Army Air Forces in World War II: Volume 2

Beginnings of AAF Operations – The Delta and Related Areas – The TORCH area – Casablanca and Oran Areas – Eastern Algeria and Tunisia – El Alamein to El Agheila – Bengasi to Gabès – Southern Tunisia – Northern Tunisia – Eighth Air Force Targets, August 1942–June 1943 – Bomber Combat Formations, Summer 1943 – Principal Units of Northwest African Air Forces, 1 June 1943 – Pantelleria – Principal NAAF Targets, 15 June–9 July 1943 – Final Allied Plan for Invasion of Sicily – Airborne Operations, Husky – Principal NAAF Targets in Sicily during Husky, 10 July–17 August 1943 – Advance of Seventh and Eighth Armies, 10 July–17 August 1943 – Principal NAAF Targets Outside Sicily, 10 July–17 August 1943 – Ploesti Attack, 1 August 1943 – Ploesti Attack, 1 August 1943 – Plans for Post-Husky Invasions – Northwest African Air Forces, 15 August 1943 – Southern Italy, Principal Rail Lines – Southern Italy, Principal Roads and Airfields – Invasion of Italy – Principal NAAF Targets, 18 August–8 September 1943 – Salerno–Paestum Area, 12 September 1943 – Airborne Operations, Avalanche, September 1943 – Advance of Allied Armies In Italy, 3 September–6 October 1943 – Advance of Fifth Army, 7 October–15 November 1943 – Central Italy, Principal Roads and Airfields – Central Italy, Principal Rail Lines – Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces, 1 November 1943 – Eighth Air Force Installations, June 1944 – USSTAF Air Service Installations, June 1944 – Eighth Air Force Targets, June–December 1943 – Mission to Schweinfurt, 14 October 1943 – VIII Air Force Service Command, December 1943 – Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, 9 January 1944 – U. S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe, May 1944 – Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces, 15 December 1943 – Units of Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, 1 January 1944 – Eighth Air Force Heavy Bomber Missions, 17 August 1942–31 December 1943

Illustrations

Desert Air War – Housekeeping – Squadron Headquarters – Sandstorm – Airfield Construction in Africa – Breaking Ground – Three days later – Mediums in Africa – B-25 Mitchells – B-26 Marauders – The Rugged B-17 – This one got back – Part of the crew bailed out – USS Ranger delivers P-40’s to AAF in Africa – Heavy bombers hit ammo ship, Palermo, 22 March 1943 – The end of the Trieste, 10 April 1943 – 24 B-17’s at 18,750 feet bomb cruiser anchored in antisub net – Bombs hit cruiser – Cruiser sinks – Next day photo reconnaissance shows cruiser sunk, giving off air bubbles and oil slicks – Heavy bombers hit ammo ship off Bizerte, 6 April 1943 – Sequel to FLAX: B-25’s attack axis transports – B-17 antishipping strike off Bizerte – Two ships sighted – One ship sunk – German sub pen, Lorient – Eighth Air Force attack on Lorient, 17 May 1943 – Battle casualties, Eighth Air Force. – Interrogation, 381st group, Summer 1943 – B-17 combat formation – B-17 contrails – Pantelleria – Air attack on the island – Wreckage on Marghana airfield – Airborne operations in Husky – Sicily bound – Wrecked CG-4A glider – First AAF attack on Rome, 19 July 1943 – B-17 interior – Tactical operations – Attacking motor transport – Bridge-busting – Postholing – Ploesti, 1 August 1943: The Astra Romana refinery – Mud in sunny Italy – Fog and mud in England – Eighth Air Force bomb dumps – B-17 Milk run – Eighth Air Force in rural England – Hangar Queen – P-47 drive-away from an English port – Maintenance – second echelon – third echelon – Fourth echelon maintenance – Marienburg mission, 9 October 1943 – Strike photo – Recon photo

Army Air Forces in World War II: Volume 2

Europe: TORCH to POINTBLANK, August 1942–December 1943

Prepared under the editorship of

Wesley Frank Craven, Princeton University,

James Lea Cate, University of Chicago.

By Air Historical Group United States Air Force

Wilfred J. Paul, Col, USAF, Director

Albert F. Simpson, Air Force Historian

Table of Contents

Maps and Charts

Illustrations