312th Aeronautical Systems Group

312th Aeronautical Systems Wing
	Emblem of the 312th Tactical Fighter Group
Active	28 January 1942 – present
Country	United States
Branch	Air Force
Type	Aeronautical Systems
Part of	Air Force Material Command
Garrison/HQ	Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Engagements	World War II; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign (1944–1945)
Decorations	DUC; PPUC

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The 312th Aeronautical Systems Group (312 ASG) is a component of the United States Air Force 312th Aeronautical Systems Wing. It is stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and is assigned to Air Force Material Command (AFMC).

The unit's World War II predecessor unit, the 312th Bombardment Group, operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater as an A-20 Havoc light bomber unit assigned to Fifth Air Force. The group also flew the B-32 Dominator on several evaluation combat missions at the end of the war. It was awarded both the United States Distinguished Unit Citation and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for its combat service in New Guinea; the Western Pacific; Leyte, and Luzon.

Overview

The 312th Aeronautical Systems Group has responsibility for program execution to develop, acquire, field and modernize capabilities; and support for life-cycle management of the Fighter Attack portfolio for the United States and coalition partners.

Unit responsibilities also include identifying, coordinating and implementing horizontal integration/capability planning across weapons systems in support of the Global Strike and Global Persistent Attack concept of operations.

History

see: 312th Tactical Fighter Wing for additional lineage and history

World War II

The 312th Bombardment Group was activated on 15 March 1942 at Bowman Field (Fort Knox) Kentucky. It was redesignated 312th Bombardment Group (Dive) in July 1942 and trained in the United States for several months with A-3, A-31, A-36, and P-40 aircraft.

The unit was deployed to the Southwest Pacific, October–December 1943, and assigned to Fifth Air Force. It was again redesignated as the 312th Bombardment Group (Light) in December 1943. It began operations in New Guinea, flying patrol and escort missions. Following its conversion to the A-20 Havoc, the group attacked airfields, troop concentrations, gun positions, bridges, and warehouses on the northern and western coasts of New Guinea. It moved to the Philippines in November 1944 and provided support for ground troops and struck airfields and transportation facilities.

The 312th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for actions against Japanese butanol plants in Formosa, 25 March – 4 April 1945.

Consolidated B-32 Dominator

The 312th was selected to carry out field operation testing of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator in mid-1945 and made test flights over Luzon and Formosa in June 1945. The B-32 had been in development since before World War II, but a protracted development period delayed production versions of the aircraft until 1945. The first two B-32s arrived on Luzon on 2 May, with a third aircraft arriving the next day.

The first combat mission took place on 29 May 1945. It was a strike against a Japanese supply depot in Luzon's Cayagan Valley. All three of the Dominators were to take part, but one aborted on takeoff. The other two proceeded to the target. There was no enemy opposition, and bombing runs were made from an altitude of 10,000 feet, and both aircraft returned without incident. This raid was followed by a series of attacks on Japanese targets in the Philippines, in Formosa, and on Hainan Island in the Tonkin Gulf. The only opposition encountered during these missions was some rather inaccurate flak. The tests were thus deemed a success, and plans were made to convert the entire 386th Bombardment Squadron to B-32s. The 312th BG was scheduled to move to Okinawa as soon as the conversion of the 386th BS to the B-32 was completed.

Redesignated as the 312th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in July 1945, the unit moved to Okinawa in August 1945 and received six more aircraft. After the Atomic Bomb missions had been flown, Combat operations were flown with the B-32 in spite of the de facto cease-fire that had been called following the bombing of Nagasaki. During this time, the B-32s flew mainly photographic reconnaissance missions, most of which were unopposed. However, on 17 August a group of 4 B-32s flying over Tokyo were fired on by radar-directed flak and were attacked by Japanese fighters. The American aircraft escaped with only minor damage, claiming one confirmed fighter kill and two probables. During a reconnaissance mission over Tokyo on 18 August, two B-32s were attacked by Japanese fighters. The American gunners claimed two kills and one probable, but one aircraft was badly shot up and one of her crew was killed with two being injured. This was to prove to be the last combat action of World War II.

The last Dominator mission of the war was flown by four B-32s on 28 August in a reconnaissance mission to Tokyo. The mission was a disaster, although not because of any enemy action. 42-108544 lost an engine on takeoff and skidded off the runway. All 13 men aboard perished when the aircraft exploded and burned. On the way back from the target, 42-108528 lost power on two of its four engines. The plane's pilot ordered the crew to bail out, but two men were killed.

After VJ-Day, the surviving B-32 aircraft were ordered to return to the United States, ending the test program. The 312th remained on Okinawa until December until returning to the United States. It was inactivated on 6 January 1946.

