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' + The 8th Air Force was targeted in this operation. It was reassigned to Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia on 10 February 1942. The intensive bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong during 11days in December 1972, known as LINEBACKER II, was but one highlight of those war years. Personnel and equipment from the inactivated 40th and 444th Bomb Groups were reassigned to the 43d Bomb Group. })); The 1948 blockade of West Berlin by the Eastern bloc and the outbreak of the Cold War caused the United States to deploy SAC's B-29 bomber force back to the United Kingdom and West Germany. This air force lost most of its men and equipment in the defense of the Philippines after 7 Dec 1941. $(".fancybox-caption__body").removeClass("af3-caption-body"); U.S. Military Personnel that Served in WWII. Then in January 1994, ACC reorganized Eighth Air Force as a general purpose Numbered Air Force (NAF) with a warfighting mission to support the U.S. Joint Forces and U.S. Strategic Commands. Eighth Air Force also supports STRATCOM's Joint Force Headquarters Information Operations and serves as the command element for Air Force wide computer network operations. Contact Us, If you have any data on servicemen and their units and would like to submit it to our digital library; please Contact Us, Copyright, Army Air Corps Library and Museum, Inc., All Rights Reserved. } Major General Jimmy Doolittle relinquished command of the Fifteenth Air Force to Major General Nathan F. Twining and on January 6, 1944, took over command of the Eighth Air Force from Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker at RAF Daws Hill. } During the Cold War (19451991), 8 AF was one of three Numbered Air Forces of the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), with a three-star general headquartered at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts commanding USAF strategic bombers and missiles on a global scale. The command conducted the heavy bombardment operations of Eighth AF from 17 Aug 1942 until early in 1944. By war's end, they had been awarded a number of other medals to include 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, and 442,000 Air Medals. On 16 April, this record was broken when over 700 German aircraft were destroyed on the ground. }); '">DETAILS'; Rolls-Royce engineers rapidly realized that equipping the Mustang with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with its two speed, two stage supercharger would substantially improve performance. var winHgt = $(window).innerHeight() We must have a valid email address! On 27 June, the United Nations Security Council voted to assist the South Koreans in resisting the invasion. General Carl Spaatz returned to England to command the USSTAF. Contact Us. $(this).find('figcaption').html() + Download Hi-Res Read here to learn more about who the 8th Air Force is. Activated in the Philippines on 20 Sep 1941. Fighters from both Eighth and Ninth Air Forces made wide sweeps over the area, mounting strafing missions at airfields and rail networks. Click here to read to learn more about the history of the 8th Air Force. let isDesktopInit = false; About 23 February, the VIII BC moved to England, first to Daws Hill and later to High Wycombe, where it established its wartime headquarters in the Wycombe Abbey school for girls. Writing about our entire adventure would take a great deal more space than this article . ", The Eighth Air Force team consists of more than 16,000 Regular Air Force (e.g., active duty), Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve professionals operating and maintaining a variety of aircraft capable of deploying air power to any area of the world. } *Due to rising costs to print and mail hard copies of the magazine, beginning in March 2023, annual dues will provide members with a digital copy ONLY of the 8th AF News magazine. Established on 22 February 1944 by the redesignation of VIII Bomber Command at RAF Daws Hill in High Wycombe, England, the Eighth Army Air Force (8 AAF) was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force in the European Theater of World War II (1939/411945), engaging in operations primarily in the Northern Europe area of responsibility; carrying out strategic bombing of enemy targets in France, the Low Countries, and Germany;[3] and engaging in air-to-air fighter combat against enemy aircraft until the German capitulation in May 1945. It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. 445BG. Throughout the first six months of ENDURING FREEDOM, the Mighty Eighth's bombers were instrumental in the destruction of key targets and illusive enemy forces in Afghanistan. Two days later, on 23 January, the 27th FEW participated in the raid on Sinuju Airfield in North Korea and shot down four more MiG-15s. Later in Dec 1941 headquarters and some crews and planes moved to Australia . $(".fancy-photo-detail-link").addClass("photo-detail-gradient"); It was the largest of the deployed combat Army Air Forces in numbers of personnel, aircraft, and equipment. Bomber wings of the 8th Air Force include: This article incorporates public domain material from Eighth Air Force. Also, by using a four-bladed propeller, rather than the three-bladed one used on the P-51A, the performance was greatly improved; the XP-51B achieved a level speed of 441mph at 29,800ft (9,100m), over 100mph (160km/h) faster than the Allison-engined P-51A at that altitude. His administration chose to invest in the Air Force, especially Strategic Air Command. On 24 February, with the weather clearing over central Germany, Eighth Air Force sent over 800 bombers, hitting Schweinfurt and attacks on the Baltic coast, with a total of 11 B-17s being lost. $(".fancybox-content").css("width", newImgWth + "px"); A Tradition Since 1942. On 1 January, the entire German fighter force in the West, comprising combat aircraft from some eleven Jagdgeschwader day fighter wings, took off and attacked 27 Allied airfields in northern France, Belgium and the southern part of the Netherlands in an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries of Europe. 