Eighth United States Air Force

Eighth United States Air Force. “The Mighty Eighth”. Constituted as VIll Bomber Command to support the invasion of North Africa, the Mighty Eighth was officially born in Savannah, Georgia, on 29 January 1942. Securing approval from the War Department to activate an air force as part of the U.S. Army Forces in the British Isles, Lt. Gen. Henry (Hap) Arnold, Chief of the Army Air Forces, placed the VIII Bomber Command under Brig. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, who took the headquarters elements to England that February. In May, Maj. Gen. Carl A. “Tooey” Spaatz,a World War I ace, and seasoned tactician, strategist, and administrator, assumed command of the embryonic Eighth Air Force. , , On 4 July 1942, the Eighth flew its first mission in DB-7 Boston light bombers borrowed from the British. Flying B-17 Flying Fortresses, the Eighth launched the first all-American heavy bomber raid from England six weeks later. From 1942 until the German surrender, the Eighth's B-17s and B-24 Liberators conducted daylight raids over occupied Europe and Germany. Losses mounted dramatically as sorties over Germany increased. Not until spring of 1944, when long-range P-51 Mustangs and modified P-47 Thunderbolts and P-38 Lightning fighters could escort the bombers to and from their targets, did they begin to moderate. Once fitted with expendable external fuel tanks, the Eighth's fighters could reach the heart of the Reich and interdict enemy fighters in their own airspace, which gave the Allies unquestionable air superiority. , Redesignated the Eighth Air Force on 22 February 1944, the Mighty Eighth continued its strategic bombing, emphasizing lower-altitude attacks on the Nazis’ defensive infrastructure and the lines of communication supporting it. The Eighth also flew humanitarian missions, dropping food and supplies to beleaguered civilians. On the eve of D-Day, General Eisenhower told his troops: "Don't worry about the planes overhead. They will be ours." The next day there were more than 11,000 of them, nearly half belonging to the Eighth. , , The Eighth Air Force flew 2,600 B-17 and B-24 sorties accompanied by 2,200 fighters. Enemy fire felled a single bomber; two others collided and another exploded on takeoff. Twenty-five of the Eighth's fighters were lost, giving evidence of the Luftwaffe's vastly reduced capabilities. The Eighth's strategic bombing campaign leading up to D-Day had been very effective, but adverse weather degraded its tactical capabilities during the early hours of the ground assault. Second and third bombing runs as the day progressed did provide some ground support for the advancing troops. They also impeded the movement of German reinforcements. As the Allies drove their attack inland, the Eighth delivered tactical support for the advance while continuing the strategic disruption of Germany's economy and transportation system. , , In combat missions conducted from 4 July 1942 to 8 May 1945, the Eighth Air Force suffered the loss of 26,000 officers and men and still they faithfully answered duty’s call. Banishing danger, fear, and loss with professionalism, grace, and poise, the Mighty Eighth made a central contribution to the victory in Europe and the defeat of the Axis. , , In memory of 1st Lieutenant Marcus Vincent Courtney of Charlotte, North Carolina. He was a B-24 pilot in the 566th Bomb Squadron of the 389th Bomb Group, 8th U.S. Air Force, based at Hethel Field, Norfolk, England. Lieutenant Courtney flew twenty combat missions before losing his life when his aircraft exploded after take-off on 6 June 1944. Given in love by his sister.