The 485^th Bomb Group located at Venosa airfield, with its 60 - 70 mighty four-engined airplanes, was only a part of the 15^th USAAF, that from 1943 to the end of war the Allies dislocated to Southern Italy. Now the territory occupied by the nazis could be bombed also from South: the airplanes that took off from the airfields of Apulia joined those who left England, contributing to the defeat of Germany.

5th Bomb Wing: B 17 

 

Manduria air base: a ten year-old boy, Vincenzo Dimitri, teaches italian language to the B-24 crew of  450th BG  (http://guerre.manduria.org/bombgroup/bombgroup.htm)

 

 

 

 Venosa Airfield: the extremes of the runway (above) are connected

with taxi strips, where are situated the B-24's emplacements (below).

       

 

 AMENDOLA (FG): 2nd Bomb Group, 97th Bomb Group.

TORTORELLA (FG): 99th Bomb Group

LUCERA (FG): 3O1st Bomb Group   

 CELONE (FG): 463rd Bomb Group   

 STERPARONE (FG): 483rd Bomb Group

LECCE: 98th Bomb Group

 SAN PANCRAZIO (BR): 376th Bomb Group 

 GROTTAGLIE (TA): 449th Bomb Group 

 MANDURIA (TA): 450th Bomb Group 

 CASTELLUCCIO (FG) 451st Bomb Group

TORRETTO (FG) 461st Bomb Group, 484th Bomb Group

SPINAZZOLA (BA): 460th Bomb Group

PANTANELLA (FG): 464th Bomb Group, 465th Bomb Group

VENOSA (PZ): 485th Bomb Group 

SAN GIOVANNI (FG): 454th Bomb Group, 455th Bomb Group

STORNARA (FG): 456th Bomb Group 

GIULIA (FG): 459th Bomb Group 

15th USAAF in the Northern part of Apulia: fighter and bomber airfields.

Venosa (red on the map) is the only airfield  in the region of Basilicata.

FIGHTER GROUPS 

(July 1944): 

SALSOLA (FG): 1st Fighter Group

VINCENZO (FG): 14th Fighter Group

TRIOLO (FG): 15th Fighter Group

SAN SEVERO (FG): 31st Fighter Group

MADNA (CB): 52th Fighter Group

LESINA (FG): 325th Fighter Group

RAMITELLI (CB): 332nd Fighter Group

OTHER UNITS 

(July 1944): 

BRINDISI: 885th Bomb Squadron (H) (SP) (B-17 "Flyng Fortress" and B-24 "Liberator")

NAPOLI: 37th Photo Recce Squadron (P-38 "Lightning")

BARI: 15th Combat Mapping Squadron (F 5)

205 Group, RAF

The 205 Group, under the command of the 15th USAAF, was the only RAF bomber force under foreign command. 

The contribution of 205 Group, on the same targets of USAAF with night raids, isn't very well known: 

"RAF veterans commonly refer to air operations in Italy as the forgotten war". 

(James J. MacIsaac, RCAF, 37 Squadron - Italy - 1944, in http://natureonline.com/37/2-37sqn-italy-1944.html)

231 Wing BASE TORTORELLA (FG)  

37 Squadron  ("Wellington X")  wise without eyes 

70 Squadron  ("Wellington X") usquam

330 Wing BASE REGINA (FG)  

142 Squadron  ("Wellington X")  determination 

150 Squadron  ("Wellington X") aiei fthanomen

236 Wing BASE FOGGIA  

40 Squadron  ("Wellington X")  hostem a coelo expellere 

104 Squadron  ("Wellington X") strike hard

2 (SAAF) Wing BASE CELONE (FG)  

31 (SAAF) Squadron  ("Liberator VI") absquw metu 

34 (SAAF) Squadron  ("Liberator VI")

240 Wing BASE AMENDOLA (FG)  

178 Squadron  ("Liberator VI")  irae emissari 

614 Squadron  ("Halifax BII") codaf  i gesio

Other Units, sometimes of miscellaneous composition: for example, the 352 (Y) RAF Squadron, located at Canne, close to Termoli city  (Yugoslavian pilots on Spitfire).