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Constituted as 58th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Heavy) on 22 Apr 1943. Activated on 1 May 1943. Redesignated 58th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in Jul 1943, and 58th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) in Nov 1943. Moved to India in the spring of 1944. Assigned to Twentieth AF. Engaged in very-long-range bombardment operations from Jun to Oct 1944. Disbanded in India on 12 Oct 1944.
Reconstituted on 1 Feb 1945 and activated in India on 8 Feb. Assigned to Twentieth AF. Engaged in combat until the war ended. Returned to the US late in 1945. Assigned to Strategic Air Command on 21 Mar 1946. Redesignated 58th Air Division (Bombardment) in Apr 1948. Inactivated on 16 Oct 1948.
Redesignated 58th Air Division (Defense). Activated on 8 Sep 1955. Assigned to Air Defense Command. No combat elements were assigned to the division prior to 31 Dec 1955.
Groups. 40th: 1943-1944; 1945-1946. 444th: 1943-1944; 1945-1946. 462d: 1943-1944; 1945-1946. 468th: 1943-1944; 1945-1946. 472d: 1943-1944.
Stations. Smoky Hill AAFld, Kan, May 1943; Cobb County AAFld, Ga, 1 Jun 1943; Smoky Hill AAFld, Kan, 1 Sept 1943-12 Mar 1944; Chakulia, India, 2 Apr 1944; Kharagpur, India, 23 Apr-12 Oct 1944. Hijli Base Area, India, 8-24 Feb 1945; West Field, Tinian, 29 Mar-15 Nov 1945; March Field, Calif, 2 Dec 1945; Ft Worth AAFld, Tex, 9 May 1946; Andrews AFB, Md, 1 Mar-16 Oct 1948. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 8 Sep 1955-.
Commanders. Brig Gen Kenneth B Wolfe, 21 Jun 1943; Col Leonard F Harman, 27 Nov 1943; Brig Gen LaVern G Saunders, Mar 1944-unkn. Col Dwight O Monteith, 8 Feb 1945; Brig Gen Roger M Ramey, 24 Apr 1945-1 Nov 1946; unkn, 1 Nov 1946-16 Oct 1948. Col Von R Shores Jr, 8 Sep 1955-.
Campaigns. India-Burma; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Western Pacific; Central Burma.
Decorations. None.
Insigne. Shield: Per bend argent, and checky of the first and sable, in chief an escutcheon gules, charged with a cross or between four stylized arrowheads, tips to center, of the last. Motto: Primus Inter Pares - First Among Equals. (Approved 11 Jan 1956.)
Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986
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