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Headquarters
Second World War formation badge for the United States 15th Air Force (United States Army Air Force). The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved by the US Quartermaster General on 19 February 1944. Formation note: the 15th Air Force (US Army Air Force, Fifteenth Air Force) was formed on 1 November 1943 at Tunis in North Africa and moved to Italy on 1 December. The Force was disbanded on 15 September 1945 having participated in twelve campaigns. © IWM (INS 7304)
A P-51 Mustang (MX-A, serial number 44-13464), flown by Major Sam Brown of the 31st Fighter Group, 15th Air Force.
![A pilot [ Col Herky Green ] of the 325th Fighter Group, 15th Air Force with his P-51 Mustang. Herschel](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/freeman/media-394889.jpg?itok=HjNZn8EF)
A pilot [ Col Herky Green ] of the 325th Fighter Group, 15th Air Force with his P-51 Mustang. Herschel "Herky" Green (Hickory, Kentucky, July 3, 1920 - Torrance, California, August 16, 2006) was a WW II flying ace in the USAAF. Green was the leading ace of the 15th Air Force downing 18 enemy aircraft and destroying 10 more on the ground. He flew in 1943 and 1944 in the North Africa and Italian campaigns with the 325th Fighter Group. By the end of 1944, he had flown 100 missions and received the Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, Air Medal with 25 Oak Leaf Clusters, Silver Star and two Distinguished Flying Crosses.
A B-24 Liberator of the 464th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force drops a bomb on its target below. Handwritten caption on reverse: '464BG, 15AF. Bomb falls from a 55 BW, 15th AF, B-24. Tail markings black and yellow. last resort' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '100th BG 8th Air Force.' Refers to Square D.
B-17G-25-DL #42-38078 "Sweet Pea" 2nd Bomb Group - 429th Bomb Squadron - 15th AF
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress on a shuttle mission to Russia.
Two B-24 Liberators of the 460th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force fly together during a mission. Handwritten caption on reverse: '15 AF B-24s 460th BG.'
A B-24 Liberator of the 15th Air Force flies through flak during a mission over Vienna. Official caption on image: '15th AF B-24 comes through intense and accurate flak over Vienna. US Air Force Photo.'
Air Force Photo 56173 AC. Aircraft #43, s/n 44-10570, 449th Bomb Group, 717th Bomb Squadron. Hit by flak on 23 November 1944 mission to Brod, Yugoslavia with Bernard Ball crew aboard. Tail gunner KIA, both waist gunners survived with wounds. Aircraft landed at Bari, Italy. Rudder cables severed, elevator cables partially severed. Pilot used differential engine power to control the aircraft to a safe landing. Personnel of the 15th Air Force with their flak damaged B-24 Liberator. Official caption on image: 'Controls severed by flak burst, B-24 came in on engines only US Air Force Photo.'
A B-24 Liberator of the 450th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force in flight. Handwritten caption on reverse: '450 BG Coloured cowl rings.'
The Fifteenth Air Force was one of two Strategic Air forces in Europe, along with the Eighth Air Force.
It was established on 1 November 1943 in Tunis, Tunisia, and commenced combat operations the following day. The Air Force was formed as part of reorganisation of the Twelfth and Ninth Air Forces, and activated with a strength of 90 B-24 Liberators and 210 B-17 Flying Fortresses, inherited from its predecessors. From December 1943 13 new groups arriving from the US were added to the Fifteenth Air Force, most equipped with B-24 Liberators.
Like the Eighth Air Force in Britain, it was hoped that the Fifteenth would be able to attack Occupied Europe from Italy and the Mediterranean, and keep up the offensive when bad weather in Britain grounded the Eighth Air Force. When the Allies progressed into Italy the Fifteenth were able to reach targets in South France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Balkans which were out of the range of the Eighth Air Force.
During the Second World War the Fifteen heavy bomber groups of the 15th Air Force lost 2,110 Bombers on operations. Its seven Fighter Groups claimed 1,836 enemy aircraft destroyed.
The Fifteenth was inactivated in Italy on 15 September 1945.
Constituted as Fifteenth Air Force on 30 October 1943. Activated in the Mediterranean Theatre on 1 November 1943. Began operations on 2 November and engaged primarily in strategic bombardment of targets in Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans until the end of the war. Inactivated in Italy on 15 Sep 1945.
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...
Headquarters
Eighth Air Force Headquarters became USSTAF in February 1944 and oversaw all Strategic Air Force activities in the European, African and Middle Eastern Theatre of Operations, particularly the operations of the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces.
Headquarters
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The 5th Air Division (5th AD) originated on 19 October 1940 at McChord Field, Washington. Its initial mission was air defense of the northwest United States with three bombardment groups (12th, 17th and 39th) flying early B-17 Flying Fortresses (B-17C...
Command
| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Established | Lycée Carnot de Tunis | 1 November 1943 |
| Based | Bari | 3 December 1943 – 15 September 1945 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 30 May 2022 14:59:08 | 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 |
| 26 May 2022 08:05:59 | 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 11:31:59 | 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 11:16:24 | 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 |
| 03 June 2021 14:10:39 | Emily | Changes to insignia, us air force combat units of world war ii description, aircraft types and stations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 October 2018 14:58:11 | Emily | Changes to type, description, unit encompassing associations and commanding officers associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 October 2018 16:09:52 | mbowen | Changes to type, air forces and aircraft types |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:42:43 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |
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