bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Germany > The MTO > MTO Air War, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 16 Aug 2023.
As WWII progressed, Mediterranean Theater US Army Air Force units were progressively stationed in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Italy.
The Fifteenth Air Force
From 1 November 1943 until the end of World War II, most US air power in the Mediterranean Theater was under the Fifteenth Air Force, with headquarter first in Tunis and later in Bari, Italy. In late 1943, a complex of airfields at Foggia, Italy, east of Naples near the Adriatic Coast, became available.

From these airfields, thousands of men flew to their deaths. During WWII, the Fifteenth Air Force lost over 2,000 heavy bombers, six of whom appear on the following list. 
The Foggia Airfields
The Foggia Airfields
The Ploiesti Refineries
On at least two occasions, units from the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in England were sent on temporary duty to supplement Allied air power in the Mediterranean Theater.

One such occasion was Operation Tidal Wave, on 1 August 1943. This was the first major air raid on the oil refining complex near Ploiesti, Romania. At the time, the Axis received about 30% of its oil from this complex.

For this raid, the Army Air Force used five bomber groups, three of which were borrowed from the Eighth Air Force in England.

The claim at the time that the raid was successful seems strange in hindsight.
  • 54 B-24 four-engine bombers were lost in this low-level attack, nearly a third of the attacking force of 177.
  • Although target damage was considered severe, within a few weeks refinery production figures were higher than pre-raid.

The Ploiesti oil refineries became a major Fifteenth Air Force target again in May 1944. Raids continued until they were overrun by Soviet forces in August 1944.
Operation Tidal Wave
Operation Tidal Wave, first major air raid on Ploiesti oil complex
Sources for Big Pigeon's The MTO > MTO Air War webpage:
Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - The MTO > MTO Air War: 02-03 - The MTO > The MTO Air War: (14 dead, updated 16 Aug 2023)
† Baker, John Llewellyn, SN O-710875, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
  • 96th Fighter Sqdn., 82nd Fighter Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Vincenzo Airfield SE of Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Lockheed P-38 Lightning pilot; KIA 29 Aug 1944 at San Pietro d'Carso 20 miles E of Trieste, Italy; aircraft struck the railroad station while strafing a nearby train; The MTO > MTO Air War.
† Bogue, Clifford John, SN 37-476-332, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co. & Shiawassee Co., MI
  • 727 Bomb. Sqdn, 451st Bomb. Gp. Fifteenth Air Force, based at Castellucia Air Field, Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #42-51409 tail gunner; KIA 7 Oct 1944, east of Vienna, Austria on mission over Vienna, plane shot down by flak; 5 dead, 5 survived; The MTO > MTO Air War.
​† Dutton, Finley Jake, SN O-2001366, US Army Air Force, Montgomery Co.
  • 351st Bomb. Sqdn., 301st Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Lucera, near Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #43-8390 Garbage Cannie navigator w/ pilot Ralph W. Sommers; KIA 4 Apr 1945 over Adriatic Sea; aircraft hit by antiaircraft fire over target of Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia & ditched in Adriatic  returning to base; crew of 10 exited plane; three swept off wing and drowned, seven rescued by Yugoslav partisans; The MTO > MTO Air War; BNR.
† Fenn, Clifford Loren, SN 37-484-890, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 513 Bomb. Sqdn., 376th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at San Pancrazio Air Field, SW of Brindisi, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-51151 ball turret gunner, KIA 2 Jul 1944 over Vecses Aerodrome, Budapest, Hungary; plane lost from flak; four dead; The MTO > MTO Air War.
† Gettys, Joe Lynam Jr., SN 17-096-828, US Army Air Force, Shelby Co.
  • 719th Bomb Sqdn., 449th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Grottaglie, near Taranto, Apulia, Italy; former radio operator with the William Bache crew, DNB 9 Dec 1944 near Oliveto Citra, E. of Salerno, Italy on Consolidated B-24H Liberator #41-29307 Buzzer; passengers on the Buzzer had completed their missions and were being reassigned to rear-area jobs; Buzzer crashed killing all fifteen; The MTO > MTO Air War.
† Grett, Gerald LaVern, SN 37-120-507, US Army Air Force, Shelby Co.
  • 67th Bomb. Sqdn., 44th Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force, TDY to Ninth Air Force, Benina Main Air Base, Benghazi, Libya; B-24D #41-44229 Buzzin Bear waist gunner, Leighton C. Smith pilot; KIA 16 Aug 1943 over San Fele, E of Naples, Italy; hit by Luftwaffe fighters returning from bombing the Foggia airfield complex, Buzzin Bear exploded and broke in two; four dead, six POW; The MTO > MTO Air War.
​† Jensen, Wayne Eugene, SN 0-770293, US Army Air Force, Audubon Co.
  • 416th Night Fighter Sqdn., 62nd Fighter Wing, based near Pisa, Tuscany, Italy; DNB 9 Mar 1945 near Vada, Pisa area; de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito #MM766 pilot; other crew member survived; The MTO > MTO Air War.
† Knapp, Clyde Alfred, SN O-328819, US Army Air Force, Los Angeles Co., CA
  • 154th Observation Sqdn., 68th Observation Gp., Twelfth Air Force, based at Oujda, NE Morocco; Douglas A-20 Havoc pilot; KIA 7 Jan 1943 in North Africa; plane w/ crew of four disappeared on a mission; The MTO > MTO Air War; BNR.
† Larsen, Lester M., SN 17-003-312, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 37th Bomb. Sqdn., 17th Bomb. Gp., XII Bomber Cmd., based at Telergma, SW of Constantine, Algeria; Martin B-26 Marauder; DNB (sic) 16 Mar 1943 North Africa, aircraft accident; The MTO > MTO Air War; BNR.
† Parks, George Harvey, SN O-751951, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 717 Bomb. Sqdn., 449 Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Grottaglie, near Taranto, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-52136 Superstitious Al-o-ysious bombardier; KIA 2 Apr 1944 near Windischgarsten, S of Steyr, Austria; collision with two other B-24s, Peerless Clipper and Miss Behavin; no survivors from crew of ten; The MTO > MTO Air War.
† Reed, Lawrence Elmo, SN 37-194-285, US Army Air Force, Cass Co.
  • 342nd Bomb. Sqdn., 97th Bomb Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Depienne, SW of Tunis, Tunisia; Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress #42-5875 ball turret gunner w/ pilot Holmes Elmore; KIA 27 Nov 1943 near Urbino, SW of Rimini, Italy; plane lost engine while bombing railroad yards in Rimini, fell out of formation, attacked by enemy fighters, and went down; four dead, six POW; The MTO > MTO Air War. 
† Rink, Paul Lloyd, SN O-723687, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 742th Bomb. Sqdn., 455th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at San Giovanni, near Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #42-78500 navigator w/ pilot Louis Stengl; KIA 17 Aug 1944 over Ploesti, Romania, plane fell SE of target area; crew of ten all died, body burned beyond identification; The MTO > MTO Air War.
† Robinson, William Brigham Haight, SN O-673901, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 779th Bomb. Sqdn., 464th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Pantanella, near Foggia, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #44-41053 Black Mike bombardier w/ pilot Norman O. Overholt; KIA 10 Sep 1944 near Glinzendorf ten miles E of Vienna, Austria; plane hit by flak & exploded over target, eight (maybe six) died, two or four lived; The MTO > MTO Air War.
† Thies, Melvin Chris, SN 17-063-991, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • 345th Bomb. Sqdn., 98th Bomb. Gp., Fifteenth Air Force, based at Lecce Airfield, SE of Brindisi, Apulia, Italy; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-95463 tail gunner; KIA 15 Jul 1944, over Ploesti, Romania; nose section of plane blown off by flak; at least four dead; The MTO > MTO Air War.