Skip to main content
Edit entry 

Eighth Air Force

Command

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force in February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.

The Eighth Air Force earned the unofficial nickname 'The Mighty Eighth' in the 1970s following the publication of Roger Freeman's book 'The Mighty Eighth'.

US Air Force Combat Units of World War II Description

Constituted as VIII Bomber Command on 19 Jan 1942, the command conducted the heavy bombardment operations. Redesignated Eighth AF on 22 Feb 1944. Afterward, engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets in Europe. Transferred, without personnel, equipment, and combat elements, to Okinawa on 16 Jul 1945. Although some personnel and combat units were assigned before V-J Day, the Eighth did not participate in combat against Japan. Transferred, without personnel and equipment, to the US on 7 Jun 1946. Re manned and re-equipped as part of Strategic Air Command.

Commanding officers

  • Earle Partridge

    Military | General | Commanding General
    Formerly command pilot. CG 3rd AD 21 June 1944 to May 1945. Retired 31 July 1959. DSCSSLMDFC w/ 2 Oak Leaf ClustersAM w/ 9 Oak Leaf Clusters

  • James Doolittle

    Military | General | Commanding General
    Became Commanding General of 12th AF September 1942; Commanding General of Northwest African Strategic Air Force March 1943; assumed command of 15th AF November 1943; Commanding General of 8th Air Force 6 January 1944 to 9 May 1945. Medal Of Honor for...

  • William Kepner

    Military | Lieutenant General | Commanding General, 8th Air Force Fighter Command
    From 1909 to 1913, Kepner served in the US Marine Corps. By 1916 he was a second lieutenant in the Indiana National Guard. After a short spell in the US cavalry, in 1917 he transferred to the infantry as a captain and commanded a company at the Battle...

Structure

Part of
  • US Strategic Air Forces

    US Strategic Air Forces

    Headquarters
    Eighth Air Force Headquarters became USSTAF in February 1944 and oversaw all Strategic Air Force activities in the European, African and Middle Eastern Theatre of Operations, particularly the operations of the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces.

Encompassing
  • VIII Air Force Composite Command

    VIII Air Force Composite Command

    Command

  • VIII Air Force Service Command

    VIII Air Force Service Command

    Command

  • VIII Fighter Command

    VIII Fighter Command

    Command
    VIII Fighter Command was established as VIII Interceptor Command at Selfridge Field on 2 February 1942.

  • 1st Air Division

    1st Air Division

    Division
    In December 1944, the 1st Bomb Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.

  • 1st Bomb Division

    1st Bomb Division

    Division
    The groups under the command of the 1st Bomb Wing came under the command of the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.

  • 2nd Air Division

    2nd Air Division

    Division
    In December 1944, the 2nd Bomb Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.

  • 2nd Bomb Division

    2nd Bomb Division

    Division
    The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.

  • 3rd Air Division

    3rd Air Division

    Division
    In December 1944, the 3rd Bomb Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

  • 3rd Bomb Division

    3rd Bomb Division

    Division
    The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

  • 325th Photographic Wing

    325th Photographic Wing

    Wing
    8 Reconnaissance Wing (P) established by 8th Air Force order No. 69 on 19 February 1944 and headquarters established at AAF Station 113 Cheddington on 23 February 1944. ...

Previously was
  • VIII Bomber Command

    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.

Became
Not yet known

Missions

  • 8th Air Force

    8 October 1944
    Black Week

  • 824

    9 February 1945

  • 833

    16 February 1945

  • 835

    19 February 1945
    1,100 Heavies Hit Nazi Rails ...

  • 8th Air Force 851

    27 February 1945
    1,107 bombers and 745 fighters are dispatched to hit road and rail communications at Halle and Leipzig using H2X radar

Stations

Station Location Date
Based High Wycombe 22 February 1944 – 16 July 1945

Connections

People

  • James Brown

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 385th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 548BS, 385BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Regensburg in B-17 42-5886 'Jolly Roger' 17-Aug-43; A/C crashed 2 km SW of Wosnadrecht, Netherlands. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 387A Awards: AM, PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Larry Stokes

