VIII Bomber Command
Command
VIII Bomber Command was constituted and activated in 1942. It oversaw heavy bombardment operations until February 1944, when it was redesginated as the 8th Air Force.
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19 March 1945
1,273 bombers and 675 fighters are dispatched to hit airfields and industrial targets in Germany visually and with H2X radar; clouds force 2 of the 3 forces to hit secondaries; 100+ Luftwaffe fighters including 36 Me 262s in formation (largest number of jets seen as a unit) are encountered; the AAF claims 41-3-19 Luftwaffe aircraft (including 3 Me 262s); 6 bombers and 10 fighters are lost:
1. Cloud cover prevents 496 B-17s from hitting the primary targets; secondaries hit are the optical works at Jena (197) and the motor vehicle plant at Zwickau (177); targets of opportunity are Plauen (32), the marshalling yards at Fulda (44) and Saalfeld (10) and other (4); bombing is by H2X radar with some visual attacks; they claim 1-1-2 aircraft; 4 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 121 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 49 MIA. Escorting are 183 of 198 P-51s; they claim 2-0-3 aircraft; 4 P-51s are lost.
2. Cloud cover forces 404 of 436 B-17s to hit the industrial area at Plauen, the secondary target using H2X radar; targets of opportunity, bombed visually, are the Fulda marshalling yard (20) and Prissig (1); 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 4 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 9 MIA. The escort is 141 of 153 P-51s.
3. 341 B-24s are dispatched to hit airfields at Neuburg (125) and Leipheim (84) and jet aircraft plant at Baumenheim (126) visually; 1 B-24 is lost; 11 airmen are MIA. 175 of 194 P-51s escort; they claim 5-0-0 aircraft without loss.
4. 95 of 98 P-51s fly a freelance sweep for the bombers; they claim 33-2-14 aircraft; 6 P-51s are lost.
5. 2 of 4 P-51s escort 15 F-5s and 2 Spitfires on a photo reconnaissance mission over Germany.
Not yet known
All Bomb Groups of the 8th Air Force are sent to Germany to attack airfields and industrial targets.
Not yet known
Not yet known
Command
VIII Bomber Command was constituted and activated in 1942. It oversaw heavy bombardment operations until February 1944, when it was redesginated as the 8th Air Force.
Tonnage dropped | 3,143.4 |
Number of aircraft Sent | 1,273 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 1,224 |
Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 6 |
Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 6 |
Number of aircraft Damaged | 125 |
Number of people Killed In Action | 18 |
Number of people Wounded in Action | 8 |
Number of people Missing In Action | 69 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 2 |
The Primary target for the mission was the Braunkohle-Benzin Synthetic Oil Plant in Bohlen Germany. Before the mission crews were briefed that they should only bomb visually, however when they arrived over Bohlen, they found the target covered with cloud.
The situation was the same at the Secondary target of the mission (location unknown).
Crews ultimately bombed the Tertiary target of Plauen using H2X Pathfinder equipment to provide visual assistance.
Other targets of opportunity were bombed visually.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
Division
In December 1944, the 1st Bomb Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
Number of aircraft Sent | 436 |
Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 1 |
Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 2 |
Number of aircraft Damaged | 4 |
Number of people Killed In Action | 9 |
Number of people Wounded in Action | 3 |
Number of people Missing In Action | 9 |
The Tertiary target of Vomag Maschinenfabrik in Plauen was bombed using a the visual assistance of H2X pathfinder equipment
B-17 Flying Fortress
The 384th Bomb Group were the only unit in the 1st Air Division to suffer a loss during this mission.
B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 43‑39035) flown by Second Lieutenant Robert Griffin and his crew crashed near Reigate, England while returning to base due to pilot error. The nine men on board were all killed in the crash.
Division
In December 1944, the 1st Bomb Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
Group
The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by...
Tonnage dropped | 1,007.4 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 404 |
Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 1 |
Number of people Killed In Action | 9 |
20 aircraft bomb the railway marshaling yards at Fulda visually as a Target of Opportunity with 48.8 tons of bombs.
