XII Bomber Command

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.

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 Served in combat in the Mediterranean theater until 1 November 1943 when most of the personnel were withdrawn and reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force.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.

• Constituted as the 12th Bomber Command on 16 February 1942

Activated on 13 March 1942

Redesignated XII Bomber Command c. 24 September 1942

Disbanded on 10 June 1944

• Third Air Force, 13 March 1942
• Twelfth Air Force, 31 August 1942 (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

• MacDill Field, Florida, 13 March 1942
• RAF High Wycombe (AAF-101), 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 (Naples), Italy, 4 January 1944
• Corsica, c. April-10 June 1944

Wings

• 5th Bombardment Wing, 13 October 1942 – 1 November 1943
• 7th Fighter Wing (later 47th Bombardment Wing), 7 January – 18 February 1943; 1 September – 1 November 1943
• 42d Bombardment Wing, 1 September – 1 November 1943
• 57th Bombardment Wing, 1 January – 1 March 1944

Groups

Explanatory notes

Citations

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

• Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). 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 (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
• 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.
• 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 20 December 2016. 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.