The 41st Air Division is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

unit. Its last assignment was with

Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organ ...

Yokota Air Base , is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and United States Air Force (USAF) base in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo. It occupies portions of Akishima, Fussa, Hamura, Mizuho, Musashimurayama, and Tachikawa. The base houses 14,000 pers ...

, 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 The , , also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the air and space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and electronic warfare. The JASDF ...

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." "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 The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

and

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

defense type aircraft,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

antiaircraft artillery Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-bas ...

and

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...

units in Japan." "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."

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

Assignments

* Japan Air Defense Force, 1 March 1952; *

, 1 September 1954 – 15 January 1968

Components

;Wings *

3d Bombardment Wing 3D, 3-D, 3d, or Three D may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics * A three-dimensional space in mathematics Relating to three-dimensionality * 3D computer graphics, computer graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geome ...

: attached 1 October 1954 – 1 March 1955; assigned 1 March 1955 – 1 February 1957; 10 November 1958 – 8 January 1964 *

8th Tactical Fighter Wing The 8th Fighter Wing is a fighter aircraft unit of the United States Air Force. It is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force. Seventh Air Force falls under Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). The Wing ...

: 10 November 1958 – 1 June 1962 *

35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing Military units *35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force *35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I *35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...

: 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 67 may refer to: * 67 (number) * one of the years 67 BC, AD 67, 1967, 2067 * "67", a 1992 song by Love Battery from the album ''Between the Eyes'' * 67 (rap group), a drill music group from London * 67 Asia, a main-belt asteroid See also * 67th Re ...

: 10 November 1958 – 8 December 1960 * 6441st Tactical Fighter Wing: 10 November 1958 – 8 December 1960 ;Groups *

6007th Reconnaissance Group The 6007th Reconnaissance Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 6007th Reconnaissance Wing, stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It was discontinued on 9 August 1957. History Performed highly classif ...

: 1 March 1955 – 9 August 1957 ;Squadrons *

8th Bombardment Squadron Eighth is ordinal form of the number eight. Eighth may refer to: * One eighth, , a fraction, one of eight equal parts of a whole * Eighth note (quaver), a musical note played for half the value of a quarter note (crotchet) * Octave, an interval b ...

: 8 January 1964 – 24 April 1964 *

13th Bombardment Squadron In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is most commonly major or minor . A thirteenth chord is th ...

: 8 January 1964 – 24 April 1964 *

34th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 34th Fighter Squadron is part of the United States Air Force's 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. On 2 August 2016, the Air Force announced that the 34th had become the first squadron to achieve initial operating capability w ...

: 15 May 1966 – 15 January 1968 *

35th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 35th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 8th Operations Group, stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. The squadron operates the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority mi ...

: 18 June 1964 – 1 April 1965; 15 November 1966 – 15 January 1968 *

36th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 36th Fighter Squadron is part of the US Air Force's 51st Operations Group at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions. The squadron was first activate ...

: 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 4 (four) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is tetraphobia, considered unlucky i ...

: 1 October 1957 – 20 June 1965 *

68th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 68th Fighter Squadron was one of the longest-serving fighter squadrons in U.S. Air Force history, remaining active almost continually for 60 years. Known as the "Lightning Lancers", on the morning of 27 June 1950 pilots of the 68th Fighter-A ...

: 1 October 1957 – 1 June 1962 *

80th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 80th Fighter Squadron (traditionally nicknamed the "Headhunters", and since 1971 also the "Juvats") is a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter squadron (aviation), squadron of the United States Air Force, currently part of the 8th O ...

: 18 June 1964 – 1 April 1965; 15 November 1966 – 15 January 1968 *

90th Bombardment Squadron 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bot ...

(later, 90 Tactical Fighter): 8 January 1964 – 9 June 1964 *

421st Air Refueling Squadron The 421st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 41st Air Division at Yokota Air Base, Japan, where it was inactivated on 18 February 1965. In 1985 the squadron was consolidated with th ...

: 8 December 1960 – 18 February 1965 * 6091st Reconnaissance Squadron: 8 December 1960 – 15 January 1968

Stations

Johnson Air Base is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) base located in the city of Sayama, Saitama, Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, north of western Tokyo, Japan. It was the airfield for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Academy until 1945, when it became Joh ...

(later Johnson Air Station), Japan, 1 March 1952 *

, Japan, 28 June 1962 – 15 January 1968

Aircraft

Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star is the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design, two p ...

, 1952 – 1954 *

North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

, 1952 – 1961 *

Lockheed F-94 Starfire The Lockheed F-94 Starfire is a first-generation jet powered all-weather day/night interceptor aircraft designed and produced by Lockheed Corporation. It was the first operational United States Air Force (USAF) fighter equipped with an afterbu ...

, 1952 – 1954 *

Martin B-57 Canberra The Martin B-57 Canberra is an American-built, twin-engined tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1953. The B-57 is a license-built version of the British English Electric ...

, 1956 – 1957, 1958 – 1964 *

North American F-100 Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United ...

, 1958 – 1962, 1964 *

Boeing KB-50 Superfortress The Boeing B-50 Superfortress is a retired American strategic bomber. A post–World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, it was fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller tail fin, ...

, 1958 – 1962 * Boeing RB-50 Superfortress, 1958 – 1961 * Martin RB-57 Canberra, 1958 – 1960 *

Douglas RB-66 Destroyer The Douglas B-66 Destroyer is a light bomber that was designed and produced by the American aviation manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company. The B-66 was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) and is derivative of the United States Na ...

, 1958 – 1960 *

McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter designed and produced by the American McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Development of the F-101 began in the late 1940s as a long-range bomber escort (then known as a penetration fighter) ...

, 1958 – 1960 *

Douglas SC-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troop ...

, 1958 – 1960 *

Lockheed T-33 T-Bird The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...

, 1958 – 1959 * Douglas WB-66 Destroyer, 1958 – 1960 *

Convair F-102 Delta Dagger The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger is an interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Convair. A member of the Century Series, the F-102 was the first operational supersonic interceptor and delta-wing fighter op ...

, 1959 – 1965 *

Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...

, 1961 – 1962 *

Republic F-105 Thunderchief The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War. It ...

, 1964 – 1968 *

McDonnell F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bowers ...

, 1967 – 1968

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 Embowed () is a term in heraldry and architecture which means: *''curved like a bow'' (when applied to fish, animals or heraldic charges) *''bent'' (when applied to the human arm or leg), or *''having an arch or arches'' but, in the Anglophone h ...

, 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

Bibliography

* {{USAAF 5th Air Force World War II 041