494th Bombardment Wing
| 494th Bombardment Wing | |
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 494th Bombardment Wing (SAC) Insignia |
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| Active | 1943–1946 1963–1966 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Bombardment |
| Part of | Strategic Air Command |
The 494th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command 19th Air Division, stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 2 April 1966
Originally activated in 1943 as the 494th Bombardment Group as a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It was the last B-24 Liberator group formed by the United States Army Air Forces.
The highly-decorated unit served primarily in Western Pacific, taking part in numerous campaigns. It earned the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during the liberation of the Philippines, hitting gun-emplacements, personnel areas, and storage depots on Corregidor and Caballo at the entrance to Manila Bay; bombing radio installations and power plants at Japanese bases in the Philippines; and attacking enemy-held airfields.
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[edit] History
[edit] World War II
Established in late 1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group, activated on 1 December under II Bomber Command at Wendover Field, Utah. The 494th was the last of seven Heavy Bombardment Groups – 488th through 494th – activated in the autumn of 1943, as B-29 Superfortress production was beginning in large numbers. The 494th was subsequently the last heavy bomb group formed and trained by the Army Air Forces.
The group's origins begin as the 10th Antisubmarine Squadron, then retraining as a heavy bombardment unit with B-24s at Gowen Field, Idaho. At Gowen, the unit became identified as the 494th Bombardment Group and was moved to Wendover Field where it was joined by the 864th, 865th and 866th Bomb Squadrons; the headquarters element of the group being formed from the staff of the 10th Antisubmarine Squadron which was redesignated as the 867th Bomb Squadron.
The group trained at Wendover until April when it was converted by Second Air Force for B-29 training; was subsequently moved to Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho to complete its final phase of training. At Mountain Home, the group received new very long range B-24J aircraft in early May.
The last B-24 group was deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), being assigned to VII Bomber Command, initially forming at Barking Sands Army Airfield in Hawaii; flying from Idaho to Hamilton Field, California before its overseas movement. In Hawaii, the group received additional training in long range over ocean navigation while the ground echelon of the group transported by rail to Seattle, then by troop ship to Hawaii, arriving in mid-June. The unit remained in Hawaii throughout the summer of 1944 while its B-24s were modified at Hickam Field to meet the standards required by Seventh Air Force. Modifications were completed by 1 August, however the group was not deployed to the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) of operations until mid-September as its planned airfield on Angaur in the Palau Islands was not yet constructed due to ongoing combat on the island.
Aircraft were deployed from Hawaii on 10 October 1944, departing for Johnson Island, Kwajalein and Saipan. At Saipan, the unit was delayed a further 10 days due to combat ongoing in the Pelelieus. On Saipan, the 494th flew their first combat mission with crews of the 30th Bombardment Group, stationed on Saipan. The first elements of the 494th arrived on Angaur on 16 October, being strafed by Japanese forces still on the island as the battle of Bloody-Nose Ridge was still ongoing. As the area was finally secured in late October, additional aircraft began arriving; with the group completely established by the end of the month. The combat on the island had not allowed the construction of buildings and other support facilities, so the personnel of the group were engaged in construction activities upon their arrival.
The 494th entered combat on 3 November 1944 with attacks against Japanese airfields on Yap and Koror. Subsequently the group engaged in very long range strategic bombing raids on other bypassed Japanese installations in the Pacific and against the Japanese in the Philippines. Late in 1944 the unit hit gun emplacements, personnel areas, ant storage depots on Corregidor and Caballo at the entrance to Manila Bay; bombed radio installations and power plants at Japanese bases in the Philippines; and attacked enemy-held airfields, including Clark Field on Luzon. Early in 1945 struck airfields on Mindanao and ammunition and supply dumps in the Davao Gulf and Illana Bay areas.
The group moved to the newly built Yontan Airfield on Okinawa in June 1945. On Okinawa, the 373d Bombardment Squadron was assigned to the 494th from the CBI. From its new base, the group engaged primarily in very long range attacks against enemy airfields on Kyūshū. The group also participated in incendiary raids, dropped propaganda leaflets over urban areas of Kyūshū and struck airfields in China, in southern Korea, and around the Inland Sea of Japan until the Japanese Capitulation in August.
After the war's end in September, the unit remained on Okinawa as older units began to demobilize. The group was engaged in transporting personnel and supplies in the Southwest Pacific, and moving necessary occupation support elements from Manila to Tokyo. Began to demobilize in November and December, with personnel returning to the United States. the 494th was inactivated as a paper unit in the United States on 4 January 1946.
[edit] Strategic Air Command
On 5 January 1959, Strategic Air Command established the 4245th Strategic Wing at Sheppard AFB, Texas as part of SAC's plan to disburse its B-52 Stratofortress heavy bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. The wing consisted of the 717th Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 B-52Ds, and the KC-135-equipped 900th Air Refueling Squadron. Half of the aircraft were maintained on fifteen minute alert, fully fueled, armed, and ready for combat. SAC Strategic Wings were considered a provisional unit by HQ, USAF and could not carry a permanent history or lineage.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate historical AFCON units to replace them, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
The 4321st SW was redesignated as the 494th Bombardment Wing (494th BW) on 1 January 1963 in a name-only redesigation and was assigned to SAC's Second Air Force, 816th Strategic Aerospace Division. The 717th BS was also redesignated as the 864th Bombardment Squadron, one of the unit's World War II historical bomb squadrons. The 900th ARS designation was unchanged. The 494th Bomb Wing continued to conduct strategic bombardment training and air refueling operations to meet operational commitments of Strategic Air Command.
By 1966, Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) had been deployed and become operational as part of the United States' strategic triad, and the need for B-52s had been reduced. In addition, funds were also needed to cover the costs of combat operations in Indochina. The 494th Bombardment Wing was inactivated on 1 April 1966 and its aircraft were reassigned to other SAC units. As part of the inactivation, control of Shepphard AFB was turned over to Air Training Command.
[edit] Lineage
- Constituted as 494th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 September 1943
- Activated on 1 December 1943
- Inactivated on 4 January 1946
- Established as 494th Bombardment Wing, Heavy on 15 November 1962
- Activated on 15 November 1962 to replace the 4245th Strategic Wing
- Organized on 1 February 1963 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 4245th Strategic Wing (Inactivated).
- Discontinued, and activated, on 2 April 1966.
[edit] Assignments
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[edit] Components
- 373d Bombardment Squadron, 21 July – 15 December 1945
- 864th Bombardment Squadron, 1 December 1943 – 4 January 1946; 1 February 1963 – 2 April 1966
- 865th Bombardment Squadron, 1 December 1943 – 4 January 1946
- 866th Bombardment Squadron, 1 December 1943 – 4 January 1946
- 867th Bombardment Squadron, 1 December 1943 – 4 January 1946
- 900th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 February 1963 – 2 April 1966.
[edit] Stations
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[edit] Aircraft flown
- B-24 Liberator 1943–1946
- B-52 Stratofortress 1963–1966
- KC-135 Stratotanker 1963–1966
[edit] See also
[edit] References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
[edit] External links
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