VIII Fighter Command
Encyclopedia
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.
VIII Fighter Command was the fighter arm of Eighth Air Force
in the World War II
European Theater. Its primary mission was to escort the heavy bombers of VIII Bomber Command
to their targets in Occupied Europe, providing protection against Luftwaffe
interceptors.
, Michigan
in February 1942, the unit moved to England in May to conduct combat operations over Occupied Europe. After the end of the European War in May 1945, VIII Fighter Command took part in the occupation of Germany until May 1946 while simultaneously coordinating the demobilization of its organization. It inactivated in March 1946 at RAF Honington
, the last Royal Air Force
station used by the USAAF to be returned to the British Ministry of Defence
.
Groups (assigned to VIII Fighter Command)
* Formed in England by Eighth Air Force; reassigned to Twelfth Air Force.
** Training unit with no permanent aircraft assigned.
Groups (assigned to wings)
on January 19, 1942. Equipped with the 4th and 5th Air Defense wings, the command's mission was air defense over the north central United States. The command's mission was changed as it was ordered to deploy to Britain in February 1942 as first it was reassigned to Charleston AAF on February 13, then shipped overseas to England where on May 12 it set up headquarters at Bushey Hall.
Bomber escort for VIII Bomber Command
was the fighters' primary mission. VIII Fighter Command initially flew three types of aircraft during 1942-43: the Supermarine Spitfire
, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
and the Lockheed P-38 Lightning
.
Even though the defense of the United States West Coast initially took priority, plans were made in the spring of 1942 to deploy P-38F Lightning squadrons to Britain. This deployment caused logistical problems, since the U-boat
menace made shipping across the Atlantic quite risky. However, development by Lockheed
of reliable drop tanks for the P-38F increased the ferry range from 1300 to 2200 miles. This made it possible to ferry the Lightnings from Maine
to the UK via Goose Bay
, Labrador
to Greenland
to Reykjavík
, Iceland
and finally to Prestwick
, Scotland
. Also, following the American victory at the Battle of Midway
, the USAAF felt sufficiently confident that the Japanese fleet was not about to show up off the west coast and it was decided to redeploy the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups to Britain. By August 1942, 81 P-38Fs of four of the six squadrons of the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups had arrived in Great Britain to complete the first transatlantic crossing by single-seat fighters. On August 14, 1942, a P-38F flown by 2nd Lieut Elza Shaham of the 342d Composite Group in Iceland
shared with a P-40C in the destruction of a Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-3
over the Atlantic Ocean to obtain the first victory of a P-38 over a Luftwaffe
aircraft.
The P-38F-equipped 82nd Fighter Group arrived in Northern Ireland
in November 1942. However, the P-38 was not to become famous for its exploits in Europe as the needs of the North African Invasion
took priority in the fall of 1942 and the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter Groups were transferred to the Twelfth Air Force in the North African Campaign
. The fighter plane which would be used most extensively over the skies of Europe would first be the P-47 Thunderbolt in 1943, then in 1944, be joined in the sky by the P-51 Mustang.
The P-38 equipped groups of the 6th Fighter Wing were reassigned to Twelfth Air Force on 14 September 1942 and later sent to French Morocco
and Algeria
in support of the North African
and Tunisian Campaigns
.
. P-47Cs were also supplied to the 56th Fighter Group which left their P-47Bs back home in the States when they transferred to England. Engine and radio problems caused some delays, but the first operational sorties began on March 10, 1943, and consisted of high-altitude escort duties and fighter sweeps. The first encounter with German fighters came on April 15 when the P-47Cs of the 335th Squadron shot down three German fighters for a loss of three of its own.
The high-altitude performance of the P-47C was far superior to anything the Luftwaffe could put up against it, but at low and medium altitudes the P-47C could not match the maneuverability and climb rates of its opponents. However, the P-47C could out-dive just about anything in the sky, and many a Thunderbolt saved itself from a sticky situation by using its superior diving performance to break off combat at will when it proved necessary to do so. The P-47Cs of the 56th, 4th and 78th Groups were intended as bomber escorts, but were ineffectual until fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks to lengthen their range at the end of July 1943. These three groups were joined later in 1943 by seven new groups flying P-47Ds - the 352nd, 353rd, 355th, 356th, 358th, 359th, and 361st Fighter Groups. P-47s flew escort missions until the end of 1943, when they began to be replaced by longer-range and P-51 Mustang
s which were better suited for the long-range escort role.
With arrival of the first P-51 groups, the strategic air war began shifting in the Allies' favor. The P-51 Mustang
first entered squadron service in Europe with the British in early 1942. The Allison V-1710-engined P-51A (Mustang I) was successful in RAF service, although the British found the aircraft's performance inadequate at higher altitudes. Rolls-Royce
engineers rapidly realized that by equipping the Mustang with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with its two speed, two stage supercharger, performance would substantially improve. Also, by using a four-bladed propeller, rather than the three-bladed one used on the P-51A, the performance was again greatly improved. The XP-51B achieved a level speed of 441 mph at 29,800 feet, over 100 mph faster than the Allison-engined P-51A at the same altitude. At all altitudes, the rate of climb was approximately doubled.
The USAAF finally had an aircraft which could compete on equal terms with the Fw 190 and the later models of the Bf 109. The USAAF was finally fully sold on the Mustang, and a letter contract for 2200 P-51Bs was issued. The engine was to be the Packard V-1650-3
, based on the Merlin 68
. The P-51B, and subsequently the P-51C and P-51D models, became one of the most memorable fighter of the war.