1 aircraft bombs Prissig as a Target of Opportunity with 2.5 tons of bombs.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Division
In December 1944, the 1st Bomb Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 51.3 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 21 |
The 2nd Air Division were the only Bomb Division to carry out visual bombing of their Primary targets.
341 B-24s are dispatched to hit airfields at Neuburg and Leipheim, and the jet aircraft plant at Baumenheim visually; 1 B-24 is lost; 11 airmen are MIA. 175 of 194 P-51s escort; they claim 5-0-0 aircraft without loss.
B-24 Liberator
Not yet known
Division
In December 1944, the 2nd Bomb Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Number of aircraft Sent | 341 |
Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 1 |
Number of people Missing In Action | 11 |
125 B-24s attack the airfield at Neuburg
B-24 Liberator
44th Bomb Group Mission report:
Jet Plane assembly factory at Neuberg, Germany was attacked today. Capt. Brownlowe, 67th, was credited with a Group lead, Wing and Division with the total of 33 of the 44th's aircraft. Our formation flew the briefed route until reaching the IP, where a thick haze was encountered, forcing the formation to drop 1,500 feet to get under it.
All aircraft reached the objective and all bombs were released on the Primary with excellent results. Enemy opposition was nil, while our fighters furnished very good support. Five of the Group's aircraft landed on the continent . One of the 66th aircraft is MIA for unknown reasons.
Division
In December 1944, the 2nd Bomb Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
Tonnage dropped | 284.3 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 125 |
84 B-24s bomb the airfield at Leipheim
B-24 Liberator
Not yet known
Division
In December 1944, the 2nd Bomb Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 189.5 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 84 |
126 B-24s attack the Aviation Industry at Baumenheim
B-24 Liberator
Not yet known
Division
In December 1944, the 2nd Bomb Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 289.2 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 126 |
Cloud cover prevents the 496 B-17s from the 3rd Air Division from hitting the primary targets.
The 3rd Air Division are forced to use H2X radar and visual sightings to carry out attacks on the secondary targets and targets of opportunity. 197 B-17s hit the optical works at Jena, and 177 hit the motor vehicle plant at Zwickau.
The targets of opportunity are: Plauen, the marshalling yards at Fulda, Saalfeld
The 3rd Air Division claims 1-1-2 aircraft; 4 B-17s are lost, 4 damaged beyond repair and 121 damaged; 9 airmen are KIA, 5 WIA and 49 MIA. Escorting are 183 of 198 P-51s; they claim 2-0-3 aircraft; 4 P-51s are lost.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
Division
In December 1944, the 3rd Bomb Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 1321.7 |
Number of aircraft Sent | 496 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 464 |
Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 4 |
Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 4 |
Number of aircraft Damaged | 121 |
Number of people Killed In Action | 9 |
Number of people Wounded in Action | 5 |
Number of people Missing In Action | 49 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 2 |
177 B-17s effectively attack motor transport industry at Zwickau
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
Division
In December 1944, the 3rd Bomb Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 493.8 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 177 |
197 B-17s effectively attach the optical works at Jena.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
Division
In December 1944, the 3rd Bomb Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 563.1 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 197 |
Fighters from every fighter Group except the 20th and 56th Fighter Groups are dispatched to Germany to provide escort for bombers attacking airfields and industrial targets.
P-51 Mustang
Not yet known
Command
VIII Fighter Command was established as VIII Interceptor Command at Selfridge Field on 2 February 1942.
Group
In the years before deployment to the UK, the Group had been designated as a Bombardment Group (Dive) and trained in A-24 and A-25 dive-bombers and P-39 Airacobras. When, in April 1944, they joined the Eighth Air Force in Britain though, the pilots...
Group
The 352nd Fighter Group were based at Bodney, Norfolk from July 1943 until November 1945 but in the winter months of 1944/1945 detachments moved to bases in Belgium to provide extra air support to ground forces during the Battle of the Bulge and to...
