VIII Bomber Command - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

This article is about the bombardment component (operational command) of the (first) Eighth Air Force in World War II (Active in the European Theater of Operations: 1 February 1942 through the wars end. The VIII Bomber Command was redesignated as the Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

22 February 1944 with the spin-off and establishment of United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe as the planning command).

For the Eighth Air Force that existed during that period, see: United States Air Forces in Europe

United States Air Forces in Europe

The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...

For the Eighth Air Force that came into existence on 22 February 1944 and is the current organization, see: Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces

United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.

The command was the first strategic bombing organisation sent to England as the United States Armed Forces joined the war against the axis powers in early 1942. The Army Air Forces were the earliest forces that could be arrayed by the United States to directly attack the fascist regimes attempting land grabs as imperial powers. Its last assignment was being renamed as the Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

, and throughout the war it was stationed at High Wycombe

RAF Daws Hill

RAF Daws Hill is a Royal Air Force station on the outskirts of High Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire, England. The base is situated on Daws Hill Lane, the road between Flackwell Heath and Marlow Hill, High Wycombe, off the A404 road and adjacent to the M40 motorway....

, England. The designation 8th Bomber Command was inactivated on 22 February 1944.

VIII Bomber Command was the heavy bombardment arm of Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

which also came to include a large intelligence, photo interpretation, and mission planning staff in the early days of the strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

and Nazi-controlled Occupied Europe. Its primary mission was to attack and destroy strategic targets to cripple the Nazi industrial base in Northern Europe which supported their armed forces. With the advent of the invasion of Fortress Europe

Fortress Europe

Fortress Europe was a military propaganda term from the Second World War which referred to the areas of Continental Europe occupied by Nazi Germany, as opposed to the free United Kingdom across the Channel...

, a controversy developed between continuing that effort, or switching to bombing transportation networks leading into western France from the German frontier.

The command was inactivated and its units redesignated as Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

as a result of a reorganization of the Army Air Forces in the European and Mediterranean theater

Mediterranean Theater

The term Mediterranean Theater can refer to:* Mediterranean Theatre of World War II, 1940–45* Mediterranean Theater of Operations, the official term for American military operations by the Army, the Navy, and the Army Air Forces in the Mediterranean region during 1942–45...

s. Its subsequent unit became one of the initial two Numbered Air Forces of Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

in 1946, and in 1992 became a major component of the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....

History

For additional history and lineage, see Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

and VIII Fighter Command

VIII Fighter Command

The VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....

Lineage

Constituted as VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942

Activated on 1 February 1942

Inactivated with personnel and equipment redesignated Eighth Air Force on 22 February 1944

Note: An VIII Bomber Command (Very Heavy) existed between October 1945 and 10 November 1946 due to a redesignation of the 20th Bombardment Wing and was assigned to Eighth Air Force. It was programmed to be the command and control organization for Eighth Air Force B-29 Superfortress

B-29 Superfortress

The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

Strategic Air Command

wings. It was inactivated before becoming operational. The command was disbanded on 8 October 1948.

Components

1st Bombardment Wing: 19 August 1942 – 13 September 1943

Operational control of units assigned to: 1st Bombardment Division, (B-17E/F/G Flying Fortress) 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

91st Bombardment Group, (Triangle-A)

RAF Kimbolton

RAF Kimbolton is a former World War II airfield in England, located 8 miles west of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.-USAAF use:The airfield was originally built in 1941 for RAF Bomber Command, then expanded to Class A airfield standards for use by American heavy bombers during 1942. Kimbolton was...

; RAF Bassingbourn

RAF Bassingbourn

RAF Bassingbourn is a former military airbase located in Cambridgeshire approximately north of Royston, Hertfordshire and south west of Cambridge. During World War II it served first as an RAF station and then as a bomber base of the U.S. Eighth Air Force...

Attached to: 201st Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, February-13 September 1943

92d Bombardment Group**, (Triangle-B)

RAF Bovingdon

RAF Bovingdon was a Royal Air Force station, located to the west of Bovingdon, two and a half miles south of Hemel Hempstead and two and a half miles south east of Berkhamsted, in Hertfordshire, UK....

