| 5th Air Force | |
|---|---|
 5th Air Force |
|
| Active | 1942 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Part of | Pacific Air Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Yokota Air Base |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Lieutenant General Edward A. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the is a United States Air Force base located in the city of Fussa and surrounding communities in Tokyo, Japan. This article is about a United States military rank For other countries that use a similar rank see Lieutenant General. Rice, Jr. |
| Notable commanders |
George Kenney |
Fifth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force, part of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) command. George Churchill Kenney ( August 6, 1889 - August 9, 1977) was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II This is a list of Numbered Air Forces (NAF of the United States Air Force Historically a NAF is a level of command below a MAJCOM (Major Command It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. is a United States Air Force base located in the city of Fussa and surrounding communities in Tokyo, Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. It was formed during World War II at Brisbane, Australia, on 18 September 1942. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Fifth Air Force's mission is threefold:
- air operations in accordance with tasks assigned by the PACAF Commander
- maintaining readiness for other operations.
- defense of Japan and joint air operations with the Japanese Self-Defense Force. The, or JSDF, are the military forces in Japan that were established after the end of the post- World War II American occupation of Japan
Contents |
Units
Major units of Fifth Air Force are:
- 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
(F-15C/D, F-22A KC-135, E-3B/C, HH-60, MC-130H/P, WC-135) - 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan (F-16 CJ/DJ)
- 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan (C-130E/H)
Non-Flying Units (Yokota Air Base)
- 605th Air Operations Group
- 605th Air Operations Squadron
- 605th Air Intelligence Squadron
- 605th Air Support Squadron
- 605th Air Communications Flight
- 20th Operational Weather Squadron
Lineage
- Philippine Department Air Force, 20 September 1941
- Far East Air Force**, 28 October 1941
- Fifth Air Force, 5 February 1942 (headquarters inactive to 18 September 1942)
In addition, Fifth Air Force is not to be confused with a second "Fifth" air force created as a temporary establishment to handle combat operations after the outbreak of hostilities on June 25, 1950, in Korea. The United States Air Force 's 18th Wing is the host Wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force’s largest combat Kadena Air Base is a United States Air Force base located in the towns is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The 35th Fighter Wing ( 35 FW) is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Misawa Air Base, Japan. For the civilian use of this facility see Misawa Airport is a United States military facility located adjacent to the city of Misawa The 374th Airlift Wing (374th AW is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Yokota Air Base, Japan. is a United States Air Force base located in the city of Fussa and surrounding communities in Tokyo, Japan. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Far East Air Force (FEAF was the military aviation arm of the United States Army in the Philippines just prior to and at the beginning of World War II Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. This numbered air force was established as Fifth Air Force, Advance, and organized at Itazuki AB, Japan, assigned to Fifth Air Force, on July 14, 1950. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It moved to Taegu AB, South Korea, on July 24, 1950, and was redesignated Fifth Air Force in Korea at the same time. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After moving, it apparently received command control from U. S. Far East Air Forces. The establishment operated from Pusan, Taegu, and Seoul before being discontinued on December 1, 1950. Daegu (pronounced) also spelled Taegu (pronounced) officially called Daegu Metropolitan City, is the fourth largest city in South Korea after Seoul ( soʊl is the Capital and largest City of South Korea. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
History
Fifth Air Force is one of very few numbered air forces of the United States Air Force never to have been based in the United States itself. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It is also one of the oldest and continuously active US air forces.
World War II
In July 1941, Chief of the Army Air Forces, Major General Henry H. Arnold, proposed sending four heavy bombardment groups (340 aircraft) and two pursuit squadrons (260 aircraft) to the Philippines, as reinforcements for the Philippine Department Air Force, constituted on 16 August 1941 and activated on 20 September 1941. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold GCB ( June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was a five-star General officer The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was redesignated the Far East Air Force in October 1941.
By October 2, 81 P-40s had been shipped to the islands, along with nine B-17s of the 14th Bombardment Squadron (11th Bomb Group). Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Two squadrons of the 19th Bombardment Group (H) arrived in November, to which the 14th was attached, for a total of 35 B-17 Flying Fortresss. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout By the end of November four groups had reached the Philippines and FEAF was organized into two commands, V Bomber and V Interceptor Commands. Constituted as V Bomber Command on 28 October 1941. Activated in the Philippines on 14 November 1941.
