Ninth Air Force: Commemorative History

By Turner Publishing

The Ninth Air Force, activated in 1942, fought with valor against the Germans during World War II as they flew the skies of North Africa and Sicily. Discover their significant role in the Battle of the Bulge and throughout the war in this commemorative history. Perfect for military and Air Force buffs and anyone serving in the Air Force, as well as their family members.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: Aug 1, 2004
• ISBN: 9781618584960

Book preview

PREFACE

Lt. Colonel Stanley E. Stepnitz

In June of 1942, General Rommel was having a lot of success against the English. Under the command of General Brereton, air power in the form of B-17s he had brought from India and B-24 aircraft Colonel Halverson had been ferrying toward China proved very useful for the British armies. In addition to the bombers, Colonel Mears launched a group of P-40 fighter aircraft from the aircraft carrier Ranger and joined the bombers in the fight against the German army.

This successful use of air power by what was at that time the Middle East Air Force proved the value of such a combination of aircraft. On 12 November 1942, the MEAF was redesignated the Ninth Air Force with General Brereton as Commander. Under his command, the force began to expand in numbers and strength. More fighters and bombers were acquired, as well as the addition of troop carrier aircraft. With this added muscle, the Ninth moved into battle in Italy and then in Sicily.

Next, it was time to move into position for the invasion of France. The Ninth was then moved to England in October 1943. As attacks on Nazi positions throughout Europe increased in intensity, the size of the Ninth continued to grow in value and strength to become the largest tactical Air Force ever assembled. When D-Day came, the Ninth was ready with fighters, bombers, and troop carriers to lead the way to victory.

After World War II, the Ninth Air Force came home to the United States and remained ready and capable to perform duty wherever needed. The Headquarters is now located at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. Elements of this remarkable organization are located at several locations in the eastern United States. Always a force to be reckoned with, by gaining air superiority over any foe, by destroying the capability of any enemy to replenish supplies and to provide close support to ground forces.

All past and present members of the Ninth Air Force can hold their heads high. They have a heritage for which they can be proud.

Stanley E. Stepnitz

Lt. Col., USAF (Ret.)

President

NINTH AIR FORCE HISTORY

90th Troop Carrier SQ./438th Troop Carrier Group. C-47 towing CG-4A Glider.

389th Fighter SQ./366th Fighter Group. P-47.

Nine Battle Stars:

Men of the Ninth Air Force

Prepared by

Michael N. Ingrisano, Jr.

Background:

At its maximum in World War II, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) numbered more than 2,400,000 men and women. There were power and glider pilots, navigators, bombardiers, gunners, crew chiefs (flight engineers), radio operators, clerks and typists, artists, teachers, aircraft, glider and vehicle mechanics, and vehicle drivers, statisticians, and mechanical engineers. All skills necessary to conduct and support the air war. From privates to generals, they all had to be molded into organizations capable of supplying direction and coordination of these diverse activities.

In the organizational scale for combat, these entities were formed upward into numbered squadrons, groups, wings, commands, and into 16 air forces in the USAAF. The Ninth Air Force was among the latter designations.

In January 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked the Congress to strengthen America’s then inadequate air power. In September 1939, when Adolph Hitler of Nazi Germany attacked Poland, the second World War began. As the Axis (Germany and Italy) forces gained victory after victory, the United States Army’s air arm grew so that by the end of 1940, it had 30 groups, up from its 1939 level of 15. By the time that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, and the United States entered the war, the number of active groups had increased to 67. Many were still being organized and few had suitable combat aircraft.

By the end of 1943, there were 269 groups. Through mission refinements and reorganizations, the number dropped to 218 combat groups. By February 1945, the number of combat groups had risen to 243. With the invasion of Europe in June 1944, and the continuing campaigns in Italy, the United States had 148 combat groups in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater (EAMET). The Ninth, along with the Eighth, Twelfth, and Fifteenth Air Forces operated in this theater.

The Ninth Air Force:

The Ninth Air Force was initially constituted as the V Air Support Command on 21 August 1941. Under the command of Brigadier General Junius W. Jones, it was activated in Bowman Field, Kentucky, on 1 September 1941. In January 1942, under the command of Colonel Rosenham Beam, it was moved to the New Orleans, Louisiana, Army Air Force Base, where in April 1942 it was redesignated Ninth Air Force. In July 1942, it was moved to Bolling Field in Washington, D.C., and remained there until October 1942.

442nd Night Fighter SQ. P-61 Black Widow.

In the Middle East and Africa: Under the command of Lt. General Lewis H. Brereton, the Ninth left the United States for Egypt and began operations on 12 November 1942. There, the Ninth Air Force, with the support of its newly designated IX Fighter Command, and the 316th Troop Carrier Groups (later to be incorporated into the IX Troop Carrier Command) participated in the Allied drive across Egypt and Libya, and in the campaign in Tunisia. The Ninth completed its missions in the Africa-Middle East Theater when, with the support of the growing IX Troop Carrier Command, it dropped the 82nd Airborne Division into Sicily on July 9-12, 1943, in Operations Husky 1 and 2, and into Italy in September 1943, for the Giant Operations.

