US Army Air Force

A strategic air force

Escorted by Mustang, an American Boeing B-17G of 99th Bombardment (Heavy) Group from 11 December 1943 until 27 October 1945 based at Tortorella, Foggia Airfield Complex, Southern Italy, heading to Poltava, Ukraine, at this time Soviet Union, for a Frantic mission. The 5th Wing’s 99th BG was one of units of the USAAF’s 15th Air Force. Established on 1 November 1943, based in Italy, de-activated in Italy 15 September 1945, first commander General Jimmy Doolittle, the 15th AF was the strategic air component of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) becoming became the instruments used by the Allies to carry the strategic air offensive to Axis occupied Central and Southern-East Europe and Southern Germany. In the 18 months of existence the 15th Air Force, operating principally from the Foggia Airfield Complex in Southern Italy, with his heavy bombers B-17 and B-24 destroyed all gasoline production within its range in Southern Europe, knocked out all the major aircraft factories in its sphere, and destroyed 6,282 enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground. The Fifteenth dropped 303,842 tons of bombs on enemy targets in nine countries of Europe, including military installations in eight capital cities. Its combat personnel made 148,955 heavy bomber sorties and 87,732 fighter sorties against the enemy. The price was 3,364 aircraft lost and 21,671 personnel killed, wounded, missing and POW: 20,430 bomber crewmen and 1,187 fighter pilots. Victor Sierra