12/20/43:
MEDITERRANEAN ALLIED AIR FORCE (MAAF): The MAAF is established, retroactive to 10 Dec 43. Commanded by Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder (RAF), MAAF is comprised of all Allied air elements (RAF, USAAF, French, and other) which are operating in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). These elements previously were part of the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) and Northwest African Air Force (NAAF), which are disbanded. US Army Air Forces, North African Theater of Operations (USAAFNATO) is established with General Carl Spaatz as commander, to facilitate administration of AAF units of the Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces.
12/21/43:
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): Lieutenant General John K Cannon takes command. In Italy, B-25's bomb Terracina; P-40's hit the same target and also bomb positions and munitions factory S of Sant' Elia Fiumerapido; A-36's bomb positions, a fuel dump, and munitions factory in the Cervaro area, and hit trains, a seaplane base, a radar station, trucks, and other targets in the Rome-Civitavecchia area.
12/26/43: Pacific—US launches full assault on New Britain in the Solomon Islands. For the complete story see: http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/operation_dexterity_new_britain.html
12/26/43, Italy
Hi Toots:
Where in hell are you now? I’m still in the hospital.
I had quite a time yesterday. I got out at 3 PM and went out to the field. The lads are actually living in barracks—concrete ones at that.
As a surprise, Ed had Porky Tarrant, Arlie Henry, Chuck Cassidy, Jay Stout, and Chocolate there! God, it was good to be with all of them again. It made it a real Christmas.
Chuck hasn’t changed a bit, still talks about his father and brothers. He says his father drafted the two remaining boys and then resigned as president of the draft board!
Arlie got a rough deal from friend Chaiers [?] and considers himself lucky to be out of the 27th.
They are still kidding Jay about being smaller than Dusty Rawick. Contrary to earlier reports, Porky is still swell, even if a Lt-Col, and recently awarded DFC by no less than #1 CG of the Army Air Force.
Ed got the same deal I did, having been taken out of Grp Ops to straighten out a squadron which went astray.
Honey, there are no friends like old ones. I have no idea what we had for dinner, but was the best meal I’ve had in the theater.
I’ll be damned! Dave Thomas just walked in the door to see me. Well, be good, snooky. I love hell out of you, Cy.