XXII Tactical Air Command
| XXII Tactical Air Command | |
|---|---|
 Members of 332d Fighter Group of XII Fighter Command | |
| Active | 1942-1945 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Command of fighter and air support units |
| Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Brig Gen Elwood Richard Quesada Brig Gen Benjamin W. Chidlaw[1] |
The XXII Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, at Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, where it was inactivated on 4 October 1945.
The command was formed in the southeast United States in early 1942. It moved to the United Kingdom in September 1942 and to North Africa during October–November 1942. Served in combat in the Mediterranean theater until the end of the war. Inactivated in Italy
Lineage
[edit]- Constituted as the 12th Interceptor Command on 26 February 1942
- Activated on 5 March 1942
- Redesignated 12th Fighter Command 15 May 1942
- Redesignated XII Fighter Command c. 24 September 1942
- Redesignated XXII Tactical Air Command in November 1944
- Inactivated on 4 October 1945
- Disbanded on 8 October 1948[1]
Assignments
[edit]- Third Air Force, 5 March 1942[citation needed]
- Twelfth Air Force, 12 September 1942 – 4 October 1945[2] (attached to Eighth Air Force, 12 September-26 October 1942)[citation needed]
Stations
[edit]- Drew Field, Florida, 5 March-27 August 1942
- RAF Wattisham, England, 12 September 1942
- RAF Bushey Hall, England, 17 September-26 October 1942
- Oran Tafaraoui Airport, Algeria, 8 November 1942
- La Senia Airfield, Algeria, 12 November 1942
- Tebessa Airfield, Algeria, December 1942
- La Senia Airfield, Algeria, 12 January 1943
- Algiers, Algeria, 20 March 1943
- Caserta, Italy, 14 July 1944
- Florence Airfield, Italy, 15 September 1944
- Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, August-4 October 1945[3]
Components
[edit]- Wings
- 1st Air Defense Wing (later 62d Fighter Wing): 30 January 1943 – 12 September 1945
- 2d Air Defense Wing (later 63d Fighter Wing): 27 January 1943 – 14 June 1945
- 3rd Air Defense Wing: 22 February – 9 March 1943[4]
- 87th Fighter Wing: 11 January 1944 – 1 April 1945.[1]
- Groups
- 1st Fighter Group: 14 September – 24 December 1942[5]
- 14th Fighter Group: 14 September – 11 December 1942[6]
- 31st Fighter Group: 27 September – November 1942[7]
- 33d Fighter Group: 6 December 1942 – 13 January 1943[8]
- 47th Bombardment Group: 15 September 1944 – 7 June 1945[9]
- 52d Fighter Group: 14 September 1942 – 18 February 1943 (attached to Tunis Fighter Sector after c. 19 January 1943)[10]
- 79th Fighter Group: assigned 20 September 1944 – 1 October 1944 (attached to 64th Fighter Wing to 30 September 1944); attached 12 May – 7 June 1945[11]
- 86th Fighter Group: 15 September 1944 – 20 February 1945[12]
- 332d Fighter Group: 15 September 1944 – 20 February 1945[13]
- Squadrons
- 1st Emergency Rescue Squadron, 12 March − 1 October 1944 (attached to Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force after 14 September 1944)[14]
- 414th Night Fighter Squadron: 1 April – 7 June 1945[15]
- 417th Night Fighter Squadron: 1 April – 17 August 1945[16]
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d Maurer, Combat Units, p. 434
- ^ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 434 (years only).
- ^ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 434, except as noted.
- ^ "Factsheet 64 Air Division (Defense)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ Haulman, Daniel (7 November 2017). "Factsheet 1 Operations Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ Haulman, Daniel (3 June 2019). "Factsheet 14 Operations Group (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ Robertson, Patsy (27 June 2017). "Factsheet 31 Operations Group (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ Dollman, TSG David (18 October 2016). "Factsheet 33 Operations Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ Robertson, Patsy E. (7 July 2017). "Factsheet 47 Operations Group (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ Robertson, Patsy (7 May 2013). "Factsheet 52 Operations Group (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Stevens, Maj Sonia (11 July 2017). "Factsheet 53 Test and Evaluation Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ Forte, Maria (4 April 2018). "Factsheet 86 Operations Group (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
- ^ Haulman, Daniel L. (May 2011). "Factsheet 332 Expeditionary Operations Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ Haulman, Daniel L. (9 June 2015). "Factsheet 1 Expeditionary Rescue Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 506-507
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 509-510
Bibliography
[edit]
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- 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. 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. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
