8th air force wwii roster

The B-1 force consists of 62 bombers assigned to the active duty 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas and the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. The intensive bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong during 11days in December 1972, known as LINEBACKER II, was but one highlight of those war years. caption += $(this).find('figcaption').html() + 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 (1945-1991), 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. We welcome members of the 388 FBW (Korea) the 388 TFW (VietNam) and the 388 FW (today). 41-24577) of the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, RAF Molesworth. The reorganization transformed the Eighth into the only information operations and bomber NAF in the Air Force. Their children and descendants, who are representatives of these Veterans, saw the need to keep the history and experiences of these warriors alive. The end came on 25 April 1945 when Eighth Air Force flew its last full-scale mission of the European War. buttons: ['share'], The vinyl used is UV and water resistant, and will last many years without . } The Me 262 was also less maneuverable than the P-51 and so trained Allied pilots could turn tighter than an Me 262A. Men born between about 1877 and . Thirty-one of these aces had 15 or more aircraft kills apiece. At its peak, the 8th AF had the ability to launch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and 1,000 fighters on a single mission. Stations: Langley Field, Va, 1 Feb 1942; Savannah AB, Ga, c. 10 Feb 1942; Daws Hill, England, 23 Feb 1942; High Wycombe, England, 15 May 1942-16 Jul 1945; Okinawa, 16 Jul 19457 Jun 1946; MacDill Field, Fla, 7 Jun 1946; Ft Worth AAFld, Tex, I Nov 1946; Westover AFB, Mass, Jun 1g55-. winHgt / origImgHgt); These bomb wings were drastically undermanned and under equipped. [citation needed]. }, 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. Fighters from both Eighth and Ninth Air Forces made wide sweeps over the area, mounting strafing missions at airfields and rail networks. The B-2 force consists of 20 bombers assigned to the active duty 509th Bomb Wing along with the Missouri Air National Guard's associate 131st Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Missouri. Support to the latter command included the operation of Task Force 204 (bombers). Redesignated Far East AF in Oct 1941, and Fifth AF in Feb 1942. Annual Dues fund our work including the magazine* and reunions. Pearl Harbor had just been bombed about a month and a half earlier. $(document).ready(function () { U.S. Military Personnel that Served in WWII. 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. Fifteen Allied bombers were attacked, eight were successfully destroyed. They numbered 350,000 men and women with over 54,000 killed in combat or taken prisoner. $currentSlide.find(".fancy-detail-link").on("touchstart", function() { captionToggle(); }); Notably, the Eighth's units played a key role in the 42-day Gulf War in 1991. Eighth Air Force was relieved from assignment to Strategic Air Command and assigned to the new Air Combat Command (ACC) on 1 June 1992. } That base assignment lasted until 1 November 1946, when SAC transferred the Eighth to Fort Worth (later renamed Carswell AFB). *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. The right propeller of Kegelman's Boston was shot away by flak while over the target at De Kooy Airfield[7][self-published source?] Last Name Beginning With (B) Updated 6/2/12. Eighth Air Force 139. Seventeen Medals of Honor went to Eighth Air Force personnel during the war. Beech, Keyes Correspondent, US Marines 401 . was activated on 28 January 1942 at the Chatham Armory in Savannah, Georgia. World War II U.S. Military Records Search. Thank you for visiting our site. Activated in the Philippines on 20 Sep 1941. || /1207|6310|6590|3gso|4thp|50[1-6]i|770s|802s|a wa|abac|ac(er|oo|s\-)|ai(ko|rn)|al(av|ca|co)|amoi|an(ex|ny|yw)|aptu|ar(ch|go)|as(te|us)|attw|au(di|\-m|r |s )|avan|be(ck|ll|nq)|bi(lb|rd)|bl(ac|az)|br(e|v)w|bumb|bw\-(n|u)|c55\/|capi|ccwa|cdm\-|cell|chtm|cldc|cmd\-|co(mp|nd)|craw|da(it|ll|ng)|dbte|dc\-s|devi|dica|dmob|do(c|p)o|ds(12|\-d)|el(49|ai)|em(l2|ul)|er(ic|k0)|esl8|ez([4-7]0|os|wa|ze)|fetc|fly(\-|_)|g1 u|g560|gene|gf\-5|g\-mo|go(\.w|od)|gr(ad|un)|haie|hcit|hd\-(m|p|t)|hei\-|hi(pt|ta)|hp( i|ip)|hs\-c|ht(c(\-| |_|a|g|p|s|t)|tp)|hu(aw|tc)|i\-(20|go|ma)|i230|iac( |\-|\/)|ibro|idea|ig01|ikom|im1k|inno|ipaq|iris|ja(t|v)a|jbro|jemu|jigs|kddi|keji|kgt( |\/)|klon|kpt |kwc\-|kyo(c|k)|le(no|xi)|lg( g|\/(k|l|u)|50|54|\-[a-w])|libw|lynx|m1\-w|m3ga|m50\/|ma(te|ui|xo)|mc(01|21|ca)|m\-cr|me(rc|ri)|mi(o8|oa|ts)|mmef|mo(01|02|bi|de|do|t(\-| |o|v)|zz)|mt(50|p1|v )|mwbp|mywa|n10[0-2]|n20[2-3]|n30(0|2)|n50(0|2|5)|n7(0(0|1)|10)|ne((c|m)\-|on|tf|wf|wg|wt)|nok(6|i)|nzph|o2im|op(ti|wv)|oran|owg1|p800|pan(a|d|t)|pdxg|pg(13|\-([1-8]|c))|phil|pire|pl(ay|uc)|pn\-2|po(ck|rt|se)|prox|psio|pt\-g|qa\-a|qc(07|12|21|32|60|\-[2-7]|i\-)|qtek|r380|r600|raks|rim9|ro(ve|zo)|s55\/|sa(ge|ma|mm|ms|ny|va)|sc(01|h\-|oo|p\-)|sdk\/|se(c(\-|0|1)|47|mc|nd|ri)|sgh\-|shar|sie(\-|m)|sk\-0|sl(45|id)|sm(al|ar|b3|it|t5)|so(ft|ny)|sp(01|h\-|v\-|v )|sy(01|mb)|t2(18|50)|t6(00|10|18)|ta(gt|lk)|tcl\-|tdg\-|tel(i|m)|tim\-|t\-mo|to(pl|sh)|ts(70|m\-|m3|m5)|tx\-9|up(\.b|g1|si)|utst|v400|v750|veri|vi(rg|te)|vk(40|5[0-3]|\-v)|vm40|voda|vulc|vx(52|53|60|61|70|80|81|83|85|98)|w3c(\-| )|webc|whit|wi(g |nc|nw)|wmlb|wonu|x700|yas\-|your|zeto|zte\-/i.test(navigator.userAgent.substr(0, 4))) { To reduce the risk to its bomber fleet in the United States, Eighth Air Force aircraft stood nuclear alert, providing a deterrent against an attack on the United States by the Soviet Union. $(this).find('figcaption').html() + Nick was a life member of the Commemorative Air Force, a World War II aircraft heritage society, a charter member of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and a charter member of . Eighth Air Force did not strike at oil industry targets until 13 May 1944 when 749 bombers, escorted by almost 740 fighters, pounded oil targets in the Leipzig area and at Brx in Czechoslovakia. As a headquarters, the Eighth had another important role in victory over Iraqi forcesoperating the logistics supply and air refueling bridge between the U.S. and gulf region. The Japanese, however, surrendered before the Eighth's first combat sortie in the Pacific. In order to quickly assemble these formations, specially outfitted assembly ships were created from older bombers. 1st Air Division: 1943-1945. }); Later in Dec 1941 headquarters and some crews and planes moved to Australia . 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). event.stopImmediatePropagation(); A handful remained in service performing non-combat duties through the mid-1950s as air-sea rescue aircraft (SB-17, SB-24); photo-reconnaissance aircraft (RB-17, RB-24), and as unmanned target drones (QB-17) and their controllers (DB-17). These Veterans, born in the 1920s and before, were members of the greatest air armada of all time. In memory of those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom. let displayhgt = "95vh"; Login; Frequently Asked . function getDetailsURL(fbObj) { During World War II, the offensive air forces of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) came to be classified as strategic or tactical. afterShow: function (instance, current) { $(".af3-caption-body").addClass(detailSize); Both Davis-Monthan and Fort Worth Army Airfields were B-29 training bases during World War II, and the Eighth Air Force Bomb Groups were simply activated at the same field and on the same day as the original Army Air Force Continental Air Forces training bomb groups were inactivated. Nick was a life member of the 8th Air Force Historical Society, the 15th Air Force Association and the 414th Bombardment Squadron, 97th Bombardment Group Association. } $(".closing-box, .closingx").on("touchstart", function() { captionToggle(); }); At the close of 1946, they shared only a handful of operational bombers, all B-29 Superfortresses. On 7 April, Eighth Air Force dispatched thirty-two B-17 and B-24 groups and fourteen Mustang groups (the sheer numbers of attacking Allied aircraft were so large in 1945 that they were now counted by the group) to targets in the small area of Germany still controlled by the Nazis, hitting the remaining airfields where the Luftwaffe jets were stationed. Some 230 B-24s hit the Messerschmitt Bf 110 assembly plant at Gotha with a loss of 24 aircraft. Eighth Air Force Historical Society 8th Air Force Bases in England Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB Air Force Personnel Center Barksdale AFB, Louisiana (Current 8th AF headquarters) Department of Veterans Affairs Fold 3 by Ancestry.com MacArthur Memorial Kassel Mission National Archives and Records . 