Fifteenth Air Force
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Image:Patch 15th USAAF.png Fifteenth Air Force was a Numbered Air Force in U.S. Air Force. In its most recent form, it was Air Mobility Command's intermediate echelon for units in the western United States and Pacific theater. On October 1st, 2003, Fifteenth Air Force was redesignated Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force (EMTF), a new organization below a Numbered Air Force.
Fifteenth Air Force was established on November 1, 1943 as part of the United States Army Air Forces in the World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a strategic air force and commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. The first commander was General Jimmy Doolittle.
The new air force drew its operational forces from heavy bombers of the IX Bomber Command, the strategic bomber command of the Ninth Air Force which was relocating to the United Kingdom to become a tactical air force in the European Theater of Operations.
Mainly operating out of bases in southern Italy, the Fifteenth Air Force, along with the Eighth Air Force and RAF Bomber Command, became the instruments used by the Allies to carry the strategic air offensive to Axis occupied Europe and Germany.
A total of around 2,110 bombers were lost on operations, while its seven Fighter groups claimed a total of 1,836 enemy aircraft destroyed.
The Fifteenth was de-activated in Italy September 15, 1945.
In the postwar years and the establishment of the U.S. Air Force as an independent service, the Fifteenth Air Force was re-activated as one of Strategic Air Command's primary numbered air forces. Since its transfer to Air Mobility Command in 1992, Fifteenth Air Force has assumed responsibility for airlift and air refueling missions.
15th USAAF organization August 1944
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! 2nd BG ! 97th BG ! 99th BG ! 301st BG ! 463rd BG ! 483rd BG |-
| 20th BS | 340th BS | 346th BS | 32nd BS | 772nd BS | 815th BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 49th BS | 341st BS | 347th BS | 352nd BS | 773rd BS | 816th BS |-
| 96th BS | 342nd BS | 348th BS | 353rd BS | 774th BS | 817th BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 429th BS | 414th BS | 416th BS | 419th BS | 775th BS | 840th BS |-
| Based at Amendola (Italie) | Based at Amendola (Italie) | Based at Tortorella (Italie) | Based at Lucera (Italie) | Based at Celone (Italie) | Based at Sterparone (Italie) |-Template:Ligne grise |}
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! 98th BG ! 376th BG ! 449th BG ! 450th BG |-
| 343rd BS | 512th BS | 716th BS | 720th BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 344th BS | 513rd BS | 717th BS | 721st BS |-
| 345th BS | 514th BS | 718th BS | 722nd BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 415th BS | 515th BS | 719th BS | 723rd BS |-
| Based at Manduria (Italie) | Based at San Pancrazio (Italie) | Based at Grottaglie (Italie) | Based at Manduria (Italie) |-Template:Ligne grise |}
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! 451st BG ! 461st BG ! 484th BG |-
| 724th BS | 764th BS | 824th BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 725th BS | 765th BS | 825th BS |-
| 726th BS | 766th BS | 826th BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 727th BS | 767th BS | 827th BS |-
| Based at Castellucio (Italie) | Based at Torretta (Italie) | Based at Torretta (Italie) |-Template:Ligne grise |}
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! 460th BG ! 464th BG ! 465th BG ! 485th BG |-
| 760th BS | 776th BS | 780th BS | 828th BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 761st BS | 777th BS | 781st BS | 829th BS |-
| 762nd BS | 778th BS | 782nd BS | 830th BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 763rd BS | 779th BS | 783rd BS | 831st BS |-
| Based at Spinazzola (Italie) | Based at Pantanella (Italie) | Based at Pantanella (Italie) | Based at Venosa (Italie) |-Template:Ligne grise |}
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! 454th BG ! 455th BG ! 456th BG ! 459th BG |-
| 736th BS | 740th BS | 744th BS | 756th BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 737th BS | 741st BS | 745th BS | 757th BS |-
| 738th BS | 742nd BS | 746th BS | 758th BS |-Template:Ligne grise
| 739th BS | 743rd BS | 747th BS | 759th BS |-
| Based at San Giovanni (Italie) | Based at San Giovanni (Italie) | Based at Stornara (Italie) | Based at Giulia (Italie) |-Template:Ligne grise |}
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! 1st FG ! 14th FG ! 82nd FG ! 325th FG ! 31st FG ! 52nd FG ! 332nd FG |-
| 27th FS | 37th FS | 95th FS | 317th FS | 307th FS | 2nd FS | 99th FS** |-Template:Ligne grise
| 71st FS | 47th FS | 96th FS | 318th FS | 308th FS | 4th FS | 100th FS |-
| 94th FS | 48th FS | 97th FS | 319th FS | 309th FS | 5th FS | 301st FS |-Template:Ligne grise
| | | | | | | 302nd FS |-
| Based at Salsola* (Italie) / P-38 | Based at Triolo* (Italie) / P-38 | Based at Vincenzo (Italie) / P-38 | Based at Lesina (Italie) / P-51 | Based at San Severo (Italie) / P-51 | Based at Madna (Italie) / P-51 | Based at Ramitelli (Italie) / P-51 |-Template:Ligne grise |} *Sent to Aghione in Corsica from 10 to 21 August 1944 for Operation Anvil Dragoon (landing in South of France
**Still a part of 86th FG (12th USAAF) with P-40, P-47 and P-51 as planes
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! 2641st SGP ! 154th WRS |-
| 885th* BS | |-Template:Ligne grise
| 859th** BS | |-
| Based at ? (?) / B-24 "Liberator" | Based at ? (?) / P-38 |-Template:Ligne grise |}
Further reading
- "B-24 Liberator Units of the Fifteenth Air Force", by Robert F Dorr, Pub NY Osprey, ISBN 1841760811
- "The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B24s over Germany, 1944-1945", by Stephen Ambrose, Pub NY Simon & Schuster, 2001.
- "P-47 Thunderbolt Aces of the Ninth and Fifteenth Air Force" by Jerry Scutts, Pub Osprey, ISBN 1855329069
- "Bloody Skies: A 15th AAF B-17 Combat Crew, How They Lived and Died," by Melvin W. McGuire and Robert Hadley, Yucca Tree Press, 1993, ISBN 1-881325-06-7
It is my clear understanding that the 14th FG was comprised of the 37th FS, the 48th Fs and the 49th FS, not the 47th FS. See John Stanaway's "P-38 Lightening Aces of the ETO/MTO" ISBN 1 85532698 1.