In late 1943, the P-51B Mustang was introduced to the European Theater by the USAAF. It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. However the P-51B was introduced as a tactical fighter, so the first deliveries of the P-51B in November 1943 were assigned to three groups in the tactical Ninth Air Force
at the expense of VIII Bomber Command, whose need for a long range escort fighter was critical. The first escort mission for the bombers was not flown until December 5.
A compromise was reached between 8th and 9th Air Force and the first Eighth Air Force unit to receive the P-51B was the 357th Fighter Group
based at RAF Raydon
in Essex
. From this point, the P-51 saw widespread use as an escort fighter on long-range penetration raids deep into Germany. In March 1944, P-51Bs flew to Berlin and back for the first time. The 2,000 mile range of the Mustang, when equipped with drop tanks, was far in excess of what was available to other fighters of the day.
The P-51B, C, and D models (merlin engine derivatives) were ideally suited to high altitude bomber escort duties. The streamlined fuselage and thin laminar flow wing made it able to escort bombers to Berlin and back. These features also made it better suited to high altitude combat (above 20,000ft). The main Luftwaffe opponents were the Bf-109 and the Fw-190A. The Fw-190A's main performance band was between 15,000 to 20,000ft, and so the arrival of the Merlin-engined Mustangs spawned the development of the Fw-190D and Ta-152 high altitude fighters. Forcing Luftwaffe pilots to fight the P-51B/D/K's strengths, and the Allies' ability to mount escorts in force (with 3-to-1 and later 4-to-1 odds) proved devastating to Germany. P-51D pilots achieved many of their victories due to overwhelming Allied numerical superiority.
The Mustang's reputations as a truly superior fighter was not really deserved. The reasons for the Mustang's successes were mainly due to the Allies' (mainly American) industrial might and the Mustang's tactical use in combat. Looking at combat aircraft production numbers will really show the differences in German versus Allied industrial might. During 1943, Nazi Germany produced 18,953 combat aircraft (Axis total 19,584) compared to 101,639 produced by the Allies. During 1944 the numbes were 33,804 vs 125,718. During 1945 the numerical difference was even greater, at 6,987 vs 60,494. The Allies' strategy of using large formations of bombers to attack targets deep within German-occupied territory forced the Luftwaffe to fight a war of attrition. By mid 1944, most of the Luftwaffe's most experienced fighter pilots in the west were killed.
The effect of the Mustang on the Luftwaffe was swift and decisive. The result was that the Luftwaffe was notable by its absence over the skies of the Europe after D-Day
, and the Allies were starting to achieve air superiority over the continent. Although the Luftwaffe could (and did) mount effective attacks on the ever-increasing number of Allied heavy bomber formations, the sheer numbers of Allied bombers attacking targets throughout occupied Europe overwhelmed the German fighter force, which simply could not sustain the losses the Eighth Air Force bombers and fighters were inflicting on it.
When Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle
took command of the Eighth Air Force
in January 1944, he initiated a policy change. Previously, fighters were largely tied to the bombers, but Doolittle and Kepner freed many fighters to go "down on the deck" and allowed them to become far more aggressive. The fighters were now able to seek out the Luftwaffe and actively attack their airfields. This resulted in Luftwaffe losses rising to unsustainable levels, increasing pressure on the German fighter arm, with an attendant reduction in USAAF bomber losses, while fighter losses inevitably rose.
By mid-1944, Eighth Air Force had reached a total strength of more than 200,000 personnel (it is estimated that more than 350,000 Americans served in Eighth Air Force during the war in Europe.) At peak strength, Eighth Air Force had forty heavy bomber groups, fifteen fighter groups, and four specialized support groups. It could (and often did) dispatch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and more than 1,000 fighters on a single mission to multiple targets.
In September 1944, the VIII Fighter Command attached its fighter wings to the Eighth Air Force's Bombardment Divisions. This administrative move allowed each division operational control of several fighter groups to fly escort to their heavy bomb wings. The 65th Fighter Wing was attached to the 2nd Bombardment Division, the 66th Fighter Wing to the 3rd Bombardment Division, and 67th Fighter Wing to the 1st Bombardment Division.
VIII Fighter Command also attacked German transport, logistics centers, and troops during the Normandy campaign, though tactical operations in the European Theater largely were the realm of the Ninth Air Force. During the Battle of the Bulge
in late December 1944, several VIII Fighter Command groups were attached to Ninth Air Force
Tactical Air Command to relieve the Army's ground forces with close-air support. After the initial German attack was blunted by early January, the units remained attached until February 1945, assisting the counter-attack by Allied forces.
First seen by Allied airmen during the late summer of 1944, it wasn't until March 1945 that German Jet aircraft started to attack Allied bomber formations in earnest. On March 2, when Eighth Air Force bombers were dispatched to attack the synthetic oil refineries at Leipzig, Messerschmitt Me 262s attacked the formation near Dresden. The next day, the largest formation of German jets ever seen, most likely from the Luftwaffe's specialist 7th Fighter Wing, Jagdgeschwader 7 Nowotny, made attacks on Eighth Air Force bomber formations over Dresden and the oil targets at Essen, shooting down a total of three bombers.
However, the Luftwaffe jets were simply too few and too late to have any serious effect on the Allied air armadas, now sweeping over the Reich with near-impunity. V-1 and V-2 rocket sites were gradually overrrun and the lack of fuel and available pilots for the new jets had virtually driven the Luftwaffe from the skies. The Me-262 was an elusive foe in the skies for the P-47s and P-51s, which outclassed the American fighters. Despite its great speed advantage. Allied bomber escort fighters would fly high above the bombers — diving from this height gave them extra speed, thus reducing the speed difference. The Me 262 was less maneuverable than the P-51 and trained Allied pilots could catch up to a turning Me 262. However, the only reliable way of dealing with the jets, as with the even faster Me 163 Komet rocket fighters, was to attack them on the ground and during takeoff and landing. Luftwaffe airfields that were identified as jet bases were frequently bombed by medium bombers, and Allied fighters patrolled over the fields to attack jets trying to land. 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. Nevertheless, in March and April 1945, Allied fighter patrol patterns over Me 262 airfields resulted in numerous losses of jets and serious attrition of the force.
On April 7, the Eighth Air Force dispatched thirty-two B-17 and B-24 groups and fourteen Mustang groups (the sheer numbers of attacking Allied aircraft were so large in 1945 that they were now counted by the group) to targets in the small area of Germany still controlled by the Nazis, hitting the remaining airfields where the Luftwaffe jets were stationed. In addition, almost 300 German aircraft of all types were destroyed in strafing attacks. On April 16, this record was broken when over 700 German aircraft were destroyed on the ground.
The Luftwaffe was, simply, finished.
At war's end the 8th's fighters had claimed 5,280 enemy aircraft shot down and 4,100 more claimed destroyed on the ground. Losses were 2,113 in total. Some 260 VIII FC pilots became aces, each with five or more aerial victories, though the command also recognized planes destroyed on the ground. The top aces were Lt. Col. Francis S. Gabreski (28) and Capt. Robert S. Johnson
(28) of the 56th Fighter Group plus Maj. George E. Preddy (26.83) and Lt. Col. John C. Meyer
(24) of the 352nd. Gabreski was shot down and captured in July 1944, and Preddy was killed in December. Some 5,000 pilots served with the VIII FC of which 2,156 made at least one part share claim for a kill. Just 57 pilots made claims into double figures.
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...
organization. Its last assignment was with the 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...
, being stationed at RAF Honington
RAF Honington
RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regiment depot and home to the Joint CBRN Regiment.-RAF use:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946.
VIII Fighter Command was the fighter 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....
in the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
European Theater. Its primary mission was to escort the heavy bombers of VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces 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...
to their targets in Occupied Europe, providing protection against 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....
interceptors.
History
Formed at Selfridge FieldSelfridge Field
Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in February 1942, the unit moved to England in May to conduct combat operations over Occupied Europe. After the end of the European War in May 1945, VIII Fighter Command took part in the occupation of Germany until May 1946 while simultaneously coordinating the demobilization of its organization. It inactivated in March 1946 at RAF Honington
RAF Honington
RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regiment depot and home to the Joint CBRN Regiment.-RAF use:...
, the last Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station used by the USAAF to be returned to the British Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
.
Lineage
- Constituted as VIII Interceptor Command on 19 January 1942
- Activated on 1 February 1942
- Redesignated VIII Fighter Command in May 1942
- Inactivated on 20 March 1946
- Disbanded on 8 October 1948
Assignments
- 8th Air Force (later Eighth Air Force)Eighth Air ForceThe 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....
: 1 February 1942 - Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe 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 - United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe, 16 July 1945
- United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe 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...
, 7 August 1945-20 March 1946
Components
Wings- 6th Fighter Wing, 7 June 1942-14 September 1942
- 65th (formerly 4th Air Defense) Fighter Wing, 4 June 1943-15 September 1944
- 66th (formerly 5th Air Defense) Fighter Wing66th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 66th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the VIII Fighter Command, being stationed at RAF Troston, England...
, 3 July 1943-15 September 1944 - 67th Fighter Wing67th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 67th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the VIII Fighter Command, being stationed at RAF Troston, England...
, 26 August 1943-15 September 1944
Groups (assigned to VIII Fighter Command)
- 1st Fighter Group, (P-38), 10 June-16 August 1942
-
- RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
- 4th Fighter Group, (Spitfire) 12 September 1942-30 June 1943
- RAF Bushey HallRAF Bushey HallRAF Bushey Hall is a former World War II non-flying facility in England. It was established at a private golf club and was used as a headquarters facility for the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force in the United Kingdom. It was situated close to its Royal Air Force counterpart at RAF...
; RAF DebdenRAF DebdenRAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
- 20th Fighter Group, (P-38) 25 August 1943-6 October 1943
- RAF Kings CliffeRAF Kings CliffeRAF Kings Cliffe is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located near Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, 12 miles west of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. Originally the airfield was grass-surfaced but hard-surfaced runways and a perimeter track were laid down early in 1943.-USAAF...
- 31st Fighter Group (P-38) 10 June-16 August 1942
- RAF AtchamRAF AtchamRAF Atcham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Shrewsbury in Shropshire on the north eastern boundary of Attingham Park...
; RAF WesthampnettRAF WesthampnettRoyal Air Force Station Westhampnett, more commonly known as RAF Westhampnett, was a Royal Air Force station, located in the village of Westhampnett near Chichester, in the English County of West Sussex....