; RAF Alconbury

RAF Alconbury

RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....

; RAF Podington

RAF Podington

RAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...

Attached to: 102d Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, May-13 September 1943

93d Bombardment Group*, (B-24D) 6 September – 6 December 1942

RAF Alconbury

97th Bombardment Group***, 9 August – 9 November 1942

RAF Polebrook

RAF Polebrook is a former World War II airfield located 3.5 miles east-south-east of Oundle, at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, UK. The airfield was built on Rothschild estate land starting in August 1940....

; RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...

301st Bombardment Group*** 9 August – 2 September 1942

RAF Chelveston

RAF Station Chelveston was a military airfield located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom....

; RAF Podington

RAF Podington

RAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...

303d Bombardment Group

The 303d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 303d Bombardment Wing, being stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It was de-activated on 16 June 1952....

****, (Triangle-C)

RAF Molesworth

RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917.Its runway and flight line facilities were closed in 1973 and demolished to support ground-launched cruise missile operations in the early 1980s...

Attached to: 102d Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, February–May 1943

Attached to: 103d Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, May-13 September 1943

305th Bombardment Group**, (Triangle-G) September 1942-13 September 1943

RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...

; RAF Chelveston

RAF Chelveston

RAF Station Chelveston was a military airfield located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom....

Attached to: 102d Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, February-13 September 1943

306th Bombardment Group**, (Triangle-H) September 1942-13 September 1943

RAF Thurleigh

RAF Thurleigh was a Royal Air Force station located five miles north of Bedford, England. Thurleigh was transferred to the U.S. Eighth Air Force on 9 December 1942, designated Station 111, and used for heavy bomber operations against Nazi Germany.-Origins:...

Attached to: 101st Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, February–June 1943

Attached to: 102d Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, June-13 September 1943

351st Bombardment Group, (Triangle-J)

RAF Polebrook

Attached to: 101st Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, May-13 September 1943

379th Bombardment Group****, (Triangle-K) May-13 September 1943

RAF Kimbolton

(Air echelon at RAF Bovingdon

RAF Bovingdon

24 April 1943 to 21 May 1943)

Attached to: 103d Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, May-13 September 1943

381st Bombardment Group, (Triangle-L) June-22 February 1944

RAF Ridgewell

RAF Ridgewell is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 7½ miles NW of Halstead in Essex. During the war, the airfield was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force.-Overview:...

Attached to: 101st Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, June-13 September 1943

384th Bombardment Group****, (Triangle-P) June-13 September 1943

RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...

Attached to: 103d Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, June −13 September 1943

482d Bombardment Group (Pathfinder) (No Tail Code)

RAF Alconbury

812th BS: (Fuselage code: MI) B-17F/G H2X, B-17G Eagle

813th BS: (Fuselage code: PC) B-17F H2S and Oboe; B-17G H2X

814th BS: (Fuselage code: SI) B-24H/J H2X, B-24L, APS-15A and B-24M Eagle

Note: *Reassigned to 2d Bombardment Wing **Reassigned to 40th Bombardment Wing **Reassigned to Twelfth Air Force ***Reassigned to 41st Bombardment Wing

2d Bombardment Wing
2d Bombardment Wing (World War II)
The 2d Bombardment Wing is an inactive organization of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with the Continental Air Forces, based at McChord Field, Washington. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945....

, (B-24 Liberator) 7 September 1942 – 13 September 1943

Operational control of units assigned to: 2d Bombardment Division: 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

44th Bombardment Group, (Circle-A)

RAF Cheddington

RAF Cheddington is a former World War II airfield in England, located 1 mile south-west of Cheddington in Buckinghamshire. The airfield was closed in 1952.-Origins:...

; RAF Shipdham

RAF Shipdham

RAF Shipdham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles S of East Dereham in Norfolk, now used as a privately owned airfield.-USAAF use:...

Attached to: IX Bomber Command (Libya, Tunisia), 28 June – 14 September 1943

93d Bombardment Group, (Circle-B)

RAF Hardwick

RAF Hardwick is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located W of Bungay in Norfolk and a similar distance from the A140 main road from Norwich to Ipswich.-Origins:...

