Foggia Airfield Complex

Foggia Airfield Complex
Map of World War II Airfields within 25 miles (40km) of Foggia (Click on map to enlarge)
Coordinates	41°27′51″N 015°32′46″E (Foggia)
Type	Military Airfields
Site history
Built	1920s-1944

Foggia Airfield Complex

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Location of Foggia Airfield Complex, Italy

The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located around Foggia, Province of Foggia, Italy.

History

Several of the airfields were built before World War II by the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force), it was heavily bombed by both the United States Army Air Force and British Royal Air Force in 1943 before being sized by the British Eighth Army in October 1943 during the Italian Campaign.

After the area was captured, the former Regia Aeronautica facilities were rebuilt and others were constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers making Foggia a major Allied military airfield complex, used by both Twelfth Air Force for tactical operations, and by Fifteenth Air Force as a heavy B-17 Flying Fortress/B-24 Liberator base of operations for the strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany. The airfields were also used by the Royal Air Force for tactical operations. In addition to the air forces, Foggia was a major Allied command center for ground forces in South Italy and naval forces operating in the Adriatic Sea, with numerous headquarters being assigned.

Today, most of the airfields are abandoned and returned to agriculture. Some are still in use as commercial airports and some are Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) military bases.

Airfields and units

The airfield complex consisted of the following major airfields. In addition, there were numerous axillary landing airstrips not listed

• Amendola Airfield

Now: Foggia-Amendola Airport (Italian: Aeroporto di Amendola) (Aeronautica Militare), (ICAO: LIBA)

2d Bombardment Group, (B-17 Flying Fortress), 19 Nov 1945-28 Feb 1946

79th Fighter Group, (P-47 Thunderbolt), 9 Oct-19 Nov 1943

• Bari Airfield

Now: Bari International Airport (Italian: Aeroporto di Bari) (IATA: BRI, ICAO: LIBD)

HQ Fifteenth Air Force, 1 Dec 1943-15 Sep 1945

XII Bomber Command, Dec 1943-4 Jan 1944

55th Bombardment Wing, 9 Jul-9 Sep 1945

305th Bombardment Wing, Mar-Dec 1944

307th Bombardment Wing, 15 Jan-15 Jun 1944

5th Reconnaissance Group, (F-5 (P-38) Lightning), 11 Oct 1944-Oct 1945

• Castelltuccio Airfield

451st Bombardment Group, (B-24 Liberator), 6 Apr 1944-Jun 1945

• Celone Airfield

463d Bombardment Group, (B-17 Flying Fortress), 9 Mar 1944-25 Sep 1945

• Cerignola Airfield

304th Bombardment Wing, 29 Dec 1943-Sep 1945

97th Bombardment Group, (B-17 Flying Fortress), 20 Dec 1943-16 Jan 1944

301st Bombardment Group, (B-17 Flying Fortress), 7 Dec 1943-1 Feb 1944

456th Bombardment Group (B-24 Liberator), Jan 1944

• Foggia Airfield

Now: Foggia-Gino Lisa Airport (Italian: Aeroporto di Foggia) (IATA: FOG, ICAO: LIBF)

5th Bombardment Wing, Dec 1943-2 Nov 1945

57th Bombardment Wing, 29 Oct 1943-4 Jan 1944

12th Bombardment Group, (B-25 Mitchell), 2 Nov 1943-Jan 1944

57th Fighter Group, (P-47 Thunderbolt), Oct 1943

97th Bombardment Group (Amendola Airfield), (B-17 Flying Fortress), 16 Jan 1944-29 Oct 1945

321st Bombardment Group (Amendola Airfield), (B-25 Mitchell), 20 Nov 1943-14 Jan 1944

325th Fighter Group, (P-47 Thunderbolt), 11 Dec 1943-29 Mar 1944

340th Bombardment Group, (B-25 Mitchell), 19 Nov 1943-2 Jan 1944

• Giulia Airfield

459th Bombardment Group, (B-24 Liberator), Feb 1944-Jul 1945

• Lesina Airfield

306th Fighter Wing, 3 Sep 1944-5 Mar 1945

1st Fighter Group, (P-38 Lightning), Mar-16 Oct 1945

14th Fighter Group, (P-38 Lightning), Sep 1945

52d Fighter Group, (P-51 Mustang), 8 Jul-Aug 1945

82d Fighter Group, (P-38 Lightning), 30 Aug-9 Sep 1945

325th Fighter Group, (P-47 Thunderbolt), later (P-51 Mustang), 29 Mar 1944-5 Mar 1945

• Lucera Airfield
• Madna Airfield
• Panatella Airfield
• Ramitelli Airfield

• Salsosa Airfield

1st Fighter Group, (P-38 Lightning), 8 Jan 1944-8 Jan 1945; 21 Feb-16 Oct 1945

• San Giovanni Airfield

454th Bombardment Group, (B-24 Liberator), 1 Jan 1944-Jul 1945

455th Bombardment Group, (B-24 Liberator), 15 Jan 1944-9 Sep 1945

• San Severo Airfield

90th Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Dec 1943-4 Apr 1945

3d Reconnaissance Group, (Various recon aircraft), 8 Dec 1943-4 Jan 1944

5th Reconnaissance Group, (Various recon aircraft), 8 Dec 1943-11 Oct 1944

31st Fighter Group, (P-51 Mustang), 2 Apr 1944-3 Mar 1945

• Spinazzola Airfield
• Stornara Airfield
• Termoli Airfield
• Torremaggiore Airfield
• Torretto Airfield
• Triolo Airfield

• Venosa Airfield

485th Bombardment Group, (B-24 Liberator), Apr 1944-15 May 1945

• Vincenzo Airfield

1st Fighter Group, (P-38 Lightning), 8 Jan-21 Feb 1945

47th Bombardment Group, (A-20 Havoc), 15 Oct 1943-10 Jan 1944

82d Fighter Group, (P-38 Lightning), 11 Jan-30 Aug 1944

321st Bombardment Group, (B-25 Mitchell), 14 Jan-Feb 1944

325th Fighter Group, (P-51 Mustang), Jul-9 Oct 1945

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0892010975
• USAFHRA search for Chateau-dun-du-Rhumel Airfield