47th Bomb Wing

Constituted as 7th Pursuit Wing on 19 Oct 1940. Activated on 18 Dec 1940. Inactivated on 31 Aug 1941.

Redesignated 7th Fighter Wing. Activated on 7 Jun 1942. Moved to North Africa, Oct-Nov 1942, to operate with Twelfth AF. Redesignated 47th Bombardment Wing (Medium) in Feb 1943. Assigned to Fifteenth AF in Nov 1943 and afterward operated as a heavy bombardment organization until the war ended. Redesignated 47th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in Apr 1945. Returned to the US in May. Redesignated 47th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) in Jun. Inactivated on 15 Oct 1945.

Components. Groups

8th Pursuit: 1940-1941
17th Bombardment: 1943
33d Fighter: 1940-1941; 1942-1943, 1943
57th Pursuit: 1940-1941
81st Fighter: 1942-1943
82d Fighter: 1943-1944
98th Bombardment: 1943, 1943-1945
310th Bombardment: 1943
319th Bombardment: 1943
20th Bombardment: 1943
321st Bombardment: 1943
325th Fighter: 1943
376th Bombardment: 1943, 1943-1945
449th Bombardment: 1944-1945
450th Bombardment: 1944-1945
451st Bombardment: 1944
489th Bombardment: 1945

Stations

Mitchel Field, NY, 18 Dec 1940-31 Aug 1941
Harrisburg Mun Aprt, Pa, 7 Jun-Oct 1942
Casablanca, French Morocco, Nov 1942
Chateaudun, Algeria, Jan 1943
El Guerrah, Algeria, c. 1 Mar 1943
Souk-el-Arba, Tunisia, 8 Jun 1943
Hammamet, Tunisia, 7 Aug 1943
Manduria, Italy, 11 Nov 1943-May 1945
Sioux Falls, SD, May 1945
Sioux City AAB, Iowa, Jul-15 Oct 1945

Commanders

Lt Col Edward M Morris, 1941
Maj Eugene Berglund, 7 Jun 1942
Col John C Crosthwaite, 14 Sep 1942
Brig Gen Carlyle H Ridenour, 14 Jan 1943
Brig Gen Joseph H Atkinson, 11 Feb 1944
Brig Gen Hugo P Rush, 5 Mar 1944-7 Oct 1945

Campaigns

Air Combat, EAME Theater
Air Offensive, Europe
Algeria-French Morocco
Tunisia
Sicily
Naples-Foggia
Rome-Arno
Normandy
Northern France
Southern France
North Apennines
Rhineland
Central Europe
Po Valley

Decorations. None.

Insigne. Shield: Sable, an atomic cloud proper (shades of red, orange and yellow) rising from base to chief, surmounted by a bend argent charged with a sword proper (blade silver, hilt and pommel gold), the blade entwined with a branch of olive vert. (Approved 6 Sep 1956.)

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Veteran Roster

15th Air Force personnel records and roster in World War II.

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