Cseh Valentin szerk.: „70 éve alakult a MAORT” – tanulmányok egy bányavállalat történetéből (2009)
Valentin Cseh: Allied Air-strikes against MAORT's Facilities in 1944
until January 3, 1943, when command was taken over' 61 by General Nathan F. Twining' 62 . Their headquarters was initially in Tunis in North Africa, then in Bari, Southern Italy from December 1,1943 to September 15,1945. The bombers flew over 16 ' to their newly constructed bases in Southern Italy between November 1943 and January 1944. The 15th Air Force included the 5th, 364 47th, 365 49th, 366 55th, 367 and the 304th 368 Bombardment Wings'"", the 306th Fighter Wing , the 154th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the 15th Combat Mapping Squadron, and the 90th Photo Recon Wing' ". There were 3624 officers and 16875 flight crew members on the complement of the 15th Ar Force in November 1943, who at this time used 931 aeroplanes for flying their missions; the number of aircraft in May 1944 was approximately 1500. The Allies' primary targets were war plants, and oil industry related facilities occupied a distinguished place among even them; their forces intended to destroy such in the scope of Operation Pointblank. There were numerous oil industry companies in operation in Hungary during this period, the majority' of which maintained crude oil refineries, though some of them were only still under construction. Refineries included, but were not limited to the 3,1 The change in command at the helm of the 15th Army Air Force occurred as a result of a major reorganisation, and the commander of the Mediterranean Theatre - Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower - was transferred to take charge of the invasion forces stationed in England; he was succeeded by British Field-Marshal Sir Henry Mitland Wilson. Carl Spaaiz became the Commander in Chief of the US bomber forces in the F.uropean theatre of operations. The MAAF' took over the place of the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC), along with the English, American, French, as well as Italian resistance forces commanded by Marshal Badoglio subordinated to it. The US 8th Army Air Force's commander until then, Gen Ira C. Eaker assumed command over the MAAF; his deputy was British Air-Marshal Sir |ohn C. Slessor, who also performed command duties over British air units in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. PATAKY-ROZSOS-SÂRHIDAI 1. 1992 100 1 1H . Nathan Farragut Twining: Born on October 11, 189 7 in Monroe (Wis-), he passed away on March 29, 1982 at Lackland ALB in Texas. American air general. I le was the chief of staff of the allied forces in the Southern Pacific during World War II, then commander of the US 13th, 15th, and 20th (Army) Air Forces. He was in charge of the atom bomb attacks. I le was the Chief of Staff of the U nited States Air Force fr< >m 1950, then the Chairman c if the [oint Chiefs of Staff fn >m 1957 to 19611, up to his retirement. *' The relocation of the base was made possible bv the British 8th Army's seizing of Foggia on October 28, 1943, as this opened the wav for the Allies to have their flying units stationed in North Africa flv over to Southern Italy. M The units of the 5th Bomber Wing were: 2nd Bombardment Group (20th, 49th, 96th, and 429th Bomb Squadrons). The 97th Bombardment Group (340th, 341st, and 414th Squadrons), the 99th Bombardment Group (346th, 347th, 348th, and 416th Bomb Squadrons). The 301st Bombardment Group (32nd, 352nd, 353rd, and 419th Squadrons). The 463rd Bombardment Group (772nd, 773rd, 774th, and 775th Squadrons), and the 483rd Bombardment Group (815th, 816th, 817th, and 840th Bomb Squadrons). The Wing's units were the only ones to fly B-17s in the 15th Air Force, the rest of the bombardment wings used B-24s. PATAKY- ROZSOS-SÁRHIDAI I. 1992 loi. *" The 4"th Bombardment Wing included the 98th Bombardment Group (343rd, 544th, 345th, and 415th Squadrons). The 376th Group (512th, 513th, 514th, and 515th Squadrons), the 449th Bombardment Group (716th, 717th, 718th, and 719th Squadrons), and the 450th Bombardment Group (720th, 721st, 722nd, 723rd Squadrons). PATAKY-ROZSOS-SÂRHIDAI 1. 1992 101-102. '"' The 451st Bombardment Group (724th, 725th, 726th, and 727th Squadrons), the 461st Bombardment Group (765th, 766th, and 767th Squadrons), anil the 484lh Bombardment Group (824th, 825th, 826th, and 827th Squadrons) belonged to the 49th Bombardment Wing. PATAKY- ROZSOS-SÂRHIDAII. 1992 102. * The following bombardment groups belonged to the 55th Bombardment Wing: the 460th (760th, 761st, 762nd, and 763td Squadrons), the 464th (776th, 777th, 778th, and 779th Squadrons), the 465th (780th, 781st, 782nd, and 783rd Squadrons), and the 485th (828th, 829th, 830th, and 831st Squadrons). PATAKY- ROZSOS-SÁRHIDAI I. 1992 102. The 454th Bombardment Group (736th, 7.37th, 738th, and "39th Squadrons), the 455th Bombardment Group (740th, 741 st, 742nd, and "43rd Squadrons), the 456th Bombardment Group (744th, 745th, 746th, and 747th Squadrons), and the 459th Bombardment Group (756th, 757th, 758th, and 759th Squadrons) belonged to the 304th Bombardment Wing. PATAKY- R( >ZS( 1S-SÁ Rl [IDA] I. 1992 102. '"" the 306th lighter Wing flew Spitfires, Bell P-39 Airacobras and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts until the spring of 1944, then North American P-51 Mustangs and Lockheed P-38 Lightnings. The Wing was comprised of the following units: 1st Fighter Group (27th, 71st, 94th Fighter Squadrons), the 14th Fighter Group (37th, 48th, 49th Squadrons), the 82nd Fighter Wing (95th, 96th, and 97th Squadrons), the 31st Fighter Group (307th, 308th, and 309th Squadrons), the 52nd lighter Group (2nd, 4th, and 5th Squadrons), the 325th Fighter Group (317th, 318th, and 319th Squadrons), and the 332nd Fighter Group (99th, 100th, 301st, and 302nd Squadrons). PATAKY- ROZSOS-SÁRHIDAI I. 1992 103. 170 They tlew P-38, F-5, and B-24 aircraft.
