8th air force wwii roster

By 1945, all but one of the Eighth Air Force fighter groups were equipped with the P-51D. Click here to view more information on the tours, American Ex-Prisoners of War Service Foundation. getDownloadURL($(this).parent()) + Eighth Air Force also provides conventional forces to U.S. Joint Forces Command and provides nuclear capable bombers, specified Global Strike assets, and C2ISR capabilities to U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM). Air Offensive, Europe ; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace ; Central Europe; Asiatic-Pacific Theater. }); The Eighth's combat record also shows 566 aces (261 fighter pilots with 31 having 15 or more victories and 305 enlisted gunners), over 440,000 bomber sorties to drop 697,000 tons of bombs, and over 5,100 aircraft losses and 11,200 aerial victories. getDetailsURL($(this).parent()) + caption: function (instance, item) { 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. 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. United States 8th Air Force, WWII Welcome to the 96th Bombardment Group(H) Station 138 - Snetterton, England. 8th Air Force 448th Bomb Group, England WWII. } The 398th was formed in the United States in 1943 and was stationed in Nuthampstead, England from April 1944 until June 1945. United States Air Force. It was reassigned to Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia on 10 February 1942. In 2000, the Air Force decided to integrate information operations into Eighth Air Force. Eighth Air Force Bomb Group Tail Markings Prior to 13 September 1943 -- Several Groups were not yet assigned. Notably, the Eighth's units played a key role in the 42-day Gulf War in 1991. Constituted as VIII Bomber Command on 19 Jan 1942. 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. return; REGISTRATIONRegister for the 2023 Reunion, REUNION SCHEDULEClick here to view the schedule, TOUR INFORMATIONClick here to view more information on the tours. worldwartwoveterans@gmail.com. Further ground fire caused damage to his right wing, and the engine caught fire. 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.). Many bodies were exhumed and returned to the U.S. at the request of families and many families opted to allow their loved ones to remain in U.S. Military and other cemetaries in the United Kingdom and the Continent. var caption = ''; Eighth Air Force controls long-range nuclear-capable bomber assets throughout the United States and overseas locations. fbObj.find(".actions .download").attr("href") + By 1955 the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress would be entering the inventory in substantial numbers, as prop B-36s were phased out of heavy bombardment units rapidly. ", 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. Over 60 Luftwaffe fighters were shot down with a loss of 19 US bombers and 5 US fighters. 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. To reduce the risk to its bomber fleet in the United States, Eighth Air Force aircraft stood nuclear alert, providing a deterrent against an attack on the United States by the Soviet Union. 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 . The command controlled three airfields on Okinawa, Bolo, Futema, and Kadena Airfield. Join or renew for two years and never miss a thing! let isDesktopInit = false; 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. It was the largest of the deployed combat Army Air Forces in numbers of personnel, aircraft, and equipment. It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. $(".fancy-photo-detail-link").html($(".fancy-photo-detail-link").html().replace("SHOW", "CLOSE")); These Veterans, born in the 1920s and before, were members of the greatest air armada of all time. } There is an entry for each credited mission which that individual flew. The Japanese, however, surrendered before the Eighth's first combat sortie in the Pacific. The Me 262 was also less maneuverable than the P-51 and so trained Allied pilots could turn tighter than an Me 262A. Official homepage of the 385th bomb group association. This was the first B-17 to complete 25 combat missions in the 8th Air Force, on 13 May 1943. 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. 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. Dear Val Burgess, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! var winHgt = $(window).innerHeight() let $this = $('[data-fancybox]').fancybox($.extend(true, {}, $.fancybox.defaults, { closeDetails(); The command conducted the heavy bombardment operations of Eighth AF from 17 Aug 1942 until early in 1944. if ($(".af3-caption-body").length > 0 && $(".af3-caption-body").css("height") != undefined) { '