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 385th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 548BS, 385BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Regensburg in B-17 42-5886 'Jolly Roger' 17-Aug-43; A/C crashed 2 km SW of Wosnadrecht, Netherlands. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 387A Awards: AM, PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Citations

None

Air Force
8th
Type
Combat
Type category
Combat organisation
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
N/a
Insignia
Azure, in the lower lobe of the winged Arabic numeral “8” or a mullet throughout argent charged with a torteaux.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
15 June 2022 14:06:57 Emily Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
13 June 2022 15:08:28 Emily Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
10 June 2022 14:05:11 Emily Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
07 June 2022 08:33:36 Emily Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
01 June 2022 13:05:42 Emily Changes to person associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
30 May 2022 14:58:30 Emily Changes to person associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
27 May 2022 14:52:44 Emily Changes to person associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
26 May 2022 08:04:44 Emily Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
23 May 2022 11:30:50 Emily Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
20 May 2022 18:04:41 Al_Skiff Changes to description
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
Date Contributor Update
20 May 2022 11:14:56 Emily Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Regular removal of erroneous people and aircraft associations to record- individual people and aircraft were never directly assigned to the USAAF's Combat Air Forces.
Date Contributor Update
20 January 2022 12:27:22 Emily Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Removed aircraft with a serial number from fiscal year 1943 or earlier, due to increased likelihood of being an erroneous association. The 8th Air Force did not officially exist as a unit before February 1944, as such aircraft would have been assigned to Headquarters (8th Air Force), or one of the commands it encompassed before this date.
Date Contributor Update
03 January 2022 19:35:45 dmccullo Changes to media associations
Sources

Updated key image
Date Contributor Update
03 January 2022 18:43:44 dmccullo Changes to media associations
Sources

Changed key image.
Date Contributor Update
07 June 2021 11:18:41 Emily Changes to motto
Sources

Removed Motto, which pertains to 8th Air Force post 1945.
Date Contributor Update
04 September 2019 11:05:21 Emily Changes to us air force combat units of world war ii description and commanding officers associations
Sources

Air Force Combat Units of World War II
Date Contributor Update
18 June 2018 14:30:39 ajgoebel Changes to category
Sources

Correction
Date Contributor Update
18 June 2018 14:05:46 ajgoebel Changes to category
Sources

June 18, 2018
Date Contributor Update
18 June 2018 14:03:15 ajgoebel Changes to type and media associations
Sources

June 18, 2018
Date Contributor Update
18 June 2018 13:52:45 ajgoebel Changes to nicknames, motto, insignia and media associations
Sources

June 18, 2018
Date Contributor Update
17 March 2017 16:45:12 dwgdallas Changes to media associations
Sources

From the Personal Collection of Lt. Billy J. Murray
Date Contributor Update
04 January 2015 12:52:55 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.
Date Contributor Update
04 January 2015 12:23:40 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.
Date Contributor Update
04 January 2015 10:40:01 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.
Date Contributor Update
03 January 2015 20:06:12 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.
Date Contributor Update
03 January 2015 17:53:38 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

http://aviation-safety.net
Date Contributor Update
02 January 2015 16:13:28 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.
Date Contributor Update
02 January 2015 13:07:06 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.
Date Contributor Update
02 January 2015 12:56:48 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.
Date Contributor Update
02 January 2015 11:56:46 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.
Date Contributor Update
31 December 2014 17:43:15 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

http://aviation-safety.net
Date Contributor Update
31 December 2014 13:14:37 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

http://aviation-safety.net
Date Contributor Update
30 December 2014 15:44:57 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

http://aviation-safety.net
Date Contributor Update
30 December 2014 13:59:33 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

http://aviation-safety.net
Date Contributor Update
30 December 2014 07:33:25 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

http://aviation-safety.net
Date Contributor Update
30 December 2014 07:24:14 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

http://aviation-safety.net
Date Contributor Update
30 December 2014 07:06:36 Al_Skiff Changes to unit encompassing associations and aircraft associations
Sources

http://aviation-safety.net
Date Contributor Update
29 December 2014 21:07:14 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Production list / mossie.org
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:43 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Share