8th (Heavy) U.S. Army Air Force

"The Mighty Eight"

Order: heavy bombing raids over occupied Europe

Version: 14-08-08 (D-M-Y)
Note: The "Mighty Eight" indeed was a mighty weapon.
While researching this topic I got an idea, how MANY planes they could bring in the air.
A sidenote: When the mighty eight built the convoys of some hundred bombers in the sky, it took some time to get them all in the air.
That means, the first where already up and cycling for an hour or longer until all were up and then all need to put themselfs in formation.
Of course the first in the sky had burned quite a bit of fuel in the meantime and their range was reduced.

Absolutly incredible!

I needed to divide the 8th USAAF site in sub-sites to show it best, see below

 

 

 

1st Air Division

2nd Air Division

3rd Air Division
The 1st Air Division covered
Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire

Only B-17 Flying Fortresses

 The 2nd Air Division was mainly in Norfolk and was predominantly flying B-24 Liberators.

The Headquarters of the 2nd were located at Ketteringham Hall, some 3 miles north east of Wymondham, Norfolk

 Elveden Hall was the Headquarters of the 3rd Air Division of the 8th US Army Air Force.

Broadly speaking the 3rd Air Division flew B-17 Flying Fortresses out of Suffolk, but included B17 bases like Deopham Green, Fersfield and Thorpe Abbotts, in Norfolk.
Some units had short periods flying B-24's.
1st Combat Wing 2nd Combat Wing 4th Combat Wing
40th Combat Wing 14th Combat Wing 13th Combat Wing
41st Combat Wing 20th Combat Wing 45th Combat Wing
94th Combat Wing 95th Combat Wing 93rd Combat Wing
  96th Combat Wing 325th PHOTO Wing
Each Air Division was protected by an own Fighter Wing for escorts:

67th Fighter Wing
(Walcot Hall, Nr Stamford)

Version: 04-07-08 - 72 pics
 

65th Fighter Wing
(Saffron Walden Grammar School)

Version: 04-07-08 - 145 pics
 

66th Fighter Wing
(Sawston Hall, Nr Cambridge)

Version: 14-08-08 - 125 pics
* updated *
Later in the war, depending on the wing, the fighters` noses featured full colours, stripes or checkers:
Stripes -with exceptions- Full colors Checkers
20th Fighter Group 4th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Group
352nd Fighter Group 56th Fighter Group 78th Fighter Group
356th Fighter Group 355th Fighter Group 339th Fighter Group
359th Fighter Group 361st Fighter Group 353rd Fighter Group
364th Fighter Group 479th Fighter Group 357th Fighter Group
- - 82nd Fighter Group
(For short time)
- - 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron
(Extra)

 

 

 

 

 

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© Michael Reimer 2008