This website focuses on the personal records, photographs and memories of several veterans of the
321st Bombardment Group, initially with the 47th Bomb Wing and later with the 57th Bomb Wing
of the 12th Air Force between 1943 and 1945.
The 12th AF, then under the command of
General Jimmie Doolittle, had participated in Operation Torch- the allied landings in Northwest Africa- on November 8, 1942. At this time the 321st BG was still training
for combat back in the States. The first aircraft and crews of the 321st BG arrived in Oujda, French Morocco in late February, 1943 and flew their first combat mission to Mezzouna, Tunisia
on March 15th, 1943 with Group CO Colonel Robert D. Knapp leading both formations.
One of the major contributors to this website is Lt. Daniel R. McDuff, an
original 447th/321st B-25C pilot who flew over from the States via Ascension Island with Colonel Knapp's group.
At this time, the B-25 Mitchells of the 321st BG were part of the XII Bomber Command along with the B-26 medium bombers of the 17th, 319th and 320th Bomb Groups,
B-17 heavy bombers of the 97th and 301st Bomb Groups and British Bostons from the 15th Bomb Squadron. These heavy bombers were recent transfers from the 8th AF.
Another major contributor to this website is 447th/321st B-25 pilot Lt. Richard H. Spingler who arrived in Algiers from the States in late May, 1943 with the
first replacement crews and aircraft
for the 447th BS. By this time, the allies had chased the Germans out of North Africa into Italy and the 321st was dropping bombs on the island of Pantelleria- Operation Corkscrew. In fact, Spingler's first
six combat missions were to bomb Pantelleria. By June 11, 1943 the Italians had had enough and they surrendered without a single soldier landing on the island.
From there the 321st BG concentrated its bombs on Sardinia and Sicily- Operation Husky. Around July of 1943 the 321st BG and the 47th Bomb Wing became part of the Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF)
along with B-25 Mitchells of the 310th BG and Lockheed P-38 Lightnings of the 82nd Fighter Group.
An interesting description of some of the missions flown by the 321st during this period can be seen in
Lt. William Williams' Flight Log.
The following locations were bases for the 321st BG in the MTO in WWII:
Oujda, French Morocco, 7 Mar 1943.
Ain M’lila, Algeria, 12 Mar 1943.
Souk-el-Arba, Tunisia, 1 Jun 1943.
Soliman, Tunisia, 8 Aug 1943.
Grottaglie, Italy, 4 Oct 1943.
Amendola, Italy, c. 20 Nov 1943.
Vincenzo Airfield, Italy, 14 Jan 1944.
Gaudo Airfield, Italy, 18 Feb 1944.
Solenzara, Corsica, 23 Apr 1944.
Falconara, Italy, 6 Apr 1945.
Pomigliano, Italy, c. Aug 1945 - 12 Sep 1945.
This website is mainly a history of the Oujda, Morocco through Amendola, Italy period (March- December of 1943.)
You may be interested in some 321st BG history from the Solenzara, Corsica and Falconara, Italy periods from
Glenn Crisp and Dick Krause. There is also an excellent
web site about 447th Bombardment Squadron Technical Sgt.
William C. Coursen covering what appears to be the entire period of the war in the MTO.
In November of 1943 the 15th Air Force was created. The heavy bomber groups (four B-17 groups and two B-24 groups)
and the three B-26 groups of the 12th AF were transferred to the 15th AF along
with the three P-38 fighter groups, the 325th FG which had just converted to P-47s, and the 68th Recon
Group. The three B-26 groups transferred back to the 12th AF in January 1944 as part of the 42nd Bomb Wing. General
Jimmie Doolittle was named Commander of the 15th AF which became the strategic air force
in the MTO while the 12th AF became the tactical air force in the MTO.
Major General John K. Cannon was named CO of the 12th AF and the Mediterranean Allied
Tactical Air Force (MATAF).
In January of 1944 all four of the B-25 medium
bombardment groups (12th, 310th, 321st and 340th) in the MTO were grouped together with the 47th Light Bombardment Group (A-20s),
and the 57th and 79th Fighter Groups to form the 57th Bomb Wing.
In February, recently commissioned Brigadier General Robert D. Knapp became CO of the 57th Bomb Wing
and the 12th BG was transferred to the 10th Air Force. The 319th BG
converted from B-26s to B-25s in November, 1944 and joined the 310th, 321st and 340th B-25 groups in the 57th Bomb Wing.
