XII Bomber Command
{{use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{use American English|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= XII Bomber Command
|image=B-25J-1 43-27784 486th Bomb Squadron approaching Alesan Airfield Corica early 1944.jpg
|image_size=300px
|caption=Command B-25 Mitchell approaching Alesani Airfield CorsicaAircraft is North American B-25J-1-NC, serial 43-27784 of the 487th Bombardment Squadron in early 1944.
|dates=1942-1944
|country={{USA}}
|branch={{air force|USA}}
|type=
|role=Command of medium and light bomber units
|size=
|command_structure= Twelfth Air Force
Northwest African Strategic Air Force
|current_commander=
|garrison=
|mascot=
|battles=Mediterranean Theater of OperationsMaurer, Combat Units, pp. 449-450
|notable_commanders=
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
}}
XII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based in Corsica, France. It was constituted on 26 February 1942, activated on 13 March 1942, and inactivated on 10 June 1944.
History
It was assigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1942 and transferred, without personnel and equipment, to RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom where the command was re-formed. Moved to North 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 Served in combat in the Mediterranean theater until 1 November 1943 when most of the personnel were withdrawn and reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force.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 novel Catch 22 draws on his experiences with the 340th Bombardment Group, part of XII Bomber Command.{{cite news|last=Aldridge|first=John W.|title=The Loony Horror of it all - Catch-22 Turns 25|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/02/15/home/heller-loony.html|access-date=March 1, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 26, 1986}}
Lineage
=Assignments=
- Third Air Force, 13 March 1942{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}
- Twelfth Air Force, 31 August 1942Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 449-450 (years only). (Attached to VIII Bomber Command September 1942 – c. 16 October 1942)
- Northwest African Air Forces, February 1943 (attached to Northwest African Strategic Air Force (later Strategic Air Force, Mediterranean Allied Air Forces)
- Twelfth Air Force, 1943 – 10 June 1944
=Stations=
- MacDill Field, Florida, 13 March 1942
- RAF High Wycombe (AAF-101),Station number in Anderson, p. 19. United Kingdom, 31 August-10 November 1942
- Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 22 November 1942
- Algiers, Algeria, 27 November 1942
- Constantine Airfield, Algeria, 5 December 1942
- Tunis, Tunisia, 23 July 1943
- Bari Airfield, Italy, c. December 1943
- Pollena Trocchia{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} (Naples), Italy, 4 January 1944
- Corsica, c. April-10 June 1944Station information in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 449-450, except as noted.
=Components=
; Wings
- 5th Bombardment Wing, 13 October 1942 – 1 November 1943Station information in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 449-450 (years only).
- 7th Fighter Wing (later 47th Bombardment Wing), 7 January – 18 February 1943; 1 September – 1 November 1943{{cite web |url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10100 |title=Factsheet 47 Air Division |date=5 October 2007|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121017235335/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10100 |archive-date=17 October 2012 |access-date=4 April 2014}}
- 42d Bombardment Wing, 1 September – 1 November 1943{{cite web |url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10096 |title=Factsheet 42 Air Division |date=5 October 2007|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121020093643/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10096 |archive-date=20 October 2012 |access-date=4 April 2014}}
- 57th Bombardment Wing, 1 January – 1 March 1944{{cite web |url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10111 |title=Factsheet 57 Air Division |date=5 October 2007|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121013204459/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10111 |archive-date=13 October 2012|access-date=2 April 2014}}
; Groups
{{div col|colwidth=40em}}
- 1st Fighter Group, 24 December 1942 – 18 February 1943; 1 September 1943 – 1 November 1943{{cite web |url= http://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/434143/2-operations-group-acc |last1=Haulman|first1=Daniel|title=Factsheet 1 Operations Group (ACC)|date=November 7, 2017|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=December 27, 2021}}
- 2nd Bombardment Group, 1 September 1943 – 1 November 1943{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/434143/2-operations-group-acc/ |last1=Haulman|first1=Daniel|title=Factsheet 2 Operations Group (ACC)|date=September 28, 2017|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=December 27, 2021}}
- 3d Photographic Group, 16 October 1942 – 5 January 1943Futrell, p. 22. However, Robinson indicates the group was assigned directly to Twelfth Air Force. Factsheet, 543 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group.
