Activated on November 1, 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force was established as part of the U.S. Army Air Force in the World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a strategic air force and commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. The first commander was General Jimmy Doolittle. November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... USAAF recruitment poster. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in... This pages deals with the United States militarys Mediterranean Theater of Operations. ... Brig. ...

The new air force drew its operational forces from heavy bombers of the IX Bomber Command, the strategic bomber command of the Ninth Air Force which was relocating to the United Kingdom to become a tactical air force in the European Theater of Operations. After beginning life in the United States as a numbered air support command, this establishment became the major tactical air force in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Ninth Air Force first entered combat in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, then moved to R.A.F Burtonwood... The European Theater of Operations, or ETO, was the term used by the United States in World War II to refer to most United States military activity in Europe north of the Mediterranean coast. ...

Mainly operating out of bases in southern Italy, the Fifteenth Air Force, along with the Eighth Air Force and RAF Bomber Command, became the instruments used by the Allies to carry the strategic air offensive to Axis occupied Europe and Germany. The Eighth Air Force was a World War II, United States Army Air Force unit, which carried out day-time bombing operations in western Europe from airfields in eastern England from 1942. ... RAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAFs bomber forces. ...

The Fifteenth was de-activated in Italy September 15, 1945. September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In the postwar years it became one of Strategic Air Command's primary numbered air forces. Since its transfer to Air Mobility Command in 1992, Fifteenth Air Force has assumed responsibility for airlift and air refueling missions. Information regarding the film Strategic Air Command may be found under a separate article The Strategic Air Command or SAC was the branch of the United States Air Force in charge of Americas bomber-based and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal, as well as the infrastructure necessary to... Categories: Stub | Commands of the U.S. Air Force ... In logistics and military terminology: An airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft. ... Aerial refueling, also called in-flight refueling (IFR) or air-to-air refueling (AAR), is the practice of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight. ...

Further reading

• "B-24 Liberator Units of the Fifteenth Air Force", by Robert F Dorr, Pub NY Osprey, ISBN 1841760811
• "The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B24s over Germany, 1944-1945", by Stephen Ambrose, Pub NY Simon & Schuster, 2001.
• "P-47 Thunderbolt Aces of the Ninth and Fifteenth Air Force" by Jerry Scutts, Pub Osprey, ISBN 1855329069
• "Bloody Skies: A 15th AAF B-17 Combat Crew, How They Lived and Died," by Melvin W. McGuire and Robert Hadley, Yucca Tree Press, 1993, ISBN 1-881325-06-7

External links

• The 15th Air Force