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)
Nose art of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-94866) nicknamed "Red Hot Riding Hood" of the 490th Bomb Group at Eye. This aircraft was transferred to the 15th Air Force in December 1944, where it served with the 456th Bomb Group.
The nose art of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51864) nicknamed "Badger Beauty" of the 376th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force. Written on slide casing: 'B-24 Sandia Base, NM 1946, Badger Beauty 15 AF? 441602 515 BS, 376 BG.'
A P-38 Lightning (serial number 43-28650) of the 1st Fighter Group, 15th Air Force. Written on slide casing: '27 FS, 1 FG.' P-38J-15-LO #43-28650 Code: #5 1st FG - 27th FS - 15th AF
A P-38 Lightning nicknamed "Mon Amy" of the 1st Fighter Group, 15th Air Force, flown by Lieutenant Herbert B Hatch.
A ground crewman of the 332nd Fighter Group, 15th Air Force on the tail of a P-51 Mustang. Written on slide casing: '332 FG.'
An airman of the 325th Fighter Group, 15th Air Force paints a "Kill" marker onto the fuselage of a P-51 Mustang (serial number 43-24856). P-51B-15-NA #43-24856
A P-51 Mustang (HL-B, serial number 44-15459) nicknamed "American Beauty" of the 31st Fighter Group, 15th Air Force in flight.
Major Sam Brown of the 31st Fighter Group, 15th Air Force, in the cockpit of his P-51 Mustang (MX-A, serial number 44-13464). Written on slide casing: 'Maj Brown, 31 FG.'
A P-51 Mustang (serial number) nicknamed "The Partisan" of the 325th Fighter Group, 15th Air Force. Written on slide casing: '325 FG.'
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...
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.
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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...
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| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Based | Bari | 1 December 1943 – 15 September 1945 |
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Engineer | 464th Bomb Group
Flying a mission from Panatella AAB in Italy, Sergeant Wilton L Abbott's B-24 Liberator took 3 direct hits from anti aircraft fire on a raid over Blechammer, Germany at 11:20am on the 13th October 1944. Abbott was last seen manning one of the waist...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 301st Bomb Group
Assigned to 352BS, 301BG, 15AF USAAF.
Awards: AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Master Sergeant | Crew chief | 2nd Bomb Group
Assigned to 429BS, 2BG, 15AF USAAF. Crew chief of B-17 42-38078 'Sweat Pea'.
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 485th Bomb Group
Alex Abramowich was born in Brooklyn USA in 1917. Serving as a waist gunner, Sergeant Abramowich's aircraft, B24-J Liberator, 42-50486, (Butch), took a direct hit from anti aircraft fire over the target at Blechammer, Germany. Witnesses say the...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 464th Bomb Group
On the 17th October 1944, whilst on route from Pantanella, Italy to bomb an ordnance factory South of Vienna, 1st Lieutenant Abrams plane, B24-J Liberator, (Lively Lady), was hit by flak. Abrams was believed to have been killed instantly on the flight...
Military | Sergeant | Waist gunner | 461st Bomb Group
Assigned to 764BS, 461BG, 15AF USAAF. 9 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Odertal oil refinery in B-24 42-52025; Mauled by fighters, #3 engine on fire, oxygen system shot out, A/C abandoned. Hit fatally by 20mm cannon shell. Killed in Action ...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 301st Bomb Group
Assigned to 352BS, 301BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Steyr, Austria in B-17 42-31437 24-Feb-44; enemy aircraft, crashed Enns, Austria; Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 2636.
Awards: AM (2OLC), POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Corporal | 5th Photo Reconnaissance Group
Corporal Stanley J Abromski was on route to Italy aboard the SS Paul Hamilton as part of convoy UGS38.
...
Military | Corporal | 463rd Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 82nd Fighter Group
William Ackalusky's P-38F Lightning failed to return to base after all 15th Air Force missions from Italy were recalled due to bad weather. Ackalusky was believed to be on route from Lecce to Athens!
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 92BG Bangor 13/7/42; transferred 414BS/97BG Polebrook 6/42; Maison Blanche, Alg. 13/11/42; Tafaraoui, Alg. 22/11/42; Biskra, Alg. 25/12/42; on Tunis mission was rammed by Me109G 1/2/43 almost slicing rear fuselage and tail of plane off; made...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 323BS/91BG Bangor 14/9/42; West Palm Beach 24/11/42; transferred MTO 97BG Biskra, Alg. 1/43; 49BS/2BG 14/11/3; Massicault, Tun 14/11/43; Missing in Action Steyr, Aus. 24/2/44 with Harry Meyer, Co-pilot: Ralph Sneedon, Navigator: John McTeague,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 10/4/44; Hunter 27/4/44; Dow Fd 10/5/44; Assigned 346BS/99BG Tortorella 19/5/44; in base taxi accident with Dick Schildmeyer 24/2/45; 97m Salvaged 26/4/45; WEARY WILLIE.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 17/4/44; Hunter 29/4/44; Grenier 14/5/44; Assigned 342BS/97BG Amendola 26/5/44; first 15AF aircraft to land in Russia on shuttle mission after bombing Debrecen marshalling yards 2/6/44; Missing in Action Munich 19/7/44 with 1Lt...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/1/44; MacDill 18/2/44; Morrison 6/3/44; Assigned 815BS/483BG Sterparone 16/3/44; transferred 96BS/2BG Amendola 31/3/44; Missing in Action 73m Blechhammer 17/10/44 with Don Peart, Co-pilot: John Mumma, Navigator: Elliott Kaplan,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 18/2/43; Gt Falls 20/2/43; Salinas 18/3/43; Morrison 29/3/43; Assigned 341BS/97BG Chateau-du-Rhumel 16/4/43; Pont-du-Fahs 1/8/43; Depienne 15/8/43; transferred 346BS/99BG Oudna 14/11/43; Tortorella 11/12/43; 483BG Tortorella 31/3/44;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered West Palm Beach 7/1/43; Assigned 342BS/97BG Chateau-du-Rhumel 3/43; Pont-du-Fahs 1/8/43; Depienne 15/9/43; Cerignola 20/12/43; Amendola 16/1/44;
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 27/2/43; Smoky Hill 22/3/43; Tinker 9/4/43; Nashville 13/4/43; Morrison 18/4/43; Assigned 346BS/99BG Navarin 5/5/43; Oudna 4/8/43; Tortorella 11/12/43; transferred 815BS/483BG Tortorella 31/3/44; Missing in Action Weiner Neustadt 10/5...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 9/3/43; Gore 20/3/43; Tinker 30/3/43; Homestead 7/4/43; Morrison 12/4/43; Assigned 346BS/99BG Navarin 12/5/43; Oudna 4/8/43; battle damaged Messina 16/8/43, 1KIA; transferred 342BS/97BG Depienne 14/11/43; Cerignola 20/12/43; Missing in...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 7/4/43; Denver 10/4/43; Gore 18/4/43; Tinker 21/4/43; Morrison 29/4/43; Assigned 342BS/97BG Chateau-du-Rhumel 10/5/43; Pont-du-Fahs 1/8/43; Depienne 15/8/43; Cerignola 20/12/43; Amendola 16/1/44; Missing in Action Ploesti 5/5/44 with...
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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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