Numbered air force of the United States Air Force responsible for the Japanese region
Military unit
The
Fifth Air Force
(
5 AF
) is a
numbered air force
of the
United States Air Force
Pacific Air Forces
(PACAF). It is headquartered at
Yokota Air Base
, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organization has provided 80 years of continuous air power to the Pacific since its establishment in September 1941.
[3]
Fifth Air Force is the Headquarters Pacific Air Forces forward element in Japan, and maximizes partnership capabilities and promotes bilateral defense cooperation. In addition, 5 AF is the air component to
United States Forces Japan
.
[3]
Its mission is three-fold. First, it plans, conducts, controls, and coordinates air operations assigned by the PACAF Commander. Fifth Air Force maintains a level of readiness necessary for successful completion of directed military operations. And last, but certainly not least, Fifth Air Force assists in the mutual defense of Japan and enhances regional stability by planning, exercising, and executing joint air operations in partnership with Japan. To achieve this mission, Fifth Air Force maintains its deterrent force posture to protect both U.S. and Japanese interests, and conducts appropriate air operations should deterrence fail.
[3]
Fifth Air Force is commanded by Lieutenant General
Ricky Rupp
.
[4]
History
[
edit
]
Fourteen
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses
that survived the
Battle of the Philippines
left Mindanao for
Darwin, Australia
, between 17 and 20 December 1941, the only aircraft of the
Far East Air Force
to escape. After its evacuation from the Philippines on 24 December 1941, FEAF headquarters moved to Australia and was reorganized and redesignated
5 Air Force
on 5 February 1942, with most of its combat aircraft based on fields on Java. It seemed at the time that the Japanese were advancing just about everywhere. The remaining heavy bombers of the 19th Bombardment Group, based at
Malang
on Java, flew missions against the Japanese in an attempt to stop their advance. They were joined in January and February, two or three at a time, by 37 B-17Es and 12
LB-30s
of the
7th Bombardment Group
. The small force of bombers, never numbering more than 20 operational at any time, could do little to prevent the invasion of the Netherlands East Indies, launching valiant but futile attacks against the masses of Japanese shipping, with six lost in combat, six in accidents, and 26 destroyed on the ground.
The 7th Bombardment Group was withdrawn to India in March 1942, leaving the 19th to carry on as the only B-17 Fortress-equipped group in the South Pacific. About this time it was decided that replacement B-17s would not be sent to the southwest Pacific, but be sent exclusively to the
Eighth Air Force
which was building up in England. By May, Fifth Air Force's 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) when the 435th Bomb Squadron of the 19th Bomb Group saw the Japanese fleet gathering in
Rabaul
area nearly two weeks before the battle actually took place. Because of the reconnaissance activity of the 435th Bomb Squadron, the US Navy was prepared to cope adequately with the situation. The squadron was commended by the US Navy for its valuable assistance not only for its excellent reconnaissance work but for the part played in the battle.
Headquarters
Fifth Air Force
was re-staffed at
Brisbane
, Australia on 18 September 1942 and placed under the command of Major General
George Kenney
.
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. At the time that Kenney had arrived, Fifth Air Force was equipped with three fighter groups and five bombardment groups.
Fighter Groups:
- 8th FG
(P-39) Townsville, Australia
- 35th FG
(P-40) Port Moresby, New Guinea
- 49th FG
(P-40) Darwin, Australia
|
Bomber Groups:
- 3rd BG
(B-25, A-20, & A-24) Charters Towers, Australia
- 19th BG
(Non-Operational. Battle scarred from Philippines & Java) Mareeba, Australia
- 22nd BG
(B-26) Woodstock, Australia
- 38th BG
(B-25) Charters Towers, Australia
- 43rd BG (B-17 until 1943; B-24 1943?1945) Port Moresby, New Guinea
|
In addition, Fifth Air Force controlled two transport squadrons and one photographic squadron comprising 1,602 officers and 18,116 men.