Group
The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...
Group
The Group moved to England in the autumn of 1943 and was assigned to the Ninth Air Force in December 1943. The Group were the first to fly P-51 Mustangs operationally and in their bomber escort missions pushed to find the long-range limits of the...
Group
Where the 353rd Fighter Group had pioneered ground strafing techniques, it was the 355th Fighter Group who destroyed more enemy aircraft by ground strafing than any other Eighth Air Force Group. Based at Steeple Morden from July 1943 to July 1945, the...
Group
The 356th Fighter Group flew 413 missions between 15 October 1943 and 7 May 1945 and suffered the highest ratio of losses to enemy aircraft claims of any Eighth Air Force Group. This gave the Group the reputation of being the 'hard luck' outfit. The...
Group
The 357th Fighter Group was the first P-51 Mustang Group in the Eighth Air Force, training with them from November 1943 at Raydon, England and entering combat with them in the February of the following year from their new base at Leiston. The Group was...
Group
The 359th Fighter Group flew 346 missions from East Wretham between December 1943 and April 1945. In the main these missions were escorting bombers flying over occupied Europe. The Group, soon after converting from Thunderbolts to Mustangs, were...
Group
The 361st Fighter Group was the last P-47 Thunderbolt Group to join the Eighth Air Force. Between 21 January 1944 and 20 April 1945, the Group flew 441 missions, the majority in an escort role in support of bombers flying over occupied Europe. The...
Group
The 364th Fighter Group flew 342 missions in P-38 Lightnings and P-51 Mustangs from Honington, Suffolk. The missions ranged from escorting bombers and dive-bombing and strafing targets to area patrol missions across a swathe of land that took in France...
Group
The 479th was the last Fighter Group to join the Eighth Air Force, which they did on 14 May 1944. Known as "Riddle's Raiders", after their first Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Kyle L. Riddle, the Group flew escort and fighter sweep missions before D-Day....
Group
Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter...
Group
The 55th Fighter Group were the first P-38 Lightning Group to go fully operational from England. The pilots flew long-range escort missions for bombers flying over occupied Europe and racked up 'kills' of their own by destroying enemy aircraft in...
Group
The 78th Fighter Group was initially based at Goxhill but moved to Duxford in April 1943 and stayed there until October 1945. The 78th FG flew each of the three US built principal fighters of the AAF in the ETO. In their Thundetbolts, the 78th FG ...
Number of aircraft Sent | 675 |
Number of aircraft Effective | 623 |
Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 10 |
Number of aircraft Damaged | Unknown |
Number of people Missing In Action | 9 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Fighter Command | 40 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Fighter Command | 2 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 17 |
Military | Chief Master Sergeant | B-17 Toglier in WWII; Aircraft Maintenance until 1967 retirement | 96th Bomb Group
Assigned Dec 1944. Flew 55+ missions in B-17 as togglier. Adcock grew up on a farm in Ellisville, Mississippi, USA. He was career Air Force, retiring in 1967 as a Chief Master Sergeant (CMSAF). Born 3/8/1924 Died 3/16/2017
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator, Commanding Officer | 384th Bomb Group
Bob Birney was assigned to the 547th Bomb Squadron on 5 February 1945 and completed 26 missions between 19 February 1945 and 20 April 1945.
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 336BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. 24 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Holzwickede 23-Mar-45. Mid air collision with B-17 44-8754, crashed Campsea Ash, Suffolk. Killed in Action (KIA).
Awards: AM (3OLC), GC, PH.
