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Eighth Air Force

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Article Genealogy
Parent: United States Air Force Hop 3
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2. After dedup23 (None)
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Eighth Air Force
Unit nameEighth Air Force
Dates1942–present
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Army Air Forces, United States Air Force
TypeNumbered Air Force
Command structureAir Force Global Strike Command
GarrisonBarksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana
Nickname"The Mighty Eighth"
BattlesWorld War II, Cold War, Gulf War, War in Afghanistan, Iraq War
Notable commandersIra C. Eaker, Carl Spaatz, James H. Doolittle
Aircraft bomberB-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-29 Superfortress, B-52 Stratofortress
Aircraft fighterP-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang

Eighth Air Force. Known as "The Mighty Eighth," it is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. Activated in 1942, it served as the primary United States Army Air Forces heavy bomber force in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Today, as part of Air Force Global Strike Command, it provides combat-ready B-52 Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit forces for strategic deterrence and global strike operations.

History

The unit was established on January 28, 1942, at Savannah Army Air Base in Georgia under the command of then-Brigadier General Ira C. Eaker. It rapidly deployed to England, establishing its headquarters at Bushy Park under the codename "VIII Bomber Command." Throughout the war, it operated under the umbrella of the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe, alongside the Fifteenth Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Post-war, it was redesignated as United States Air Forces in Europe before moving to the continental United States, where it became a key component of the Strategic Air Command during the Cold War.

Organization

During World War II, it was organized into three bombardment divisions: the 1st Bombardment Division, 2nd Bombardment Division, and 3rd Bombardment Division, each controlling multiple combat wings and groups. Fighter support was provided by the VIII Fighter Command, which included famed units like the 4th Fighter Group and the 56th Fighter Group. In its modern incarnation, it commands two bomb wings: the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale and the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. It also oversees the 608th Air Operations Center and the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron.

World War II operations

It commenced strategic bombing operations from bases in East Anglia in August 1942. Its early missions, such as the raid on the Rouen marshalling yards, were relatively small-scale. The force grew massively, undertaking costly campaigns like the Combined Bomber Offensive, the Big Week offensive in February 1944, and the critical attacks on German aircraft industry and Luftwaffe bases. It conducted major raids on Schweinfurt, Regensburg, Ploiești, and Berlin, and played a decisive role in the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. By war's end, its crews had dropped over 700,000 tons of bombs.

Cold War and beyond

After transfer to Strategic Air Command in 1946, it became a primary nuclear deterrent force, operating B-36 Peacemaker, B-47 Stratojet, and later B-52 Stratofortress bombers from bases like Carswell Air Force Base and Westover Air Force Base. During the Vietnam War, its B-52s conducted Operation Arc Light and Operation Linebacker II missions. In the post-Cold War era, it participated in the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, and sustained operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was reassigned to Air Force Global Strike Command in 2010, resuming its global strike mission.

Aircraft

Its primary World War II heavy bombers were the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator, with the B-29 Superfortress briefly assigned post-war. Long-range escort was provided by the P-47 Thunderbolt and the definitive P-51 Mustang. The Cold War saw a transition to jet-powered bombers, including the B-45 Tornado, B-50 Superfortress, and the aforementioned B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress. Today, its operational inventory includes the B-52H Stratofortress and it is associated with the B-2 Spirit through its global strike tasking.

Notable personnel

Key commanders included Generals Ira C. Eaker, Carl Spaatz, and James H. Doolittle. Renowned aviators who served in its ranks include Medal of Honor recipients John C. Morgan and James H. Howard, as well as the most successful American fighter pilot of the war, Francis Gabreski. Other distinguished members were Curtis LeMay, who later led Strategic Air Command, and Paul Tibbets, who piloted the Enola Gay. The force also included notable figures like Clark Gable, who served as a gunner, and Joseph Heller, whose experiences inspired the novel Catch-22.

Category:Military units and formations of the United States in World War II Category:Numbered air forces of the United States Air Force