12th Air Force | |
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. Activated in the US on 17 May 1946. Assigned to Tactical Air Command until Dec 1948 when the Twelfth, reassigned to Continental Air Command, lost its functions associated with tactical airpower and became concerned primarily with reserve and national guard activities. Discontinued on 1 Jul 1950. Organized in Germany on 21 Jan 1951. Assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe. Commands. XII Bomber: 1942-1944. XII Tactical Air: 1942-1944. XXII Tactical Air (formerly XII Fighter): 1942-1945. Stations. Bolling Field, DC, 20-28 Aug 1942; England, 12 Sep-22 Oct 1942; Algeria, 9 Nov 1942; Tunisia, 10 Aug 1943; Italy, 5 Dec 1943-31 Aug 1945. March Field, Calif, 17 May 1946; Brooks AFB, Tex, 1 Jan 1949-1 Jul 1950. Wiesbaden, Germany, 21 Jan 1951; Ramstein, Germany, 27 Apr 1953-. Commanders. Lt Col Roger J Browne, 26 Aug 1942; Lt Col Harold L Neely, 28 Aug 1942; Maj Gen James H Doolittle, 23 Sep 1942; Lt Gen Carl Spaatz, 1 Mar 1943; Lt Gen John K Cannon, 21 Dec 1943; LMaj Gen Benjamin W Chidlaw, 2 Apr 1945; Brig Gen Charles T Myers, 26 May-31 Aug 1945. Brig Gen Yantis H Taylor, 17 May 1946; Brig Gen John P Doyle, 10 Jul 1946; Maj Gen William D Old, 24 Sep 1946; Brig Gen John P Doyle, 23 Jan 1947; Maj Gen Glenn O Barcus, 2 May 1947; Maj Gen Alden R Crawford, 1 Sep 1949; Col Ezekiel W Napier, 13 Jun-1 Jul 1950; Maj Gen Robert W Douglass Jr, 22 Jan 1951; Maj Gen Dean C Strother, 16 Mar 1951; Maj Gen Robert M Lee, 20 Nov 1953-. Campaigns. Air Combat, EAME Theater; Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley. Decorations. None. Insigne. On an ultramarine blue equilateral triangle, one point down, a white star with a red disc in the center thereof bearing the numeral "12" in white, below a pair of stylized golden orange wings. (Approved 1 Dec 1943.) Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986 | |
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