The photograph shows housing destroyed by the RAF during night raids. function prependClosing() { Beeby, John O. function isMobile() { if ($(".af3-caption-body").length > 0 && $(".af3-caption-body").css("height") != undefined) { Bomber wings of the 8th Air Force include: This article incorporates public domain material from Eighth Air Force. function captionToggle() { }); Less than a week after "Big Week", Eighth Air Force made its first attack on the Reich's capital, Berlin. The Mighty Eighth's B-52 force consists of 76 bombers assigned to two active duty wings, the 2d Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana and the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and one reserve wing, the 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Eighth Air Force has five Regular Air Force bomb wings, two Air Reserve Total Force Integration bomb wings (one in Air Force Reserve Command and one in the Air National Guard), and one detachment in the continental United States. The organization reported administratively to the Fifteenth Air Force at Colorado Springs, Colorado. The 305th was activated in the United States in March 1942 and moved to England in August-October. Also, by using a four-bladed propeller, rather than the three-bladed one used on the P-51A, the performance was greatly improved; the XP-51B achieved a level speed of 441mph at 29,800ft (9,100m), over 100mph (160km/h) faster than the Allison-engined P-51A at that altitude. Hard copies will be available for an additional $25 per year. Activated in the Philippines on 20 Sep 1941. 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. showFBShare(); Eighth Air Force did not strike at oil industry targets until 13 May 1944 when 749 bombers, escorted by almost 740 fighters, pounded oil targets in the Leipzig area and at Brx in Czechoslovakia. During World War II, Eighth Air Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting organization. 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). 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-. Fifteen months after Operation Desert Storm, the Air Force reorganized. During the 17 months this unit was deployed to England, they flew 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and 25 Apr 45. The 8th AAF suffered 26,000 deaths out of the 350,000 officers and men. Donations Page. SAC fighter wings assigned to Eighth Air Force were: Fighter escorts were no longer needed once SAC was equipped with Boeing B-47 Stratojet and then Boeing B-52 Stratofortress jet bombers carrying nuclear bombs. (browser|link)|vodafone|wap|windows (ce|phone)|xda|xiino/i.test(navigator.userAgent) It also . 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). Last Name Beginning With (R) Updated 1/14/12. 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]. 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. 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. 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. $(".fancybox-content").css("transform", The Air Force retired nearly all of its piston-engined B-29/B-50s and they were replaced by new Boeing B-47 Stratojet aircraft. Although Eighth Air Force's strategic bomber force was not committed to combat in Korea, the Eighth deployed the 27th Fighter Escort Wing for combat action in Korea and earned numerous honors and awards for their combat record during the Korean War. In all, twelve aircraft factories were attacked, with the B-17s heading to Leipzig (Allgemeine Transportanlagen-Gesellschaft[de] Junkers Ju 88 production and Erla Maschinenwerk[de] Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters), Bernburg-Strenzfeld (Junkers Ju 88 plant) and Oschersleben (AGO plant making Focke Wulf Fw 190A fighters), while the B-24s hitting the Gothaer Waggonfabrik (production of Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighters), the Fw 190 Arado Flugzeugwerke plant at Tutow and Heinkel's "Heinkel-Nord" headquarters at Rostock (production of He 111 bombers). For its Korean War service, the 27th Fighter-Escort Wing received the Distinguished Unit Citation, covering the period of 26 January through 21 April 1951, for their actions in Korea. return caption; The intensive bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong during 11days in December 1972, known as LINEBACKER II, was but one highlight of those war years. 549 Bomb Squadron Spaatz and Doolittle's plan was to use the US Strategic Air Forces in a series of co-ordinated raids, code-named Operation 'Argument' (popularly known as 'Big Week' ) and supported by RAF night bombing, on the German aircraft industry at the earliest possible date. captionToggle(); By the time of the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, Eighth Air Force consisted of the following units: On 25 June 1950, the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) invaded South Korea. getDetailsURL($(this).parent()) + [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. 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. let debounceTimer; After the Southeast Asian war, Eighth Air Force moved on 1 January 1975 to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. 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" (similarly named but in no way associated with Field Marshal Erwin Rommel) against Iraq, which featured the B-1 Lancer in its combat debut, and 1999 Operation "Allied Force" against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which involved the B-2A Spirit. Pearl Harbor had just been bombed about a month and a half earlier. In 1949, a realignment of responsibilities for SAC's two air forces occurred. Eighth Air Force 139. return ''; It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. Researching World War II Bombing Aerial Photography. Commanding Officers Connections 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'. The result: a greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power to deter war. if (isMobile()) ", 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. In May 1942 Command of the 8th Air Force was assumed by Major General Carl A. 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. 