Military unit
XII Bomber Command is an inactiveUnited States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was with theTwelfth Air Force , based inCorsica , France. It was constituted on 26 February 1942, activated on 13 March 1942, and inactivated on 10 June 1944.
It was assigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1942 and transferred, without personnel and equipment, toRAF High Wycombe inBuckinghamshire in theUnited Kingdom where the command was re-formed. Moved toNorth Africa , with the first of its elements arriving during the invasion in November 1942. Served in combat in the Mediterranean theater until 1 November 1943 when most of the personnel were withdrawn and reassigned toFifteenth Air Force . Received additional personnel in January 1944 and served in combat until 1 March 1944. It was finally disbanded in Corsica on 10 June 1944.
Joseph Heller 's novelCatch 22 draws on his experiences with the340th Bombardment Group , part of XII Bomber Command.[ 2]
Constituted as the12th Bomber Command on 16 February 1942 Activated on 13 March 1942 RedesignatedXII Bomber Command c. 24 September 1942 Disbanded on 10 June 1944[ 1] MacDill Field , Florida, 13 March 1942RAF High Wycombe (AAF-101),[ 4] Tafaraoui Airfield , Algeria, 22 November 1942Algiers , Algeria, 27 November 1942Constantine Airfield , Algeria, 5 December 1942Tunis , Tunisia, 23 July 1943Bari Airfield , Italy, c. December 1943Pollena Trocchia [citation needed (Naples), Italy, 4 January 1944Corsica , c. April-10 June 1944[ 5] Wings Groups 1st Fighter Group , 24 December 1942 – 18 February 1943; 1 September 1943 – 1 November 1943[ 10] 2nd Bombardment Group , 1 September 1943 – 1 November 1943[ 11] 3d Photographic Group , 16 October 1942 – 5 January 1943[ 12] 12th Bombardment Group , 2 January – c. 21 March 1944[ 13] 14th Fighter Group , 11 December 1942 – January 1943[ 14] 21st Bombardment Group , 2–8 May 1942[ 15] 46th Bombardment Group , 2–8 May 1942[ 16] 48th Bombardment Group , 2–8 May 1942[ 17] 68th Reconnaissance Group : 18 October – 1 November 1943 (attached to 5th Bombardment Wing after 31 October 1943)[ 18] 85th Bombardment Group , 16 March - 2 May 1942[ 19] 86th Bombardment Group : 1 May – 21 July 1942[ 20] 97th Bombardment Group : 14 September 1942 – January 1943[ 21] 98th Bombardment Group : 19–24 September 1943[ 22] 301st Bombardment Group : 14 September 1942 – January 1943[ 23] 310th Bombardment Group : 2 May 1942 – 18 February 1943 (attached to 7th Fighter Wing after 1 February 1943)[ 24] 312th Bombardment Group , 2 May – 10 August 1942[ 25] 319th Bombardment Group : c. 11 November 1942 – 1 June 1943[ 26] Explanatory notes Citations ^a b Maurer,Combat Units , pp. 449-450 ^ Aldridge, John W. (26 October 1986)."The Loony Horror of it all -Catch-22 Turns 25" .The New York Times . Retrieved1 March 2018 . ^a b Maurer,Combat Units , pp. 449-450 (years only). ^ Station number in Anderson, p. 19. ^ Station information in Maurer,Combat Units , pp. 449-450, except as noted. ^ Station information in Maurer,Combat Units , pp. 449-450 (years only). ^ "Factsheet 47 Air Division" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived fromthe original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved4 April 2014 .^ "Factsheet 42 Air Division" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived fromthe original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved4 April 2014 .^ "Factsheet 57 Air Division" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived fromthe original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved2 April 2014 .^ Haulman, Daniel (7 November 2017)."Factsheet 1 Operations Group (ACC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived fromthe original on 22 March 2025. Retrieved27 December 2021 . ^ Haulman, Daniel (28 September 2017)."Factsheet 2 Operations Group (ACC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved27 December 2021 . ^ Futrell, p. 22. However, Robinson indicates the group was assigned directly to Twelfth Air Force. Factsheet, 543 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group. ^ Robertson, Patsy (26 June 2017)."Factsheet 12 Operations Group (AETC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved28 December 2021 . ^ Haulman, Daniel (3 June 2019)."Factsheet 14 Operations Group (AETC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved26 August 2017 . ^ Haulman, Daniel (27 June 2017)."Factsheet 21 Operations Group (AFSPC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved29 December 2021 . ^ Robertson, Patsy (4 September 2008)."Factsheet 46 Test Wing (AFMC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved30 December 2021 . ^ Robertson, Patsy E. (7 July 2017)."Factsheet 48 Operations Group (USAFE)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved31 December 2021 . ^ Stephens, Maj Tonia (19 June 2017)."Factsheet 53 Electronic Warfare Group (ACC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved29 December 2021 . ^ Robertson, Patsy (29 September 2008)."Factsheet 85 Group" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved10 January 2022 . ^ Forte, Maria (4 April 2018)."Factsheet 86 Operations Group (USAFE)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved10 January 2022 . ^ Robertson, Patsy (19 July 2010)."Factsheet 97 Operations Group (AETC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved11 January 2022 . ^ Robertson, Patsy (15 July 2010)."Factsheet 98 Operations Group (ACC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved11 January 2022 . ^ Kane, Robert B. (23 September 2010)."Factsheet 301 Operations Group (AFRC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved11 January 2022 . ^ Bailey, Carl E. (9 August 2017)."Factsheet 310 Space Wing (AFSPC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved11 January 2022 . ^ Bailey, Carl E. (27 December 2007)."Factsheet 312 Aeronautical Systems Group (AFMC" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved10 January 2022 . ^ Ream, Margaret (25 January 2021)."Factsheet 319 Operations Group (ACC)" . Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved11 January 2022 . public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985).Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF) . Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved1 March 2021 . Futrell, Robert F. (September 1956)."Command of Observation Aviation: A Study in Control of Tactical Airpower, USAF Historical Study No. 24" (PDF) . Research Studies Institute, USAF Historical Division, Air University. Retrieved23 January 2022 . Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961].Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-02-1 LCCN 61060979 . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved17 December 2016 . Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969].Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-405-12194-6 LCCN 70605402 .OCLC 72556 . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved17 December 2016 .
Stations
Morocco Algeria Tunisia Italy France
Units
Commands Wings Groups
Bombardment Fighter Reconnaissance Troop carrier
Squadrons
United States Army Air Forces
United States
United States Air Force
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency