bigpigeon.us webarea  WW II - Germany > MTO > MTO Air War, updated by RAC 7 Sep 2020.

Most USAAF units sent to North Africa in late 1942 were initially stationed in Algeria and then moved into western Tunisia as bases became available in early 1943.

After the Axis surrender of Tunisia in May 1943, bases in Libya began to be used.
From 1 November 1943 until the end of World War II, most US air power in the Mediterranean Theater was under the US 15th 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. The 15th Air Force lost over 2,000 heavy bombers, six of whom appear on the following list. The Ploiesti oil fields in Romania were a major 15th Air Force target until they were overrun by Soviet forces in August 1944.
The Foggia Airfields
The Foggia Airfields
Sources for the MTO Air War webpage:
  • The Foggia Airfields map is courtesy of Charles Atkins at pinterest.com

02-04 - The MTO Air War: (eleven dead, updated 24 Jul 2021)
† Bogue, Clifford John, SN 37-476-332, USAAF, 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.
† Fenn, Clifford Loren, SN 37-484-890, USAAF, 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, USAAF, 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, USAAF, 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.
† Knapp, Clyde Alfred, SN O-328819, USAAF, Los Angeles Co., CA
  • 154th Obs. Sqdn. 68th Obs. Gp. based at Oujda, NE Morocco, North Africa; 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, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 37th Bomb. Sqdn., 17th Bomb. Gp., XII Bomber Cmd., based at Telergma, SW of Constantine, Algeria, North Africa; 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, USAAF, 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, USAAF, Cass Co.
  • 342nd Bomb. Sqdn., 97th Bomb Gp., Fifteenth Air Force; stationed 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, USAAF, 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, USAAF, 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, USAAF, 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.