I Tactical Air Division


The I Tactical Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Biggs Field, Texas. It was inactivated on 22 December 1945.

History

reorganized its four regional air districts as Numbered Air Forces in the spring of 1941. By the fall of that year, each of these had organized as a support command and three combat commands.
In the summer of 1941 GHQ AF had decided to establish commands to direct its air support mission in each numbered air force, plus one additional command reporting directly to GHQ AF. These commands would be manned from inactivating wings, and would initially control only observation squadrons, which would be transferred from the control of the corps and divisions, although they would remain attached to these ground units. 4th Air Force organized 4th Air Support Command at Fresno Army Air Base, California in September 1941, soon moving to Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma where it drew cadre and equipment from the 15th Bombardment Wing, which was simultaneously inactivated. New observation groups were formed, with a cadre drawn from National Guard squadrons that had been mobilized in 1940 and 1941.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor the command came under the control of the Western Theater of Operations and flew antisubmarine patrols off the Pacific coast. Most of the command's observation units were withdrawn form antisubmarine operations in June 1942, although some patrols continued until January 1943. However, by early 1942, the command's first commander, like two of the other commanders of air support commands had moved overseas, and similar personnel demands led GHQ AF to believe it had little more than the "remnants" of the command remaining.
The AAF determined that its continental air forces would specialize in their training operations and that all their air support commands would be reassigned to Third Air Force.
In August 1943, the command was redesignated the III Tactical Air Division with the intent that the command would engage in combined training with army ground forces.
At various times, it supervised heavy bomber flights to Hawaii, gave air support to ground units in training, participated in air-ground maneuvers, and put on air support demonstrations.

Lineage

Groups
Squadrons
  • 3rd Observation Squadron: 7 September 1942 – 21 January 1943
  • 4th Communications Squadron, Air Support : 5 June 1942 – 21 January 1943
  • 5th Liaison Squadron: 11 August – 12 October 1943
  • 7th Tow Target Squadron:
  • 8th Photographic Squadron: 1 February – 29 March 1942
  • 8th Tow Target Squadron:
  • 10th Air Support Communications Squadron: 7 September 1941 – unknown
  • 13th Air Support Communications Squadron : c. 7 June 1943 – 15 April 1944
  • 31st Observation Squadron: 3 September 1941 – 29 March 1943
  • 39th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 29 March 1944 – 12 April 1944
  • 112th Liaison Squadron: 1 January – 4 June 1941
  • 116th Observation Squadron: 3–13 September 1941
  • 125th Liaison Squadron: c. 11 October 1943 – 4 June 1944
  • 155th Liaison Squadron: 10 January – 1 May 1944
  • 156th Liaison Squadron: 10 February – 1 May 1944
  • 157th Liaison Squadron: 18 April – 1 May 1944
  • 161st Liaison Squadron: 24 June 1944 – 1 September 1945
  • 455th Fighter-Bomber Squadron: attached 8 March – 1 April 1944
Battalions
  • 835th Engineer Aviation Battalion: c. 16 April 1942 – c. January 1943
Companies
  • 319th Signal Company, Air Wing, 3 September 1941 – unknown
Detachments
  • Tow Target Detachment, March Field, 3 September 1941 – November 1943
  • Tow Target Detachment, McChord Field, 3 September 1941 – July 1942