XII Tactical Air Command

XII Tactical Air Command
P-47 Thunderbolts during the occupation of Germany[note 1]
Active	1942-1947
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of tactical units
Engagements	Mediterranean Theater of Operations[1]
Insignia
Patch with unofficial XII Tactical Air Command emblem[2]

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[]

Formed in United States in early 1942. 7th Fighter Wing may have initially been assigned to the command in 1942 but was never activated. Moved to North Africa, October–November 1942.

The command served in combat in the Mediterranean and European theaters until May 1945. Afterward, 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.^[1]

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^[1]

Assignments[]

• Third Air Force, 17 September 1942^{[citation needed]} (attached to First Air Force after 25 September 1942)^{[citation needed]}
• Twelfth Air Force, 9 November 1942^[3] (attached to Allied Air Support Command after 22 January 1943^{[citation needed]})
• 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^[3] (attached to No. 242 Group RAF, Tactical Air Force, Mediterranean Allied Air Forces January 1944 – April 1944)
• United States Air Forces in Europe, 15 November 1945 – 10 November 1947^[4]

Stations[]

Components[]

Wings

• 3rd Air Defense Wing (later 64th Fighter Wing: 9 March 1943 – 5 June 1947 (attached to 27 Noember 1944 – May 1945)^[6]
• 5th Bombardment Wing: c. 13 October 1942 – 1 November 1943^[7]
• 7th Fighter Wing, 27 September 1942 – 7 January 1943 (attached to First Air Force to c. 17 October 1942; to 8 November 1942; to 6 January 1943)^[8]
• 42d Bombardment Wing: 27 November 1944 – 6 January 1945, 21 May – 26 July 1945^[9]
• 57th Bombardment Wing: 31 August 1943 – 1 January 1944^[10]
• 63d Fighter Wing: 14 June–December 1945
• 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

• 12th Bombardment Group: 1 September 1943 – 2 January 1944^[11]
• 31st Fighter Group: November 1942 – 24 July 1943^[12]
• 33d Fighter Group: 13 January – 18 February 1943; 14 March 1943 – 24 July 1943; 21 December 1943 – c. 20 February 1944 (under operational control of 64th Fighter Wing)^[13]
• 36th Fighter Group: 15 November 1945 – 15 February 1946^[14]

References[]

Notes[]

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography[]

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• 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.
• 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.