316th Bombardment Wing: 1945- 1946. If you don't know of anyone in your family who served during the war, consider asking your family or looking at your family tree for those who would have been the right age to have registered for the draft or who may have served. In late 1943, the P-51B Mustang was introduced to the European Theater by the USAAF. On 22 March, over 800 bombers, led by H2X radar equipped bombers hit Berlin yet again, bombing targets through a thick rainy overcast causing more destruction to various industries. These data were taken from the Loading Lists of the 385th BG combat missions missions, preserved in the U. S. National Archives in College Park, MD. After Korean War, on 13 June 1955 SAC moved the unit to Westover AFB, Massachusetts, where it transitioned to the jet age. Over the years, the Society has become a strong organization with an emphasis on remembering and honoring our comrades who served with distinction: the men who flew, the many thousands of ground crews, and those who worked in the background. From 1946 through 1949, what little money became available was used to buy new planes (Boeing B-50 Superfortress, Convair B-36 Peacemaker) for SAC, and as the newer aircraft became available, the older B-29s were sent to storage depots or sent to Air Force Reserve units for training missions. On 6 March 1944, over 700 heavy bombers along with 800 escort fighters of the Eighth Air Force hit numerous targets within Berlin, dropping the first American bombs on the capital of the Third Reich. let debounceTimer; Start here! Dates shown are when the Group was operational. An Eighth Air Force unit, the 2d Bomb Wing, spearheaded the air campaign by dispatching B-52s from Barksdale to launch conventional air-launched cruise missiles against Iraqi targets. '">DOWNLOAD'; 385 th Bomb Group, 8 th Air Force. An advanced detachment of VIII Bomber Command was established at RAF Daws Hill, near RAF Bomber Command Headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, on 23 February in preparation for its units to arrive in the United Kingdom from the United States. The losses of the Allied Air Forces were replaced within weeks. However, the only reliable way of dealing with the jets, as with the even faster Me 163B Komet rocket fighters, was to attack them on the ground and during takeoff and landing. $(".base-caption-info").addClass("full-height"); } The result: a greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power to deter war. function captionToggle() { An advanced detachment was established in England on 23 Feb and units began arriving from the US during the spring of 1942. 8th Air Force 448th Bomb Group, England WWII. 466th Bombardment Group - 8th Air Force 468th Bomber Group - 20th Air Force 488th Bombardment Group 493rd bombardment group - 8th Air Force 497th Bomber Group - 20th Air Force. var newImgWth = (origImgWth * ratio); United States 8th Air Force, WWII Welcome to the 96th Bombardment Group(H) Station 138 - Snetterton, England. detailSize = "full"; The modern day Eighth Air Force traces its lineage to the VIII BC, which came to life on 1 February 1942 at Langley Field, Virginia. if (isMobile()) { Thirty-one of these aces had 15 or more aircraft kills apiece. Get detailed instructios o how to register for the Reunion. The 8th AF was primarily engaged in the bombardment of strategic targets in Europe. An Eighth Air Force unit, the 2d Bomb Wing, spearheaded the air campaign by dispatching B-52s from Barksdale to launch conventional air-launched cruise missiles against Iraqi targets. 3d Bombardment Wing: 1942-1943. How I am shooting the records. For two years, the wing remained in this status until the 58th Bomb Wing was inactivated on 16 October 1948. "[citation needed]. In order to quickly assemble these formations, specially outfitted assembly ships were created from older bombers. INSIGNE. World War II proved what the proponents of air power had been championing for the previous two decadesthe great value of strategic forces in bombing an enemy's industrial complex and of tactical forces in controlling the skies above a battlefield. Based in Parham, England, the 390th Bombardment Group (H) flew 301 combat missions against German military targets. Half of the U.S. Army Air Forces' casualties in World War II were suffered by Eighth Air Force (more than 47,000 casualties, with more than 26,000 dead). [6] Alerted to the attack, the airfield defences were prepared for the raid when it arrived. showFBShare() + closeDetails(); var $currentSlide = $(".fancybox-slide.fancybox-slide--current.fancybox-slide--image").parent().parent(); Following the end of the war in Europe in May 1945 plans were made to transfer some of the B-17/B-24 heavy bomber groups of Eighth Air Force to the Pacific Theater of Operations and upgrade them to Boeing B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy (VH) bomb groups. They did not realize that they were over Dutch territory; 850 civilians, including children on their way to school, were among the casualties. Join or renew for two years and never miss a thing! Over 300 German fighters attacked the bomber forces, losing almost half its aircraft, with claims of upwards of 47 Luftwaffe fighters by American fighter pilots. Their children and descendants, who are representatives of these Veterans, saw the need to keep the history and experiences of these warriors alive. In 1965, Eighth Air Force entered combat again, this time in Southeast Asia. Were proud to be able to present archival issues below: INSTRUCTIONSStart here! USAAF. 