<text id=00he1006><title>The Jungle Air Force</title>
<history>US Air Force: Events History</history>
<article><hdr>The Jungle Air Force</hdr><body>
<p>Thirteenth Air Force was just unlucky enough to spend its fighting career adjacent to the jungles of the South Pacific islands. It grew out of a welter of command problems and inter-service rivalries in the theater that centered on the proper use of the available B-17s. The Navy, with overall command in the area. wanted to use the sea search capability of the Fortresses; AAF thought they should be out bombing. It seemed as if the only solution was to create a new and separate air force, and so the Thirteenth was born.
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<p>Soon after its establishment in the New Hebrides and New Caledonia islands, its combat units moved to Guadalcanal with the Marines, and began a long series of campaigns against Japanese strongpoints in the Pacific. Thirteenth AF pilots were comrades-in-arms with Marine and Navy fliers, and with the airmen of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. With Guadalcanal finally secured, the Navy-commanded amphibious task forces moved on up the Solomon Islands, taking New Georgia, Munda, Vella Lavella, and Bougainville, then reducing the Japanese stronghold of Rabaul, on the tip of New Britain.
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<p>The Thirteenth made three unique contributions to the war. First, 18 P-38s from three XIII Fighter Command squadrons intercepted and shot down the aircraft carrying Japanese Admiral Yamamoto. Second, the 868th Bomb Squadron (Heavy) pioneered low-altitude radar night bombing of enemy shipping, and did so much damage that Japanese attempts to resupply troops by that means were abandoned. Third, the long-range XIII Bomber Command heavies hammered Japanese fortresses at Truk, Yap and Palau, in unescorted overwater missions of 1,400- to 1,800-mile (2,250 to 2,900 km) lengths, fighting off determined Japanese interceptions and dodging very heavy flak concentrations.
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<p>On New Guinea after those campaigns, Thirteenth AF became a part of Far East Air Forces, along with the Fifth, and began the Philippine offensive. Its heavies helped wreck the oil processing facilities of Balikpapan, and supported the invasions of Palawan and Borneo.
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<p>It was a difficult war for the Thirteenth, compounded by command complexities and concepts. But Thirteenth AF was part of a team, and it never let the side down.