389th Bombardment Group, (Circle-C)

RAF Hethel

RAF Hethel is a former World War II airfield used by the US during the Second World War in Norfolk, England situated located 7 miles south west of Norwich.-USAAF use:...

Attached to IX Bomber Command (Libya, Tunisia), 3 July – 14 September 1943

392d Bombardment Group, (Circle-D)

RAF Wendling

RAF Station Wendling is a former World War II airfield in Norfolk, England. The airfield is located approximately west-northwest of East Dereham.Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force...

445th Bombardment Group, (Circle-F)

RAF Tibenham

RAF Tibenham is a former World War II Royal Air Force Station and airfield in England. It is located about south-southwest of Norwich, N of Diss in Norfolk...

453d Bombardment Group, (Circle-J)

RAF Old Buckenham

RAF Old Buckenham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located SE of Attleborough in Norfolk, and is currently in civilian use as Old Buckenham Airport.-USAAF use:...

4th Bombardment Wing: 12 September 1942 – 13 September 1943

Operational control of units assigned to: 3d Bombardment Division: 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

94th Bombardment Group, (Square-A)

RAF Bassingbourn

; RAF Earls Colne; RAF Bury St. Edmunds

95th Bombardment Group, (Square-B), 1 July – 13 September 1943

RAF Alconbury

; RAF Framlingham

RAF Framlingham

RAF Framlingham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Framlingham in Suffolk.-USAAF use:...

; RAF Horham

RAF Horham

RAF Horham is a World War II era airfield in England. The field is located next to the village of Horham, England, and 4 miles SE of Eye in Suffolk. The large site straddled the parishes of Denham, Horham and Hoxne.-USAAF use:...

96th Bombardment Group, (Square-C), 1 May–September 1943

RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...

; RAF Andrews Field

RAF Andrews Field

RAF Station Andrews Field is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Great Dunmow; about north-northeast of London...

; RAF Snetterton Heath

RAF Snetterton Heath

RAF Snetterton Heath is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located on the A11, 6 miles SW of Attleborough in Norfolk.-Overview:...

100th Bombardment Group, (Square-D), 6 June 1943 – 1 January 1944

RAF Podington

RAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...

; RAF Thorpe Abbotts

RAF Thorpe Abbotts

RAF Thorpe Abbotts is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles E of Diss in Norfolk.-Overview:Thorpe Abbotts airfield was built during 1942 and early 1943 for the RAF as a satellite airfield for RAF Horham but the rapid buildup of the 8th Air Force resulted in both...

385th Bombardment Group, (Square-G)

RAF Great Ashfield

RAF Great Ashfield was a World War II airfield in England. It is located 10 miles east of Bury St. Edmunds and two miles south of Great Ashfield village in Suffolk. Great Ashfield Airfield is still in private use although much reduced in size...

388th Bombardment Group, (Square-H)

RAF Knettishall

RAF Knettishall is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 6 miles SE of Thetford in Suffolk between the villages of Knettishall and Coney Weston, which lies to the south...

390th Bombardment Group, (Square-J), 1 July – 13 September 1943

RAF Framlingham

RAF Framlingham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Framlingham in Suffolk.-USAAF use:...

447th Bombardment Group, (Square-K)

RAF Rattlesden

RAF Rattlesden is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 9 miles SE of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.-USAAF use:Rattlesden airfield was built in 1942 as a Class A bomber airfield. The airfield had three intersecting concrete runways, perimeter track and, for USAAF use,...

12th Bombardment Wing: 17 December 1942 – 22 February 1944

No operational units assigned

40th Bombardment Wing
40th Air Division
The 40th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana...

: 8 June 1943 – 13 September 1943

Operational control of units assigned to: 1st Bombardment Division: 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

92d Bombardment Group, (Triangle-B, B-17G, YB-50), 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

RAF Alconbury

; RAF Podington

RAF Podington

RAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...