8th Air Force (ETO) Operational Units. afterClose: function () { if (detailSize === "half") { The 91st Bomb Group Memorial Association's (BGMA) purpose is to keep alive the spirit of the 91st BG (H) and to maintain the fellowship of all those who fought together in WWII . The organization reported administratively to the Fifteenth Air Force at Colorado Springs, Colorado. As the new commander of the Eighth Air Force from January 1944 onwards, Major General Jimmy Doolittle's major influence on the European air war occurred early that year when he made a critical change to the policy requiring escorting fighters to remain with the bombers at all times. let displayhgt = "95vh"; The result was that the Luftwaffe was notable by its absence over the skies of Europe after D-Day and the Allies were starting to achieve air superiority over the continent. "VIII Bomber Command" redirects here. Components: 1st Bombardment Wing: 1942-1943. On July 4th, 1942 the first American bomber mission flown from England by the U.S Army Air Forces (AAF) flew towards the occupied Netherlands. As a contrast, the Luftwaffe was undertaking the sixth major raid of the "Baby Blitz" the following night (20/21 February), with only some 165 German aircraft sortieing against British targets. After D-Day, attacks on the German oil industry assumed top priority which was widely dispersed around the Reich. Eighth Air Force spent its first decade in the continental U.S. building up its strategic capabilities. In June 1946, the headquarters relocated to MacDill Field, Fla., to join the new Strategic Air Command (SAC). Eighth Air Force was relieved from assignment to Strategic Air Command and assigned to the new Air Combat Command (ACC) on 1 June 1992. The reorganization transformed the Eighth into the only information operations and bomber NAF in the Air Force. On this mission, he sat in the co-pilot's seat of the lead B-17, Butcher Shop[8][self-published source] The pilot in command and leader of this historic mission was Paul Tibbets, who on 6 August 1945, dropped the first Atomic Bomb, Little Boy, on Hiroshima from the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, Enola Gay. It became operational on 7 November 1942 (along with the 44th, 91st and 303rd . This strategy fatally disabled the twin-engined Zerstrergeschwader heavy fighter wings and their replacement, single-engined Sturmgruppen of heavily armed Fw 190As, clearing each force of bomber destroyers in their turn from Germany's skies throughout most of 1944. The "Allied Force" campaign also marked the Eighth's return to Europe and the participation of U.S. bombers in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) first combat operation. On 8 March, another raid of 600 bombers and 200 fighters hit the Berlin area again, destroying the VKF ball-bearing plant at Erkner. Less than a week after "Big Week", Eighth Air Force made its first attack on the Reich's capital, Berlin. return ' 0 && $(".af3-caption-body").css("height") != undefined) { Eighth Air Force Bomb Group Tail Markings Prior to 13 September 1943 -- Several Groups were not yet assigned. The mission of "The Mighty Eighth" is to safeguard America's interests through strategic deterrence and global combat power. It also . REGISTRATIONRegister for the 2023 Reunion, REUNION SCHEDULEClick here to view the schedule, TOUR INFORMATIONClick here to view more information on the tours. Another 305 enlisted gunners were also recognized as aces. Archived from the original on 4 December 2003. The Eighth Air Force earned the unofficial nickname 'The Mighty Eighth' in the 1970s following the publication of Roger Freeman's book 'The Mighty Eighth'. The Eighth's combat record also shows 566 aces (261 fighter pilots with 31 having 15 or more victories and 305 enlisted gunners), over 440,000 bomber sorties to drop 697,000 tons of bombs, and over 5,100 aircraft losses and 11,200 aerial victories. Those east of the Mississippi were assigned to SAC's other strategic air force, Eighth Air Force, which moved to Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it commanded all SAC bases in the eastern United States. } On 7 May, another 1,000 bombers hit additional targets along the English Channel coast, hitting fortifications, bridges and marshaling areas. The vinyl used is UV and water resistant, and will last many years without . displayhgt = "90vh"; Under ACC, Eighth Air Force provides command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C2ISR); long-range attack; and information operations forces to Air Force components and warfighting commands. } However, the Luftwaffe jets were simply too few and too late to have any serious effect on the Allied air armadas now sweeping over the Reich with near-impunity. '