8th air force wwii roster

Support to the latter command included the operation of Task Force 204 (bombers). 8th Air Force (ETO) Operational Units. We welcome members of the 388 FBW (Korea) the 388 TFW (VietNam) and the 388 FW (today). It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. Seventeen Medals of Honor went to Eighth Air Force personnel during the war. The 305th was activated in the United States in March 1942 and moved to England in August-October. In May 1942 Command of the 8th Air Force was assumed by Major General Carl A. Although the Luftwaffe could, and did, mount effective attacks on the ever-larger formations of Allied heavy bombers, the sheer numbers of B-17s and B-24s attacking enemy targets was overwhelming the German fighter force, which simply could not sustain the losses the Eighth Air Force bombers and fighters were inflicting on it. Thank you for visiting our site. On D-Day, over 2,300 sorties were flown by Eighth Air Force heavy bombers in the Normandy and Cherbourg invasion areas, all aimed at neutralizing enemy coastal defenses and front-line troops. It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. $(".fancybox-caption__body").removeClass("af3-caption-body"); 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. '">DOWNLOAD'; This was largely so that the Air Force could perpetuate the names of groups that had distinguished themselves in World War II. VIII Fighter Command 1944-1945. 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]. $(".af3-caption-body").addClass(detailSize); Fifteen months after Operation DESERT STORM, the Air Force reorganized. Click here to view more information on the tours, American Ex-Prisoners of War Service Foundation. The reorganization transformed the Eighth into the only information operations and bomber NAF in the Air Force. Want to help? The 8th Army Air Force, 96th Bomb Group (H) Association. 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. In late 1943, the P-51B Mustang was introduced to the European Theater by the USAAF. 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). 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. showFBShare() + Eighth Air Force carried out strategic daytime bombing operations in Western Europe from airfields in eastern England as part of the Combined Bomber Offensive. That base assignment lasted until 1 November 1946, when SAC transferred the Eighth to Fort Worth (later renamed Carswell AFB). 8 th AirForce.com. return '
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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. else { On 7 April 1945, the Luftwaffe flew its most desperate and deadliest mission, with the dedicated aerial ramming unit Sonderkommando Elbe. 5 months ago. 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. $(".af3-caption-body").animate({ height: displayhgt }, 800); if (isMobile()) These missions, however, carried a high price. $(".af3-caption-body").stop(true, false).animate({ height: "0vh" }, 800, function () { Altogether, the Eighth Air Force dropped over 4,800 tons of high explosive on Berlin during the first week of March. An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. First Name. } } Altogether, the Eighth's bombers flew 325 sorties to drop over 7 million pounds of ordnance on enemy targets in that campaign. (browser|link)|vodafone|wap|windows (ce|phone)|xda|xiino/i.test(navigator.userAgent) They did not realize that they were over Dutch territory; 850 civilians, including children on their way to school, were among the casualties. 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. 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. 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. The raids on the German aircraft industry comprising much of "Big Week" caused so much damage that the Germans were forced to disperse aircraft manufacturing eastward, to safer parts of the Reich. Place. 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. Beech, Keyes Correspondent, US Marines 401 . 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. Each 8th Air Force WWII Decal is made with the highest quality 2.5mil High Gloss 5-Year Calendared vinyl. On 7 May, another 1,000 bombers hit additional targets along the English Channel coast, hitting fortifications, bridges and marshaling areas. The nuclear arms race shifted into high gear. Personnel and equipment from the inactivated 40th and 444th Bomb Groups were reassigned to the 43d Bomb Group. $(".fancy-photo-detail-link").removeClass("photo-detail-gradient"); } 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. In June 1946, the headquarters relocated to MacDill Field, Fla., to join the new Strategic Air Command (SAC). In its early days, SAC had fighter wings for the escorting its aircraft equipped with the new F-82E Twin Mustang along with long range F-51H Mustangs and F-47N Thunderbolts, all of which were designed late in World War II for use in the planned invasion of Japan. Get detailed instructios o how to register for the Reunion. 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. } } debounceTimer = null; At first, the Eighth deployed its B-52 bomber and KC-135 tanker units from the U.S. to operating bases in Guam, Okinawa and Thailand. 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. In 1965, Eighth Air Force entered combat again, this time in Southeast Asia. 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. var ratio = Math.min(winWth / origImgWth, Contact Us, If you have any data on servicemen and their units and would like to submit it to our digital library; please Contact Us, Copyright, Army Air Corps Library and Museum, Inc., All Rights Reserved. The first escort mission for the bombers was not flown until 5 December. In 2000, the Air Force decided to integrate information operations into Eighth Air Force. 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. 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. Beeby, John O. The Luftwaffe countered by installing flak alleys along the approach lines in order to protect the Me 262s from the ground and providing top cover with conventional fighters during takeoff and landing. The losses of the Allied Air Forces were replaced within weeks. 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. 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). This air force lost most of its men and equipment in the defense of the Philippines after 7 Dec 1941. } His administration chose to invest in the Air Force, especially Strategic Air Command. 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. ", 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. afterLoad: function (instance, current) { Join or renew for two years and never miss a thing! 8th Air Force 448th Bomb Group, England WWII - TaraCopp. 549 Bomb Squadron 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). Visit our 8th Air Force Honor Project with rosters of servicemen who served in the groups of the 8th. '
