Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations following Airfields: Most combat airfields were temporary wartime facilities quickly constructed with pierced-steel planking runways and parking areas, with tents used for personnel quarters and a few wooden buildings used for operations. In Tunisia and Italy, some captured German Luftwaffe or Italian Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) airfields were repaired and placed into service. Today, most show little evidence of their existence other than some faint outlines in agricultural fields. Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) was the second-largest user of the B-17 Flying Fortress during World War II. There
Jagdgeschwader 1 (World War II) aircraft and were removed later in the year. By the start of 1943, JG 1 were mainly equipped with the Fw 190-A, excepting I./JG 1 still using the Bf 109G-1. The first large-scale air battle between JG 1 and VIII Bomber Command occurred when the latter bombed the naval base at Wilhelmshaven on 27 January 1943 with a force of 64 B-17 Flying Fortress (B-17) and 27 B-24 Liberators (B-24). Facing them were I., II. and IV./JG 1. With their Jever base below the route I./JG 1 attacked in full strength under "Hauptmann" Günther Beise. In broken cloud cover, they