The division was established as the 12th Pursuit Wing in the Panama Canal Zone on 20 November 1940.

The organization commanded pursuit groups and squadrons for Sixth Air Force until 6 March 1942.

[1] It was reassigned to Eighth Air Force in England during November 1942 as a bombardment wing, but never made operational .

[1] Wings Groups Or, a globe azure grid lined of the first between in dexter an airplane palewise ascending argent, exhaust gules and in sinister a missile palewise of the like, overall a gauntlet of the third, grasping an olive branch vert and a lightning flash of the fourth bend sinisterwise and two lightning flashes of the last bendwise, on a chief of the second per chevron inverted seme of mullets argent; all within a diminished bordure of argent (silver gray).

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency