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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. 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. On 7 June 1946, Headquarters Eighth Air Force was reassigned without personnel or equipment from Okinawa to MacDill Field, Florida, becoming SAC's second numbered air force. After the war in Europe, the Mighty Eighth moved to Okinawa in July 1945, where the unit started to train new bomber groups for combat against Japan. The right propeller of Kegelman's Boston was shot away by flak while over the target at De Kooy Airfield[7][self-published source?] return 'Early Operations: Eighth Air Force in England 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). In what became known as "Black Thursday", the 8th Air Force's 1st and 3rd Air Divisions flew from bases in East Anglia and attacked German ball bearing factories 400 miles away at Schweinfurt, Germany. Within three years it grew to become the greatest military striking force in history. Further ground fire caused damage to his right wing, and the engine caught fire. }
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As the bomber formation circled the target, the tight combat boxes of B-17s became easy targets for enemy fighters. }
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Defended by only four machine guns, the nose of the B-17and more importantly the cockpitwas vulnerable to a head-on attack. }
And simultaneously, the Pacific Theater competed for aircraft. 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. On 16 April, this record was broken when over 700 German aircraft were destroyed on the ground. They thought these bombers should have strong defensive armament to fight through enemy fighter aircraft, and they would fly high, making them harder targets for enemy interception and antiaircraft fire. 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. Bombing Berlin: The Biggest Wartime Raid on Hitler's Capital By the time the group rotated back to the United States, they had flown more than 23,000 combat hours in more than 12,000 sorties. 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. }
Eighth Air Force - Wikipedia Superior aerodynamic and structural design gave the B-17 and B-24 respective extreme ranges of 800 and 1200 miles. In the aftermath of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, US II Corps passed to the command of General Harold Alexanders 18th Army Group. By the late 1940s, the B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators used in the European Theater of the war were thoroughly obsolete as combat aircraft and were mostly sent to the smelters. The pilot continued, It was a good thing I was shot down honestly. In order to quickly assemble these formations, specially outfitted assembly ships were created from older bombers. General William H. Simpson, commander of Ninth Army, has received little attention in the historiography of World War II. As summer turned to autumn in 1943, the Americans felt that, despite the casualties, the air war would ramp up in intensity. While posturing itself for that mission change, the Eighth also supported Operation Enduring Freedom in which the Air Force operates against targets in Afghanistan, and Operation Noble Eagle for the defense of North American airspace. '
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Bombers from the US Eighth Air Force carrying out a raid across Germany in 1943 in footage shot by director William Wyler in 1943 and restored after being recovered from the National Archives. It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. fbObj.find(".actions .details").attr("href") +
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John Keema of the 390th Bomb Group said, No matter the target they were defending, they were balls to the wall. The command serves as Air Forces Strategic Global Strike, one of the air components of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). These operations by light airplanes were small compared with those of World War II, but they did demonstrate the efficacy of the strategic air offensive. With the end of combat in Southeast Asia, the Eighth Air Force moved without personnel or equipment to Barksdale Air Force Base Louisiana on 1 January 1975, absorbing the resources of Second Air Force. Continuing with the 12 B-17s that flew Mission #1 of the 8th AF, Aug 17, 1942, target Rouen marshalling yard. // Fancy box miscalculates because of race conditions with new layout
The photograph shows housing destroyed by the RAF during night raids. On August 17, 1942, the first American heavy bomber mission was launched from England.
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. Here is B-17 Rose Marie, which served in the 390th Bombing Group. var origImgHgt = $(".fancybox-image").prop("naturalHeight");
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The result: a greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power to deter war.
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. This was the first DSC earned by a member of the Eighth Air Force in World War II. 350,000 Americans served in 8th AF during the war in
General Electric had introduced turbo-superchargers to maintain performance of the B-24 and B-17 during high altitude missions. They didnt hesitate.. There would be over 1,000 aircraft by January 1943. The command controlled three airfields on Okinawa, Bolo, Futema, and Kadena Airfield. When Alexander took command on February 20, 1943, one of his first tasks was to assess II Corps combat readiness after its setbacks during its early engagements around Kasserine Pass. It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. 308th Bombardment Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces) - Wikipedia Most of the missions occurred in 1944 with a record number of 79 Missions in August. 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.
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.
His administration chose to invest in the Air Force, especially Strategic Air Command. Notably, the 1 June 1992 change inactivated SAC and the Tactical Air Command (TAC), and reassigned the Mighty Eighth to the new Air Combat Command (ACC). The mission of "The Mighty Eighth" is to safeguard America's interests through strategic deterrence and global combat power. One notable Eighth Air Force casualty was Brigadier General Arthur W. Vanaman, Chief of Intelligence, who was captured by the Germans in northern France on 27 June 1944, becoming the highest-ranked American POW captured in Europe during the war.[11]. VIII Bomber Command was the heavy bombardment arm of Eighth Air Force which also came to include a large intelligence, photo interpretation, and mission planning staff in the early days of the strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany and Nazi-controlled Occupied Europe. $(".base-caption-info").addClass("full-height");
Eighth Air Force bomb wings, stationed in the Persian Gulf region, also attacked Iraq's Republican Guard forces and numerous key strategic targets, while other units provided air refueling and tactical reconnaissance throughout the conflict. "VIII Bomber Command" redirects here. Second Schweinfurt raid - Wikipedia A lack of fuel and available pilots for the new jets greatly reduced their effectiveness.
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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. Many had dozens of aerial victories; some had over 100.
Cold and clear weather was predicted for the last week of February 1944. 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 . 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. $(".fancybox-caption__body").removeClass("half");
Spaatz defined to Gen. George C. Marshall and Secretary of War Henry Stimson the strategy of tactical air forces augmenting and protecting ground forces while strategic air forces bombed industry and infrastructure. Beginning on October 8 and continuing until October 14, Eighth Air Force crews attacked targets all over Germany in an attempt to continue the pressure on the Germans. Eighth Air Force was established as VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and activated at Langley Field, Virginia on 1 February.
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Luftwaffe airfields that were identified as jet and rocket bases, such as Parchim and Bad Zwischenahn, were frequently bombed, and Allied fighters patrolled over the fields to attack jets trying to land. The VIII Bomber Command launched its first raid in North-western Europe on 4 July 1942, when six RAF Douglas A-20 Havocs flown by crews of the 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) (accompanied by another six Bostons from the more experienced No. [12], Eighth Air Force's mission in the Pacific was initially to organize and train new bomber groups for combat against Japan. if (detailSize === "half") {
The original Eighth Air Force was redesignated as the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF). Major General Mark E. Weatherington assumed command of 8th Air Force on 12 June 2020. General Robert Travis, aerial commander of the mission, made the decision to circle the target and wait for the clouds to move. });
1 September: At 4:40am the Luftwaffe starts World War II with the terror bombing of the Polish city of Wielu. However, the Luftwaffe was successful in shooting down 46 bombers in a very unequal fight.[10]. Arlington, VA 22201 The first combat group of VIII Bomber Command to arrive in the United Kingdom was the ground echelon of the 97th Bombardment Group, which arrived at RAF Polebrook and RAF Grafton Underwood on 9 June 1942. On 22 February 1944, a massive reorganization of American airpower took place in Europe. PLEASE SUPPORT THE 8AF.ORG PROJECT! The 94th Bomb Group flew 324 missions in 8,884 sorties from 13 May 1943 to 21 April 1945 and dropped 18,924 tons of bomb while losing 153 aircraft MIA. Phone: 703-584-1501. 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 against Iraq, which featured the B-1B in its combat debut, and 1999 Operation ALLIED FORCE against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which involved the B-2A Spirit in its first combat. let debounceTimer;
The 100th Bomb Group lost 17 of 19 deployed. Fighters from both Eighth and Ninth Air Forces made wide sweeps over the area, mounting strafing missions at airfields and rail networks. This mission, the largest wartime raid on Berlin, was intended to support the Russian advance by attacking rail stations and tank factories in the city. Beginning on October 8 and continuing until October 14, Eighth Air Force crews attacked targets all over Germany in an attempt to continue the pressure on the Germans. By 1945, all but one of the Eighth Air Force fighter groups were equipped with the P-51D. if (/(android|bb\d+|meego).+mobile|avantgo|bada\/|blackberry|blazer|compal|elaine|fennec|hiptop|iemobile|ip(hone|od)|ipad|iris|kindle|Android|Silk|lge |maemo|midp|mmp|netfront|opera m(ob|in)i|palm( os)?|phone|p(ixi|re)\/|plucker|pocket|psp|series(4|6)0|symbian|treo|up\. The next day proved to be an even longer day, followed by another, and another. On 7 April 1945, the Luftwaffe flew its most desperate and deadliest mission, with the dedicated aerial ramming unit Sonderkommando Elbe. During World War II, Eighth Air Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting organization. Over 60 Luftwaffe fighters were shot down with a loss of 19 US bombers and 5 US fighters. An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. 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. isMobile = true;
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8th Air Force The 8th AF was primarily engaged in the bombardment of strategic targets in Europe. debounceTimer = null;
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The 8th Air Force motto is "Peace Through Strength. isDesktopInit = false;
Navigators on H2X-equipped B-17s and B-24s of the U.S. Army Air Forces used radar charts like this one. Tested by the developer himself, Mayer found the tactic worked exceedingly well.
However, it was believed that a strong strategic air arm equipped with B-29s would deter a possible aggressor from attacking the United States for fear of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons. 'SHOW PHOTO DETAILS
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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 October 8, they did not peel away. January 28, 1942: The Mighty 8th Air Force Allied forces activate the VIII Bomber Command, the first operational element of the 8th Air Force, to coordinate and lead the air attack on. 29 Apr 2023 22:23:59 It was the largest of the deployed combat Army Air Forces in numbers of personnel, aircraft, and equipment. '
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Its last assignment was with Far East Air Forces at Nagoya, Japan, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1948. Plans for the invasion of North Africa, known as Operation Torch, distracted from the effort. B-17s flown by the Eighth saw some of the fiercest combat of the war. During the week prior to Black Thursday, the Eighth Air Force lost nearly 90 bombers on three missions. American military aviation and its policy on strategic airpower was well developed and became the basis for evaluating the air war in Europe from 1939 to 1941. The enemy fighters, so determined in their mission to deter the B-17s, remained in attack mode over the flak field and flew through their own anti-aircraft fire in order to deliver their assaults. Less than a week after "Big Week", Eighth Air Force made its first attack on the Reich's capital, Berlin. getDownloadURL($(this).parent()) +
The Eighth Air Force includes the heart of America's heavy bomber force: the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the Rockwell B-1 Lancer supersonic bomber, and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber aircraft. United States Air Force. On 6 June 1944 itself, the Group bombed coastal defences before the landings. Practice was another. 1st Lt William R. Lawley, Jr. and 1st Lt Edward S. Michael, pilots in the 364th Bomb $(".fancy-photo-detail-link").html($(".fancy-photo-detail-link").html().replace("CLOSE", "SHOW"));
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.