B - 24 Liberator units of the United States Army Air Forces This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B - 24 Liberator combat units during World War II including variants and other historical information . Heavy bomber training organizations primarily under II Bomber Command in the United States and non - combat units are not included . The USAAF took delivery of its first B - 24As in June 1941 , although the B - 24D was the first production model delivered in quantity in July 1942 . B - 24s were assigned to every combat Air Force ; at peak inventory , the USAAF had 6 , 043 B - 24 Liberators operating world - wide in September 1944 . Following the end of World War II , the Liberator was rapidly withdrawn from USAAF service , being replaced by the B - 29 Superfortress . Literally thousands of Liberators were flown to various disposal units where they were cut up for scrap . Some brand - new late - production B - 24Ms from Convair / San Diego were flown directly from the factory door to the scrapyard at RFC Kingman , Arizona in June 1945 , as the war in Europe had ended and B - 29s were doing most of the long - range bombing work in the Pacific . Only a few Liberators were still around when the United States Air Force was formed in 1947 , most of them being used for various research purposes . The last USAF Liberator , a Ford EZB - 24M - 20 - FO serial number 44 - 51228 used by the Aeronautical Icing Research Laboratory for ice research , was struck off the rolls in 1953 . For a time , it was on display at Lackland AFB , Texas , with the armament and gunner positions restored . It is currently at the American Museum at Duxford Aerodrome , England painted as 44 - 50492 , a B - 24M that was assigned to the 392d Bombardment Group , 578th Bombardment Squadron . Combat Organizations . Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command . Established in October 1942 to deal with the German U - boat threat ; formed largely from the resources of I Bomber Command . Inactivated in August 1943 when antisubmarine mission was taken over by the United States Navy . Fifth Air Force . Originally formed as the Philippine Department Air Force in August 1941 ; Stationed in the Southwest Pacific Area ( SWPA ) of the Pacific Theater of Operations ( PTO ) . Operating in the Far East , Australia , New Guinea and Philippines . Participated in halting the Japanese drive in Papua , recovery of New Guinea , liberation of the Philippines and the Battle of Okinawa . Sixth Air Force . Sixth Air Force begin in February 1917 , formally established as Panama Canal Air Force on October 1940 . Control of USAAF operations in the Caribbean . Primarily flew antisubmarine patrols over both the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Ocean approaches to the Panama Canal . Seventh Air Force . Initially formed as the Hawaiian Air Force in October 1940 . Operated primarily in Central Pacific Area ( CPA ) of the Pacific Theater of Operations ( PTO ) . Eighth Air Force . Was primary heavy bombardment Air Force in the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) during World War II , stationed in England . Mission was conducting long - range strategic bomber offensive against Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany . The first Liberator mission from England took place on October 9 , 1942 . Several VIII Bomber Command Liberator groups deployed aircraft to Libya in late 1942 and 1943 to augment IX Bomber Command and carry out attacks against Axis targets in the Mediterranean . Ultimately a total of twenty - one Liberator - equipped groups were deployed and operated with the Eighth Air Force 2d and 3d Bombardment Division s . Ninth Air Force . IX Bomber Command operated Liberators from airfields in Egypt ; Libya and Tunisia during the Western Desert Campaign ( 1942 – 1943 ) . Transferred B - 24s to Twelfth Air Force in October 1943 ; reassigned to England to become tactical air force supporting American First Army ( IX Tactical Air Command ) , Third Army ( XIX Tactical Air Command ) , and Ninth Army ( XXIX Tactical Air Command ) . Tenth Air Force . Constituted February 1942 . Moved to India March – May 1942 . Primary USAAF Air Force in the China - Burma - India theater . Eleventh Air Force . Formed February 1942 . Based in Alaska Territory . Engaged in combat with B - 24s during Aleutian Campaign ( 1942 – 1943 ) . First B - 24 raid on Japanese Home Islands in 1943 . Twelfth Air Force . Formed November 1942 . Operated B - 24s in Algeria , Tunisia and Sicily . Transferred Liberators to Fifteenth Air Force in November 1943 , becoming tactical air force in Mediterranean Theater of Operations ( MTO ) primarily supporting Fifth Army ( XII Tactical Air Command ) in Italy , also operating in Southern France and Germany supporting Seventh Army . Thirteenth Air Force . Formed on December 14 , 1942 . Operated primarily in South Pacific Area ( SPA ) of the Pacific Theater of Operations ( PTO ) Fourteenth Air Force . Formed out of the American Volunteer Group in March 1943 in Kunming , China . Primary United States Air Force in China as part of the China - Burma - India Theater Fifteenth Air Force . Activated in Tunisia on November 1 , 1943 . Primary strategic bombardment Air Force of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations ( MTO ) operating from airfields in Southern Italy . Had 15 B - 24 groups . Bombing raids against targets in Italy , then took part in raids on Germany , Austria , Hungary , Yugoslavia , and Romania . Supported the invasion of southern France . Twentieth Air Force . Constituted April 1944 . Primarily equipped with B - 29 Superfortress es but there were two reconnaissance squadrons equipped with B - 24s and F - 7s that were stationed on the Northern Mariana Islands . Both units reported to XXI Bomber Command Headquarters .