Allied aircraft types at the #12 theater-Mediterranean

[alsaad]

Doing research about bomb types used over Balkans during WW2 I made (as byproduct) this list of Allied aircraft types used at Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). This list is not definite as airlift aircraft types are not full researched, and also some liaison aircraft as Piper Cub and Lysander. Also I found somewhere about Mosquito on MTO but couldn't found any details.

United States Army Air Force:

15 AF:
5th Bomb Wing:
2nd Bomb Group – B17
97th Bomb Group- B17
99th Bomb Group- B17
301th Bomb Group- B17
463rd Bomb Group- B17
483rd Bomb Group- B17

47th Bomb Wing:
98th Bomb Group- B24
376th Bomb Group- B24
449th Bomb Group- B24
450th Bomb Group- B24

49th Bomb Wing:
451st Bomb Group- B24
461st Bomb Group- B24
484th Bomb Group- B24

55th Bomb Wing:
460th Bomb Group- B24
464th Bomb Group- B24
465th Bomb Group- B24
485th Bomb Group- B24

304th Bomb Wing:
454th Bomb Group- B24
455th Bomb Group- B24
456th Bomb Group- B24
459th Bomb Group- B24

305th Fighter Wing:
1st Fighter Group –P38
14th Fighter Group –P38
82nd Fighter Group- P38

306th Fighter Wing:
31st- Spitfire, P51
325th- P40, P47, P51
332nd- P39, P40, P51
52nd – Spitfire, P51

5th Photo Recon Group – Lockheed F-5
154th Weather Squadron- P39, P38
2641st Special Group- B17, B24

12th Air Force:

XII Bomber Command:
12th Bomb Group- B25
17th Bomb Group- B26
310th Bomb Group-B25
319th Bomb Group- B25, B26
320th Bomb Group- B26
321th Bomb Group-B25
324th Fighter Group-P40, P47

XII Fighter Command:
1st Fighter Group –P38
57th Fighter Group- P40, P47
79th Fighter Group- P40, P47
86th Fighter Group- A36, P40, P47
87th Fighter Group-P47

3rd Reconnaissance Group-Lockheed F4, F5

Royal Air Force:

No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group:
No.231 Wing- Welington
No.236 Wing- Welington, Halifax, Liberator
No.238 Wing- Welington, Halifax, Liberator
No.240 Wing- Halifax, Liberator
No.242 Wing-Liberator
No.245 Wing- Marauder, Boston, Halifax
No.330 Wing- Welington
No.331 Wing RCAF- Welington
No.2 Wing SAAF- Liberator

Balkan Air Force:
No 6 Sqn RAF Hurricane
No 32 Sqn RAF Spitfire
No 39 Sqn RAF Beaufighter, Marauder
No 73 Sqn RAF Spitfire
No 213 Sqn RAF Mustang
No 249 Sqn RAF Spitfire, Mustang
No 253 Sqn RAF Spitfire
No 351 Sqn Yugoslav Hurricane
No 352 Sqn Yugoslav Spitfire
No 13(G) Sqn RHAF Baltimore
No 335 Sqn RHAF Spitfire
No 336 Sqn RHAF Spitfire
No 16 Sqn SAAF Beaufighter
No 19 Sqn SAAF Beaufighter
No 25 Sqn SAAF Ventura, Marauder
10o Gruppo Caccia Italy Airacobra
12o Gruppo Caccia Italy Airacobra
20o Gruppo Caccia Italy Spitfire
28o Gruppo Bombardamento Italy Baltimore
102o Gruppo Caccia Italy MC202
132o Gruppo Bombardamento Italy Baltimore
155o Gruppo Caccia Italy MC205
1585 (Polish) special duties flight- Halifax, Liberator
236 Fighter Air Division (USSR) – YAK-9DD

Airlift – C-47 Dakota
Gliders-Waco CG4, Airspeed Horsa

 

[Stefaan]

60 Sqdn SAAF did PR work over the Balkans.

 

[alsaad]

Yup, thanks...60 PR Sqdn SAAF flw on DH Mosquito PR VI, IX and XIV and was under 12 AF 3rd PR Group

I also missed No 3 Wing RAF:
No 11 Sqdn RAF: Blenhaim and Huricane
No 12 Sqdn SAAF: Marauder
No 21 Sqdn SAAF: Baltimore and Marauder
No 24 Sqdn SAAF: Boston and Marauder
No 30 Sqdn SAAF: Marauder

 

[alsaad]

Mosquito units on MTO:

60 Sqdn SAAF: Mosquito IVPR
680 Sqdn RAF: Mosquito IXPR and XIV PR
683 Sqdn RAF: Mosquito II PR and XIV PR
23 Sqdn RAF: Mosquito FII, FBIV
225 Sqdn RAF: Beaufighter, Mosquito NFXIX
600 Sqdn RAF: Mosquito NF.XIX
108 Sqdn RAF: Mosquito NF*

Does anyone have info on Typhoons on Mediterranean theater?

 

[fubar57]

Offhand, 3 were sent for trials. A heads up....this will probably be moved to a seperate thread

 

[fubar57]

"Another avenue explored was that of a tropical variant. In November 1942 three standard Typhoons (R8889, R8891 and R8925) were modified with the addition of an air-cleaning filter in a fairing beneath the fuselage, between the wings. Accidents to two of these aircraft (R8889 and R8925) before they left the UK, led to their replacement by DN323 and EJ906. The three modified aircraft were shipped out to North Africa, erected at Casablanca, and flown to Egypt for trials with No. 451 Squadron RAAF at Idku. Although the trials established the feasibility of operating Typhoons in the climates, build up of the 2nd TAF meant that none could be spared for the Desert Air Force. One further Typhoon, MN290, was sent to the Middle East for trials, arriving in Alexandria in October 1944, but the trials at Khartoum were abandoned after two cooler failures."

 

[alsaad]

Thanks! No Typhoons in ops as I doubted. Can you pls direct me to the source you have quoted?

 

[fubar57]

Warpaint No. 5 "Hawker Typhoon" by Chris Thomas

 

[alsaad]

Thanks.

 

[Simon Thomas]

I think you meant Mosquito XVI (not XIV) in posts 3 & 4.

 

[alsaad]

Yup, my mistake.