- 52d Fighter Group (Spitfire) 13 July-14 August 1942 (Attached to Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
)
- 52d Fighter Group (Spitfire) 13 July-14 August 1942 (Attached to Royal Air Force
- RAF Eglinton
- 55th Fighter Group, (P-38) 15 September 1943-6 October 1943
- RAF NuthampsteadRAF NuthampsteadRAF Nuthampstead is a former World War II airfield in England. The airfield is located mostly in Hertfordshire between the villages of Nuthampstead and Anstey in Hertfordshire and Langley and Lower Green in Essex. The eastern part of the airfield including part of the East-West Runway, the Fuel...
- 56th Fighter Group: (P-47) 12 January-30 June 1943
- RAF Kings CliffeRAF Kings CliffeRAF Kings Cliffe is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located near Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, 12 miles west of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. Originally the airfield was grass-surfaced but hard-surfaced runways and a perimeter track were laid down early in 1943.-USAAF...
; RAF Horsham St FaithRAF Horsham St FaithRAF Horsham St Faith was a Royal Air Force station near Norwich, Norfolk, England from 1939 to 1963. It was then developed as Norwich International Airport.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
- 78th Fighter Group78th Fighter GroupThe 78th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, being assigned to Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961....
, (P-38) 29 November 1942-30 June 1943
- 78th Fighter Group
- RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
; RAF Duxford- 350th Fighter Group350th Fighter GroupThe 350th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the III Fighter Command, being stationed at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945....
: * 2 October 1942- 6 January 1943
- 350th Fighter Group
- RAF Duxford
- RAF Goxhill
- 352d Fighter Group352d Fighter GroupThe 352d Fighter Group was one of the most highly decorated USAAF Fighter Groups in World War II, producing many leading aces of the war. The 352d was composed of three squadrons: . Once deployed to the European Theater of Operations , the group was eventually headquartered in Bodney, England...
, (P-47) 8 July-6 October 1943
-
- RAF BodneyRAF BodneyRAF Bodney is a former World War II RAF Station and USAAF airfield in England. The field is located 4½ miles west of Watton in Norfolk.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
- 353d Fighter Group353d Fighter GroupThe 353d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 18 October 1945....
, (P-47) 7 June 1943-18 August 1943
- 353d Fighter Group
- RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
; RAF Metfield- 354th Fighter Group: (P-51, P-47) 4 November 1943-17 April 1944
- RAF Bodney
- Assigned to Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe 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....
under operational control of VIII Fighter Command- RAF Greenham CommonRAF Greenham CommonRAF Station Greenham Common is a former military airfield in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southwest of Thatcham; about west of London....
; RAF BoxtedRAF BoxtedRAF Boxted is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Colchester; about northeast of London...
; RAF Lashenden- 355th Fighter Group, (P-47) 6 July 1943-18 August 1943
- RAF Steeple MordenRAF Steeple MordenRAF Steeple Morden is a former World War II airfield in England. The field was located 3½ miles W of Royston in Cambridgeshire, near the village of Steeple Morden.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
- 361st Fighter Group361st Fighter GroupThe 361st Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the European Theatre of World War II....
, (P-47; P-51) 30 November 1943-12 December 1943; 1 February 1945-10 April 1945
- 361st Fighter Group
- RAF BottishamRAF BottishamRAF Bottisham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Cambridge, S of Bottisham village in Cambridgeshire.- RAF Fighter Command use:...
; RAF Little WaldenRAF Little WaldenRAF Station Little Walden is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Saffron Walden; about north-northeast of London...
- 495th Fighter Training Group**: November 1942-February 1945
- RAF AtchamRAF AtchamRAF Atcham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Shrewsbury in Shropshire on the north eastern boundary of Attingham Park...
- 496th Fighter Training Group**: August 1942-January 1945
- RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
- RAF Greenham Common
* Formed in England by Eighth Air Force; reassigned to Twelfth Air Force.
** Training unit with no permanent aircraft assigned.
Groups (assigned to wings)
- 6th Fighter Wing
-
- Wing and assigned groups reassigned to Twelfth Air Force, 14 September 1942
- 1st Fighter Group: (P-38), 16 August-14 September 1942
- RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
; RAF Kirton In LindseyRAF Kirton in LindseyRAF Kirton in Lindsey is a Royal Air Force airfield in Lincolnshire. The field is located 15 miles north of Lincoln.It hosts No.1 Air Control Centre , the RAF’s only deployable ground-based early warning and air control radar unit, parented by RAF Scampton.-First World War:The Royal Flying Corps...
; RAF IbsleyRAF IbsleyRAF Station Ibsley is a former World War II airfield in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located near the village of Ibsley, approximately north of Ringwood; about southwest of London...
- RAF Goxhill
- 14th Fighter Group: (P-38), 14 August-14 September 1942
- RAF AtchamRAF AtchamRAF Atcham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Shrewsbury in Shropshire on the north eastern boundary of Attingham Park...
- RAF Atcham
- 31st Fighter Group: (P-38), 16 August-14 September 1942
- RAF WesthampnettRAF WesthampnettRoyal Air Force Station Westhampnett, more commonly known as RAF Westhampnett, was a Royal Air Force station, located in the village of Westhampnett near Chichester, in the English County of West Sussex....