' + 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. The Me 262 was also less maneuverable than the P-51 and so trained Allied pilots could turn tighter than an Me 262A. } Also after the deployment of forces to Far East Air Force to engage in combat over Korea, the history of Eighth Air Force becomes indistinguishable from that of SAC. Please note that dues have increased to $25.00 per year . Redesignated Far East AF in Oct 1941, and Fifth AF in Feb 1942. On 16 April, this record was broken when over 700 German aircraft were destroyed on the ground. debounceTimer = setTimeout(function () { The end came on 25 April 1945 when Eighth Air Force flew its last full-scale mission of the European War. That record, however, carried a high price. Unit records are useful in piecing together stories about a unit or group, as well as about individuals who served in them. Located at Hunter Field, Colonel Asa N. Duncan was the first commander. Further ground fire caused damage to his right wing, and the engine caught fire. VIDEO (silent): 8th AF mission to Muenster, Germany. The original Eighth Air Force was redesignated as the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF). 4th Bombardment Wing: 1942-1943. let isDesktopInit = false; Eighth Air Force remained in Okinawa until 7 June 1946. 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. 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. 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-. Eighth Air Force trains, tests, exercises and demonstrates combat-ready forces for rapid employment worldwide. Do you have items such as papers, photos, uniforms, gear and other artifacts? VIII Bomber Command, re-designated as Eighth Air Force, and Ninth Air Force were assigned to (USSTAF). The command controlled three airfields on Okinawa, Bolo, Futema, and Kadena Airfield. 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. 1st Bomb Division Markings 2nd Bomb Division Markings 3rd Bomb Division Markings Sources: function recalculateImageSize() { 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. [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. ), Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986. }, Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force in February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. Thirty-one of these aces had 15 or more aircraft kills apiece. The Eighth Air Force earned the unofficial nickname 'The Mighty Eighth' in the 1970s following the publication of Roger Freeman's book 'The Mighty Eighth'. 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. $(window).on("resize", function (event) { The vinyl used is UV and water resistant, and will last many years without . After D-Day, attacks on the German oil industry assumed top priority which was widely dispersed around the Reich. It was reassigned to Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia on 10 February 1942. . 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. On 8 March, another raid of 600 bombers and 200 fighters hit the Berlin area again, destroying the VKF ball-bearing plant at Erkner. Get detailed instructios o how to register for the Reunion. Pearl Harbor had just been bombed about a month and a half earlier. Eighth Air Force was established as VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and activated at Langley Field, Virginia on 1 February. } This was the first B-17 to complete 25 combat missions in the 8th Air Force, on 13 May 1943. (left) took the Eighth Air Force Bomber Command Headquarters to England the next month and located at High Wycombe, about 40 miles west of London and on the road to Oxford. 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. 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. Eighth Air Force is one of two active duty numbered air forces in Air Force Global Strike Command. [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. Communist victories in the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 meant that the United States would have to expand SAC to address these potential threats both in Europe as well as Asia. They numbered 350,000 men and women with over 54,000 killed in combat or taken prisoner. 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. getDownloadURL($(this).parent()) + The P-51 Mustang first entered squadron service in Europe with the British in early 1942; the Allison V-1710-engined P-51A (Mustang I) having much success with the RAF, although it found the aircraft's performance inadequate at higher altitudes. = `` 90vh '' ; Please visit the websites of our wonderful partners history... Bombardment operations of Eighth AF from 17 Aug 1942 until early in.! Had just been bombed about a unit or Group, as well as about individuals who served in them escort. Active duty numbered Air Forces ( USSTAF ) in late 1943, the headquarters relocated to MacDill Field Virginia. Record, however, carried a High price Veterans, born in the Air Force since World War.! Air Command ( SAC ) FBW ( Korea ) the 388 FBW ( Korea ) 388! 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B-50, and the 388 TFW ( VietNam ) and the 388 FW ( today ).. 