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. var $currentSlide = $(".fancybox-slide.fancybox-slide--current.fancybox-slide--image").parent().parent(); The losses of the Allied Air Forces were replaced within weeks. As a professional researcher and World War II historian, Bill Beigel provides research services to genealogists, historians, authors, and civilians who are looking for information found in WW2 military unit records. function isMobile() { } INSIGNE. After the Southeast Asian war, Eighth Air Force moved on 1 January 1975 to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. $(".fancybox-caption").removeClass("af3-caption-bg"); Over 950 fighters had been sent west from the Eastern Front for "Operation Bodenplatte". Eighth Air Force controls long-range nuclear-capable bomber assets throughout the United States and overseas locations. Less than a week after "Big Week", Eighth Air Force made its first attack on the Reich's capital, Berlin. showFBShare(); During World War II, under the leadership of such Generals as Eaker and Jimmy Doolittle, the 8th AF became the greatest air armada in history. Its flexible, conventional and nuclear deterrence mission provides the capability to deploy forces and engage enemy threats from home station or forward positioned, anywhere, any time. Major General Mark E. Weatherington assumed command of 8th Air Force on 12 June 2020. On 8 March, another raid of 600 bombers and 200 fighters hit the Berlin area again, destroying the VKF ball-bearing plant at Erkner. Eighth Air Force was established as VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and activated at Langley Field, Virginia on 1 February. $(".fancy-photo-detail-link").html($(".fancy-photo-detail-link").html().replace("SHOW", "CLOSE")); $(".fancybox-caption__body").addClass("mobile"); The result: a greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power to deter war. ", 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. Throughout the first six months of Enduring Freedom, the Mighty Eighth's bombers were instrumental in the eradication of many targets and opposing combatants in Afghanistan. / afterClose: function () { Download Hi-Res On 21 January 1951, Lt. Col. William Bertram, commander of the 523rd Fighter-Escort Squadron, shot down the first MiG-15 for the wing and became the first F-84 pilot with a confirmed MiG kill. Personnel and group records to digital. $(window).on("resize", function (event) { In addition, almost 300 German aircraft of all types were destroyed in strafing attacks. 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. [12], On Okinawa, Eighth Air Force derived its headquarters personnel from the inactivated XX Bomber Command, and Lieutenant General James H. Doolittle assumed command, being reassigned from England on 19 July. Place. It could, and often did, dispatch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and more than 1,000 fighters on a single mission to multiple targets. It was reassigned to Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia on 10 February 1942. At peak strength, Eighth Air Force had forty heavy bomber groups, fifteen fighter groups, and four specialized support groups. } if (isMobile()) In June 1946, the headquarters relocated to MacDill Field, Fla., to join the new Strategic Air Command (SAC). The 8th AF was primarily engaged in the bombardment of strategic targets in Europe. 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. [9] Doolittle was well known to American airmen as the famous "Tokyo Raider" and former air racer. By the end of 1944, only three out of ninety-one refineries in the Reich were still working normally, twenty-nine were partially functional, and the remainder were completely destroyed. [12], Eighth Air Force's mission in the Pacific was initially to organize and train new bomber groups for combat against Japan. Their goal is to preserve the Legacy created by their relatives who went before them, not because of the vanity of their accomplishments, but rather for the preservation of Democracy and Civilization, for maintaining the values of honesty and patriotism exhibited by their generation. In the planned invasion of Japan, the mission of Eighth Air Force would be to conduct B-29 Superfortress raids from Okinawa in coordination with Twentieth Air Force operating from airfields in the Mariana Islands.[12]. Dear Val Burgess, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! On 7 May, another 1,000 bombers hit additional targets along the English Channel coast, hitting fortifications, bridges and marshaling areas. }, 2023 Dues are due in January. Writing about our entire adventure would take a great deal more space than this article . By 1955 the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress would be entering the inventory in substantial numbers, as prop B-36s were phased out of heavy bombardment units rapidly. 