United States 8th Air Force, WWII Welcome to the 96th Bombardment Group(H) Station 138 - Snetterton, England. 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. Altogether, the Eighth Air Force dropped over 4,800 tons of high explosive on Berlin during the first week of March. Roster, J. T. 3rd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron 914 . var dstTop = Math.floor((winHgt - newImgHgt)) / 2;
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. The intensive bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong during 11 days in December 1972, known as Operation Linebacker II, was but one highlight of those war years. Under Air Force Global Strike Command since 1 Feb 2010, Eighth Air Force controls strategic bomber (e.g., B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress, and B-1 Lancer) forces throughout the United States and overseas locations. Fifteen Allied bombers were attacked, eight were successfully destroyed. 3d Air Division: 1943-1945. The right propeller of Kegelman's Boston was shot away by flak while over the target at De Kooy Airfield[7][self-published source?] 8th Air Force (ETO) Operational Units. 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. 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. 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.). By war's end, they had been awarded a number of other medals to include 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, and 442,000 Air Medals. Our Society is one of many organizations across the country that honor and preserve the legacy of the Mighty Eighth. 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. 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. [citation needed]. Even so, the "pathfinder" bombers of the RAF Alconbury-based 482d Bomb Group proved very capable of finding the targets and guiding the bombers to them. 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. 226 Squadron RAF) commanded by Captain Charles C. Kegelman attacked four airfields[b] in the Netherlands. We need help with transcribing data. It was reassigned to Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia on 10 February 1942. $(".fancy-photo-detail-link").removeClass("photo-detail-gradient");
These Veterans, born in the 1920s and before, were members of the greatest air armada of all time. }
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By the time of the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, Eighth Air Force consisted of the following units: On 25 June 1950, the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) invaded South Korea. 316th Bombardment Wing: 1945- 1946. [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. 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. Eighth Air Force controls long-range nuclear-capable bomber assets throughout the United States and overseas locations. }
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One of the main benefits of membership in the Society is our Magazine, the 8th AF News. Join or renew for two years and never miss a thing! ", 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. (Heavy Bombers) and as an historical record of events that took place in Europe during World War II. 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. Official homepage of the 385th bomb group association. function getDownloadURL(fbObj) {
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. Rudder, James E. 2nd Ranger Battalion; 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division 53; 243; 384; 476; 557 . else {
At Andersen AFB, the Eighth took over the direction of all bombing and refueling operations in Southeast Asia. They numbered 350,000 men and women with over 54,000 killed in combat or taken prisoner. function prependClosing() {
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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. 'Tooey' Spaatz (right). }
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Many more awards were made to Eighth Air Force veterans after the war that remain uncounted. 445BG. 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. return '
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Fifteen months after Operation DESERT STORM, the Air Force reorganized. That same day, the VIII BC became Eighth Air Force. function getDetailsURL(fbObj) {
In addition, German airfields in France and Belgium were attacked. 41-24577) of the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, RAF Molesworth. [12], Eighth Air Force's mission in the Pacific was initially to organize and train new bomber groups for combat against Japan. At the same time, a smaller force hit an Fw 190 repair depot at Zwickau. During World War II, Eighth Air Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting organization.
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 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. Altogether, the Eighth's bombers flew 325 sorties to drop over 7 million pounds of ordnance on a nation slightly smaller than the state of Colorado. [citation needed]. The 8th Air Force was targeted in this operation. In 2000, the Air Force decided to integrate information operations into Eighth Air Force. 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. },
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. // Animation complete. That base assignment lasted until 1 November 1946, when SAC transferred the Eighth to Fort Worth (later renamed Carswell AFB). We welcome members of the 388 FBW (Korea) the 388 TFW (VietNam) and the 388 FW (today). 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]. closeDetails();
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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. $(".base-caption-info").addClass("full-height");
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4th Bombardment Wing: 1942-1943. 2d Air Division: 1943-1945.
Over 950 fighters had been sent west from the Eastern Front for "Operation Bodenplatte". Eighth Air Force is one of two active duty numbered air forces in Air Force Global Strike Command. The original Eighth Air Force was redesignated as the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF). Our research database contains information on Bomber, Fighter and Service Groups, their Bases both in England and the United States, Daily Missions and Targets throughout Europe. var dstLeft = Math.floor((winWth - newImgWth)) / 2;
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Bomber wings of the 8th Air Force include: This article incorporates public domain material from Eighth Air Force.
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. Divisions, Wings & Groups Activated in the US on I Feb 1942. The 8th AF was primarily engaged in the bombardment of strategic targets in Europe. Some 230 B-24s hit the Messerschmitt Bf 110 assembly plant at Gotha with a loss of 24 aircraft. U.S. Military Personnel that Served in WWII. With the end of fighting in Korea, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had taken office in January 1953, called for a "new look" at national defense. In a prelude to the invasion of France, American air attacks began in February 1944 against railroad junctions, airfields, ports and bridges in northern France and along the English Channel coastline. The command serves as Air Forces Strategic Global Strike, one of the air components of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). $(".fancybox-button").css("display", "block");
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They did not realize that they were over Dutch territory; 850 civilians, including children on their way to school, were among the casualties. Personnel and group records to digital. The integration process started on 1 February 2001, when the Air Force realigned the Air Intelligence Agency (AIA) under ACC and assigned the 67th Information Operations Wing and the 70th Intelligence Wing to the Eighth. },
On 2 March, when Eighth Air Force bombers were dispatched to attack the synthetic oil refineries at Leipzig, Messerschmitt Me 262As attacked the formation near Dresden. if (isMobile())
Personnel and equipment from the inactivated 40th and 444th Bomb Groups were reassigned to the 43d Bomb Group. 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.
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. For this reason, Eighth Air Force is commonly known as the "Mighty Eighth." }
Another 305 enlisted gunners were also recognized as aces. showFBShare();
The Me 262 was also less maneuverable than the P-51 and so trained Allied pilots could turn tighter than an Me 262A. Moved to England in Oct 1943 to become the tactical air force for the invasion of the Continent. 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. Components: 1st Bombardment Wing: 1942-1943. Please visit the websites of our wonderful partners in history. $(window).on("resize", function (event) {
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