8th Air Force

United States Army Air Forces

8^th Air Force
Nickname: "The Mighty Eighth"
Air Force Callsign: Not Known

Aircraft ID Code
-None

Air Force Aircraft
Various

The 8^th Air Force was created in early 1942, and established in England shortly thereafter. It organized and directed the forces necessary for the strategic bombardment of targets in continental Europe. It pursued this mission through the end of hostilities in 1945, whereupon it was redirected to support the war in the Pacific.
Often called the "8th Army Air Force", it is more correctly referred to as the "8th Air Force" of the US Army Air Forces.

Airfield	Dates Occupied
Bushy Park Headquarters Teddington, Middlesex	June 1942-January 1944
High Wycombe Headquarters Buckinghamshire	January 1944-May 1945

Division	Callsign	Code	Notes
1^st Bombardment Division	TBD	Triangle	Constituted as 1^st Bombardment Division on 30 Aug 1943. Activated in England on 13 Sep 1943. Assigned to Eighth AF. Redesignated 1^st Air Division in Dec 1944. Served in combat in the European theater from Sep 1943 until Apr 1945, receiving a DUC for an attack on aircraft factories in central Germany on 11 Jan 1944. Inactivated in England on 31 Oct 1945.
2^nd Bombardment Division	TBD	Circle	Constituted as 2^nd Bombardment Division on 30 Aug 1943. Activated in England on 13 Sep 1943. Assigned to Eighth AF. Redesignated 2^nd Air Division in Dec 1944. Served in combat in the European theater from Sep 1943 until Apr 1945. Moved to the US in Jun 1945. Disbanded on 28 Aug 1945.
3^rd Bombardment Division	TBD	Square	Constituted as 3^rd Bombardment Division on 30 Aug 1943. Activated in England on 13 Sep 1943. Assigned to Eighth AF. Redesignated ^3d Air Division in Dec 1944. Served in combat in the European theater from Sep 1943 until Apr 1945. Inactivated in England on 21 Nov 1945.
8^th Bomber Command	TBD	None	All heavy bomber operations were directed by this organization, from the inception of 8^th AF operations until 8^th AF reorganized on 4 January 1944 under General James Doolittle. At that time, 8^th AF moved from Bushy Park to High Wycombe, and VIII^th Bomber Command was absorbed into it.
8^th Fighter Command	TBD	None	Fighter operations were directed by this organization until 15 September 1944, when the 8^th AF was re-organized into three Air Divisions.

8^th AF Related Photos
Visit The Photo Gallery

8^th AF Visitor Information
8^th AF Related Websites	Mighty 8^th< Air Force Museum's Birthplace Chapter News Letter.
8^th AF Contacts	No Volunteers Yet.

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