OPERATION BUNKHOUSE

Far East Air Force Move to the Ryukyus

In mid-July 1945, General George Kenny’s Far East Air Forces (5th Air Force, 13th Air Force, and 7th Air Force) took over responsibility for the tactical air forces that were attacking southern Japan in preparation for Operation Olympic. This change was in conjunction with the movement of a major portion of the Far East Air Forces to Okinawa and Ie Shima. Operation BUNKHOUSE was the plan that covered this second wave of movements of air groups to the Ryukyus which was to take place between July and mid October 1945.

The BUNKHOUSE movement was well ahead of schedule. Most of the movements scheduled for September had already occurred by 15 August. By that date, the following units had yet to be moved under the BUNKHOUSE plan:

4 Photo Recon Squadron (Long Range) Leyte F-7

Detachment on Okinawa; remainder to be transferred by 1 Oct 45

17 Bomb Recon Squadron Ie Shima B-25

Maintained a detachment at Lingayen, Luzon

26 Photo Recon Squadron Mobuto, 6 Aug 45 F-5

Air Echelon still in Luzon, transferred by 1 Oct 45

36 Photo Recon Squadron Mobuto, 4 Aug 45 F-5

Air Echelon still in Luzon, transferred by 1 Oct 45

312 Bomb Group (H) Floridablanca, Luzon B-32

2 additional squadrons converted & transferred by 1 Oct 45,

1 additional squadron converted & transferred by 15 Oct 45

201 Mexican Fighter Squadron Porac, Luzon P-47 D

To be transferred by 15 Oct 45

18 Fighter Group Zamboanga P-38

To be transferred by 15 Oct 45

The list below includes the Marine and Seventh Air Force that composed the first wave of units as well as the location of Far East Air Force units as of on/about 15 August 1945, primarily based on Mauer’s books. Individual airfields on Okinawa are specified where possible. Redeployed and other Far East Air Force units would fill in behind these units as those of the 5th and 13th Air Forces moved forward to Kyushu beginning in November 1945 and as additional airfield capacity was developed on the Ryukyus.

Far East Air Force

‍ ‍Unit Location/Date in Ryukyus Primary Aircraft Comments

2 Photo Recon Squadron (Long Range) Palawan F-7 Mapping Unit

4 Photo Recon Squadron (Long Range) Leyte F-7 Mapping Unit

Detachment at Okinawa, Aug 45

Seventh Air Force Okinawa ‍14 Jul 45

28 Photo Recon Squadron Okinawa, May 45 F-5

2 Marine Air Wing Yontan ‍ ‍7 Apr 45

Marine Air Group 31 Chimu 7 Apr 45

VMF-224 Chimu F4U-1D

VMF-311 Chimu F4U-1C

VMF-441 Chimu F4U-1C

VMF(N)-542 Chimu F6F-5N

VMB 612 Chimu PBJ

Under the operational control of FAW 1

Marine Air Group 33 Awase 9 Apr 45

VMF-312 Awase F4U-1D

VMF-322 Awase F4U-1D

VMF-323 Awase F4U-1D

VMF(N)-543 Awase F6F-5N

Marine Air Group 22 Chimu 21 May 45

VMF-113 Chimu F4U-1D

VMF-314 Chimu F4U-1C

VMF-422 Chimu F4U-1D

VMF(N)-533 Chimu F6F-5N, F7F-2N

Marine Air Group 14 Awase 8 Jun 45

VMF-212 Awase F4U-4

VMF-222 Awase F4U-4

VMF-223 Awase F4U-4

VMTB-131 Awase TBM-3

Under the operational control of FAW 1

VMTB-242 Awase TBM-3

Under the operational control of FAW 1

301 Fighter Wing Ie Shima 31 Jul 45

‍ ‍This wing would be transferred to the 8th Air Force.