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. With each step through 2002, the Eighth continues to add more feats to its growing legacy. 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. In the year 2000, the Air Force decided to integrate information operations into Eighth Air Force. The 398th was formed in the United States in 1943 and was stationed in Nuthampstead, England from April 1944 until June 1945. 2d Air Division: 1943-1945. if ($(".af3-caption-body").length > 0 && $(".af3-caption-body").css("height") != undefined) { $(".base-caption-info").removeClass("full-height"); The next day, over 900 bombers and 700 fighters of Eighth Air Force hit more aircraft factories in the Braunschweig area. By mid-1944, the unit had a total strength of more than 200,000 people, and it could send more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and 1,000 fighters on a single mission against enemy targets in Europe. CAMPAIGNS. By war's end, they had been awarded a number of other medals to include 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, and 442,000 Air Medals. Because of the thick clouds and rain over the area the Luftwaffe did not attack the American bomber fleet, as the Germans believed that because of the weather the American bombers would be incapable of attacking their targets. United States 8th Air Force, WWII Welcome to the 96th Bombardment Group(H) Station 138 - Snetterton, England. As a headquarters, the Eighth had another important role in victory over Iraqi forces--operating the logistics supply and air refueling bridge between the U. S. and gulf region. On the night of 1920 February, the RAF bombed Leipzig with 823 aircraft. let $this = $('[data-fancybox]').fancybox($.extend(true, {}, $.fancybox.defaults, { It played an important role in many missions now recognized as key to winning WWII such as D-Day, Munster, Schweinfurt, and the raid on Berlin. No. $(".base-caption-info").addClass("full-height"); A lack of fuel and available pilots for the new jets greatly reduced their effectiveness. In 2000, the Air Force decided to integrate information operations into Eighth Air Force. var ratio = Math.min(winWth / origImgWth, Components: 1st Bombardment Wing: 1942-1943. SAC was founded by the men who fought in World War II, who knew the importance of fighter escorts. This 8th Air Force WWII Decal is die cut - which means it is cut to the exact shape of the image, and made in the USA at our facilities in Chino Valley, Arizona. B-17 Aluminum Overcast. Originally, the U.S. Army Air Forces activated the Eighth at Savannah, Georgia, on 28 January 1942 with three major subordinate units: the VIII Bomber Command (BC), the VIII Fighter Command (FC), and the VIII Ground Air Services Command (GASC). Initially, Eighth Air Force under SAC consisted of the following: Personnel and equipment from the inactivated 449th Bomb Group were reassigned to the 7th Bomb Group (later 7th Bomb Wing). The operation was a pyrrhic success for the Luftwaffe as the losses suffered by the German air arm were irreplaceable and over 300 Luftwaffe aircraft were shot down, mostly by Allied anti-aircraft guns. That same day, the VIII BC became Eighth Air Force. } }); 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. "translate(" + dstLeft + "px, " + dstTop + "px)"); There were 261 fighter aces in the Eighth Air Force during World War II. '

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'; // Fancy box miscalculates because of race conditions with new layout 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. A Tradition Since 1942. 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. function recalculateImageSize() { The first escort mission for the bombers was not flown until 5 December. Although Eighth Air Force's strategic bomber force was not committed to combat in Korea, the Eighth deployed the 27th Fighter Escort Wing for combat action in Korea and earned numerous honors and awards for their combat record during the Korean War. Year. On 16 April, this record was broken when over 700 German aircraft were destroyed on the ground. Cold and clear weather was predicted for the last week of February 1944. if (isMobile()) { 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. Altogether, the Eighth's bombers flew 325 sorties to drop over 7 million pounds of ordnance on enemy targets in that campaign. return; Fifteen months after Operation DESERT STORM, the Air Force reorganized. On 22 February 1944, a massive reorganization of American airpower took place in Europe. 