The XII Tactical Air Command was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe at Bad Kissingen, Germany, where it was inactivated on 10 November 1947.

History

The 12th Ground Air Support Command was activated on 17 September 1942 at Birmingham Army Air Field, Alabama, where it drew its initial cadre from the 3d Ground Air Support Command. Within a week, it had moved to Bolling Field, District of Columbia, to prepare for the invasion of North Africa and changed its name to XII Air Support Command.

The command participated in Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa in November 1942. However, it confined itself to administering air affairs in French Morocco until January 1943. On 6 January 1943, it was attached to the Satin Task Force, primarily composed of elements of the II Corps and after 13 January was fully engaged with support of II Corps in its attack through central Tunisia. This campaign proved to be a test for United States air support doctrine and tactics. No pilots or planes trained for night reconnaissance were available, and photographic reconnaissance with Douglas A-20 Havocs was only available late in the campaign. Tying the command to a single corps also kept it from supporting other organizations participating in the campaign, such as the French XIX Corps, even when resources were available.

The XII Tactical Air Command then shifted its focus from North Africa to the Mediterranean, where it provided fighter and bomber support for the invasion of Italy and later combat along the southern coast of France. In August 1944, the command relocated from Italy to France to continue aerial support for advancing ground forces.

Its composition evolved over time, with various fighter and bomber wings being assigned or detached as operational needs dictated. The 64th Fighter Wing had the longest continuous service with XII Tactical Air Command, from March 1943 to June 1947. By 1944, the Command was controlling five former Twelfth and Ninth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt groups through its 64th Fighter Wing.

For the final seven months of World War II in Europe, from November 1944 to May 1945, XII Tactical Air Command was assigned to the First Tactical Air Force (Provisional). This newly formed air command was rapidly assembled in southeastern France to provide air support and coordination for the Franco-American Sixth Army Group, which consisted of the U.S. Seventh Army and the French First Army.

After the Allied victory it remained in Europe as part of the occupation force.

Colonel Demas T. Craw was awarded the Medal of Honor for action during the invasion of Algeria-French Morocco: when the Allies landed on 8 November 1942, Col Craw volunteered to negotiate an armistice; while trying to pass through the lines near Port Lyautey, he was killed by machine-gun fire.

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 12th Ground Air Support Command on 10 September 1942
Activated on 17 September 1942
Redesignated XII Air Support Command on 24 September 1942
Redesignated XII Tactical Air Command in April 1944
Inactivated in Germany on 10 November 1947
Disbanded on 8 October 1948

Assignments

  • Third Air Force, 17 September 1942 (attached to First Air Force after 25 September 1942)
  • Twelfth Air Force, 9 November 1942 (attached to Allied Air Support Command after 22 January 1943)
  • Northwest African Air Forces, c. 18 February 1943 (attached to Allied Air Support Command (later Northwest African Tactical Air Force c. February 18 – 10 December 1943, further attached to No. 242 Group RAF March 43)
  • Twelfth Air Force, c. 10 December 1943 (attached to No. 242 Group RAF, Tactical Air Force, Mediterranean Allied Air Forces January 1944 – April 1944)
  • First Tactical Air Force (Provisional), November 1944 to May 1945
  • United States Air Forces in Europe, 15 November 1945 – 10 November 1947

Stations

Components

Wings
  • 3rd Air Defense Wing (later 64th Fighter Wing): 9 March 1943 – 5 June 1947 (attached to First Tactical Air Force (Provisional) 27 November 1944 – May 1945)
  • 5th Bombardment Wing: c. 13 October 1942 – 1 November 1943
  • 7th Fighter Wing, 27 September 1942 – 7 January 1943 (attached to First Air Force to c. 17 October 1942; Task Force A to 8 November 1942; Moroccan Composite Wing (Provisional) to 6 January 1943)
  • 42d Bombardment Wing: 27 November 1944 – 6 January 1945, 21 May – 26 July 1945
  • 57th Bombardment Wing: 31 August 1943 – 1 January 1944
  • 63d Fighter Wing: 14 June – December 1945
  • 64th Fighter Wing: March 1943 – June 1947
  • 70th Fighter Wing: 2 December 1945 – 25 September 1947
  • 71st Fighter Wing: 25 September–November 1945
  • 87th Fighter Wing: 11 January-22 September 1944
Groups
Squadrons
Other
  • 555th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion (later 501st Tactical Control Group), 15 November 1945 – 25 July 1947

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
Citations

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  • 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. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  • Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  • 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 from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 17 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 from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

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