- RAF Westhampnett
- 52d Fighter Group (Spitfire) 18 August-14 September 1942
- RAF Eglinton; RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
- RAF Eglinton; RAF Goxhill
- 65th Fighter Wing
- 4th Fighter Group, (Spitfire, P-47, P-51) 30 June 1943
- RAF DebdenRAF DebdenRAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
- Attached to: 2d Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-November 1945
- RAF Debden
- 56th Fighter Group, (P-47) 30 June 1943
- RAF Horsham St FaithRAF Horsham St FaithRAF Horsham St Faith was a Royal Air Force station near Norwich, Norfolk, England from 1939 to 1963. It was then developed as Norwich International Airport.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
; RAF HalesworthRAF HalesworthRAF Halesworth is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is west of Southwold in Suffolk.-USAAF use:Halesworth was built in 1942–1943 and was intended for use as a bomber station. It was built as a bomber station, with a 6,000 ft. main runway and two secondary runways of...
; RAF BoxtedRAF BoxtedRAF Boxted is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Colchester; about northeast of London... - Attached to: 2d Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-10 October 1945
- RAF Horsham St Faith
- 78th Fighter Group78th Fighter GroupThe 78th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, being assigned to Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961....
, (P-47, P-51) 30 June-18 August 1943- RAF Duxford
- 355th Fighter Group, (P-47, P-51) 18 August 1943
- RAF Steeple MordenRAF Steeple MordenRAF Steeple Morden is a former World War II airfield in England. The field was located 3½ miles W of Royston in Cambridgeshire, near the village of Steeple Morden.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
- Attached to: 2d Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-3 July 1945
- RAF Steeple Morden
- 361st Fighter Group361st Fighter GroupThe 361st Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the European Theatre of World War II....
, (P-47, P-51) 8 August-15 September 1944- RAF BottishamRAF BottishamRAF Bottisham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Cambridge, S of Bottisham village in Cambridgeshire.- RAF Fighter Command use:...
; RAF Little WaldenRAF Little WaldenRAF Station Little Walden is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Saffron Walden; about north-northeast of London... - Attached to: 2d Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September-24 December 1944
- Further attached to: XIX Tactical Air CommandXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
, 24 December 1944-1 February 1945 (Battle of the BulgeBattle of the BulgeThe Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
) - Attached to: 2d Bombardment (later Air) Division, 10 April-3 November 1945
- RAF Bottisham
- 479th Fighter Group, (P-38, P-51) 15 May 1944
- RAF WattishamRAF WattishamRAF Wattisham was a Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front-line air force base...
- Attached to: 2d Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-22 November 1945
- RAF Wattisham
- 66th Fighter Wing
- 55th Fighter Group, (P-38, P-51) 5 October 1943
- RAF NuthampsteadRAF NuthampsteadRAF Nuthampstead is a former World War II airfield in England. The airfield is located mostly in Hertfordshire between the villages of Nuthampstead and Anstey in Hertfordshire and Langley and Lower Green in Essex. The eastern part of the airfield including part of the East-West Runway, the Fuel...
; RAF WormingfordRAF WormingfordRAF Station Wormingford is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Colchester.... - Attached to: 3d Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-20 July 1945
- RAF Nuthampstead
- 78th Fighter Group78th Fighter GroupThe 78th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, being assigned to Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961....
, (P-47, P-51) 18 August 1943- RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
; RAF Duxford - Attached to: 3d Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-10 October 1945
- RAF Goxhill
- 339th Fighter Group339th Fighter GroupThe 339th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 66th Fighter Wing, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 18 October 1945....
, (P-51) 4 April 1944- RAF FowlmereRAF FowlmereRAF Fowlmere is a former airfield in the United Kingdom. The airfield is located six miles SW of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire.-RAF use:Flying at Fowlmere originated in 1918 when the airfield was used by Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Service Aero Squadrons...
- Attached to: 3d Bombardment (later Air) Division 15 September 1944-October 1945
- RAF Fowlmere
- 353d Fighter Group353d Fighter GroupThe 353d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 18 October 1945....
, (P-47, P-51) 18 August 1943- RAF GoxhillRAF GoxhillRAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
; RAF MetfeldRAF MetfeldRAF Metfield is a former United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the southeast of the village of Metfield in Suffolk....
; RAF RaydonRAF RaydonRAF Raydon is a former United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the northeast of the village of Raydon, about 6 miles from Ipswich on the B1070 in Suffolk.-Origins:... - Attached to: 3d Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-10 October 1945
- RAF Goxhill
- 357th Fighter Group357th Fighter GroupThe 357th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The 357th operated P-51 Mustang aircraft as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force and its members were known unofficially as "The Yoxford Boys" after a village near their base...
(P-51) 31 January 1944- RAF RaydonRAF RaydonRAF Raydon is a former United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the northeast of the village of Raydon, about 6 miles from Ipswich on the B1070 in Suffolk.-Origins:...
- Attached to: 1st Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-8 July 1945
- RAF Raydon
- 359th Fighter Group359th Fighter GroupThe 359th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945....
, (P-47, P-51) 20 October 1943-1 November 1943- RAF East WrethamRAF East WrethamRAF East Wretham is a former World War II RAF Station airfield in England. The field is located near East Wretham 6 miles NE of Thetford in Norfolk.- RAF use:...
- RAF East Wretham
- 361st Fighter Group361st Fighter GroupThe 361st Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the European Theatre of World War II....
, (P-47, P-51) 12 December 1943-11 March 1944- RAF BottishamRAF BottishamRAF Bottisham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5 miles E of Cambridge, S of Bottisham village in Cambridgeshire.- RAF Fighter Command use:...
; RAF Little WaldenRAF Little WaldenRAF Station Little Walden is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Saffron Walden; about north-northeast of London...
