41st Air Division

41st Air Division
F-105s of the division's 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron^[1]
Active	1 March 1952 – 15 January 1968
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of tactical and air defense forces
Garrison/HQ	see "Stations" section below
Equipment	see "Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles" section below
Insignia
41st Air Division emblem (Approved 30 April 1958)^[2]

Military unit

The 41st Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifth Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated on 15 January 1968.

History

"The 41st Air Division was organized, administered, equipped, and trained assigned units in Japan from March 1952 – January 1968,. It conducted combined planning with the Japan Air Self Defense Force and, when directed by higher headquarters, joint and combined training with other allied forces. It also developed tactics and examined technical aspects of aerial warfare requirements for new weapons and weapon systems, and improved uses of current weapons."^[2]

"In addition, its assigned units carried out aerial surveillance and reconnaissance missions and collected, evaluated, produced and disseminated intelligence data. The division maintained operational control of all United States Navy and United States Marine Corps defense type aircraft, United States Army antiaircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile units in Japan."^[2]

"In 1962 it became an operational organization that controlled, evaluated, and exercised assigned units. In fulfilling this role the division participated in exercises such as Commando Night, Commando Rock, Bright Night and Teamwork. In response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident in 1964, the 41st deployed personnel and aircraft to Southeast Asia. These deployments continued periodically until the unit was inactivated."^[2]

Lineage

Designated 41st Air Division (Defense) and organized, on 1 March 1952

Redesignated 41st Air Division on 18 March 1955

Discontinued and inactivated on 15 January 1968^[2]

Assignments

Japan Air Defense Force, 1 March 1952;
Fifth Air Force, 1 September 1954 – 15 January 1968^[2]

Components

Wings

3d Bombardment Wing: attached 1 October 1954 – 1 March 1955; assigned 1 March 1955 – 1 February 1957; 10 November 1958 – 8 January 1964
8th Tactical Fighter Wing: 10 November 1958 – 1 June 1962
35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing: attached 1 March 1952 – 1 March 1955, assigned 1 March 1955 – 1 October 1957 (further attached to 6102 Air Base Wing, 1 July 1957 – 1 October 1957)
67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing: 10 November 1958 – 8 December 1960
6441st Tactical Fighter Wing: 10 November 1958 – 8 December 1960^[2]

Groups

6007th Reconnaissance Group: 1 March 1955 – 9 August 1957^[2]

Squadrons

8th Bombardment Squadron: 8 January 1964 – 24 April 1964
13th Bombardment Squadron: 8 January 1964 – 24 April 1964
34th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 15 May 1966 – 15 January 1968
35th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 18 June 1964 – 1 April 1965; 15 November 1966 – 15 January 1968
36th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 18 June 1964 – 1 April 1965; 15 November 1966 – 15 January 1968
39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached c.1 August 1954 – 30 September 1957, assigned 1 October 1957 – 8 December 1957
40th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 October 1957 – 20 June 1965
68th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 October 1957 – 1 June 1962
80th Tactical Fighter Squadron: 18 June 1964 – 1 April 1965; 15 November 1966 – 15 January 1968
90th Bombardment Squadron (later, 90 Tactical Fighter): 8 January 1964 – 9 June 1964
421st Air Refueling Squadron: 8 December 1960 – 18 February 1965
6091st Reconnaissance Squadron: 8 December 1960 – 15 January 1968^[2]

Stations

Johnson Air Base (later Johnson Air Station), Japan, 1 March 1952
Yokota Air Base, Japan, 28 June 1962 – 15 January 1968^[2]

Aircraft

Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, 1952 – 1954
North American F-86 Sabre, 1952 – 1961
Lockheed F-94 Starfire, 1952 – 1954
Martin B-57 Canberra, 1956 – 1957, 1958 – 1964
North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1958 – 1962, 1964
Boeing KB-50 Superfortress, 1958 – 1962
Boeing RB-50 Superfortress, 1958 – 1961
Martin RB-57 Canberra, 1958 – 1960
Douglas RB-66 Destroyer, 1958 – 1960
McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo, 1958 – 1960
Douglas SC-47 Skytrain, 1958 – 1960
Lockheed T-33 T-Bird, 1958 – 1959
Douglas WB-66 Destroyer, 1958 – 1960
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, 1959 – 1965
Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1961 – 1962
Republic F-105 Thunderchief, 1964 – 1968
McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, 1967 – 1968^[2]

Service Streamer

The unit earned the Korean Service organizational service streamers.

Emblem

Blazon: Over a shield, divided per bend, azure and gules a cost argent, between a shield of the last ornamented and orled of the second and sable and an arm in armor embowed, gauntleted and brandishing a sword to the sinister all argent; on a chief vert in fess a radio wave pattern argent, the shield and chief edged throughout of the last. (Approved 30 April 1958)

References

Notes

^ Closest aircraft is Republic F-105D-10-RE Thunderchief Serial 60-0518.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "Factsheet 41 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

Bibliography

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

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.

United States Air Force

Leadership

Structure

Commands	Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations
Direct Reporting Units	District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy
Major commands	ACC AETC AFGSC AFMC AFRC AFSOC AMC PACAF USAFE–AFAFRICA
Numbered Air Forces	First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Expeditionary Fifteenth Sixteenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty-Second
Wings ANG Groups ANG Squadrons ANG Security Forces Civilian auxiliary: Civil Air Patrol

Personnel and
training

Uniforms and
equipment

History and
traditions

History
Aeronautical Division / Aviation Section / Division of Military Aeronautics / Army Air Service / Army Air Corps / Army Air Forces
"The U.S. Air Force"
Air Force Band
Airman's Creed
Core Values
Flag
Symbol
Memorial
National Museum
Women Airforce Service Pilots
Air Force One / Air Force Two
Honor Guard
Thunderbirds
Service numbers
Air & Space Forces Association

Category

v t e Pacific Air Forces
Air Forces	Fifth Seventh (Air Forces Korea) Eleventh Thirteenth Expeditionary
Bases	Andersen Eielson Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (Elmendorf Air Force Base) Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (Hickam Air Force Base) Kadena Kunsan Misawa Osan Yokota
Wings	3rd 8th Fighter 15th 18th 35th Fighter 36th 51st Fighter 354th Fighter 374th Airlift

USAAF Fifth Air Force in World War II

Previously: Philippine Department Air Force (1941); Far East Air Force (1941-1942)

Airfields

Pacific	USAAF in Australia USAAF in the Southwest Pacific USAAF in Okinawa

Units

Commands

Wings

Groups

Air Commando	3d Air Commando
Bombardment	3d Bombardment 7th Bombardment 19th Bombardment 22d Bombardment 27th Bombardment 38th Bombardment 43d Bombardment 90th Bombardment 312th Bombardment 345th Bombardment 380th Bombardment 417th Bombardment
Combat Cargo	2d Combat Cargo
Fighter	8th Fighter 24th Pursuit 35th Fighter 49th Fighter 58th Fighter 348th Fighter 475th Fighter
Reconnaissance	6th Reconnaissance 71st Reconnaissance
Troop Carrier	317th Troop Carrier 374th Troop Carrier 375th Troop Carrier 433d Troop Carrier

Squadrons

Bombardment	31st Bombardment
Night Fighter	418th Night Fighter 421st Night Fighter 547th Intelligence
Reconnaissance	2d Observation 8th Photographic Reconnaissance 36th Photographic Reconnaissance
Troop Carrier	21st Troop Carrier 22d Troop Carrier 65th Troop Carrier 66th Troop Carrier