- 12th Bombardment Group, 2 January – c. 21 March 1944{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/434131/12-operations-group-aetc/ |last1=Robertson|first1=Patsy|title=Factsheet 12 Operations Group (AETC)|date=June 26, 2017|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=December 28, 2021}}
- 14th Fighter Group, 11 December 1942 – January 1943{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/434130/14-operations-group-aetc/ |last1=Haulman|first1=Daniel|title=Factsheet 14 Operations Group (AETC)|date=June 3, 2019|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=August 26, 2017}}
- 21st Bombardment Group, 2–8 May 1942{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/434123/21-operations-group-afspc/ |last1=Haulman|first1=Daniel|title=Factsheet 21 Operations Group (AFSPC)|date=June 27, 2017|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=December 29, 2021}}
- 46th Bombardment Group, 2–8 May 1942{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433534/46-test-wing-afmc/ |last1=Robertson|first1=Patsy|title=Factsheet 46 Test Wing (AFMC)|date=September 4, 2008|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=December 30, 2021}}
- 48th Bombardment Group, 2–8 May 1942{{cite web|url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433509/48-operations-group-usafe/ |last1=Robertson|first1=Patsy E.|title=Factsheet 48 Operations Group (USAFE)|date=July 7, 2017|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=December 31, 2021}}
- 68th Reconnaissance Group: 18 October – 1 November 1943 (attached to 5th Bombardment Wing after 31 October 1943){{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433415/53-electronic-warfare-group-acc/ |last1=Stephens|first1=Maj Tonia|title=Factsheet 53 Electronic Warfare Group (ACC)|date=June 19, 2017|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=December 29, 2021}}
- 85th Bombardment Group, 16 March - 2 May 1942{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433508/85-group/ |last1=Robertson|first1=Patsy|title=Factsheet 85 Group|date=September 29, 2008|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=January 10, 2022}}
- 86th Bombardment Group: 1 May – 21 July 1942{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/432784/86-operations-group-usafe/ |last1=Forte|first1=Maria|title=Factsheet 86 Operations Group (USAFE)|date=April 4, 2018|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=January 10, 2022}}
- 97th Bombardment Group: 14 September 1942 – January 1943{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/432707/97-operations-group-aetc/ |last1=Robertson|first1=Patsy|title=Factsheet 97 Operations Group (AETC)|date=July 19, 2010|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=January 11, 2022}}
- 98th Bombardment Group: 19–24 September 1943{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/432710/98-operations-group-acc/ |last1=Robertson|first1=Patsy|title=Factsheet 98 Operations Group (ACC)|date=July 15, 2010|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=January 11, 2022}}
- 301st Bombardment Group: 14 September 1942 – January 1943{{cite web|url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/432672/301-operations-group-afrc/ |last1=Kane|first1=Robert B.|title=Factsheet 301 Operations Group (AFRC)|date=September 23, 2010|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=January 11, 2022}}
- 310th Bombardment Group: 2 May 1942 – 18 February 1943 (attached to 7th Fighter Wing after 1 February 1943){{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/432496/310-space-wing-afrc/ |last1=Bailey|first1=Carl E.|title=Factsheet 310 Space Wing (AFSPC)|date=August 9, 2017|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=January 11, 2022}}
- 312th Bombardment Group, 2 May – 10 August 1942{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/434012/312-aeronautical-systems-group-afmc/ |last1=Bailey|first1=Carl E.|title=Factsheet 312 Aeronautical Systems Group (AFMC|date=December 27, 2007|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=January 10, 2022}}
- 319th Bombardment Group: c. 11 November 1942 – 1 June 1943{{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/2482000/319-operations-group-acc/ |last1=Ream|first1=Margaret|title=Factsheet 319 Operations Group (ACC)|date=January 25, 2021|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=January 11, 2022}}
{{div col end}}
References
=Notes=
; Explanatory notes
{{reflist|group=note}}
; Citations
{{reflist|30em}}
=Bibliography=
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
- {{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Capt. Barry|title= 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|url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Timelines/World%20War%20II/usaaf_bases_in_united_kingdom.pdf?ver=2016-08-30-150752-303 |year=1985|publisher=Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center|location=Maxwell AFB, AL|access-date=March 1, 2021}}
- {{cite web |url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/1-50/AFD-090602-049.pdf |last1=Futrell|first1=Robert F.|title=Command of Observation Aviation: A Study in Control of Tactical Airpower, USAF Historical Study No. 24|date=September 1956|publisher=Research Studies Institute, USAF Historical Division, Air University |access-date=January 23, 2022}}
- {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Air Force Combat Units of World War II|orig-year= 1961|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180735/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf|url-status= dead|archive-date= 20 December 2016|access-date= December 17, 2016|edition=reprint|year=1983|publisher= Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-02-1|lccn=61060979}}
- {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|orig-year=1969|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220180455/http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= 20 December 2016 |edition= reprint|access-date= December 17, 2016|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402}}
{{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II}}
Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944