Cold War

474th TFW Wing Commander's aircraft, North American F-100D-75-NA Super Sabre, AF Serial No. 56-3176

The 312th trained in the reserve from, 1947, being redesignated as the 312th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), and equipped with B-29 Superfortresses. It was inactivated in 1949.

It was reactivated in 1954 and trained to maintain proficiency in fighter-bomber operations with conventional weapons to September 1955, then switched to training to maintain combat proficiency with atomic weapons. From April 1956 – October 1957, the wing rotated tactical squadrons to France, six months at a time. Inactivated when parent 312th Fighter-Bomber Wing adopted Tri-Deputate organization and assigned all flying squadrons directly to the Wing.

Lineage

Established as 312th Bombardment Group (Light) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 15 March 1942

Redesignated: 312th Bombardment Group (Dive) on 27 July 1942

Redesignated: 312th Bombardment Group (Light) on 21 December 1943

Redesignated: 312th Bombardment Group, Light, on 14 February 1944

Redesignated: 312th Bombardment Group, Heavy, on 19 July 1945

Inactivated on 6 January 1946

Redesignated 312th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 14 July 1947

Activated in the Reserves on 30 July 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

Redesignated 312th Fighter-Bomber Group on 29 July 1954

Activated on 1 October 1954

Inactivated on 8 October 1957

Redesignated 312th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985 (Remained inactive)
Consolidated (23 June 2006) with the F-16 Systems Group, which was established on 23 November 2004

Activated on 18 January 2005

Redesignated 312th Aeronautical Systems Group on 14 July 2006.

Assignments

III Air Support Command, 15 March 1942
III Bomber Command, 16 March 1942
XII Bomber Command, 2 May 1942
III Ground Air Support Command, 10 August 1942
Desert Training Center, Army Ground Forces, 20 February 1943
III Air Support Command, 31 May 1943
V Fighter Command, 19 November 1943
V Bomber Command, 16 January 1944

Attached to: 310th Bombardment Wing, 31 May – 3 September 1944; 1 July – 13 October 1945

Seventh Air Force, 18 October – 13 December 1945
Vancouver Barracks, Washington, 3–6 January 1946
44th Bombardment Wing (later, 44th Air Division, Bomb), 30 July 1947 – 27 June 1949
312th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 October 1954 – 8 October 1957
Fighter Attack Systems (later, 312th Aeronautical Systems) Wing: 18 January 2005–present

Components

386th Bombardment (later, 386th Fighter-Bomber) Squadron: 15 March 1942 – 18 December 1945; 13 August 1947-27 June 1949; 1 October 1954 – 8 October 1957
387th Bombardment (later, 387th Fighter-Bomber) Squadron: 15 March 1942 – 6 January 1946; 13 August 1947-27 June 1949; 1 October 1954 – 8 October 1957
388th Bombardment (later, 388th Fighter-Bomber) Squadron: 15 March 1942 – 4 January 1946; 13 August 1947-27 June 1949; 1 October 1954 – 8 October 1957
389th Bombardment Squadron: 15 March 1942 – 26 December 1945; 13 August 1947-27 June 1949.

Stations

Bowman Field, Kentucky (1942)
Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma (1942)
Hunter Field, Georgia (1942–1943)
DeRidder Army Airfield, Louisiana (1943)
Rice Army Airfield, California (1943)
Salinas Army Airfield, California (1943)
Brisbane, Australia (1943)
Gusap Airfield, New Guinea, 1 January – June 1944
Hollandia, Netherlands East Indies,e June – 19 November 1944

Tanauan Airfield, Leyte, Philippines (1944–1945)
Floridablanca Airfield (Basa Air Base), Luzon, Philippines, 19 April – 13 August 1945
Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, 13 August – 13 December 1945
Vancouver Barracks, Washington, 3–6 January 1946
Ellington Fld (later, AFB), Texas, 30 July 1947 – 27 June 1949
Clovis (later, Cannon) AFB, New Mexico, 1 October 1954 – 8 October 1957
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 18 January 2005–present

Aircraft Assigned

V-72 (1942–1943)
A-24 Banshee (1942–1943)
A-36 Apache (1943)
P-40 Warhawk (1943–1944)

A-20 Havoc (1944–1945)
B-32 Dominator (1945)
F-86 Sabre (1954–1957)
F-100 Super Sabre (1956–1959)

References

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

312th Aeronautical Systems Group Factsheet
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Wolf, William (2006). Consolidated B-32 Dominator: The Ultimate Look, from Drawing Board to Scrapyard. Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 0-7643-2451-9.
B-32 Dominator Fact Sheet from the National Museum of the United States Air Force