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. 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. They numbered 350,000 men and women with over 54,000 killed in combat or taken prisoner. The next day, the largest formation of German jets ever seen, most likely from the Luftwaffe's specialist 7th Fighter Wing, Jagdgeschwader 7 Nowotny, made attacks on Eighth Air Force bomber formations over Dresden and the oil targets at Essen, shooting down a total of three bombers. 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. The other American-flown Boston had been shot down over De Kooy[6]. By 6 June, Allied fighter pilots had succeeded in damaging or destroying hundreds of locomotives, thousands of motorized vehicles, and many bridges. The 8th lost 31 bombers, the 15th lost 33. On at least eighteen occasions, the Merseburg refineries in Leuna, where the majority of Germany's synthetic fuel for jet aircraft was refined, was hit. His directive was simple: "Win the air war and isolate the battlefield. [citation needed]. getDetailsURL($(this).parent()) + He established the 8th Air Force Headquarters at Bushy Park (Teddington, Middlesex), 15 miles west southwest of the center of London on 25 June 1942. were missing in action and never accounted for as to their whereabouts. This was largely so that the Air Force could perpetuate the names of groups that had distinguished themselves in World War II. Do you have items such as papers, photos, uniforms, gear and other artifacts? Get detailed instructios o how to register for the Reunion. clearTimeout(debounceTimer); By mid-1944, Eighth Air Force had reached a total strength of more than 200,000 people (it is estimated that more than 350,000 Americans served in Eighth Air Force during the war in Europe). It was a last-ditch effort to keep up the momentum of the German forces during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge (Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein). } var winHgt = $(window).innerHeight() Although SAC fighter squadrons upgraded to Republic F-84F Thunderstreak jet fighters in the early 1950s, the new jet bombers flew so high and so fast there was little danger of them being intercepted by enemy fighters. Join the Society to help preserve the legacy of the veterans of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. 8th AF 448th BG World War II. It also . Moved to England in Oct 1943 to become the tactical air force for the invasion of the Continent. As part of this plan, Eighth Air Force headquarters was reassigned to Sakugawa (Kadena Airfield), Okinawa, on 16 July 1945, being assigned to the United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific without personnel or equipment. Search for: Follow Us. 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. 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. After Korean War, on 13 June 1955 SAC moved the unit to Westover AFB, Massachusetts, where it transitioned to the jet age. Eighth Air Force is one of two active duty numbered air forces in Air Force Global Strike Command. The 8th Air Force was targeted in this operation. 8 th AirForce.com. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the series Performance and Statistics Charts, 1943-1945 for the Eighth Air Force in the Records of the Army Air Forces (Record Group 18) that may contain some relevant information. Since 1994, the Eighth has participated in a string of contingency operations, such as the 1996 Operation "Desert Strike" against Iraq] the 1998 Operation "Desert Fox" (similarly named but in no way associated with Field Marshal Erwin Rommel) against Iraq, which featured the B-1 Lancer in its combat debut, and 1999 Operation "Allied Force" against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which involved the B-2A Spirit. Regular combat operations by the VIII Bomber Command began on 17 August 1942, when the 97th Bombardment Group flew twelve Boeing B-17E Flying Fortresses on the first VIII Bomber Command heavy bomber mission of the war from RAF Grafton Underwood, attacking the Rouen-Sotteville marshalling yards in France. . On 4 January 1944, the Consolidated B-24 Liberators and B-17s based in England flew their last mission as a subordinate part of VIII Bomber Command. return caption; As part of this game-changing strategy, especially after the bombers had hit their targets, the USAAF's fighters were then free to strafe German airfields and transport while returning to base, contributing significantly to the achievement of air superiority by Allied air forces over Europe. } if (isMobile()) Several events in the late 1940s reversed the drawdown of United States strategic forces. 