- RAF Bottisham
- 67th Fighter Wing
- 20th Fighter Group, (P-38, P-51) 6 October 1943
- RAF Kings CliffeRAF Kings CliffeRAF Kings Cliffe is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located near Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, 12 miles west of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. Originally the airfield was grass-surfaced but hard-surfaced runways and a perimeter track were laid down early in 1943.-USAAF...
- Attached to: 1st Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-11 October 1945
- RAF Kings Cliffe
- 352d Fighter Group352d Fighter GroupThe 352d Fighter Group was one of the most highly decorated USAAF Fighter Groups in World War II, producing many leading aces of the war. The 352d was composed of three squadrons: . Once deployed to the European Theater of Operations , the group was eventually headquartered in Bodney, England...
, (P-47, P-51) 6 October 1943- RAF BodneyRAF BodneyRAF Bodney is a former World War II RAF Station and USAAF airfield in England. The field is located 4½ miles west of Watton in Norfolk.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
- Attached to: 1st Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-13 April 1945
- Further attached to: IX Tactical Air CommandIX Tactical Air CommandThe IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
, 23 December 1944-13 April 1945 (Battle of the BulgeBattle of the BulgeThe Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
)
- RAF Bodney
- 356th Fighter Group356th Fighter GroupThe 356th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945....
, (P-47, P-51) 8 August 1944- RAF Martlesham HeathRAF Martlesham HeathRAF Martlesham Heath is a former Royal Air Force airfield in England. The field is located 1½ miles SW of Woodbridge, Suffolk.- RFC/RAF prewar use:Martlesham Heath was first used as a Royal Flying Corps airfield during World War I...
- Attached to: 1st Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-2 November 1945
- RAF Martlesham Heath
- 359th Fighter Group359th Fighter GroupThe 359th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945....
, (P-47, P-51) 1 November 1943- RAF East WrethamRAF East WrethamRAF East Wretham is a former World War II RAF Station airfield in England. The field is located near East Wretham 6 miles NE of Thetford in Norfolk.- RAF use:...
- Attached to: 1st Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944- 2 November 1945
- RAF East Wretham
- 361st Fighter Group361st Fighter GroupThe 361st Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the European Theatre of World War II....
, (P-51) 11 March-8 August 1944- RAF Little WaldenRAF Little WaldenRAF Station Little Walden is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Saffron Walden; about north-northeast of London...
- RAF Little Walden
- 364th Fighter Group364th Fighter GroupThe 364th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945....
, (P-38, P-51) 10 February 1944- RAF HoningtonRAF HoningtonRAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regiment depot and home to the Joint CBRN Regiment.-RAF use:...
- Attached to: 1st Bombardment (later Air) Division, 15 September 1944-3 November 1945
- RAF Honington
Stations
- Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 1 February 1942 - Charleston Army Airfield, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, c. 13 February-c. 1 May 1942 - RAF High WycombeRAF High WycombeRAF 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), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, c. 12 May 1942 - RAF Bushey HallRAF Bushey HallRAF Bushey Hall is a former World War II non-flying facility in England. It was established at a private golf club and was used as a headquarters facility for the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force in the United Kingdom. It was situated close to its Royal Air Force counterpart at RAF...
(AAF-341), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, c. 27 July 1942 - Charleroi Airfield (A-87), BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, c. 15 January 1945 - RAF High WycombeRAF High WycombeRAF 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), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 17 July 1945 - RAF HoningtonRAF HoningtonRAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regiment depot and home to the Joint CBRN Regiment.-RAF use:...
(AAF-375), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 26 October 1945-C. 20 March 1946.
Operational history
The VIII Fighter Command was constituted initially as "VIII Interceptor Command" at Selfridge Field, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
on January 19, 1942. Equipped with the 4th and 5th Air Defense wings, the command's mission was air defense over the north central United States. The command's mission was changed as it was ordered to deploy to Britain in February 1942 as first it was reassigned to Charleston AAF on February 13, then shipped overseas to England where on May 12 it set up headquarters at Bushey Hall.
Bomber escort for VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces 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...
was the fighters' primary mission. VIII Fighter Command initially flew three types of aircraft during 1942-43: the Supermarine Spitfire
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...
, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
and the Lockheed P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
.
P-38 Lightning
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...
menace made shipping across the Atlantic quite risky. However, development by Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
of reliable drop tanks for the P-38F increased the ferry range from 1300 to 2200 miles. This made it possible to ferry the Lightnings from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to the UK via Goose Bay
Goose Bay
Goose Bay may refer to:* Happy Valley – Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada* Goose Bay , Canada...
, Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
to Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and finally to Prestwick
Prestwick
Prestwick is a town in South Ayrshire on the south-west coast of Scotland, about south-west of Glasgow. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr, the centre of which is about south...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Also, following the American victory at the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
, the USAAF felt sufficiently confident that the Japanese fleet was not about to show up off the west coast and it was decided to redeploy the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups to Britain. By August 1942, 81 P-38Fs of four of the six squadrons of the 1st and 14th Fighter Groups had arrived in Great Britain to complete the first transatlantic crossing by single-seat fighters. On August 14, 1942, a P-38F flown by 2nd Lieut Elza Shaham of the 342d Composite Group in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
shared with a P-40C in the destruction of a Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-3
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
over the Atlantic Ocean to obtain the first victory of a P-38 over a 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....
aircraft.
The P-38F-equipped 82nd Fighter Group arrived in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in November 1942. However, the P-38 was not to become famous for its exploits in Europe as the needs of the North African Invasion
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....
took priority in the fall of 1942 and the 1st, 14th and 82nd Fighter Groups were transferred to the Twelfth Air Force in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
. The fighter plane which would be used most extensively over the skies of Europe would first be the P-47 Thunderbolt in 1943, then in 1944, be joined in the sky by the P-51 Mustang.