548 Night Fighter Squadron Ie Shima, 8 Jun 45 P-61

318 Fighter Group Ie Shima 30 Apr 45

19 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-47 N

73 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-47 N

333 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-47 N

413 Fighter Group Ie Shima 19 May 45

1 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-47 N

21 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-47 N

34 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-47 N

507 Fighter Group Ie Shima 24 Jun 45

463 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-47 N

464 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-47 N

465 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-47 N

VII Bomber Command Okinawa, Jul 45

373 Bomb Squadron (H) Yontan, 21 Jul 45 LAB-24

Redeployed from China, assigned to the 494 BG

41 Bomb Group (M), Okinawa 26 June 1945

47 Bomb Squadron Okinawa B-25

48 Bomb Squadron Okinawa B-25

396 Bomb Squadron Okinawa B-25

820 Bomb Squadron Okinawa B-25

494 Bomb Group (H), Yontan 1 July 1945

864 Bomb Squadron Yontan B-24

865 Bomb Squadron Yontan B-24

866 Bomb Squadron Yontan B-24

867 Bomb Squadron Yontan B-24

319 Bomb Group (L), Machinato 8 July 1945

437 Bomb Squadron Machinato A-26

438 Bomb Squadron Machinato A-26

439 Bomb Squadron Machinato A-26

440 Bomb Squadron Machinato A-26

11 Bomb Group (H), Okinawa 12 July 1945

26 Bomb Squadron Okinawa B-24

42 Bomb Squadron Okinawa B-24

98 Bomb Squadron Okinawa B-24

431 Bomb Squadron Okinawa B-24

Fifth Air Force Motobu Jul 45

‍ ‍ 374 Troop Carrier Group Nielson Field, Luzon

6 Troop Carrier Squadron Tacloban, Leyte C-46, 47

21 Troop Carrier Squadron Biak C-46, 47

22 Troop Carrier Squadron Nielson Field, Luzon C-46, 47

33 Troop Carrier Squadron Nielson Field, Luzon C-46, 47

91 Recon Wing Mobuto 30 Jul 45

‍ ‍ 6 Recon Group Mobuto 31 Jul 45

8 Photo Recon Squadron Ie Shima, 21 Jul 45 P-38/F-5

20 Recon Sq. (Long Range, Photo-RCM) Yontan, 4 Aug 45 B-24/F-7

25 Photo Recon Squadron Yontan, 9 Jul 45 P-38/F-5

26 Photo Recon Squadron Mobuto, 6 Aug 45 F-5

Air Echelon still in Luzon

36 Photo Recon Squadron Mobuto, 4 Aug 45 P-38/F-5

Air Echelon still in Luzon

71 Tactical Recon Group Ie Shima 28 Jul 45

17 Bomb Recon Squadron Ie Shima B-25

Detachment at Lingayen, Luzon

82 Tac Recon Squadron Ie Shima F-6/P-51

110 Tac Recon Squadron Ie Shima F-6/P-51

‍ ‍54 Troop Carrier Wing Clark Field, Luzon

2 Combat Cargo Group Dulag, Leyte

5 Combat Cargo Squadron Dulag, Leyte C-46

6 Combat Cargo Squadron Dulag, Leyte C-46

7 Combat Cargo Squadron Dulag, Leyte C-46

8 Combat Cargo Squadron Dulag, Leyte C-46

317 Troop Carrier Group Clark Field, Luzon

39 Troop Carrier Squadron Clark Field, Luzon C-47

40 Troop Carrier Squadron Clark Field, Luzon C-47

41 Troop Carrier Squadron Clark Field, Luzon C-47

46 Troop Carrier Squadron Clark Field, Luzon C-47

375 Troop Carrier Group Porac, Luzon

55 Troop Carrier Squadron Porac, Luzon C-46

56 Troop Carrier Squadron Porac, Luzon C-46

57 Troop Carrier Squadron Porac, Luzon C-46

58 Troop Carrier Squadron Porac, Luzon C-46

433 Troop Carrier Group Clark Field, Luzon

67 Troop Carrier Squadron Clark Field, Luzon C-46

68 Troop Carrier Squadron Clark Field, Luzon C-46

69 Troop Carrier Squadron Clark Field, Luzon C-47

70 Troop Carrier Squadron Clark Field, Luzon C-46, 47

85 Fighter Wing Luzon, (Air Defense HQ for the Philippines)

86 Fighter Wing Luzon, (Air Defense HQ for the Philippines)

308 Bomb Wing (H) Yontan, 6 Jun 45, (Forward HQ for FEAF & 5 AF at Okinawa)

309 Bomb Wing (H) Lingayen, Luzon

310 Bomb Wing (M) Mindoro

V Fighter Command Aug 45

‍ ‍418 Night Fighter Squadron Machinato P-61/B-25, 9 Jul 45

421 Night Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-61/P-38, 24 Jul 45

547 Night Fighter Squadron‍ ‍ Ie Shima P-61/P-38, 13 Aug 45

201 Mexican Fighter Squadron Porac, Luzon P-47 D

Planned to move to Machinato prior to Olympic

8 Fighter Group Ie Shima 6 Aug 45

35 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-38

36 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-38

80 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-38

35 Fighter Group Machinato 28 Jun 45

39 Fighter Squadron Machinato P-51

40 Fighter Squadron Machinato P-51

41 Fighter Squadron Machinato P-51

49 Fighter Group Mobuto 6 Aug 45

7 Fighter Squadron Mobuto P-38

8 Fighter Squadron Mobuto P-38

9 Fighter Squadron Mobuto P-38

58 Fighter Group Machinato 10 Jul 45

69 Fighter Squadron Machinato P-47 D

310 Fighter Squadron Machinato P-47 D

311 Fighter Squadron Machinato P-47 D

348 Fighter Group Ie Shima 9 Jul 45

340 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-51 D

341 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-51 D

460 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-51 D

475 Fighter Group Ie Shima 8 Aug 45

431 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-38

432 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-38

433 Fighter Squadron Ie Shima P-38

3 Air Commando Group Ie Shima 9 Aug 45

3 Fighter Commando Squadron Ie Shima P-51 D

4 Fighter Commando Squadron Ie Shima P-51 D

157 Liaison Squadron Mobuto L-5

159 Liaison Squadron Mobuto L-5

160 Liaison Squadron Mobuto L-5

318 Troop Carrier Squadron Laoag, Luzon C-47

V Bomber Command Mobuto Aug 45

3 Bomb Group (L) Machinato 6 Aug 45

8 Bomb Squadron (L) Machinato A-26

13 Bomb Squadron (L) Machinato A-26

89 Bomb Squadron (L) Machinato A-26

90 Bomb Squadron (L) Machinato A-26

417 Bomb Group (L) Mobuto 17 Aug 45

672 Bomb Squadron (L) Mobuto A-20

673 Bomb Squadron (L) Mobuto A-20

674 Bomb Squadron (L) Mobuto A-20

675 Bomb Squadron (L) Mobuto A-20

38 Bomb Group (M) Yontan 25 Jul 45

672 Bomb Squadron (M) Yontan B-25

673 Bomb Squadron (M) Yontan B-25

674 Bomb Squadron (M) Yontan B-25

675 Bomb Squadron (M) Yontan B-25

345 Bomb Group (M) Ie Shima 25 Jul 45

498 Bomb Squadron (M) Ie Shima B-25

499 Bomb Squadron (M) Ie Shima B-25

500 Bomb Squadron (M) Ie Shima B-25

501 Bomb Squadron (M) Ie Shima B-25

22 Bomb Group (H) Mobuto 15 Aug 45

2 Bomb Squadron (H) Mobuto B-24