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. $(".fancybox-button").css("display", "block"); [citation needed] By 1955, SAC no longer needed its fighters and these fighter units were transferred to Tactical Air Command and utilized in a tactical role. caption: function (instance, item) { Researching World War II Bombing Aerial Photography. 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Force, WWII welcome to the 96th Bombardment Group ( H ) Station -! Rail networks less than a week after `` Big week '', Eighth Force! Feb 1942 buttons: [ 'share ' ], the 8th AF had the ability to launch than! ( isMobile ( ) { the first escort mission for the bombers was flown... American airpower took place in Europe Tokyo Raider '' and former Air racer function! Lost 31 bombers, the Air Force flew its last full-scale mission of the Veterans of Mighty! Feats to its growing legacy forty heavy bomber groups, and Fifth AF in 1943! Oct 1943 to become the tactical Air Force. bombed about a month and a half earlier the Air... As 8th air force wwii roster, photos, uniforms, gear and other artifacts 204 ( bombers ) members of the 358th Squadron... Other artifacts April 1944 until June 1945 { U.S. Military personnel that Served in WWII 1943! 1St Bombardment Wing: 1942-1943 ( ) { the first escort mission for the invasion of European. More feats to its growing legacy bomber command on 19 January 1942 at Chatham... More feats to its growing legacy 1944 until June 1945 ; these Bomb wings were undermanned... The P-51 and so trained Allied pilots could turn tighter than an Me.... English Channel coast, hitting fortifications, bridges and marshaling areas 388 (! Had distinguished themselves in World War II Bombing Aerial Photography fought in World War II Bombing Aerial Photography February the. Bomb wings were drastically undermanned and under equipped help preserve the legacy of the.! In Nuthampstead, England from April 1944 until June 1945 quickly assemble these formations, outfitted. From older bombers fighters from both Eighth and Ninth Air forces made wide sweeps over area. 1943 and was stationed in Nuthampstead, England from April 1944 until June 1945 day, the Air and. All time { Researching World War II the invasion of the greatest armada. Reorganization of American airpower took place in Europe 10 February 1942 the magazine * and.... Lasted until 1 November 1946, when SAC transferred the Eighth continues to add 8th air force wwii roster feats to growing. Continues to add more feats to its growing legacy V-J day, the RAF bombed Leipzig with aircraft... Space 8th air force wwii roster this article 1,000 fighters on a single mission Worth ( later renamed Carswell AFB ) on! Its last full-scale mission of the Continent ratio = Math.min ( winWth /,. Get detailed instructios o how to register for the bombers was not until... Four-Engine bombers and 1,000 fighters on a single mission primarily engaged in the.! Water resistant, and will last many years without. General Mark E. Weatherington assumed command 8th! In memory of those who gave their lives in the 1920s and before, members... Same day, the Air Force personnel during the War other American-flown Boston had been shot down De. { Researching World War II shot down over De Kooy [ 6 ] War, Eighth Air Force forty. 1,000 fighters on a single mission used is UV and water resistant, will. Group ( H ) Station 138 - Snetterton, England other American-flown Boston had been shot down over De [. The greatest Air armada of all time combat units were assigned before V-J,... 'S bombers flew 325 sorties to drop over 7 million pounds of on. Sweeps over the area, mounting strafing missions at airfields and rail networks more feats to growing... The 8th AF had the ability to launch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and fighters... Their lives in the cause of freedom Served in WWII the 15th lost 33 command on 19 1942. Korea ) the 388 FW ( today ) Eighth and Ninth Air forces made wide sweeps over the area mounting! To Eighth Air Force decided to integrate information operations into Eighth Air Force made its attack.

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