Within a few years, B-47 medium and B-52s heavy bombers replaced the Eighth's older B-29, B-50, and B-36 bombers. In addition, almost 300 German aircraft of all types were destroyed in strafing attacks. This operation involved German pilots of the unit ramming their worn-out Bf 109Gs, each barely armed with only one MG 131 machine gun and 50 rounds of ammunition, into American bombers in order to get the Allies to suspend bombing raids long enough for the Germans to make a significant amount of Me 262A jet fighters. 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. It dispersed its planes to a large number of bases across the United States so as not to have too many concentrated at a single location. recalculateImageSize(); 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. The Mighty Eighth's modern history is equally impressive. have served in the 8th Air Force since World War II. It was reassigned to Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia on 10 February 1942. It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. For the Mighty Eighth, that change heralded an interesting future, one that bring further restructuring, different aircraft systems, and a new challenging mission to the NAF. 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. // Fancy box miscalculates because of race conditions with new layout 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. 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. 445BG. (photo: American Cemetery,Cambridge, England). For information on any of the names listed below, . Support to the latter command included the operation of Task Force 204 (bombers). Major General James C. Dawkins Jr. assumed command of 8th Air Force on 20 August 2018, after having served as the Deputy Director for Nuclear, Homeland Defense, and Current Operations on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.[13] On 12 June 2020, he was succeeded by Major General Mark E. Weatherington, who had previously served as deputy commander of Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio in Randolph, Texas.[14]. The command serves as Air Forces Strategic Global Strike, one of the air components of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). That base assignment lasted until 1 November 1946, when SAC transferred the Eighth to Fort Worth (later renamed Carswell AFB). Flying Royal Air Force (RAF) "Boston" light bombers, six American crews of the 15th Bombardment Squadron, and six RAF crews of 226th Squadron attacked German Luftwaffe (air force) airfields. For instance, the Eighth suffered about half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties (47,483 out of 115,332), including more than 26,000 dead. $(".fancybox-caption__body").addClass("af3-caption-body"); getDownloadURL($(this).parent()) + Personnel and group records to digital. This was largely so that the Air Force could perpetuate the names of groups that had distinguished themselves in World War II. return; At the same time, a smaller force hit an Fw 190 repair depot at Zwickau. if ($(".fancybox-caption__body").hasClass("af3-caption-body")) { The command staff and all personnel of the 58th Bomb wing were eliminated on 1 November 1946 and the organization was reduced to a paper unit. After D-Day, attacks on the German oil industry assumed top priority which was widely dispersed around the Reich. Annual Dues fund our work including the magazine* and reunions. There is an entry for each credited mission which that individual flew. Moved to Egypt and began operations on 12 Nov 1942, participating in the Allied drive across Egypt and Libya, the campaign in Tunisia, and the invasions of Sicily and Italy. At peak strength, Eighth Air Force had forty heavy bomber groups, fifteen fighter groups, and four specialized support groups. 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. 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). } We need help with transcribing data. The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). 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. The 305th was activated in the United States in March 1942 and moved to England in August-October. Commanding Officers Connections Their children and descendants, who are representatives of these Veterans, saw the need to keep the history and experiences of these warriors alive. Another 305 enlisted gunners were also recognized as aces. Compiled by Bill Varnedoe. 3d Air Division: 1943-1945. 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. let debounceTimer; There were 261 fighter aces in the Eighth Air Force during World War II. Eighth Air Force carries out its warfighting missions under U.S. Strategic Command and the air component commands of the other regional Unified combatant commands. On 22 February 1944, the Army reorganized its Air Forces in Europe by renaming Eighth Air Force as the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (now known as the United States Air Forces in Europe). if (isMobile()) { Please include this amount with your annual renewal or new membership! var newImgHgt = (origImgHgt * ratio); The original Eighth Air Force was redesignated as the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF). The operation failed to achieve air superiority, even temporarily, and the German Army continued to be exposed to air attack. The 8th Air Force was targeted in this operation. Located at Hunter Field, Colonel Asa N. Duncan was the first commander. In order to quickly assemble these formations, specially outfitted assembly ships were created from older bombers. 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. An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Constituted as Philippine Department AF on 16 Aug 1941. 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. The engine was to be the Packard V-1650-3, based on the Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk68. The Eighth's units played a key role in the 42-day Gulf War in 1991. let detailSize = "full"; else { 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. The 8th Army Air Force, 96th Bomb Group (H) Association. The 8th Air Force Historical Society was created in 1975 to preserve the legacy of the Mighty Eighth and the part it played in World War II. Support to the latter command included the operation of Task Force 204 (bombers). The 388 Bomb Group association was formed to insure the accomplishments and sacrifices of the men and women of the 388th are remembered. $(".base-caption-info").addClass("full-height"); 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. USAAF. var winWth = $(window).innerWidth(); For this reason, Eighth Air Force is commonly known as the "Mighty Eighth." Read here to learn more about who the 8th Air Force is. With each step through 2002, the Eighth continues to add more feats to its growing legacy. Eighth Air Force remained in Okinawa until 7 June 1946. function captionToggle() { The Me 262 was also less maneuverable than the P-51 and so trained Allied pilots could turn tighter than an Me 262A. *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. 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 RAF had been making night raids on Berlin since 1940, (with heavy raids in 1943) and nuisance de Havilland Mosquito raids in daylight, but this was the first major daylight bombing raid on the German capital. The effect of the Mustangs, fully operating as an air supremacy fighter force, on the Luftwaffe defenders was arguably swift and decisive. 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. SAC was founded by the men who fought in World War II, who knew the importance of fighter escorts. if (item.type === 'image') { World War II U.S. Military Records Search. With Doolittle's permission, American fighter pilots on bomber defense missions would primarily be flying far ahead of the bombers' combat box formations in air supremacy mode, literally "clearing the skies" of any Luftwaffe fighter opposition heading towards the target. 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. var $currentSlide = $(".fancybox-slide.fancybox-slide--current.fancybox-slide--image").parent().parent(); [6] Alerted to the attack, the airfield defences were prepared for the raid when it arrived. [citation needed]. 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. . At MacDill, Eighth Air Force headquarters were manned chiefly by personnel from the 58th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, stationed at Fort Worth Army Air Fied, Texas. The other American-flown Boston had been shot down over De Kooy[6]. In January 1945, the Luftwaffe attempted one last major air offensive against the Allied Air Forces. As part of this realignment, most SAC bomber forces west of the Mississippi River were reassigned to 15th AF. Thank you for visiting our site. Colonel Frank A. Armstrong may have been the commander of the 97th, but at the time of the raid, not yet left seat qualified. These missions, however, carried a high price. } } } Altogether, the Eighth's bombers flew 325 sorties to drop over 7 million pounds of ordnance on enemy targets in that campaign. Join the Society to help preserve the legacy of the veterans of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. Were proud to be able to present archival issues below: INSTRUCTIONSStart here! Login; Frequently Asked . if (isMobile()) return 'Mark Packer Net Worth, Thurston County Building Permit Requirements, Articles OTHER