Military | Flight Officer | Bombardier | 447th Bomb Group
June 1, 1922: Edward Aloysius Blattner (Nickname: "Buddy") was born in Chicago Illinois
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Lt. Colonel
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter pilot
19th March 1945 is noted in the Duxford Fighter Group’s History as being a day that would never be forgotten. On that day one of the most intense and successful air battles of WW2 was fought by Duxford’s 78th Fighter Group. Consequently detailed...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator; Waist Gunner | 487th Bomb Group
Flew 34 combat missions from 1/8/45 to 4/21/45. Most of them in a B-17G 'Dinah-Mite' #44-8694.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Damaged 34th BG aircraft (#43-38971) mid-air collision with Ol' Scrapiron (#42-31582). Ol' Scrapiron broke apart at the waist on 23 Mar 1945. Seven crewmen of Ol' Scrapiron killed in Action (KIA) including Bruckman. Two survived (Schlag and Shibble).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 28/8/43; Scott 16/9/43; Assigned 544BS/384BG Grafton Underwood 7/11/43; transferred 547BS [SO-N]; transferred to 364FG Leiston, Sfk, UK. 11/43; Returned to the USA Bradley 14/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 17/7/45; Reconstruction Finance...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 6/9/43; Gr Island 23/9/43; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-R] Kimbolton 2/12/43; to 527BG [FO-B]; retUS Bradley 12/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 15/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman...
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51907) was lost on a mission over Neuburg airfield on 19 March 1945. Eyewitnesses were originally uncertain about the fate of the aircraft, which was one of 6 aircraft to break formation after completing the bomb run....
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/1/44; Kearney 14/2/44; Presque Is 20/2/44; Assigned 568BS/390BG [BI-S] Framlingham 3/3/44 DOC'S FLYING CIRCUS, then GIRL OF MY DREAMS; on mission 21/7/44 with ? , Lt Sam Dubin (Killed in Action); severe icing during assembly for...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/2/44; Kearney 16/3/44; Dow Fd 5/4/44; Assigned 711BS/447BG Rattlesden 11/4/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 9/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 22/7/44; Kearney 31/7/44; Grenier 9/8/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-H] Horham 12/8/44; with C.E. Willis force landed A-82 Rouvres, Fr 20/2/45; 73m, crash landed base with ?, non op 6/5/45; ditched North Sea with Roger Sundin 26/5/45....
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/44; Hunter 8/8/44; Dow Fd 30/8/44; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-V] Framlingham 2/9/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 30/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 6/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 20/9/44; Grenier 11/10/44; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-B] Horham 13/10/44; 67m, Returned to the USA Bradley 26/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 28/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 29...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 14/10/44; Dow Fd 26/10/44; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 29/10/44; while on navigation exercise 17/5/45 with H.J. Cole, cp V. Ferguson, two navigators and two grounded crew, on as makeshift ttg and r/op (6 Killed in Action); crash...
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang # 44-72407 of 78th Fighter Group / 82nd Fighter Squadron was piloted by Major Harry L. Downing on the 19 March 1945 bomber escort mission to targets in Germany. It was shot down by German fighters and crashed in the vicinity of Lingen,...
Date | Contributor | Update |
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15 August 2019 15:22:50 | Emily | Changes to event |
Sources | ||
Date | Contributor | Update |
15 August 2019 14:06:32 | Emily | Changes to event |
Sources | ||
Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Diary |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 September 2018 01:49:38 | jhuck | Changes to event |
Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; pp. 296-297 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 September 2018 01:48:40 | jhuck | Changes to person associations |
Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; pp. 296-297 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 September 2018 00:21:17 | jhuck | Changes to event |
Sources | ||
From personal files of John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
03 September 2018 21:59:11 | jhuck | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
Sources | ||
From the files of John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
22 August 2018 10:46:07 | Emily | Changes to official description |
Sources | ||
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by Carter / Mueller, the Office of Air Force History, |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
22 August 2018 10:43:57 | Emily | Changes to event |
Sources | ||
Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Diary |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
22 August 2018 10:38:52 | Emily | Changes to event |
Sources | ||
Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Diary |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
23 March 2017 16:39:23 | dwgdallas | Changes to person associations and media associations |
Sources | ||
The personal collection of Lt. Billy J. Murray |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
29 April 2015 11:43:28 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
Sources | ||
Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/ |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:43:09 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'. |