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Headquarters
Twelfth Air Force insignia WWII
A-26 Invaders, including (serial number 43-22575) of the 47th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force lined up in Italy.
A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-39533) nickinamed "Markey" of the 417th Night Fighter Squadron, 12th Air Force. Image via R Woolner. Written on slide casing: '415 NFS?? Germany '45.
1Lt. Gerald I. Rounds of the 97th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group, 12th Air Force with his P-38 Lightning nicknamed "Chicken Dit".
Colonel Duane L. Kime, commander of the 3rd Photographic Reconnaissance Group, 12th Air Force in the cockpit of his F-5E Lightning. Kime led the 3rd PRG from September 1944 to May 1945. Written on slide casing: 'Col DL Kline.'
An airman of the111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, attached to the 9th Air Force with his F-6 Mustang nicknamed "Darlin' Presh". Dijon France October 1944F-6C Mustang (CL, serial number 42-103403) is in the background. It was my Fathers aircraft and named by him. He did not fly after August 18 1944. This was another pilot in the squadron who then flew it. Serial number was 42-103199. Scott E Hornsby Handwritten caption on reverse: '55th FG, 338th FS, 8th Air Force.'
B-26 Marauder (serial number 42-107783) nicknamed "Thumper II" of the 320th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force in flight.
A B-26 Marauder (serial number 41-34891) nicknamed "Missouri Mule II" of the 320th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force in flight.
A B-26 Marauder (serial number 41-34891) nicknamed "Missouri Mule II" of the 320th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force in flight.
A B-26 Marauder (serial number 42-96322) of the 320th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force in flight.
The 12th Air Force was established in the USA during the Second World War to provide the Army Air Force component of Operation Torch (the invasion of French North Africa) in 1942. The Air Force initially moved to England for training before participating in the invasion of North Africa. It then engaged in tactical operations in the Medieterranean Theatre of Operations for the remainder of the war.
Constituted as Twelfth AF on 20 Aug 1942 and activated the same day. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and then on to North Africa for the invasion of Algeria and French Morocco in Nov 1942. Operated in the Mediterranean theater until the end of the war, serving with Northwest African Air Forces from Feb to Dec 1943, and afterward with Mediterranean Allied Air Forces. Inactivated in Italy on 31 Aug 1945.
Military | General | Commanding General, 8th Air Force
A few weeks after Pearl Harbor, in January 1942, General Spaatz was assigned as chief of the Army Air Force Combat Command at Washington and promoted to the temporary rank of major general. In May 1942, Spaatz was designated commander of the Eighth Air...
Military | General | Commanding General
Became Commanding General of 12th AF September 1942; Commanding General of Northwest African Strategic Air Force March 1943; assumed command of 15th AF November 1943; Commanding General of 8th Air Force 6 January 1944 to 9 May 1945. Medal Of Honor for...
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Established at North Africa Training Command (NATC) on February 1943, Redesignated to XII Training Command on 1 September 1943 following transferral of all North African Air Force (NAAF) elements to the Twelfth Air Force. Redesignated again on 1...
6 May 1945
7 May 1945
| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Established | Bolling Field | 20 August 1942 |
| Assigned to NAAF | February 1943 | |
| Assigned to MAAF | December 1943 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 26 May 2022 08:05:28 | Emily | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 23 May 2022 11:31:41 | Emily | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 May 2022 11:16:49 | Emily | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations made to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 December 2021 03:24:52 | 466thHistorian | Changes to unit part of associations |
| Sources | ||
12th & 15th Air Forces - Gerard Paloque |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 February 2020 13:56:09 | phil marchese | Changes to aircraft types |
| Sources | ||
Rust, K.; Twelfth Air Force Story |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 January 2019 09:27:02 | Emily | Created entry with type, category, name, insignia, us air force combat units of world war ii description, description, commanding officers associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
