let $this = $('[data-fancybox]').fancybox($.extend(true, {}, $.fancybox.defaults, { In 2000, the Air Force decided to integrate information operations into Eighth Air Force. The command conducted the heavy bombardment operations of Eighth AF from 17 Aug 1942 until early in 1944. afterLoad: function (instance, current) { Afterward, engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets in Europe. General Carl Spaatz returned to England to command the USSTAF. The result: a greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power to deter war. At Andersen AFB, the Eighth took over the direction of all bombing and refueling operations in Southeast Asia. Allied bomber escort fighters would fly high above the bombers diving from this height gave them extra speed, thus reducing the speed difference. Based in Parham, England, the 390th Bombardment Group (H) flew 301 combat missions against German military targets. } On 8 March, another raid of 600 bombers and 200 fighters hit the Berlin area again, destroying the VKF ball-bearing plant at Erkner. 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. In January 1945, the Luftwaffe attempted one last major air offensive against the Allied Air Forces. VIII Bomber Command, after redesignation as Eighth Air Force, was assigned VIII Fighter and VIII Air Support Commands under its command. INSIGNE. Two days later, on 23 January, the 27th FEW participated in the raid on Sinuju Airfield in North Korea and shot down four more MiG-15s. function getDownloadURL(fbObj) { 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. Units assigned to Eighth Air Force in the Pacific were: The atomic bombings of Japan led to the Japanese surrender before Eighth Air Force saw action in the Pacific theater. if (item.type === 'image') { ), Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986. On 7 May, another 1,000 bombers hit additional targets along the English Channel coast, hitting fortifications, bridges and marshaling areas. Men born between about 1877 and . Unit records are useful in piecing together stories about a unit or group, as well as about individuals who served in them. $(".fancybox-caption").addClass("af3-caption-bg"); // Animation complete. The operation failed to achieve air superiority, even temporarily, and the German Army continued to be exposed to air attack. recalculateImageSize(); On 22 February 1944, the Army reorganized its Air Forces in Europe by renaming Eighth Air Force as the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (now known as the United States Air Forces in Europe). Constituted as VIII Bomber Command on 19 Jan 1942. Although some personnel and combat units were assigned before V-J Day, the Eighth did not participate in combat against Japan. The losses of the Allied Air Forces were replaced within weeks. The Eighth's units played a key role in the 42-day Gulf War in 1991. Activated in the Philippines on 20 Sep 1941. Contact Us. Support to the latter command included the operation of Task Force 204 (bombers). Donations Page. }); 8th Air Force, 1st Wing, 1st Division The Ragged Irregulars. Each 8th Air Force WWII Decal is made with the highest quality 2.5mil High Gloss 5-Year Calendared vinyl. var newImgWth = (origImgWth * ratio); 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. Join the Society to help preserve the legacy of the veterans of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. In late 1943, the P-51B Mustang was introduced to the European Theater by the USAAF. From May 1942 to July 1945, the Eighth planned and precisely executed America's daylight strategic bombing campaign against Nazi-occupied Europe, and in doing so the organization compiled an impressive war record. if (isMobile()) The mission of "The Mighty Eighth" is to safeguard America's interests through strategic deterrence and global combat power. United States 8th Air Force, WWII Welcome to the 96th Bombardment Group(H) Station 138 - Snetterton, England. isDesktopInit = false; 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 carried out strategic daytime bombing operations in Western Europe from airfields in eastern England as part of the Combined Bomber Offensive. 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. Join or renew for two years and never miss a thing! The engine was to be the Packard V-1650-3, based on the Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk68. Last Name Beginning With (B) Updated 6/2/12. On 1 January, the entire German fighter force in the West, comprising combat aircraft from some eleven Jagdgeschwader day fighter wings, took off and attacked 27 Allied airfields in northern France, Belgium and the southern part of the Netherlands in an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries of Europe. This strategy fatally disabled the twin-engined Zerstrergeschwader heavy fighter wings and their replacement, single-engined Sturmgruppen of heavily armed Fw 190As, clearing each force of bomber destroyers in their turn from Germany's skies throughout most of 1944. 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. Eighth Air Force Bomb Group Tail Markings Prior to 13 September 1943 -- Several Groups were not yet assigned. Activated in the US on I Feb 1942. For two years, the wing remained in this status until the 58th Bomb Wing was inactivated on 16 October 1948. It was created from a. ROSTER OF AIRMEN. 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. During World War II, under the leadership of such Generals as Eaker and Jimmy Doolittle, the 8th AF became the greatest air armada in history. The 8th Air Force was targeted in this operation. return '