Fighters of the 8th Air Force

Fighters of the 8th Air Force

The 8th Air Force was the first US Army Air Force (USAAF) strategic air force to be formed in WWII. In mid-1944 two years after it was created, it had more than 200 000 men on its bases in Great Britain and was able to put more than 2 000 four-engined bombers protected by 1 000 fighters into the air on a mission at any one time. Its main role was to support the Normandy landings before carrying on its massive day-time air raids over the Continent to disrupt enemy production and communications networks, both in Germany and in the occupied countries.