England and the European Theater: On 16 October 1943, the Ninth, still under the command of General Brereton, moved its headquarters to Sunninghill Park, England, in preparation for the aerial assault on Normandy, France. It was during this period that the Ninth Air Force rounded out its organization to include the following components: IX Fighter Command (1942-1945); IX Tactical Air Command (1943-1944); IX Bomber Command (formerly 9th Air Division — 1942-1944); the IX Troop Carrier Command (1943-1944); and support units, the IX Air Defense Command and the IX Aviation Engineers. Its combined mission was the bombing and strafing of strategic targets over the coast of and into the interior of France and throughout the campaign in Europe. The Troop Carrier Command led the U.S. vertical assault on Normandy by dropping paratroopers and glider infantry and artillerymen of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, and flying resupply and evacuation support missions into Normandy.

439th TCG. C-47s loading 82nd Airborne for Holland.

On 8 August 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed General Brereton commander of the First Allied Airborne Army (FAAA). Under his successor, General Hoyt S. Vanderburg, the structure of the Ninth Air Force changed to: IX Air Defense Command (1944-1945), the XIX Tactical Air Command (1944-1945 — formerly XIX Air Support Command), and the XIX Tactical Air Command (1945).

355th FSQ/354 FG. P-51B.

71st TCS/434 TCG. C-47.

451st Bomb SQ./322 Bomb Group. B-26.

The IX Troop Carrier Command became a part of the FAAA and participated in the vertical assault of Holland in Operation Market Garden, 17-26 September 1944. Its components again dropped paratroopers, towed glider infantry and artillerymen, and landed supplies for the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.

As the Allied armies moved across France and finally into Germany, the Ninth also moved on to bases in these countries. The tactical air and bomb commands continued operations from these bases, supporting ground force until the end of the war. The Troop Carrier Command flew its final combat mission on 24 March 1945 in Operation Varsity. In this operation, the command dropped paratroopers of the British 6th Airborne Division and of the U.S. 17th Airborne Division, and also towed in elements of the 17th in this vertical assault over the Rhine River into Germany.

Although World War II ended in August 1945, the Ninth Air Force was not to leave Germany for the United States (Zone of the Interior) until December 1945. There it was shifted to various bases until 20 August 1954, when it was stationed permanently at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.

Components of the Ninth Air Force in World War II

The primary source for the history of the Ninth in WWII is Air Force Combat Units of World War II, edited by Maurer Maurer, originally published by the U.S. Government Office, Washington, D.C., 1961.

This reference book is structured so that a researcher can derive the details of each air combat unit that served in WWII. The chapters follow organizations upward: Groups, Wings, Divisions, Commands, Air Forces. In each of those major headings are listings of the various components in a combat unit. (For example, under the heading of HQ.IX Tactical Air Command, we find the 70th Fighter Wing, 48th Fighter Group which was organized into the 492nd, 493rd, and 494th Fighter Squadrons, primarily flying P-47 Thunderbolts.)

Any attempt to trace each of these components through its ascendancy would not only be a tedious task, but would be tiresome for the reader.

The Ninth Air Force Units in England: The study by Roger A. Freeman, UK AIRFIELDS OF THE NINTH THEN AND NOW, London: Battle of Brittain Prints International Limited, 1994, provides a recapitulation of pertinent data for each unit.

107th Tac Recon SQ./67th Tac Recon GP. P-6C [P-51C]

In his heavily illustrated book, Freeman does an analysis comparable to what is found in Maurer’s book. For the air fields used by the Ninth in England, he details the architectural history of each field, its occupants during WWII, and into its post-war fate. Some of the fields are still active, but, by and large, most are memories for the men and women who served in a particular locale.

Fortunately, to save the reader the task of reading the fine print, Freeman, in his introduction, has condensed much of the Ninth Air Force’s component history into several very informative charts. These are included with the kind permission of the original author.

Chart 1: Plan for the Disposition of Ninth Air Force Units, October 1943

This chart provides insight into the Ninth’s planning phase of pulling together the combat units into a controlled area as it readied itself for the Allied invasion of Europe. It does not define specific components, but it does provide a general organizational label, such as: Fighter Group, Bomb Group, Troop Carrier Group, and the proposed base in England for that type of aircraft and its mission.

