissance operations supporting the USAF tactical units in Thailand until inactivated on September 30, 1975 as part of the USAF withdraw from its Thailand bases.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Futrell, Robert Frank (1983) The United States Air Force In Korea, 1950-1953, Maxwell AFB, Alabama Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0912799714
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.

External links

• 307th Bomb Group Association [1]