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XII Tactical Air Command
Missing in Kissingen
In researching the story of the American military in Bad Kissingen
every now and then you run into an absolute stone wall. Few if any
records, virtually no written recollections or unit histories,
basically a start date and an end date and nothing further. Such is
the case for the Headquarters of the XII Tactical Air Command, an
Army Air Force unit of probably 200 or more personnel, assigned to
Kissingen for over 14 months during the later portion of the
occupation period. They simply left behind almost no records of
what they did.
The War Years and then Germany
The XII Tac Air was a subordinate command to the 12th US Army Air
Force, active during the war years on first, the North African Front
and then across the Mediterranean Sea flying fighters and medium
bombers in support of the invasion of Italy and combat actions along
the southern coast of France. In mid August 1944, the command
left Italy and relocated to France to continue operations. As with
any major combat command, various fighter and bomber wings were
assigned and then detached as missions changed. The 64th Fighter
Wing had the longest tenure with the XII Tac, March 1943 - June
1947.
In July 1945, the Hq XII Tac moved to Erlangen Germany along with
the HQ of the 64th Fighter Wing. From the sketchy unit histories at
hand, it appears as though by this time, almost all of the other
fighter and bomber wings that once were part of the command had
begun to rapidly stand down for return to the United States. With a
brief sentence, their actions at Erlangen were tersely reported as “
normal occupational duties in the area. “
And in an odd twist, there are more images and written
reports related to the Bob Hope Show at Erlangen in front of
the XII Tac than accounts of the day to day missions of the
unit.
On 1 November 1945, XII Tac moved to Bad Kissingen along with the Hq
64th Fighter and it appears as though the latter unit had some small
number of aircraft in Schweinfurt. On 2 December, 1945, The 9th
Army Air Force Headquarters deactivated at Bad Kissingen leaving the
XII Tac as the only identified mayor command occupying the hotel
district and now the facts really become sparse.
In an on line account of his military career, James A. Warthrall
remembered both Erlangen and Kissingen and his duties as the XII Tac
HQ Squadron commander, a non flight assignment and his subsequent
efforts to escape and return to flying. He was successful and his
brief account of those days ended.
So in front of us lie several curious questions. The HQ 9th
Army Air Force had spent their time in Kissingen dismantling
a major command while occupying the town and immediate area
plus conducting a number of other tasks such as writing
after action reports, the hunt for Nazi technology, support
of the local Military Government teams and a myriad or other
duties associated with the immediate post war period.
By the time that the
HQ XII Tac
arrives, much of the local “ heavy lifting “ had been done and the
unit is mentioned in no articles or reports from the post war
occupation. Were they a unit committed to a mission that was pretty
much already completed … there is just no evidence beyond a scant
connection to the local Kissingen airfield and perhaps flying
courier service for officers in that part of Bavaria. We know the
officers and men of the XII Tac were at Kissingen for over sixteen
months - we simply do not know what they did.
What does remain are brief notes indicating that a series of
commanders arrived as colonels and quickly departing with stars on
their shoulders earned during the war and little more. And then
there is a single fighter pilot with movie star good looks, linked
to the command, who surfaces in the newspapers.
Major Victor N. Cabas, was mentioned at about this time in his
hometown newspaper in Pennsylvania as reporting to duty with the XII
Tac at Kissingen with his new wife in tow, as a training officer.
Looking deeper into the archives, he had been an athlete and high
school high achiever and did I mention - a fighter pilot ace?
Victor N. Cabas - Fighter Pilot + Combat Ace
1283 is the generally accepted number of American fighter pilots who
were credited with five of more air combat kills and thus receiving
the accolade of an “ ace “. It may seem like a high number of
personnel but when you consider the tens of thousands of pilots who
were trained and deployed to every front, from combat over Alaska to
North Africa, the Pacific and all across Europe, it really is an
elite club with entry gained by great flying skill and just a bit of
luck and in that group of over 1000, only one flyer had any link to
Bad Kissingen.
Victor N. Cabas was credited with 5 ½ aerial kills during
the war and is particularly noteworthy in that he
volunteered for service initially with the Canadian Air
Force and achieved his first victory while flying with them
over France in 1942. When the United States entered the war,
along with fellow expatriate flyers, he was integrated into
the Army Air Corps and steadily flew missions until Germany
was defeated. His career then spanned combat actions in
both Korea and Vietnam before his retirement at the grade of
Brigadier General in 1972.
Beyond his victories, he is one of the few Americans who flew in
three wars and logged over 600 flight hours in combat missions
alone.
This
link takes you to a site that recalls all of the American WWII
aces and the Cabas page.
August 2014 |