Immediately after the outbreak of the Pacific War in December, Brereton sought permission from theater commander Gen Douglas MacArthur to conduct air raids against Japanese forces in Formosa, but was refused. The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between General MacArthur redirects here for other meanings see General MacArthur (disambiguation. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. As a consequence, FEAF was largely destroyed on the ground by Japanese air attacks. Following the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, the remnants of FEAF relocated southwards to bases in the Dutch East Indies. The Battle of the Philippines was the invasion of the Philippines by Japan in 1941–42 and the defense of the islands by Filipino and United See http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/WikipediaFootnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags and the template below After those islands also fell to Japanese forces early in 1942, FEAF headquarters moved to Australia and was redesignated Fifth Air Force on 5 February 1942. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Its surviving personnel and aircraft were detached to other commands and the headquarters remained unmanned for several months, but elements played a small part in the Battle of the Coral Sea (7-8 May 1942). The Battle of the Coral Sea, fought from May 4 – May 8, 1942, with most of the action occurring on May 7 and May 8, was
Headquarters Fifth Air Force was re-staffed at Brisbane, Australia on 18 September 1942 and placed under the command of Major General George Kenney. Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. George Churchill Kenney ( August 6, 1889 - August 9, 1977) was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II United States Army Air Forces units in Australia, including Fifth Air Force, were eventually reinforced and re-organised following their initial defeats in the Philippines and the East Indies. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. At the time that Kenney had arrived, there were three fighter groups and 5 bombardments groups.
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Fighter Groups: |
Bomber Groups:
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In addition, Fifth Air Force controlled two transport squadrons and one photographic squadron comprising 1,602 officers and 18,116 men. The 22d Air Refueling Wing ( 22 ARW) is a wing of the United States Air Force.
Kenney was later appointed commander of Allied air forces in the South West Pacific Area, reporting directly to General Douglas MacArthur. The South West Pacific was one of two theatres of World War II in the Pacific region between 1942 and 1945. General MacArthur redirects here for other meanings see General MacArthur (disambiguation. Under Kenney's leadership, the Fifth Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force provided the aerial spearhead for MacArthur's island hopping campaign. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. On 4 November 1942, the 5th Air Force commenced sustained action against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea (or ˈpæpjuːə in Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini) officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania
The Fifth Air Force along with the Thirteenth Air Force was assigned to the newly-created United States Far East Air Forces (FEAF) on August 3, 1944. Thirteenth Air Force is a United States Air Force "Component- Numbered Air Force " (C-NAF and warfighting headquarters in Pacific Air Forces Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Fifth Air Force order of battle, 1945
| V Fighter Command | Night Fighter Units | V Bomber Command | Photo Reconnaissance | 54th Troop Carrier Wing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd ACG (P-51, C-47) | 418th NFS | 3rd BG (L) (B-25,A-20) | 6th RG (F-5, F-7 | 2nd CCG |
| 8th FG (P-40, P-38) | 421st NFS | 22nd BG (M/H) (B-26 - B-24) | 71st RG (B-25) | 317th TCG |
| 35th FG (P-47, P-51) | 547th NFS | 38th BG (M) (B-25) | 374th TCG (1943 only) | |
| 49th FG (P-40, P-47, P-38) | 43rd BG (H) (B-24) | 375th TCG | ||
| 58th FG (P-47) | 90th BG (H) (B-24) | 433rd TCG | ||
| 348th FG (P-47, P-51) | 312th BG (L) (A-20) | |||
| 475th FG (P-38) | 345th BG (M) (B-25) | |||
| 380th BG (H) (B-24) | ||||
| 417th BG (L) (A-20) |
LEGEND: ACG - Air Commando Group, FG - Fighter Group, NFS - Night Fighter Squadron, BG (L) - Light Bomb Group, BG (M) - Medium Bomb Group, BG (H) - Heavy Bomb Group, RG - Reconnaissance Group, CCG - Combat Cargo Group, TCG - Troop Carrier Group
When the war ended, Fifth Air Force had an unmatched record of 3,445 aerial victories, led by the nation's two top fighter aces Major Richard Bong and Major Thomas McGuire, with 40 and 38 confirmed victories respectively, and two of Fifth Air Force's ten Medal of Honor recipients. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing (8 FW is the host wing at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout B26, B-26 or B26 may refer to A-26 Invader, by Douglas Aircraft Company, which carried the designation "B-26" from WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The 374th Airlift Wing (374th AW is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Yokota Air Base, Japan. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The United States Air Force 's 43d Airlift Wing is an airlift unit located at Pope AFB, North Carolina. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Richard Ira "Dick" Bong (September 24 1920 &ndash August 6 1945 is the United States ' highest-scoring air ace, having shot down at least 40 Japanese Thomas Buchanan McGuire Jr ( August 1, 1920 &ndash January 7, 1945) was the second highest scoring American ace during World War
Shortly after World War II ended in August, Fifth Air Force relocated to Irumagawa Air Base, Japan, about September 25, 1945 as part of the Allied occupation forces. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar At the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers, led by the United States with contributions also from Australia, British The command remained in Japan until December 1, 1950 performing occupation duties. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Korean War
In 1950, Fifth air force was called upon again, becoming the main United Nations combat air command during the Korean War, and was instrumental in bringing about the cease-fire that formally ended that conflict in 1953. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the
In the early morning hours of June 25, North Korea launched a sudden, all-out attack against the south. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, Reacting quickly to the invasion, Fifth Air Force units provided air cover over the skies of Seoul. Seoul ( soʊl is the Capital and largest City of South Korea. The command transferred to Seoul on December 1, 1950, remaining in South Korea until September 1, 1954. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar)
In this first Jet War, Fifth Air Force racked up an unprecedented 14. 5 to 1 victory ratio. By the time the truce was signed in 1953, fifth air force had flown over 625,000 missions, downing 953 North Korean and Chinese aircraft, while close air support accounted for 47 percent of all enemy troop casualties.
