The 8th AF was primarily engaged in the bombardment of strategic targets in Europe. 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. Get detailed instructios o how to register for the Reunion. Contact Us. 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. getDownloadURL($(this).parent()) + $(".af3-caption-body").stop(true, false).animate({ height: "0vh" }, 800, function () { General Carl Spaatz returned to England to command the USSTAF. In 1949, a realignment of responsibilities for SAC's two air forces occurred. 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. caption: function (instance, item) { Elements of 8 AF engaged in combat operations during the Korean War (19501953); Vietnam War (19611975), as well as Operation Desert Storm (19901991) over Iraq and occupied Kuwait in the First Persian Gulf War. On 6 March 1944, over 700 heavy bombers along with 800 escort fighters of the Eighth Air Force hit numerous targets within Berlin, dropping the first American bombs on the capital of the Third Reich. In January 1945, the Luftwaffe attempted one last major air offensive against the Allied Air Forces. let isDesktopInit = false; Want to help? Fifteen months after Operation Desert Storm, the Air Force reorganized. '">DOWNLOAD'; 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. . 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. At MacDill, Eighth Air Force headquarters were manned chiefly by personnel from the 58th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy, stationed at Fort Worth Army Air Fied, Texas. Do you have items such as papers, photos, uniforms, gear and other artifacts? return '' + Eighth Air Force remained in Okinawa until 7 June 1946. As the new commander of the Eighth Air Force from January 1944 onwards, Major General Jimmy Doolittle's major influence on the European air war occurred early that year when he made a critical change to the policy requiring escorting fighters to remain with the bombers at all times. fbObj.find(".actions .details").attr("href") + } 385 th Bomb Group, 8 th Air Force. The 91st Bomb Group Memorial Association's (BGMA) purpose is to keep alive the spirit of the 91st BG (H) and to maintain the fellowship of all those who fought together in WWII . As part of this plan, Eighth Air Force headquarters was reassigned to Sakugawa (Kadena Airfield), Okinawa, on 16 July 1945, being assigned to the United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific without personnel or equipment. The photograph shows housing destroyed by the RAF during night raids. 2d Air Division: 1943-1945. Afterward, engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets in Europe. How I am shooting the records. $(".base-caption-info").removeClass("full-height"); We are a 501C3 organization and all donations are tax-deductible. 8 th AirForce.com. 301st Fighter Wing: 1945- 1946. CAMPAIGNS. It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. 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. Importantly, the Eighth's bombing effectiveness influenced the North Vietnamese to end hostilities. Constituted as VIII Bomber Command on 19 Jan 1942. Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force in February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. Activated in the US on I Feb 1942. Eighth Air Force is one of two active duty numbered air forces in Air Force Global Strike Command. Regular combat operations by the VIII Bomber Command began on 17 August 1942, when the 97th Bombardment Group flew twelve Boeing B-17E Flying Fortresses on the first VIII Bomber Command heavy bomber mission of the war from RAF Grafton Underwood, attacking the Rouen-Sotteville marshalling yards in France. }, The 8th Army Air Force, 96th Bomb Group (H) Association. Under ACC, the Eighth received control over active duty, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard units in the central U.S. and two overseas locations. On 27 June, the United Nations Security Council voted to assist the South Koreans in resisting the invasion. 5 months ago. Donations Page. 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