Although there were many available which were returned from Twentieth Air Force in the Pacific Theater they were war-weary from the many long combat missions flown during the war. } Although some personnel and combat units were assigned before V-J Day, the Eighth did not participate in combat against Japan. 8th Air Force 448th Bomb Group, England WWII. Bomber wings of the 8th Air Force include: This article incorporates public domain material from Eighth Air Force. } On 7 April 1945, the Luftwaffe flew its most desperate and deadliest mission, with the dedicated aerial ramming unit Sonderkommando Elbe. *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. By mid-1944, the 8th AF had reached a total strength of more than 200,000 people. USAAF. recalculateImageSize(); Our Society is one of many organizations across the country that honor and preserve the legacy of the Mighty Eighth. $(".fancy-photo-detail-link").removeClass("photo-detail-gradient"); 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. 3d Bombardment Wing: 1942-1943. On 22 February 1944, a massive reorganization of American airpower took place in Europe. During the 17 months this unit was deployed to England, they flew 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and 25 Apr 45. Annual Dues fund our work including the magazine* and reunions. Spaatz and Doolittle's plan was to use the US Strategic Air Forces in a series of co-ordinated raids, code-named Operation 'Argument' (popularly known as 'Big Week' ) and supported by RAF night bombing, on the German aircraft industry at the earliest possible date. showFBShare() + The original Eighth Air Force was redesignated as the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF). B-17 Aluminum Overcast. [12], Eighth Air Force's mission in the Pacific was initially to organize and train new bomber groups for combat against Japan. var ratio = Math.min(winWth / origImgWth, As a result, Eighth Air Force was incorporated into the new SAC. After Korean War, on 13 June 1955 SAC moved the unit to Westover AFB, Massachusetts, where it transitioned to the jet age. For the Mighty Eighth, that change heralded an interesting future, one that bring further restructuring, different aircraft system purchases, and a new challenging mission to the NAF. 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-content").css("width", newImgWth + "px"); let debounceTimer; The command controlled three airfields on Okinawa, Bolo, Futema, and Kadena Airfield. After the Southeast Asian war, Eighth Air Force moved on 1 January 1975 to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. However, the P-51B was introduced as a tactical fighter, so the first deliveries of the P-51B in November 1943 were assigned to three groups in the tactical Ninth Air Force at the expense of VIII Bomber Command, whose need for a long range escort fighter was critical. 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 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. 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). Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Gebara, commander of 8th Air Force, relieved two commanders today from their positions of leadership at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, due to a loss of confidence in their ability to complete their assigned duties."These personnel actions were necessary to maintain the very Their children and descendants, who are representatives of these Veterans, saw the need to keep the history and experiences of these warriors alive. 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. We also located the series World War II Statistical Summaries, 1942-1945 in Record Group 18 . 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). Please note that dues have increased to $25.00 per year . 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. In January 1945, the Luftwaffe attempted one last major air offensive against the Allied Air Forces. 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. Commanders: Maj Gen Ira C Eaker, 23 Feb 1942; Brig Gen Newton Longfellow, 2 Dec 1942; Maj Gen Frederick L Anderson, I Jul 1943; Lt Gen James H Doolittle, 6 Jan 1944; Maj Gen William E Kepner, 10 May 1945; Maj Gen Westside T Larson, 21 Jun 1945; Lt Gen James H Doolittle, 19 Jul 1945; Maj Gen Earle E Partridge, 12 Sep 1945; Brig Gen Patrick W Timberlake, 30 Nov 1945-unkn; Col Neil B Harding, c. 16 Aug 1946; Brig Gen Roger M Ramey, I Nov 1946; Maj Gen Clements McMullen, 12 Nov 1946; Maj Gen Roger M Ramey, 16 Dec 1946; Maj Gen Archie J Old Jr, 15 Jun 1950; Lt Gen Samuel E Anderson, 14 Aug 1950; Maj Gen John B Montgomery, 8 May 1953;Maj Gen James C Selser Jr, 13 Jun 1955; Maj Gen Walter C Sweeney Jr, 6 Aug 1955-. Another 305 enlisted gunners were also recognized as aces. Documenting History Since a complete roster of World War II Eighth Air Force veterans has never existed, the Research Center is compiling its own list known as the Veterans' Database. 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. A Tradition Since 1942. $(".closing-box, .closingx").on("touchstart", function() { captionToggle(); }); 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. 'Tooey' Spaatz (right). The Eighth Air Force was specifically charged with the atomic mission; however, only the 509th Composite Group at Roswell AAF had B-29s that had the capability to drop nuclear weapons the 7th Bomb Group at Fort Worth AAF was modifying their aircraft to carry the atomic bomb. "[citation needed]. 8th and 15th AF flight, ground crew and crash photos: B-24, B-17, P-51, B-26, P-47, P-38. Major General Mark E. Weatherington assumed command of 8th Air Force on 12 June 2020. } At the same time, aerial refueling techniques were improved to the extent that Eighth Air Force bombers could still reach targets in Europe and Asia even if overseas bases were destroyed by an enemy attack. Unit records are useful in piecing together stories about a unit or group, as well as about individuals who served in them. The Me 262A was a difficult foe for the P-47s and P-51s, possessing a distinct speed advantage. Fighters from both Eighth and Ninth Air Forces made wide sweeps over the area, mounting strafing missions at airfields and rail networks. U.S. Military Personnel that Served in WWII. } 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. Email. On 8 March, another raid of 600 bombers and 200 fighters hit the Berlin area again, destroying the VKF ball-bearing plant at Erkner. Vast fleets of B-24s and B-17s escorted by P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries in Germany and Czechoslovakia in late 1944 and early 1945. Eighth Air Force trains, tests, exercises and demonstrates combat-ready forces for rapid employment worldwide. Eighth Air Force also provides conventional forces to U.S. Joint Forces Command and provides nuclear capable bombers, specified Global Strike assets, and C2ISR capabilities to U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM). This air force lost most of its men and equipment in the defense of the Philippines after 7 Dec 1941. Year. This ongoing project documents a basic service history of participating individuals. 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. 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. $(".fancybox-caption__body").removeClass("af3-caption-body"); Transferred, without personnel, equipment, and combat elements, to Okinawa on 16 Jul 1945. var winHgt = $(window).innerHeight() For this reason, Eighth Air Force is commonly known as the "Mighty Eighth." This website is dedicated to preserving the history of the 445th Bombardment Group (Heavy) that was part of the 8th Air Force during World War II. Compiled by Bill Varnedoe. afterLoad: function (instance, current) { 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. function isMobile() { They numbered 350,000 men and women with over 54,000 killed in combat or taken prisoner. afterClose: function () { The Eighth's weapons inventory also changed to include KC-135 air refuelers and intercontinental ballistic missiles (the Atlas, Titan I and Titan II, and all Minuteman models.). Last Name. $(this).find('figcaption').html() + $(document).ready(function () { By comparison, the U.S. Navy suffered 37,000 deaths out of the 4.1 million in WW II. 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