305th Bombardment Group, (Triangle-G, B-17F/G), 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

RAF Chelveston

RAF Station Chelveston was a military airfield located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom....

303d Bombardment Group

, (Triangle-C, B-17F/G), 8 January – 22 February 1944

RAF Molesworth

306th Bombardment Group, (Triangle-H, B-17F/G), 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

RAF Thurleigh

41st Bombardment Wing
41st Bombardment Wing (World War II)
The 41st Bombardment Wingis an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Eighth Air Force, based at RAF Molesworth, England. It was inactivated on 18 June 1945.-History:...

: 16 February 1943

Operational control of units assigned to: 1st Bombardment Division: 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

303d Bombardment Group

, (Triangle-C, B-17F/G), 13 September 1943 – 8 January 1944

RAF Molesworth

379th Bombardment Group, (Triangle-K, B-17F/G), 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

RAF Kimbolton

384th Bombardment Group, (Triangle-P, B-17F/G), 13 September 1943 – 22 February 1944

RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...

Stations

Langley Field, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, 1 February 1942
Savannah AB, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, c. 10 February 1942
RAF Daws Hill
RAF Daws Hill
RAF Daws Hill is a Royal Air Force station on the outskirts of High Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire, England. The base is situated on Daws Hill Lane, the road between Flackwell Heath and Marlow Hill, High Wycombe, off the A404 road and adjacent to the M40 motorway....

, England, 23 February 1942
RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, situated in the village of Walters Ash, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. Its purpose is to serve the needs of the RAF Air Command, situated on the site. It is also the headquarters of the European Air Group...

(AAF-101), England, 15 May 1942 – 22 February 1944

Operational history

Origins

VIII Bomber Command was activated at Langley Field, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, It was reassigned to Savannah Army Airbase

Hunter Army Airfield

Hunter Army Airfield , located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart.Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet long and an aircraft parking area that is more than 350 acres...

, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

on 10 February 1942. An advanced detachment of VIII Bomber Command was established at RAF Bomber Command

RAF Bomber Command

RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...

Headquarters at High Wycombe

RAF High Wycombe

RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, situated in the village of Walters Ash, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. Its purpose is to serve the needs of the RAF Air Command, situated on the site. It is also the headquarters of the European Air Group...

England on 23 February and its units began arriving in the United Kingdom from the United States during the spring of 1942. After organizing in the United States, both VIII Air Support Command and VIII Fighter Command deployed their headquarters to England and were both headquartered at Bushy Park by July 1942.

Since the United States entered World War II (7 December 1941) it took several months to get the VIII Bomber Command ready for combat operations in Europe. One of the major factors was an initial lack of B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft and also adequate crew training. However, the U.S. Army and RAF efforts allow to activate a number of heavy B-17 as well as two B-24 Liberator

B-24 Liberator

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...

bombardment groups in early 1942. Four B-17E/F groups: the 92d, 97th, 301st, 303d and two B-24D groups, the 44th and 93d were going to be the nucleus for VIII Bomber Command in England.

The first combat group of VIII Bomber Command to arrive in the United Kingdom was the ground echelon of the "97th Bombardment Group", which arrived at RAF Polebrook

RAF Polebrook

on 9 June 1942.

15th Bombardment Squadron (Light)

In early May 1942 airmen from the reformed 27th Bomb Group (Light) arrived in England to train with their RAF counterparts. The 27th BG had previously been transferred administratively from Australia to the US in May 1942 without personnel or equipment and re-constituted. Initially being stationed at RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...

on 12 May, then to RAF Molesworth

RAF Molesworth

on 9 June. Under VIII Bomber Command the airmen were organized as the "15th Bombardment Squadron (Light)" and equipped with the British Boston III light bomber, receiving their aircraft from No. 226 Squadron RAF

No. 226 Squadron RAF

First formed on 1 April 1918 at Pizzone, Italy, by re-designating the Bombing School Pizzone, No. 226 Squadron RAF operated fast bombers and fighter aircraft and formed No. 472, 473 and 474 Flights within it in September 1918...

.

