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Tactical Thunder: The Ninth Air Force in World War II
The deployment of the Ninth Air Force brought the concept of tactical air support into action for the Allies.
Here s What You Need to Know: Ninth Air Force P-47s assumed a major role in Normandy after the Allied ground forces finally broke out of the hedgerows that kept them bottled up.
As the landing craft carrying the invading Allied ground forces of Operation Overlord motored toward the Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944, they were protected and supported by the largest aerial armada the world has ever seen. In spite of medium-level clouds, a covering umbrella of American and British fighters kept the skies clear of German fighters.