Kenney was later appointed commander of Allied air forces in the
South West Pacific Area
, reporting directly to
General Douglas MacArthur
. Under Kenney's leadership, the Fifth Air Force and
Royal Australian Air Force
provided the aerial spearhead for MacArthur's island hopping campaign.
US Far East Air Forces
[
edit
]
On 4 November 1942, the Fifth Air Force commenced sustained action against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea and was a key component of the
New Guinea campaign
(1942?1945). Fifth Air Force engaged the Japanese again in the
Philippines campaign (1944?45)
as well as in the
Battle of Okinawa
(1945).
Fifth Air Force along with
Thirteenth Air Force
in the Central Pacific and
Seventh Air Force
in Hawaii were assigned to the newly created
United States Far East Air Forces
(FEAF) on 3 August 1944. FEAF was subordinate to the U.S. Army Forces Far East and served as the headquarters of Allied Air Forces Southwest Pacific Area. By 1945, the three numbered air forces were supporting operations throughout the Pacific. FEAF was the functional equivalent in the Pacific of the
United States Strategic Air Forces
(USSTAF) in the
European Theater of Operations
.
Order of battle, 1945
[
edit
]
Fifth U.S. Air Force Zones of Responsibility, 1945?1947
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.
Shortly after World War II ended in August, Fifth Air Force relocated to
Irumagawa Air Base
, Japan, about 25 September 1945 as part of the
Allied occupation forces
. The command remained in Japan until 1 December 1950 performing occupation duties.
Korean War
[
edit
]
Fifth Air Force photographic analyst elucidates the location of enemy
flak
batteries to plan fighter-bomber attacks, 1952
North American F-86F-25-NH Sabres of the 4th FIW over Korea. Serial 52-5346 identifiable
In 1950, Fifth Air Force was called upon again, becoming the main
United Nations Command
combat air command during the
Korean War
, and assisted in bringing about the
Korean Armistice Agreement
that formally ended the war in 1953.
In the early morning hours of 25 June, North Korea launched a sudden, all-out attack against the south. Reacting quickly to the invasion, Fifth Air Force units provided air cover over the skies of
Seoul
. The command transferred to Seoul on 1 December 1950, remaining in South Korea until 1 September 1954.
In this first Jet War, units assigned to the 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. Additionally, four
Medals of Honor
were awarded to Fifth Air Force members. One other pilot of note was
Marine Major John Glenn
, who flew for Fifth Air Force as part of an exchange program.
With the end of combat in Korea, Fifth Air Force returned to normal peacetime readiness Japan in 1954.
Cold War
[
edit
]
The Fifth Air Force played a critical role in establishing the
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
as well as the
Republic of Korea Air Force
. These and other peacetime efforts lasted a decade before the
Gulf of Tonkin
Crisis led to the start of the
Vietnam War
.
The Fifth Air Force furnished aircraft, aircrews, Support personnel, and supplies throughout the eight years of combat operations in
South Vietnam
and Laos. Since 1972, 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.
During this time, 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 Fifth Air force has responded to natural disasters in Japan and abroad, including the
Great Hanshin earthquake
in 1995 and
Super Typhoon Paka
in Guam in 1997. Fifth Air Force has reached out to provide assistance to victims of floods, typhoons, volcanoes, and earthquakes throughout the region.
The
432d Tactical Fighter Wing
flew F-16s from Misawa Air Base from July 1, 1984 ? October 31, 1994. On the inactivation of the wing, its personnel, aircraft, and other assets were used to reform the
35th Fighter Wing
.
Present Day
[
edit
]
Today, according to the organization's website, major components include the
18th Wing
,
Kadena Air Base
,
Okinawa Prefecture
, Japan; the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, and the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base.
[3]
Kadena AB hosts the 18th Wing, the largest combat wing in the USAF. The Wing includes F-15 fighters, KC-135 refuelers, E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, and HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, and represents a major combat presence and capability in the Western Pacific. The
35th Fighter Wing
,
Misawa Air Base
, Japan, includes two squadrons equipped with the most modern Block 50 F-16 variant, dedicated to the
suppression of enemy air defenses
. The final formation is the
374th Airlift Wing
, at
Yokota Air Base
, Japan.