The P-38 equipped groups of the 6th Fighter Wing were reassigned to Twelfth Air Force on 14 September 1942 and later sent to French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
in support of the North African
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
and Tunisian Campaigns
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
.
P-47 Thunderbolt
The first P-47C Thunderbolts arrived in England in late December 1942, and equipped the 4th Fighter Group which somewhat reluctantly traded in their Spitfires for the type. P-47Cs also reequipped the 82nd, 83rd, and 84th Squadrons of the 78th Fighter Group78th Fighter Group
The 78th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, being assigned to Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961....
. P-47Cs were also supplied to the 56th Fighter Group which left their P-47Bs back home in the States when they transferred to England. Engine and radio problems caused some delays, but the first operational sorties began on March 10, 1943, and consisted of high-altitude escort duties and fighter sweeps. The first encounter with German fighters came on April 15 when the P-47Cs of the 335th Squadron shot down three German fighters for a loss of three of its own.
The high-altitude performance of the P-47C was far superior to anything the Luftwaffe could put up against it, but at low and medium altitudes the P-47C could not match the maneuverability and climb rates of its opponents. However, the P-47C could out-dive just about anything in the sky, and many a Thunderbolt saved itself from a sticky situation by using its superior diving performance to break off combat at will when it proved necessary to do so. The P-47Cs of the 56th, 4th and 78th Groups were intended as bomber escorts, but were ineffectual until fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks to lengthen their range at the end of July 1943. These three groups were joined later in 1943 by seven new groups flying P-47Ds - the 352nd, 353rd, 355th, 356th, 358th, 359th, and 361st Fighter Groups. P-47s flew escort missions until the end of 1943, when they began to be replaced by longer-range and P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s which were better suited for the long-range escort role.
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
first entered squadron service in Europe with the British in early 1942. The Allison V-1710-engined P-51A (Mustang I) was successful in RAF service, although the British found the aircraft's performance inadequate at higher altitudes. Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
engineers rapidly realized that by equipping the Mustang with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with its two speed, two stage supercharger, performance would substantially improve. Also, by using a four-bladed propeller, rather than the three-bladed one used on the P-51A, the performance was again greatly improved. The XP-51B achieved a level speed of 441 mph at 29,800 feet, over 100 mph faster than the Allison-engined P-51A at the same altitude. At all altitudes, the rate of climb was approximately doubled.
The USAAF finally had an aircraft which could compete on equal terms with the Fw 190 and the later models of the Bf 109. The USAAF was finally fully sold on the Mustang, and a letter contract for 2200 P-51Bs was issued. The engine was to be the Packard V-1650-3
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
, based on the Merlin 68
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
. The P-51B, and subsequently the P-51C and P-51D models, became one of the most memorable fighter of the war.
In late 1943, the P-51B Mustang was introduced to the European Theater by the USAAF. It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. However the P-51B was introduced as a tactical fighter, so the first deliveries of the P-51B in November 1943 were assigned to three groups in the tactical 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....
at the expense of VIII Bomber Command, whose need for a long range escort fighter was critical. The first escort mission for the bombers was not flown until December 5.
A compromise was reached between 8th and 9th Air Force and the first Eighth Air Force unit to receive the P-51B was the 357th Fighter Group
357th Fighter Group
The 357th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The 357th operated P-51 Mustang aircraft as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force and its members were known unofficially as "The Yoxford Boys" after a village near their base...
based at RAF Raydon
RAF Raydon
RAF Raydon is a former United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the northeast of the village of Raydon, about 6 miles from Ipswich on the B1070 in Suffolk.-Origins:...
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...
. From this point, the P-51 saw widespread use as an escort fighter on long-range penetration raids deep into Germany. In March 1944, P-51Bs flew to Berlin and back for the first time. The 2,000 mile range of the Mustang, when equipped with drop tanks, was far in excess of what was available to other fighters of the day.
The P-51B, C, and D models (merlin engine derivatives) were ideally suited to high altitude bomber escort duties. The streamlined fuselage and thin laminar flow wing made it able to escort bombers to Berlin and back. These features also made it better suited to high altitude combat (above 20,000ft). The main Luftwaffe opponents were the Bf-109 and the Fw-190A. The Fw-190A's main performance band was between 15,000 to 20,000ft, and so the arrival of the Merlin-engined Mustangs spawned the development of the Fw-190D and Ta-152 high altitude fighters. Forcing Luftwaffe pilots to fight the P-51B/D/K's strengths, and the Allies' ability to mount escorts in force (with 3-to-1 and later 4-to-1 odds) proved devastating to Germany. P-51D pilots achieved many of their victories due to overwhelming Allied numerical superiority.
The Mustang's reputations as a truly superior fighter was not really deserved. The reasons for the Mustang's successes were mainly due to the Allies' (mainly American) industrial might and the Mustang's tactical use in combat. Looking at combat aircraft production numbers will really show the differences in German versus Allied industrial might. During 1943, Nazi Germany produced 18,953 combat aircraft (Axis total 19,584) compared to 101,639 produced by the Allies. During 1944 the numbes were 33,804 vs 125,718. During 1945 the numerical difference was even greater, at 6,987 vs 60,494. The Allies' strategy of using large formations of bombers to attack targets deep within German-occupied territory forced the Luftwaffe to fight a war of attrition. By mid 1944, most of the Luftwaffe's most experienced fighter pilots in the west were killed.
