314th Air Division
314th Air Division
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F-4D Phantom of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1973
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| Active | 1944–1952; 1955-1986 |
| Country |
 United States
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| Branch |
 United States Air Force
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| Role | Command of tactical air forces |
| Part of | Pacific Air Forces |
| Motto(s) | Destruction ab Alto Latin Destruction from Above |
| Engagements | Pacific Theater of Operations |
| Decorations |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation |
| Insignia | |
| 314th Air Division emblem (Approved 9 May 1956) |  |
| 314th Bombardment Wing emblem (Approved 20 January 1945) |  |
The 314th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It became inactive in September 1986.
The unit's origins lie with the World War II 314th Bombardment Wing, which was part of the Twentieth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces. The 314th engaged in bombing operations against Japan using Boeing B-29 Superfortresses.
The 314th Bombardment Wing was activated in July 1944 at Peterson Field, Colorado as a command organization for four Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombardment groups. The unit trained in Colorado while subordinate groups were trained in Kansas by the Second Air Force. When training was completed the 314th moved to Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 The 314th was the fourth B-29 Wing assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability. In the Marianas, the Wing commanded the 19th, 29th 39th and 330th Bombardment Group (VH)s. The 19th and 29th arrived in January; the 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 9. The 39th's first mission was an attack of the Hodagaya Chemical Works in Koriyama on 15 April; the 330th hitting the same three days earlier on April 12. 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.
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Wikipedia