307th Operations Group

"Frenisi" B-24D-50-CO 42-40323, 424th Bombardment Squadron. Flew a total of 104 combat missions in the Pacific. Photo taken: 8 September 1944, Wakde Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 1944.

Activated on 15 April 1942. Trained and flew patrols off the West Coast, first in B-17 Flying Fortresses and later in B-24 Liberators. Moved to Hawaii, October–November 1942, and assigned to Seventh Air Force. Trained and flew patrol and search missions. Attacked Wake Island, December 1942 – January 1943, by staging through Midway Island.

Moved to Guadalcanal in February 1943 and assigned to Thirteenth Air Force. Served in combat, primarily in the South and Southwest Pacific, until the war ended. Attacked Japanese airfields, installations, and shipping in the Solomon Islands and Bismarck Islands. Helped to neutralize enemy bases on Yap and in the Truk and Palau Islands. Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for an unescorted, daylight attack on heavily defended airfields in the Truk Islands on 29 March 1944. Supported operations in the Philippines by striking Japanese shipping in the southern Philippines and by bombing airfields on Leyte, Luzon, Negros, Ceram, and Halmahera. Also took part in Allied air operations against the Netherlands East Indies by hitting airfields, shipping, and installations.

Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for an unescorted mission against vital oil refineries at Balikpapan, Borneo, on 3 October 1944. Supported Australian forces on Borneo and bombed targets in French Indochina during the last three months of the war.

Two Presidential Unit Citations were awarded to the Group during World War II, one for action in the bombing of the Island of Truk, the most heavily defended and strongly fortified Japanese base in the Pacific. During withdrawal. gunners of the Group destroyed 31 of the 75 attacking aircraft, probably destroyed 12 more and damaged 10 in an air battle that lasted 43 minutes. This daring raid, made on 29 March 1944, neutralized the Japanese airfields, making possible long range flights without fighter protection, The other Presidential Unit Citation was awarded for the successful strike at the Baltkapapan Oil Refineries in Borneo on 30 September 1944. The 307th had to fly their B-24 Liberator bombers 17 1/2 hours for a round trip of 2,610 miles, the longest mass daylight mission ever flown by this type aircraft.

Flew patrol missions along the Asiatic mainland and ferried liberated prisoners from Okinawa to Manila after V-J Day. Returned to the US, December 1945 – January 1946. Inactivated on 18 January 1946.

A 307th Bomb Group B-29 bombing a target in Korea, c. 1951.

Redesignated 307th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy). Activated on 4 August 1946. Assigned to Strategic Air Command at MacDill AFB. Equipped with B-29 Superfortresses. Trained and developed antisubmarine tactics. Redesignated 307th Bombardment Group (Medium) in May 1948.

It deployed from MacDill AFB on 1 August 1950 to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa for combat during the Korean War. The 307th was the third SAC B-29 Superfortress group deployed, and was attached to Far East Air Forces. Attacked strategic objectives in North Korea, August–September 1950. After that, struck interdictory targets, including communications and supply centers, and supported UN ground forces by hitting gun emplacements and troop concentrations. During its combat deployment, the group had flown over 5800 sorties. Twenty-two planes were reported lost.

Became non-operational when parent wing adopted Tri-Deputate organization, 10 February 1951 and all assigned squadrons were attached directly to the wing. Inactivated 16 June 1952

Reactivated in 1977 as a KC-135 Air Refueling group at Travis AFB, California. Inactivated in 1983 due to a SAC reorganization.

• II Bomber Command, 15 April 1942
• VII Bomber Command, 1 November 1942
• XIII Bomber Command, February 1943 – December 1945
• Army Service Forces, 16–18 January 1946
• Fifteenth Air Force, 4 August 1946
• 307th Bombardment Wing, 28 July 1947 – 16 June 1952
• 47th Air Division, 1 July 1977 – 31 December 1983
• 307th Bomb Wing, 8 January 2011 –

• 370th Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 8 January 1946; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952
• 371st Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 8 January 1946; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952
• 372d Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – December 1945; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952
• 424th Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – December 1945

• 93d Bomb Squadron, 8 January 2011 –
• 343d Bomb Squadron, 8 January 2011 –
• 916th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 July 1977 – 31 December 1983