Coningham of NATAF who assumed command of Second Tactical Air Force, was replaced by Cannon of the new MATAF.

This allowed Spaatz to borrow the 15th in Italy for long-range strategic bombing of European targets when inclement weather in England prevented the 8th from flying missions.

Under this scenario, some heavy bombers took off from Italy, bombed German targets, and landed in England.

[3] With the defeat of Germany and the end of World War II in Europe, Headquarters, MAAF, Intelligence Section (United States) saw an opportunity to learn first-hand how effective the Allied air war was from the enemy's perspective.

A series of interviews with high-ranking German officers resulted in the July 1945 compilation of the MAAF Air Surrender Documents.

General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, who at various times commanded German Tenth Army or Army Group C and was the Commander in Italy at the end of the war, was particularly impressed by the effectiveness of the Allied fighter-bombers: Regarding air attacks on railroads, General von Vietinghoff stated the following: "Rail traffic was struck in the most protracted fashion by the destruction of bridges.

A few bad weather days, in which the Allied Air Force could not have flown, would often have sufficed to bring the traffic again to its peak.