True Warriors: The U.S. Eighth Air Force Was Really Number One
The Eighth Air Force served in combat longer than any other U.S. Army unit in the European Theater.
Key Point: After more than two years of aerial bombardment of targets throughout Germany and Occupied Europe, the Eighth Air Force had come to symbolize heavy bombing.
When World War II in Europe came to an end, the Eighth Air Force was the most famous unit in the U.S. Army Air Forces and, until the massive Boeing B-29 Superfortress raids against Japan in the spring of 1945, it was the most powerful.
Thunderbolt in the Sky: America s Legendary Republic P-47 Fighter nationalinterest.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nationalinterest.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
This powerful aircraft was the definition of a reliable workhorse for the U.S. military.
Key point: The P-47 could hold its own with a wide variety of enemy aircraft. It was hard to kill and it carried a good amount of firepower.
Losses were high and morale low when the U.S. Eighth Air Force intensified its heavy bomber missions over Nazi-occupied Europe in late 1942.
This article first appeared earlier and is being reposted due to reader interest.
As the Americans persisted with their daylight offensive, complementing the Royal Air Force’s nightly raids, the air crews were eager and gallant, but misgivings mounted. The major threat came from the German fighter force, with its experienced pilots and rugged planes ready to maul the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator formations.