According to a 2017 study by two US Navy commanders, in case of a surprise Chinese ballistic missile attack against airbases in Japan, more than 200 U.S. aircraft would be trapped or destroyed on the ground in the first hours of the conflict.
[5]
Lineage, assignments, stations, and components
[
edit
]
Lineage
[
edit
]
- Established as
Philippine Department Air Force
on 16 August 1941
- Activated on 20 September 1941
- Redesignated:
Far East Air Force
on 16 November 1941
- Redesignated:
5 Air Force
on 5 February 1942
- Redesignated:
Fifth Air Force
* on 18 September 1942.
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 25 June 1950, in Korea. This numbered air force was established as
Fifth Air Force, Advance
, and organized at Itazuki AB, Japan, assigned to Fifth Air Force, on 14 July 1950. It moved to Taegu AB, South Korea, on 24 July 1950, and was redesignated
Fifth Air Force in Korea
at the same time. 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 1 December 1950.
[
citation needed
]
Assignments
[
edit
]
- Philippine Department, U.S. Army, 20 September 1941
- US Forces in Australia (USFIA), 23 December 1941
- Redesignated: US Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA), 5 January 1942
- Redesignated: Pacific Air Command, United States Army, 6 December 1945
- Redesignated: Far East Air Forces, 1 January 1947
- Redesignated
Pacific Air Forces
, 1 July 1957?present
Stations
[
edit
]
- Nichols Field
,
Luzon
, 20 September 1941
- RAAF Base Darwin
, Australia, 31 December 1941
- Bandoeng,
Java
, 18 January 1942
- Brisbane AAB
, Australia,c 1 March 1942
- Nadzab Airfield
,
New Guinea
, 15 June 1944
- Owi Airfield
,
Schouten Islands
,
Netherlands East Indies
, 10 August 1944
- Bayug Airfield
,
Leyte
, Philippines, c. 20 November 1944
- McGuire Field
,
Mindoro
, Philippines, January 1945
- Clark Field
,
Luzon
, Philippines, April 1945
- Hamasaki (Motobu Airfield)
,
Okinawa
, 4 August 1945
|
- Irumagawa AB
, Japan, c. 25 September 1945
- Tokyo, Japan, 13 January 1946
- Nagoya
, Japan, 20 May 1946
- Seoul AB (K-16)
, Korea, 1 December 1950
- Taegu AB (K-2)
, Korea, 22 December 1950
- Seoul AB (K-16)
, 15 June 1951
- Osan AB
, Korea, 25 January 1954
- Nagoya AB (later, Nagoya AS; Moriyama AS)
, Japan, 1 September 1954
- Fuchu AS
, Japan, 1 July 1957
- Yokota AB
, Japan, 11 November 1974?present
|
Major components
[
edit
]
Commands
- V Air Force Service: 18 June 1943 ? 15 June 1944
- V Air Service Area: 9 January 1944 ? 15 June 1944
- 5 Bomber (later, V Bomber)
: 14 November 1941 ? 31 May 1946
- V Fighter
: 25 August 1942 ? 31 May 1946
- 5 Interceptor
: 4 November 1941 ? 6 April 1942
- Became Army Air Force Infantry unit during
Battle of the Philippines (1941?42)
(20 December 1941 ? 9 April 1942)
- Far East Air Service (later, 5 Air Force Base; V Air Force Base): 28 October 1941 ? 2 November 1942
Divisions
Wings
(incomplete listing)
- 8th Fighter Wing
, later 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1950s
- 18th Wing
: 1 Oct 1991-.
- 35th Fighter Wing
: 1 Oct 1994-.
- 51st Fighter Wing
: 1955-September 1986
- 374th Airlift Wing
: 1 Apr 1992-.