Thirty-eight fighter pilots were identified as aces, including Lieutenant Colonel James Jabara, America's first jet ace; and Captain Joseph McConnell, the leading Korean War ace with 16 confirmed victories. James "Jabby" Jabara ( October 10, 1923 - November 17, 1966) was the second-highest-scoring U WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Additionally, four Medals of Honor were awarded to Fifth Air Force members. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. One other pilot of note was Marine Major John Glenn, who flew for Fifth Air Force as part of an exchange program. John Herschel Glenn Jr (born July 18 1921 in Cambridge Ohio) is a former United States Senator who first rose to fame as the first American to Orbit
With the end of combat in Korea, Fifth Air Force returned to Japan in 1954.
Cold War
Not only concerned with maintaining a strong tactical posture for the defense of both Japan and South Korea, Fifth Air Force played a critical role in helping the establishment of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force as well as the Republic of Korea Air Force. The, or JASDF, is the Aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese Airspace and other aerospace The Republic of Korea Air Force ( ROK Air Force, ROKAF, Hanglul: 대한민국 공군 Hanja: 大韓民國 空軍 is the Air force These and other peacetime efforts lasted a decade before war clouds once again developed in the Pacific.
This time, the area of concern was Southeast Asia, beginning in 1964 with the Gulf of Tonkin Crisis. The Gulf of Tonkin, in Vietnamese: Vịnh Bắc Bộ or in Chinese: Beibu Wan is an arm of the South China Sea. Fifth air force furnished aircraft, Aircrews, Support personnel, and supplies throughout the eight years of combat operations in South Vietnam and Laos. "RVN" redirects here RVN is also the former callsign of a TV station in Wagga Wagga New South Wales Australia Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma
Since 1972, the Pacific Region has seen relative calm, thanks in large part to the deterrent role Fifth Air Force has played in this part of the world. But that doesn't mean Fifth Air Force hasn't been active in other roles. The command has played active or supporting roles in a variety of issues ranging from being first on the scene at the Korean Air Lines Flight 007 shoot down in 1983 to deploying personnel and supplies for the Persian Gulf War in 1990. Korean Air Lines Flight 007, also known as KAL 007, was a Korean Air Lines civilian Airliner shot down by Soviet jet interceptors
During this time span, the size of Fifth Air Force changed as well. With the activation of Seventh Air Force in 1986, fifth left the Korean Peninsula and focused its energy on continuing the growing bilateral relationship with Japan. The Seventh Air Force is a United States Air Force Numbered Air Force (NAF under Pacific Air Forces.
Post Cold War
The Fifth Air Force's efforts also go beyond combat operations. Fifth Air force has reacted to natural disasters in Japan and abroad. These efforts include the Kobe earthquake in 1995 and Super Typhoon Paka which hit Guam in 1997. Fifth Air Force has reached out to provide assistance to victims of floods, Typhoons, Volcanoes, and Earthquakes throughout the region.
See also
- Pacific Air Forces
- United States Air Force Aircraft of the Korean War
- United States Air Force Korean War Campaigns
References
This article includes content from Fifth Air Force Website history page.
- Wesley F. Craven and James L. Cate, 1948-58, The Army Air Forces in World War II. Professor James L Cate was an Air Force intelligence official and part of the Air Force Historical Division during World War II, and author of at least two pieces (Chicago: University of Chicago Press).
External links
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