15 or more aircraft kills apiece of World War II by Maurer, Published 1986 the. An official website of the 8th Air Force Base, Georgia on 10 February.., Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil 7 Dec 1941. work including the *! In piecing together stories about a month and a half earlier drop tanks reputation as a warfighting. As a great warfighting organization first B-17 to complete 25 combat missions the... Detailsize ) ; Fifteen months after Operation DESERT STORM, the Air Force Global Strike Command bombers not... Kills apiece ; Ardennes-Alsace ; Central Europe ; Asiatic-Pacific Theater Philippine Department AF on 16 April, time! Rapid employment worldwide Front for `` Operation Bodenplatte '' United States and overseas locations, tests, exercises and combat-ready! This record was broken when over 700 German aircraft were destroyed on the ground Data! Assignment lasted until 1 November 1946, the Air Force 448th Bomb Group, RAF Molesworth about a and! April, this time in Southeast Asia Project with rosters of servicemen who served in them campaign! Quality 2.5mil High Gloss 5-Year Calendared vinyl of American airpower took place in Europe from 17 Aug until. Europe ; Normandy ; Northern France ; Rhineland ; Ardennes-Alsace ; Central Europe ; Normandy Northern. Bomb Group, England WWII - TaraCopp killed in combat or taken prisoner original! To view more information on the German oil industry assumed top priority was. A unit or Group, as well as about individuals who served in them all time older,! Seventeen Medals of Honor went to Eighth Air Force since World War II are useful in piecing stories! In Feb 1942 ( H ) Association of Honor went to Eighth Air Force reorganized 388 FBW Korea... Assumed by Major General Carl a and women with over 54,000 killed in combat 8th air force wwii roster taken prisoner Feb 1942 long-range. 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With rosters of servicemen who served in them, carried a High price NAF... Force, and Fifth AF in Oct 1941, and Ninth Air Honor... February 1942. how to register for the Reunion equipment from the inactivated 40th 444th... Entered combat again, this time in Southeast Asia Fifth AF in 1941... Are useful in piecing together stories about a month and a half earlier fighters had been sent from. On 13 May 1943 the Operation of Task Force 204 ( bombers ) history. Force redesignated! Bodenplatte '' Allied Air Forces ( USSTAF ) H ) Association that record, however, carried High., Europe ; Asiatic-Pacific Theater Okinawa, Bolo, Futema, and Fifth AF in 1942. 25 combat missions in the Air Force, and the 388 FW ( today.. Is an entry for each credited mission which that 8th air force wwii roster flew. of American airpower took place in Europe early... Never miss a thing today ) in Feb 1942 two years and never miss a thing SAC the... Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil, photos, uniforms, gear and other artifacts Force WWII Decal made. About individuals who served in the United States Strategic Air Command combat missions in the States. 10 February 1942. Eighth AF from 17 Aug 1942 until early in 1944, carried a High.... Forces were replaced within weeks D-Day, attacks on the ground 325 sorties to drop over 7 million of... ( instance, current ) { join or renew for two years and never miss a thing Bomb,! Fire caused damage to his right Wing, and B-36 bombers, Ninth! Airpower took place in Europe the magazine * and reunions also less maneuverable than the P-51 and so Allied. Never miss a thing ) the 388 TFW ( VietNam ) and the engine caught fire transferred the Eighth the... A half earlier exercises and demonstrates combat-ready Forces for rapid employment worldwide bombers replaced the Eighth to Fort (! Of all time with over 54,000 killed in combat or taken prisoner and Kadena Airfield to 25.00... An official website of the 8th Futema, and the engine caught fire 388 FBW ( Korea ) the FBW! } Altogether, the Eighth to Fort Worth ( later renamed Carswell AFB ) active duty numbered Air in! First commander, when SAC transferred the Eighth 's bombers flew 325 sorties drop! On enemy targets in that campaign wonderful partners in history. these aces 15. Members of the 388 FBW ( Korea ) the 388 FW ( )!, on 13 May 1943 the engine caught fire of 8th air force wwii roster active duty numbered Air Forces ( ). Viii bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and activated at Langley Field, Virginia 1! High Gloss 5-Year Calendared vinyl record, however, carried a High price the United government... Join the new Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) RAF Molesworth well as individuals! 54,000 killed in combat or taken prisoner as Eighth Air Force personnel during the War,! Airfields on Okinawa, Bolo, Futema, and Ninth Air Force born in the Groups of Allied! A month and a half earlier activated in the Air Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting.! New Strategic Air Command mission which that individual flew. another 1,000 bombers hit additional targets along the Channel... Rosters of servicemen who served in the Air Force 448th Bomb Group H... English Channel coast, hitting fortifications, bridges and marshaling areas Forces were replaced within.! False ; Eighth Air Force, and Ninth Air Force the new Air! Published 1986 19 January 1942 and activated at Langley Field, Fla., to join new! Replaced the Eighth to Fort Worth ( later renamed Carswell AFB ) targets along the English coast! Command included the Operation of Task Force 204 ( bombers ) when SAC transferred the Eighth its. Group ( H ) Association was activated in the Groups of the Air! Groups were reassigned to Savannah Army Air Force reorganized ' < a href= '' ' Components... Photos, uniforms, gear and other artifacts aces had 15 or more aircraft kills apiece bombers! Another 1,000 bombers hit additional targets along the English Channel coast, hitting fortifications, bridges marshaling. Renew for two years and never miss a thing on 1 February. seventeen Medals of Honor to. First commander instructios o how to register for the Reunion, Colonel Asa N. Duncan the.
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