- 432d Tactical Fighter Wing
,
Misawa Air Base
, Japan: July 1, 1984 ? May 31, 1991; 432d Fighter Wing from June 1, 1991 - October 31, 1994 (wing personnel and assets thereafter used to reactivate 35th Fighter Wing)
- 6100th Support Wing,
Tachikawa Air Base
, Japan: "Brigadier General Thomas R. FORD Replaced Col. Lewis B. MENG as commander of 6100th Support Wing effective" 11 June 1962. "6100 Support Wing was Major Air Command control (MAJCON) unit directly subordinate to Headquarters (HQ) 5 Air Force. Contains.. functions of various subordinate elements of 6100 Support Wing (Kanto Base Command)."
[6]
Groups
List of commanders
[
edit
]
Incoming Fifth Air Force commander, Lt. Gen.
Ricky Rupp
receives the command guidon from Gen.
Kenneth S. Wilsbach
, commander of the
Pacific Air Forces
, on 26 August 2021.
No.
|
Commander
|
Term
|
Portrait
|
Name
|
Took office
|
Left office
|
Term length
|
1
| | Clagett, Henry B.
Brigadier General
Henry B. Clagett
| 20 September 1941
| 7 October 1941
| 17 days
|
2
| | Brereton, Lewis H.
Major General
Lewis H. Brereton
| 7 October 1941
| 24 February 1942
| 140 days
|
3
| | Kenney, George C.
Lieutenant General
George C. Kenney
| 3 September 1942
| 15 June 1944
| 1 year, 286 days
|
4
| | Lieutenant General
Ennis C. Whitehead
| 15 June 1944
| 4 October 1945
| 1 year, 111 days
|
5
| | Major General
Kenneth B. Wolfe
| 4 October 1945
| 16 January 1948
| 2 years, 104 days
|
6
| | Major General
Thomas D. White
| 16 January 1948
| 6 October 1948
| 264 days
|
7
| | Lieutenant General
Earle E. Partridge
| 6 October 1948
| 21 May 1951
| 2 years, 227 days
|
8
| | Major General
Edward J. Timberlake
| 21 May 1951
| 1 June 1951
| 11 days
|
9
| | Major General
Frank F. Everest
| 1 June 1951
| 30 May 1952
| 364 days
|
10
| | Lieutenant General
Glenn O. Barcus
| 30 May 1952
| 31 May 1953
| 1 year, 1 day
|
11
| | Lieutenant General
Samuel E. Anderson
| 31 May 1953
| 1 June 1954
| 1 year, 1 day
|
12
| | Lieutenant General
Roger M. Ramey
| 1 June 1954
| 20 June 1956
| 2 years, 19 days
|
13
| | Lieutenant General
Frederic H. Smith Jr.
| 20 June 1956
| 4 August 1958
| 2 years, 45 days
|
14
| | Lieutenant General
Robert W. Burns
| 4 August 1958
| 6 July 1961
| 2 years, 336 days
|
-
| | Major General
Robert F. Tate
Acting
| 6 July 1961
| 2 August 1961
| 27 days
|
15
| | Lieutenant General
Jacob E. Smart
| 2 August 1961
| 30 July 1963
| 1 year, 362 days
|
16
| | Lieutenant General
Maurice A. Preston
| 30 July 1963
| 1 August 1966
| 3 years, 2 days
|
17
| | Lieutenant General
Seth J. McKee
| 1 August 1966
| 13 July 1968
| 1 year, 347 days
|
18
| | Lieutenant General
Thomas K. McGehee
| 13 July 1968
| 24 February 1970
| 1 year, 226 days
|
19
| | Lieutenant General
Gordon M. Graham
| 24 February 1970
| 15 November 1972
| 2 years, 265 days
|
20
| | Lieutenant General
Robert E. Pursley
| 15 November 1972
| 1 March 1974
| 1 year, 106 days
|
-
| | Major General
Edward P. McNeff
Acting
| 1 March 1974
| 8 May 1974
| 68 days
|
21
| | Lieutenant General
Walter T. Galligan
| 8 May 1974
| 22 June 1977
| 3 years, 45 days
|
22
| | Lieutenant General
George G. Loving Jr.