After a few weeks of familiarization training with the new aircraft, on 4 July 1942, six American crews from the 15th Bomb Squadron joined with six RAF crews from RAF Swanton Morley

RAF Swanton Morley

The former Royal Air Force Station Swanton Morley, more commonly known as RAF Swanton Morley, was a Royal Air Force Station in Norfolk, England, located near to the village of Swanton Morley...

for a low-level attack on Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

airfields in the Netherlands, becoming the first USAAF unit to bomb targets in Europe. The 4 July raid had been specifically ordered by General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold and approved by President Roosevelt. Arnold believed that the 4 July would be an ideal day for the USAAF to open its strategic bombing campaign against the Nazis, but General Carl Spaatz did not have any of his heavy VIII Bomber Command bomb groups ready for operational missions. Two of the 15th's planes did not return from the mission, along with one RAF aircraft. The squadron commander, Capt. Charles Kegelman, plane was shot up badly and almost did not return.

Spaatz considered the mission a "stunt" triggered by pressure in the American press who believed the people of both the United States and Great Britain needed a psychological boost. However, Kegleman was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross

Distinguished Service Cross (United States)

The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...

and its British equivalent for his valor on that Fourth of July mission—the first Eighth Air Force airman to receive the nation's second highest combat decoration.

The 15th flew most of its missions from Molesworth in its British Bostons, and did not receive USAAF Douglas A-20 Havoc

Douglas DB-7

The Douglas A-20/DB-7 Havoc was a family of American attack, light bomber and night fighter aircraft of World War II, that served with several Allied air forces, principally those of the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and United States. The DB-7 was also used by the air forces of Australia, South...

aircraft until 5 September. The squadron was transferred to RAF Podington

RAF Podington

RAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...

on 15 September where it flew a few missions before being transferred to Twelfth Air Force for support of Allied landings in North Africa

Operation Torch

Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....

on 15 October.

B-17/B-24 heavy bomber operations

At the end of July, Colonel

Colonel

Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

Frank A. Armstrong

Frank Alton Armstrong, Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Army Air Forces and the inspiration for the main character in the novel and subsequent film, Twelve O'Clock High. After the war he became a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force.Armstrong was born in Hamilton,...

, one of Eaker's original HO staff, replaced Lieutenant Colonel Cousland as CO of the 97th Bombardment Group

97th Air Mobility Wing

The 97th Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The wing is also the host unit at Altus...

at RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood

RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...

, and he set about re-shaping the group. By mid-August he had 24 crews ready for combat. There were arguments behind the scenes about whether bombing in daylight was possible over heavily defended targets in Europe, and whether the bomb-carrying capacity and armament of the B-17 and B-24

B-24 Liberator

would be enough. But the first B-17 strike of the war was scheduled for 17 August 1942.

Regular combat operations by the VIII Bomber Command began on 17 August, when the 97th Bombardment Group flew 12 B-17Es on the first VIII Bomber Command heavy bomber mission of the war from RAF Polebrook, attacking the Rouen

Rouen

Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...

-Sotteville marshalling yards in France. The lead aircraft of the group, Butcher Shop, was piloted by the Group Commander, Colonel Armstrong, and squadron commander Major Paul W. Tibbets

Paul Tibbets

Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force, best known for being the pilot of the Enola Gay, the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in the history of warfare. The bomb, code-named Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima...

(who later flew the Enola Gay

Enola Gay

Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...

to Hiroshima

Hiroshima

is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...

Japan on the first atomic bomb mission). Over the Channel, the Fortresses were joined by their RAF escort of Spitfire Vs

Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...

. Visibility over the target was good and the B-17s dropped their bombs from 23000 feet (7,010.4 m). A few bombs hit a mile short of the target and one burst hit about a mile west in some woods, but the majority landed in the assigned area. Several repair and maintenance workshops were badly damaged, which put the German State Railway at Rouen temporarily out of action.

The 97th BG continued to provide the aircraft for the majority of early operations; just two days later 24 B-17Es flew in support of the Dieppe Raid

Dieppe Raid

The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...