Combat operations
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, and the Allies were starting to achieve air superiority over the continent. Although the Luftwaffe could (and did) mount effective attacks on the ever-increasing number of Allied heavy bomber formations, the sheer numbers of Allied bombers attacking targets throughout occupied Europe overwhelmed the German fighter force, which simply could not sustain the losses the Eighth Air Force bombers and fighters were inflicting on it.
When Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle
Jimmy Doolittle
General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAF was an American aviation pioneer. Doolittle served as a brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War...
took command of 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....
in January 1944, he initiated a policy change. Previously, fighters were largely tied to the bombers, but Doolittle and Kepner freed many fighters to go "down on the deck" and allowed them to become far more aggressive. The fighters were now able to seek out the Luftwaffe and actively attack their airfields. This resulted in Luftwaffe losses rising to unsustainable levels, increasing pressure on the German fighter arm, with an attendant reduction in USAAF bomber losses, while fighter losses inevitably rose.
By mid-1944, Eighth Air Force had reached a total strength of more than 200,000 personnel (it is estimated that more than 350,000 Americans served in Eighth Air Force during the war in Europe.) At peak strength, Eighth Air Force had forty heavy bomber groups, fifteen fighter groups, and four specialized support groups. It could (and often did) dispatch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and more than 1,000 fighters on a single mission to multiple targets.
In September 1944, the VIII Fighter Command attached its fighter wings to the Eighth Air Force's Bombardment Divisions. This administrative move allowed each division operational control of several fighter groups to fly escort to their heavy bomb wings. The 65th Fighter Wing was attached to the 2nd Bombardment Division, the 66th Fighter Wing to the 3rd Bombardment Division, and 67th Fighter Wing to the 1st Bombardment Division.
VIII Fighter Command also attacked German transport, logistics centers, and troops during the Normandy campaign, though tactical operations in the European Theater largely were the realm of the Ninth Air Force. During the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
in late December 1944, several VIII Fighter Command groups were attached to 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....
Tactical Air Command to relieve the Army's ground forces with close-air support. After the initial German attack was blunted by early January, the units remained attached until February 1945, assisting the counter-attack by Allied forces.
First seen by Allied airmen during the late summer of 1944, it wasn't until March 1945 that German Jet aircraft started to attack Allied bomber formations in earnest. On March 2, when Eighth Air Force bombers were dispatched to attack the synthetic oil refineries at Leipzig, Messerschmitt Me 262s attacked the formation near Dresden. The next day, the largest formation of German jets ever seen, most likely from the Luftwaffe's specialist 7th Fighter Wing, Jagdgeschwader 7 Nowotny, made attacks on Eighth Air Force bomber formations over Dresden and the oil targets at Essen, shooting down a total of three bombers.
However, the Luftwaffe jets were simply too few and too late to have any serious effect on the Allied air armadas, now sweeping over the Reich with near-impunity. V-1 and V-2 rocket sites were gradually overrrun and the lack of fuel and available pilots for the new jets had virtually driven the Luftwaffe from the skies. The Me-262 was an elusive foe in the skies for the P-47s and P-51s, which outclassed the American fighters. Despite its great speed advantage. Allied bomber escort fighters would fly high above the bombers — diving from this height gave them extra speed, thus reducing the speed difference. The Me 262 was less maneuverable than the P-51 and trained Allied pilots could catch up to a turning Me 262. However, the only reliable way of dealing with the jets, as with the even faster Me 163 Komet rocket fighters, was to attack them on the ground and during takeoff and landing. Luftwaffe airfields that were identified as jet bases were frequently bombed by medium bombers, and Allied fighters patrolled over the fields to attack jets trying to land. 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. Nevertheless, in March and April 1945, Allied fighter patrol patterns over Me 262 airfields resulted in numerous losses of jets and serious attrition of the force.
On April 7, the Eighth Air Force dispatched thirty-two B-17 and B-24 groups and fourteen Mustang groups (the sheer numbers of attacking Allied aircraft were so large in 1945 that they were now counted by the group) to targets in the small area of Germany still controlled by the Nazis, hitting the remaining airfields where the Luftwaffe jets were stationed. In addition, almost 300 German aircraft of all types were destroyed in strafing attacks. On April 16, this record was broken when over 700 German aircraft were destroyed on the ground.
The Luftwaffe was, simply, finished.
At war's end the 8th's fighters had claimed 5,280 enemy aircraft shot down and 4,100 more claimed destroyed on the ground. Losses were 2,113 in total. Some 260 VIII FC pilots became aces, each with five or more aerial victories, though the command also recognized planes destroyed on the ground. The top aces were Lt. Col. Francis S. Gabreski (28) and Capt. Robert S. Johnson
Robert S. Johnson
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Samuel Johnson was a USAAF fighter pilot during World War II. He is credited with scoring 27 victories during the conflict flying a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt....
(28) of the 56th Fighter Group plus Maj. George E. Preddy (26.83) and Lt. Col. John C. Meyer
John C. Meyer
General John Charles Meyer was an American World War II flying ace, and later the commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command and director of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska...
(24) of the 352nd. Gabreski was shot down and captured in July 1944, and Preddy was killed in December. Some 5,000 pilots served with the VIII FC of which 2,156 made at least one part share claim for a kill. Just 57 pilots made claims into double figures.