Air War WW2 Portal 
9th Air Force Europe in September 1943
FRIDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's bomb the marshalling yard at Sulmona, Italy; they claim 11 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed; 6 B-24's are lost.
SUNDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
Brigadier General Victor H Strahm, Chief of Staff, assumes temporary command during the absence of Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton. Colonel John C Kilborn assumes command of the IX Bomber Command upon the departure of Major General Uzal G Ent from the theater. (Ent AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado was named for General Ent. The base was active from Jan 51 to Jul 76.)
TUESDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
HQ Army Air Forces decides to transfer Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton, Commanding General, and his HQ staff from Africa to the United Kingdom to reform the Ninth Air Force in the European Theater of Operations by absorbing the VIII Air Support Command.
WEDNESDAY, 8 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Italy, B-24's bomb the landing ground at Foggia, as convoys approach Salerno to begin the US invasion of Italy (Operation AVALANCHE).
THURSDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's hit the satellite airfield at Foggia, Italy.
FRIDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's bomb a satellite airfield at Foggia, Italy.
SUNDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's hit Kalathos and Maritsa airfields on Rhodes.
MONDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
RAF heavy bombers, under the operational control of the IX Bomber Command, hit Potenza, Italy. Colonel Frederick M Byerly replaces Colonel Charles D McAllister as commander of the IX Fighter Command.
TUESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Italy, B-24's hit a marshalling yard at Pescara; RAF heavy bombers, under operational control of the IX Bomber Command, hit Potenza.
WEDNESDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Italy, B-24's hit a marshalling yard at Potenza and attack railroads and warehouses in the areas around Potenza, Altamura, Gravina di Puglia, and Matera.
THURSDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's hit road junctions and a supply dump at Potenza, Italy, following a RAF raid of the previous night.
FRIDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
In Italy, B-24's, attack a marshalling yard, road junction, and rail junction at Pescara on the E coast; RAF heavy bombers again hit Potenza.
SATURDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
B-24's hit the marshalling yard at Pescara, Italy.
SUNDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
The 66th, 67th, 68th and 506th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based at Shipdham, England begin operating from Tunis, Tunisia with B-24's. The 564th, 566th and 567th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based at Hethel, England begin operating from Massicault, Tunisia with B-24's.
MONDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
The 98th and 376th Bombardment Groups (Heavy), based in Libya, along with the 43d Service Group and several military police and engineer units, are to be transferred to the Twelfth Air Force, effective on the date they transfer to Tunisia. The IX Bomber Command makes its last raid on Italy. B-24's of 98th and 376th Bombardment Groups (Heavy) are dispatched to the Castelfranco Veneto marshalling yard. Clouds obscure the target, but the 98th Group drops bombs on the estimated time of arrival. The 376th bombs a marshalling yard and airfield at Pescara during the return trip.
The 565th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy), based at Hethel, England begins operating from Massicault, Tunisia with B-24's.
TUESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
HQ IX Fighter Command at Tripoli, Libya closes.
WEDNESDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 1943
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force):
The Ninth Air Force flies its final mission from Africa. B-24's bomb Maritsa Airfield on Rhodes and Eleusis Airfield in Greece. The bomb groups of IX Bomber Command subsequently are transferred to the Twelfth Air Force.
HQ IX Fighter Command begins a movement from Tripoli, Libya to Middle Wallop, England.
Source:
COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59
used sources by McKillop:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History,
Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force
History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the
Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
