When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the 8th Air Force did not even exist. It soon became the “tip of the spear” in the war against Nazi Germany. Understanding how this happened requires insight into the evolution of warfare in the age of aircraft. The battlefield, two dimensional for millennia, was suddenly five miles deep. This new battleground saw the greatest collision of men and machines than ever before. The 8th was at the center of this conflict. By 1944 over 200,000 personnel were in service and could put 2,000 heavy bombers and 1,000 fighter escorts into the air. On D-Day, the skies above the landing zones were virtually free of Luftwaffe aircraft. This dominance came at a heavy cost. The Mighty 8th lost more men during the war than the entire U.S. Marine Corps. This presentation tells their story.
Suggested Reading: Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, Donald Miller – Simon & Schuster