, bombing the airfield of the JG 26

Jagdgeschwader 26

Jagdgeschwader 26 Schlageter was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated mainly in Western Europe against Great Britain, France the United States but also saw service against Russia. It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a World War I veteran and Freikorps member arrested and...

at Abbeville-Drucas. On the 21st 12 bombers struck the Wilton shipyards close to Rotterdam, nine bombers attacked the shipyards at La Trait on the 27th and on the 29th the 97th BG attacked the airbase at Courtrai-Wevelghem in Belgium. No aircraft were lost in these early raids and the Allied press at the time printed that the bombers had shot-down six attacking fighters during the raid near Rotterdam.

From these humble beginnings, the VIII Bomber Command in the United Kingdom increased the number of combat groups and its scope of targets and missions. Eighth Air Force aircraft attacked naval targets in France against German U-Boats and combined with RAF Bomber Command

RAF Bomber Command

with missions into Germany. In August 1942, the 92nd at RAF Bovingdon

RAF Bovingdon

and the 301st Bomb Group

301st Air Refueling Wing

The 301st Air Refueling Wing is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force being last assigned to the Strategic Air Command at Malmstrom AFB, Montana. It was inactivated on 1 June 1992....

at RAF Chelveston

RAF Chelveston

RAF Station Chelveston was a military airfield located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom....

arrived to join Brigadier General Ira C. Eaker's rapidly increasing force. The 92nd was the first heavy bombardment group to make a successful non-stop flight from Newfoundland to Scotland.

The initial mission of VIII Bomber Command was the destruction of submarine bases along the French coast

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, as the limited number of aircraft available in 1942 prevented the command from hitting targets within Germany. This was a critical assignment, as Allied shipping losses rose dramatically in the summer of 1942 and as shipping from the United States to Britain was expected to ramp up in October and November, losses were expected to get worse.

In the face of determined Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

fighter opposition to the American bombers, losses throughout 1942 against the U-Boat

U-boat

U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...

pens were high, although the commanders believed that the bombers could fight their way to their objectives without fighter escort. This belief was given credence on 20 December when only six B-17s were lost out of 101 aircraft dispatched on a mission to Romilly

Romilly

-People:*Baron Romilly, title created in 1866**John Romilly, 1st Baron Romilly , English judge*Esmond Romilly , British socialist and anti-fascist, married to one of the Mitford sisters...

, near Paris despite widespread Luftwaffe fighter activity in Frace. Romilly was a turning point in the daylight aerial war, as for the first time VIII Bomber Command had penetrated 100 miles (160.9 km) into enemy territory and had successfully kept the Luftwaffe interceptors at bay. The results of the Romilly mission however, were disappointing as only 72 of the 101 bombers had actually hit the target and those hits only caused minimal damage.

Changes in the configuration of the B-17F to carry additional forward machine guns to improve fighter interception (Implemented as a chin turret on the B-17G) and Lt. Col. Curtis LeMay

Curtis LeMay

Curtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in 1968....

's modification of formation bombing to stagger three-plane elements within a squadron and staggered squadrons within a group led to increased defensive firepower against fighter opposition. LeMay's group flying modifications was first tried on 3 January 1943 when the VIII Bomber Command attacked Saint Nazaire for the sixth time. A total of 101 bombers, with LeMay in command of the 305th Bomb Wing were dispatched, but only 76 aircraft found the target. LeMay's tactic also called for a straight and level bomb run to increase accuracy, but during the mission seven bombers were shot down and forty-seven damaged. However the majority of bombloads were successful in hitting the submarine pens.

By the end of January 1943, losses in aircraft and aircrew were rising and the future of VIII Bomber Command as a daylight bombing force was in doubt. In senior quarters of the USAAF as well as RAF, there was the belief that the B-17s and B-24s should join the RAF in night offensive bombing missions. Also there was pressure on General Arnold, chief of the USAAF to use the VIII Bomber Command in missions against German targets. In response to this pressure, on 27 January 1943, the VIII Bomber Command dispatched ninety-one B-17s and B-24s to attack the U-Boat construction yards at Wilhemshafen, Germany. Despite heavy Luftwaffe fighter opposition, only three bombers (1 B-17 and 2 B-24s) were shot down. Unfortunately, due to bad weather conditions, only 53 aircraft actually dropped their bombs on the target.