| 22 June 1977
| 14 June 1979
| 1 year, 357 days
|
23
| | Lieutenant General
William H. Ginn Jr.
| 14 June 1979
| 5 August 1981
| 2 years, 52 days
|
24
| | Lieutenant General
Charles L. Donnelly Jr.
| 5 August 1981
| 19 July 1984
| 2 years, 349 days
|
25
| | Lieutenant General
Edward L. Tixier
| 19 July 1984
| 22 January 1988
| 3 years, 187 days
|
26
| | Lieutenant General
James B. Davis
| 22 January 1988
| 18 July 1991
| 3 years, 177 days
|
-
| | Brigadier General
James M. Johnston III
Acting
| 18 July 1991
| 9 August 1991
| 22 days
|
27
| | Lieutenant General
Richard E. Hawley
| 9 August 1991
| 13 November 1993
| 2 years, 96 days
|
28
| | Lieutenant General
Richard B. Myers
| 13 November 1993
| 18 June 1996
| 2 years, 218 days
|
29
| | Lieutenant General
Ralph E. Eberhart
| 18 June 1996
| 27 June 1997
| 1 year, 9 days
|
30
| | Lieutenant General
John B. Hall Jr.
| 27 June 1997
| 3 September 1999
| 2 years, 68 days
|
31
| | Lieutenant General
Paul V. Hester
| 3 September 1999
| 19 November 2001
| 2 years, 77 days
|
32
| | Lieutenant General
Thomas C. Waskow
| 19 November 2001
| 10 February 2005
| 3 years, 83 days
|
33
| | Lieutenant General
Bruce A. Wright
| 10 February 2005
| 25 February 2008
| 3 years, 15 days
|
34
| | Lieutenant General
Edward A. Rice Jr.
| 25 February 2008
| October 2010
| ~
2 years, 218 days
|
35
| | Lieutenant General
Burton M. Field
| October 2010
| 20 July 2012
| ~
1 year, 293 days
|
36
| | Lieutenant General
Salvatore A. Angelella
| 20 July 2012
| 5 June 2015
| 2 years, 320 days
|
37
| | Lieutenant General
John L. Dolan
| 5 June 2015
| 6 October 2016
| 1 year, 123 days
|
38
| | Lieutenant General
Jerry P. Martinez
| 6 October 2016
| 5 February 2019
| 2 years, 122 days
|
39
| | Lieutenant General
Kevin B. Schneider
| 5 February 2019
| 27 August 2021
| 2 years, 203 days
|
40
| | Lieutenant General
Ricky N. Rupp
| 27 August 2021
| Incumbent
| 2 years, 292 days
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
This article incorporates
public domain material
from the
Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.
ISBN
0-89201-092-4
.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947?1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.
ISBN
0-912799-12-9
..
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- Bartsch, William H.
Doomed at the Start: American Pursuit Pilots in the Philippines, 1941?1942
. Reveille Books, 1995.
ISBN
0-89096-679-6
.
- Birdsall, Steve.
Flying Buccaneers: The Illustrated History of Kenney's Fifth Air Force
. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1977.
ISBN
0-385-03218-8
.
- Craven, Wesley F. and James L. Cate.
The Army Air Forces in World War II
. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1948?58.
- Holmes, Tony.
"Twelve to One": V Fighter Command Aces of the Pacific
. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2004.
ISBN
1-84176-784-0
.
- Rust, Kenn C.
Fifth Air Force Story...in World War II
. Temple City, California: Historical Aviation Album, 1973.
ISBN
0-911852-75-1
.
External links
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]
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Leadership
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Structure
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Personnel and
training
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Uniforms and
equipment
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History and
traditions
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Previously: Philippine Department Air Force (1941); Far East Air Force (1941-1942)
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Airfields
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Units
| Commands
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Wings
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Groups
| Air Commando
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Bombardment
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Combat Cargo
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Fighter
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Reconnaissance
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Troop Carrier
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Squadrons
| Bombardment
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Night Fighter
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Reconnaissance
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Troop Carrier
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- United States Army Air Forces
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