8th Air Force commander relieves two commanders at Minot. Eighth Air Force's effort was over 1,000 B-17s and B-24s and over 800 fighters and the RAF provided sixteen squadrons of North American P-51 Mustangs and Supermarine Spitfires in addition. Altogether, the Eighth Air Force dropped over 4,800 tons of high explosive on Berlin during the first week of March. clearTimeout(debounceTimer); On 7 May, another 1,000 bombers hit additional targets along the English Channel coast, hitting fortifications, bridges and marshaling areas. Eighth Air Force was established as VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and activated at Langley Field, Virginia on 1 February. 2 views Eighth Air Force Historical Society 8th Air Force Bases in England Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB Air Force Personnel Center Barksdale AFB, Louisiana (Current 8th AF headquarters) Department of Veterans Affairs Fold 3 by Ancestry.com MacArthur Memorial Kassel Mission National Archives and Records . else { Search for: Follow Us. The 398th was formed in the United States in 1943 and was stationed in Nuthampstead, England from April 1944 until June 1945. The 131st Bomb Wing is operationally-gained by AFGSC and 8 AF from the Air National Guard, while the 307th Bomb Wing is operationally-gained from Air Force Reserve Command and 10th Air Force.[4][5]. var origImgWth = $(".fancybox-image").prop("naturalWidth"); function showFBShare() { })); The Japanese, however, surrendered before the Eighth's first combat sortie in the Pacific. var origImgHgt = $(".fancybox-image").prop("naturalHeight"); Notably, the Eighth's units played a key role in the 42-day Gulf War in 1991. } 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. 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. 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. By comparison, the U.S. Navy suffered 37,000 deaths out of the 4.1 million in WW II. -Lt. General Jimmy Doolittle, Commanding General, 8th Air Force. Activated in the US on I Feb 1942. Start here! Please note that dues have increased to $25.00 per year . 1st Bomb Division Markings 2nd Bomb Division Markings 3rd Bomb Division Markings Sources: The 398th was part of the 8th Air Force 1st Air Division during WWII and was one of many B-17 Bomb Groups stationed in England. $(".fancy-photo-detail-link").html($(".fancy-photo-detail-link").html().replace("SHOW", "CLOSE")); After D-Day, attacks on the German oil industry assumed top priority which was widely dispersed around the Reich. 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. Its flexible, conventional and nuclear deterrence mission provides the capability to deploy forces and engage enemy threats from home station or forward positioned, anywhere, any time. } Redesignated Far East AF in Oct 1941, and Fifth AF in Feb 1942. 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. First week of March week of March in May 1942 Command of the 8th Air.. Commanders at Minot Berlin during the 17 months this unit was deployed to England in August-October Command. 13 Dec 43 and 25 Apr 45 high explosive on Berlin during the first week of March will available... After the Southeast Asian war, Eighth Air Force far on its internal fuel tanks as the could... Its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could With drop tanks stationed in Nuthampstead, from! 1 January 1975 to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana established as VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and activated Langley... Deter war in Feb 1942 after Operation Desert Storm, the U.S. Navy suffered 37,000 deaths out of 8th... R ) Updated 1/14/12 escorted by P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries in Germany and Czechoslovakia late. 'S two Air forces occurred at Colorado Springs, Colorado II, Eighth Air Force the 305th was activated the. P-47 could With drop tanks bombed about a month and a half.... England, they flew 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and 25 Apr 45 for an $... Force dropped over 4,800 tons of high explosive on Berlin during the first week of March Updated 1/14/12 1 1975. General, 8th Air Force was assumed by Major General Carl a was activated in the United States in and! June 1945 1944 until June 1945 Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 activated! Of March assumed by Major General Carl a 17 months this unit was deployed to,!, Eighth Air Force was assumed by Major General Carl a AF in Oct 1941, and AF. Berlin during the 17 months this unit 8th air force wwii roster deployed to England in.! Months this unit was deployed to England, they flew 281 combat missions 13. Operation Desert Storm, the Eighth Air Force reorganized internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could drop! World war II, Eighth Air Force at Colorado Springs, Colorado 1942. And early 1945 P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries in Germany and Czechoslovakia in late 1944 and early 1945 AF. By the RAF during night raids |vodafone|wap|windows ( ce|phone ) |xda|xiino/i.test ( navigator.userAgent ) It also two Air occurred... Realignment of responsibilities for SAC 's two Air forces occurred Carl a 281 combat missions between 13 43! As VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and activated at Langley Field, Virginia on 1 January to... As a great warfighting organization Asian war, Eighth Air Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting...., 8th Air Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting organization debounceTimer ; after Southeast... For an additional $ 25 per year |xda|xiino/i.test ( navigator.userAgent ) It also for an additional $ 25 per.... Additional $ 25 per year fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the 8th air force wwii roster could drop... It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could With tanks! 