Throughout the spring of 1943, VIII Bomber Command Fortresses and Liberators grew in numbers and attacked more targets in France, the Low Countries, and into Germany itself. In June, "Operation Pointblank" was initiated. It was an objective aimed at German fighter production. The operation was initiated as a result of the Casablanca Conference, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

and Prime Minister Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...

agreed on a combined bomber offensive from England. The primary objectives listed were the German Submarine yards and bases, the German aircraft industry, manufacturers of ball bearings, and the German oil industry. Secondary objectives were synthetic rubber and tyres and military motor transport vehicles. However, it was emphasised the reduction of the German fighter force was of primarily importance. The plan called for 2,700 heavy bombers to be in place before the Allied invasion of France, earmarked for mid-1944.

In conjunction with Operation Pointblank, the 4th Bomb Wing was formed in Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, with now Brigadier General Curtis LeMay building up a new force of three new B-17G bomb groups, the 100th, 385th and 388th. On 22 June, the first really deep penetration of Germany was flown, to the synthetic rubber plant at Huls, in the Ruhr Area

Ruhr Area

The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...

. Huls produced approximately 29% of Germany's total rubber supply. It was also heavily defended both by Luftwaffe fighters and Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA). 235 B-17s were dispatched and most of the route was flown without fighter escort. During the mission, sixteen B-17s were lost and 170 damaged, however 183 Fortresses bombed the plant so effectively that full production was not resumed for six months.

On 24 June, the first VIII BC raid on Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

occurred when 324 B-17s from the 1st and 4th Wings bombed targets in Norway, with one force flying a 2000 miles (3,218.7 km) round-trip to Bergen

Bergen

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....

and Trondheim

Trondheim

Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...

. Bad weather restricted missions throughout the rest of June and early July, however on 25 July Kiel

Kiel

Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...

, Hamburg and Warnemünde

Warnemünde

Warnemünde is a sea resort and northmost district of Rostock in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, situated on the Baltic Sea in the northeast of Germany at the estuary of the river Warnow.- History :...

were bombed with the loss of 19 Fortresses. The next day, more than 300 Fortresses were dispatched to Hannover and Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

. Attacks on Kassel

Kassel

Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...

, Oschersleben

Oschersleben

Oschersleben is a town in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The population in 1905 was 13,271, in 2005 about 18,000.-Geography:...

, Kiel

Kiel

and finally a Heinkel

Heinkel

Heinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...

bomber manufacturing plant at Warnemuende. Aircraft manufacturing plants at Kassel

Kassel

were hit on 30 July in the conclusion of a campaign known to the crews as "Blitz Week".

On 17 August, the first attack on the ball-bearing industry at Schweinfurt

Schweinfurt

Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...

took place, with a diversionary attack on Regensburg

Regensburg

Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...

was carried out to draw the Luftwaffe away from the main force heading to Schweinfurt. Luftwaffe defenses and AAA "flak" was intense and the few P-47 fighters available to escort the bombers could not possibly cover all seven groups in the attack. The 1st Wing force headed to Schweinfurt lost thirty-six B-17s, the 4th Wing which hit Regensburg, shot down twenty-six Fortresses. VIII Bomber Command flew only shallow penetration missions throughout the rest of August and early September while losses were made good. New groups and replacement aircraft arriving were the new B-17G model, with improvements in various systems, along with the Chin Turret facing front, to help ward off frontal attacks by the Luftwaffe.

B-26 medium bomber operations

The first operational raid took place on On 14 May 1943. Flying through heavy flak at altitudes of 100 to 300 feet (91.4 m), Marauders from the 322nd Bombardment Group dropped a group 500-pound delayed-fuse bombs on the Velsen generating station at IJmuiden in the Netherlands. All planes returned safely to base. However, the delayed fuse bombs which allowed Dutch workmen to escape also gave the Germans enough time to defuse or remove them. It is probable that the 322nd only escaped the attention of Luftwaffe fighters because of a battle taking place elsewhere with VIII Bomber Command heavy bombers.

