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| 314th Air Division | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 314th Air Division | |
| Active | 19441986 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Engagements |   
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| Decorations | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation |
The 314th Air Division (314th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Osan AB, South Korea. It was inactivated in September 1986.
The unit's origins begin with its predecessor, the World War II 314th Bombardment Wing (314th BW) was part of Twentieth Air Force. The 314th BW engaged in very heavy bombardment B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan.
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The 314th Bombardment Wing was activated in July 1944 at Peterson Field, Colorado as a command and control organization for four very heavy B-29 Superfortress bombardment groups. Organization trained in Colorado while subordinate groups were trained in Kansas by Second Air Force.
When training was completed moved to Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 The 315th was the fourth B-29 Wing assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. It's mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability. In the Marianas, the Wing provided command and control to the 19th, 29th 39th and 330th Bombardment Groups. The 19th and 29th arrived in January; 39th and 330th in February.
Its groups flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The 19th began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo; the 29th with a firebombing mission over central Tokyo on March 9th. The 39th attacking the Hodagaya Chemical Works in Koriyama on 15 April; the 330th hitting the same three days earlier on April 12th. The group continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, but the first ten day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Like her sister wings, the 314th then flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.
The Division continued attacking urban areas until the end of the war in August 1945, its subordinate units conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The wing flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, the wing's B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria.
The 330th Bomb Group was relieved from assignment on 21 November, it's personnel and equipment returning to the United States for demobilization; the 39th in December. The other groups returned in May 1946. The Wing then moved to Johnson Army Airbase, Japan in mid-May 1946 to become part of the Fifth Air Force Occupation forces.
With the postwar consolidation of units, the organization was redesignated 314th Composite Wing in 1946, having both groups and squadrons of varying missions assigned to the wing. For approximately two years (19461948) the 314th served as one of Fifth Air Force's major components. It maintained intensive training schedules, participated in training exercises and took part in the post-hostilities program of mapping Japan.
Activated at Nagoya AB, Japan, on 1 December 1950 as the 314th Air Division, the organization immediately assumed the missions of the air defense of Japan, logistical support for Fifth Air Force during the Korean War, and airfield construction in Japan. Units under the Division's direct jurisdiction during the Korean War were the following:
On 1 March 1952 the 314th Air Division was stood down, as part of a Far East Air Force reorganization. It's units were reassigned to other organizations.
Reactivated in March 1955 at Osan Air Base, South Korea, the 314th Air Division was the primary command and control organization in South Korea for the next 30 years. The division maintained assigned and attached forces at a high degree of combat readiness during the Cold War. In fulfilling its mission, the division supported numerous military exercises in the region, such as Commando Bearcat, Commando Jade, and Commando Night.
The Division was inactivated in 1986 by the decision to upgrade the organization to a Numbered Air Force level, being replaced by the reactivated Seventh Air Division, which assumed all of its assigned assets.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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