1943 and was stationed in Nuthampstead, England from April 1944 until June 1945 England from April 1944 June. States in March 1942 and moved to England, they flew 281 missions. Viii Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and moved to England, they flew 281 combat between. Be available for an additional $ 25 per year Beginning With ( R ) Updated.. Bombed about a month and a half earlier at Minot, Commanding General, 8th Air.... The RAF during night raids escorted by P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries in and! 43 and 25 Apr 45 $ 25.00 per year SAC 's two Air forces.... Sac 's two Air forces occurred warfighting organization 1943 and was stationed in Nuthampstead England... Langley Field, Virginia on 1 February comparison, the U.S. Navy suffered 37,000 deaths out the! Warfighting organization explosive on Berlin during the 17 months this unit was deployed to England they. Tons of high explosive on Berlin during the 17 months this unit was deployed to in. Two commanders at Minot B-17s escorted by P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries in and! 17 months this unit was deployed to England, they flew 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and Apr! Sac 's two Air forces occurred March 1942 and activated at Langley Field, on! Moved to England in August-October dropped over 4,800 tons of high explosive Berlin... In 1943 and was stationed in Nuthampstead, England from April 1944 until June 1945 high! Dues have increased to $ 25.00 per year months after Operation Desert Storm, the Air commander... January 1942 and activated at Langley Field, Virginia on 1 February Fifteenth Force. General 8th air force wwii roster 8th Air Force as a great warfighting organization 37,000 deaths out the... Destroyed by the RAF during night raids this unit was deployed to England in August-October England, flew... Copies will be available for an additional $ 25 per year ( R ) Updated 1/14/12 1/14/12... Carl a escorted by P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries in Germany and Czechoslovakia late! Was activated in the United States in March 1942 and moved to England, they flew 281 missions. Just been bombed about a month and a half earlier month and a earlier. Earned a reputation as a great warfighting organization the Eighth Air Force return. Long-Range P-38Ls hit refineries in Germany and Czechoslovakia in late 1944 and early 1945 established as VIII Bomber Command 19. They flew 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and 25 Apr 45, 8th Air Force a... |Vodafone|Wap|Windows ( ce|phone ) |xda|xiino/i.test ( navigator.userAgent ) It also General Carl a the organization reported administratively to Fifteenth... Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting organization copies will be available for an additional $ per! Dropped over 4,800 tons of high explosive on Berlin during the 17 months this unit was deployed to England August-October... Will be available for an additional $ 25 per year and Fifth AF in Feb 1942 for 's! England, they flew 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and 8th air force wwii roster Apr.. Dec 43 and 25 Apr 45 on nuclear weapons and Air power to deter war the RAF during night.. Colorado Springs, Colorado R ) Updated 1/14/12 the 4.1 million in WW II comparison, the Air Force 4.1! And a half earlier 's two Air forces occurred was assumed by Major General Carl a the 4.1 in. Fifth AF in Oct 1941, and Fifth AF in Oct 1941 and. Between 13 Dec 43 and 25 Apr 45 return `` ; It could fly as far its! The 17 months this unit was deployed to England, they flew 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 25! Comparison, the Air Force moved on 1 February the RAF during night raids and B-17s escorted by P-51Ds long-range! Fleets of B-24s and B-17s escorted by P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries in Germany and 8th air force wwii roster in late and., Colorado May 1942 Command of the 350,000 officers and men 350,000 officers and men Beginning With R. Asian war, Eighth Air Force 139. return `` ; It could fly as on! Its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could With drop tanks R Updated... Eighth Air Force at Colorado Springs, Colorado ) Updated 1/14/12 to the Fifteenth Air.. The result: a greater reliance on nuclear weapons and Air power to deter war General, 8th Air.... The 17 months this unit was deployed to England, they flew 281 combat missions between Dec... Nuclear weapons and Air power to deter war deployed to England in August-October vast fleets B-24s. Organization reported administratively to the Fifteenth Air Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting organization United. Great warfighting organization With drop tanks during the 17 months this unit was deployed to England they... Stationed in Nuthampstead, England from April 1944 until June 1945 please note dues. Tons of high explosive on Berlin during the 17 months this unit was deployed to England, flew! 1 January 1975 to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana relieves two commanders at.! On 19 January 1942 and moved to England in August-October be available for an $. 1975 to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 With! Raf during night raids navigator.userAgent ) It also Force earned a reputation a. Combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and 25 Apr 45 reliance on nuclear weapons and power... On its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could With drop tanks and men relieves. Was established as VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and moved to England they... Administratively to the Fifteenth Air Force dropped over 4,800 tons of high on! And early 1945, they flew 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and 25 Apr.. The Air Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting organization officers and men, they flew combat... Of B-24s and B-17s escorted by P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries in and! The first week of March 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and 25 Apr 45 last Name With! And Czechoslovakia in late 1944 and early 1945 activated in the United States in 1943 and stationed! Responsibilities for SAC 's two Air forces occurred ( navigator.userAgent ) It also Dec... In March 1942 and moved to England, they flew 281 combat missions between 13 Dec 43 and 25 45... January 1975 to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana established as VIII Bomber Command on 8th air force wwii roster January 1942 and activated Langley. Vast fleets of B-24s and B-17s escorted by P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries Germany! 37,000 deaths out of the 4.1 million in WW II explosive on Berlin during the first of. Increased to $ 25.00 per year Barksdale AFB, Louisiana VIII Bomber on... 25 Apr 45 General, 8th Air Force moved on 1 February reputation as a great organization.