On 17 May 1943, eleven Marauders returned at low level to attack German installations at IJmuiden and Haarlem

Haarlem

Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...

in the Netherlands. This time the Luftwaffe was ready, and the raid was a disaster, with all but one aircraft (which had aborted due to an electrical failure) being shot down by flak and fighters.

The disastrous second raid at IJmuiden proved that the B-26 was totally unsuited for low-level operations over Europe, where enemy flak was heavy and accurate and enemy fighters were numerous and particularly effective. After the IJmuiden raid, low-level operations by Marauders over Europe were discontinued, and thought was given to withdrawing the type from combat. In the meantime, the B-26 equipped units stood down to retrain for attacks against strategic targets from medium altitudes (10,000–14,000 feet) with heavy fighter escort.

In July 1943, some consideration was given to adapting the B-26 as an escort fighter for the Flying Fortress heavy bombers of the VIII Bomber Command which were at that time experiencing heavy losses to German fighters. This suggestion was immediately dropped, since the Marauder had an entirely different performance envelope from the Fortress and in addition had proven that it was itself unable to survive without fighter escort in hostile European skies.

The B-26 did not return to action over Europe until 17 July 1943. This time, the B-26 was more successful in its new role of medium-altitude bombing, and proposals to withdraw the Marauder from combat over Europe were quietly shelved. Marauders developed tight formation flying tactics to ensure a close pattern of bombs on the target and to protect themselves against fighter attacks. Because of the tremendous concentration of defensive firepower that the B-26 offered, the Luftwaffe was reluctant to press home attacks on Marauder formations. However, in the European theatre fighter escort was essential to defend against determined German fighter attacks. The German 88-mm antiaircraft guns

88 mm gun

The 88 mm gun was a German anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun from World War II. It was widely used by Germany throughout the war, and was one of the most recognizable German weapons of the war...

were most accurate at the altitudes at which the Marauder normally operated, and it was determined that a straight and level flight for as little as 30 seconds gave the German radar gun detectors sufficient time to track the formation and place shots right in its midst. Consequently, evasive actions every 15 or 20 seconds was absolutely necessary to minimize flak losses. However, once committed to the bomb run, there was no evasive action possible and runs of 25 seconds or longer were considered quite dangerous.

On 16 October 1943, Headquarters Ninth Air Force

Ninth Air Force

The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....

was reactivated at RAF Burtonwood

RAF Burtonwood

RAF Burtonwood was a Royal Air Force station in England, 2 miles north-west of Warrington, Lancashire. During World War II and the Cold War it was used by the United States Air Force and was also known as USAAF station 590.- Overview :...

with a mission to became the crucial and decisive tactical air force in Western Europe. It was decided at that time to transfer the entire 3d Bombardment Wing to the ninth, making VIII Bomber Command solely a strategic bombing force in Europe, and the Ninth the tactical air force supporting the ground forces for the upcoming invasion

Operation Overlord

Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...

. Subsequently, all of the B-26 Marauder groups under the 3d Bombardment Wing were transferred to the re-formed Ninth Air Force.

Reorganization and inactivation

On 22 February 1944 a massive reorganization of American airpower took place in Europe. VIII Bomber Command's parent unit, Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force

The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....

, was redesignated as the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF). In addition, the tactical air force in England, Ninth Air Force

Ninth Air Force

The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....

was brought directly under USSTAF. USSTAF also exercised control over the other two Air Forces in the Mediterranean theater

Mediterranean Theater

, Twelfth Air Force and Fifteenth Air Force

Fifteenth Air Force

The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....

.

VIII Bomber Command was redesignated as Eighth Air Force and brought under the control of USSTAF. VIII Fighter Command

VIII Fighter Command

and VIII Air Support Commands were brought under the command of the newly redesignated Eighth Air Force. VIII Bomber Command was inactivated.

External links

Target For Today – 1943 VIII Bomber Command film

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