In August 1943, the Eighth Air Force was notified that it was to be allocated a total 115 combat groups, the last to reach the UK in the spring of 1944. Although such schedules fluctuated from month to month, it appeared there would be difficulty in finding sufficient airfields in southern and eastern England to base this enormous force. The strategic element consisted of 54 heavy bomber groups, 15 fighter groups, and a reconnaissance group. The tactical assignment was 11 medium and light bomber groups, 20 fighter-bomber, five reconnaissance, and nine-and-a-half troop carrier groups. The following month, the situation was alleviated by the decision to divert 14 new heavy bomber groups to Italy and form the Fifteenth Air Force. USAAF high command also decided to transfer the tactical mission of the Eighth Air Force to the Ninth Air Force, transferred from the Mediterranean to the UK, although this was basically a re-designation of existing tactical headquarters. In late October 1943, the Ninth Air Force issued its plan for the disposition of its units as advised at that time. As many fighter-bomber groups would eventually have to operate from temporary landing ground that were unsuitable for winter occupation, and several other airfields provided by the British were not yet available or required additional work before a whole U.S. fighter group could be accommodated, a programme for winter quarters was set up. Many groups arrived much later than scheduled and, in the event, there was no need to use several of the winter dispositions. The groups of the 84th Fighter Wing planned for the Exeter area were placed on advanced landing grounds in Kent as soon as they reached the UK.

Chart 2: U.S. Ninth Air Force in the United Kingdom; Combat Units with Locations and Principal Aircraft Types

The caption tells most of the story, but Freeman also includes the smallest component, the squadron. And by including the location, he has provided each veteran who served in the Ninth Air Force an indelible physical memory of life in the United Kingdom.

U.S. NINTH AIR FORCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

COMBAT UNITS WITH LOCATIONS AND PRINCIPAL AIRCRAFT TYPE

HQ NINTH AIR FORCE

SUNNINGHILL PARK, ASCOT

HQ IX FIGHTER COMMAND

MIDDLE WALLOP

422nd Night Fighter Squadron

Charmy Down, Scorton

P-61 Black Widow

425th Night Fighter Squadron

Charmy Down, Scorton

P-61 Black Widow

HQ IX TACTICAL AIR COMMAND

ALDERMASTON COURT, MIDDLE WALLOP, UXBRIDGE

67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group

12th TRS, 15th TRS, 107th TRS, 109th TRS, 153rd LS,

30th PRS, 9th WRS(P)

Membury, Middle Wallop

F-6 Mustang, F-5 Lightning

70th FIGHTER WING

Greenham Common, Boxted, Ibsley

48th Fighter Group

492nd FS, 493rd FS, 494th FS

Ibsley

P-47 Thunderbolt

367th Fighter Group

392nd FS, 393rd FS, 394th FS

Stoney Cross, Ibsley

P-38 Lightning

371st Fighter Group

404th FS, 405th FS, 406th FS

Bisterne

P-47 Thunderbolt

474th Fighter Group

428th FS, 429th FS, 430th FS

Warmwell

P-38 Lightning

71ST FIGHTER WING

Aldermaston, Greenham Common

366th Fighter Group

389th FS, 390th FS, 391st FS

Andover, Membury, Thruxton

P-47 Thunderbolt

368th Fighter Group

395th FS, 396th FS, 397th FS

Greenham Common, Chilbolton

P-47 Thunderbolt

370th Fighter Group

401st FS, 402nd FS, 485th FS

Andover

P-38 Lightning

84TH FIGHTER WING

Keevil, Beaulieu

50th Fighter Group

10th FS, 81st FS, 313th FS

Lymington

P-47 Thunderbolt

365th Fighter Group

386th FS, 387th FS, 388th FS

Gosfield, Beaulieu

P-47 Thunderbolt

404th Fighter Group

506th FS, 507th FS, 508th FS

Winkton

P-47 Thunderbolt

405th Fighter Group

509th FS, 510th FS, 511th FS

Christchurch

P-47 Thunderbolt

HQ XIX TACTICAL AIR COMMAND

MIDDLE WALLOP, ALDERMASTON COURT

10th Photo Reconnaissance Group

30th PRS, 31st PRS, 33rd PRS, 34th PRS, 155th NPS, 15th TRS

Chalgrove

F-5 Lightning, F-6 Mustang, A-20 Havoc

100TH FIGHTER WING

Boxted, Greenham Common, Ibsley, Lashenden

354th Fighter Group

353rd FS, 355th FS, 356th FS

Greenham Common, Boxted, Lashenden

P-51 Mustang

358th Fighter Group

365th FS, 366th FS, 367th FS

Raydon, High Halden

P-47 Thunderbolt

362nd Fighter Group

377th FS, 378th FS, 379th FS

Wormingford, Headcorn

P-47 Thunderbolt

363rd Fighter Group

380th FS, 381st FS, 382nd FS

Keevil, Rivenhall, Staplehurst

P-51 Mustang

303RD FIGHTER WING

Ashford

36th Fighter Group

22nd FS, 23rd FS, 53rd FS

Kingsnorth

P-47 Thunderbolt

373rd Fighter Group

410th FS, 411th FS, 412th FS

Woodchurch

P-47 Thunderbolt

406th Fighter Group

512th FS, 513th FS, 514th FS

Ashford

P-47 Thunderbolt

IX BOMBER COMMAND

MARKS HALL

97TH COMBAT BOMB WING

Marks Hall, Little Walden

409th Bomb Group