VIII Bomber Command, re-designated as Eighth Air Force, and Ninth Air Force were assigned to (USSTAF). if (detailSize === "half") { Eighth Air Force trains, tests, exercises and demonstrates combat-ready forces for rapid employment worldwide. They numbered 350,000 men and women with over 54,000 killed in combat or taken prisoner. 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. REGISTRATIONRegister for the 2023 Reunion, REUNION SCHEDULEClick here to view the schedule, TOUR INFORMATIONClick here to view more information on the tours. This was largely so that the Air Force could perpetuate the names of groups that had distinguished themselves in World War II. They numbered 350,000 men and women with over 54,000 killed in combat or taken prisoner. We also located the series World War II Statistical Summaries, 1942-1945 in Record Group 18 . 41-24577) of the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, RAF Molesworth. afterClose: function () { On 24 February, with the weather clearing over central Germany, Eighth Air Force sent over 800 bombers, hitting Schweinfurt and attacks on the Baltic coast, with a total of 11 B-17s being lost. 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. Although some personnel and combat units were assigned before V-J Day, the Eighth did not participate in combat against Japan. var isMobile = false; //initiate as false $(".base-caption-info").addClass("full-height"); It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. 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. Read more about Supporting the AALCM. [6] Alerted to the attack, the airfield defences were prepared for the raid when it arrived. Many more awards were made to Eighth Air Force veterans after the war that remain uncounted. Established on 22 February 1944 by the redesignation of VIII Bomber Command at RAF Daws Hill in High Wycombe, England, the Eighth Army Air Force (8 AAF) was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force in the European Theater of World War II (1939/411945), engaging in operations primarily in the Northern Europe area of responsibility; carrying out strategic bombing of enemy targets in France, the Low Countries, and Germany;[3] and engaging in air-to-air fighter combat against enemy aircraft until the German capitulation in May 1945. Their children and descendants, who are representatives of these Veterans, saw the need to keep the history and experiences of these warriors alive. By mid-1944, the 8th AF had reached a total strength of more than 200,000 people. 2023 Dues are due in January. 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. 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. After Korean War, on 13 June 1955 SAC moved the unit to Westover AFB, Massachusetts, where it transitioned to the jet age. This ongoing project documents a basic service history of participating individuals. else { Of the. Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Gebara, commander of 8th Air Force, relieved two commanders today from their positions of leadership at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, due to a loss of confidence in their ability to complete their assigned duties."These personnel actions were necessary to maintain the very The end came on 25 April 1945 when Eighth Air Force flew its last full-scale mission of the European War. $(".af3-caption-body").addClass(detailSize); 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. $(".fancybox-caption__body").addClass("mobile"); getDownloadURL($(this).parent()) + The mission of "The Mighty Eighth" is to safeguard America's interests through strategic deterrence and global combat power. 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. 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 against Iraq, which featured the B-1B in its combat debut, and 1999 Operation ALLIED FORCE against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which involved the B-2A Spirit in its first combat. Each 8th Air Force WWII Decal is made with the highest quality 2.5mil High Gloss 5-Year Calendared vinyl. } $(".fancy-photo-detail-link").addClass("photo-detail-gradient"); B-17 Aluminum Overcast. } 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. return '' + First Name. $(".base-caption-info").removeClass("full-height"); By the time the group rotated back to the United States, they had flown more than 23,000 combat hours in more than 12,000 sorties. '