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VIII Fighter Command

Command

  • "Nazi aerial strategy has been defeated; Germany is to get raids of greater intensity until resistance is shattered, so said Maj Gen William E Kepner, commanding general of the 8th USAAF fighter command, during his first press conference, held recently in London."

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  • A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-3483) of the 482nd Bomb Group takes off. B-17G-1-DL 42-3483 MI-A was the first in a batch of twelve B-17s modified in the USA with pre-production AN/APS-15 H2X

    A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-3483) of the 482nd Bomb Group takes off. B-17G-1-DL 42-3483 MI-A was the first in a batch of twelve B-17s modified in the USA with pre-production AN/APS-15 H2X "Mickey" PFF radar sets under the supervision of the 812th Bombardment Squadron's commanding officer, Captain Fred A Rabo. This batch had the scanner radome installed under a fairing behind the chin turret (seen partially censored out in the photograph) rather than in the ball turret position as on later H2X-equipped aircraft. After her combat service the radar equipment was removed and refitted in a deHavilland Mosquito, being smaller than the production version. In April 1944 she was transferred to the 401st Bombardment Group to serve as a VHF radio relay ship, a function she continued to serve following her transfer to VIII Fighter Command in July 1944.

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  • 'First P-51 Flown by Leroy Gover' - AM121 was a Mustang Mk X, a two stage Merlin 61 engined Mk 1 conversion, works carried out by Rolls-Royce Flight Test Establishment. AM121: This aircraft arrived at the Rolls-Royce Flight Test Establishment at Hucknall on 7 June 1942 and was the first to be delivered but the last to be converted. A broader chord fin was installed but the aircraft was not slated for testing at Hucknall and instead was sent to RAF Duxford before being loaned to the 8th Fighter Command USAAF at Bovingdon along with AL963.

    'First P-51 Flown by Leroy Gover' - AM121 was a Mustang Mk X, a two stage Merlin 61 engined Mk 1 conversion, works carried out by Rolls-Royce Flight Test Establishment. AM121: This aircraft arrived at the Rolls-Royce Flight Test Establishment at Hucknall on 7 June 1942 and was the first to be delivered but the last to be converted. A broader chord fin was installed but the aircraft was not slated for testing at Hucknall and instead was sent to RAF Duxford before being loaned to the 8th Fighter Command USAAF at Bovingdon along with AL963.

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  • Mustang Mk X AM121 seen alongside a P-38 at BAD2. Delivered as an Alison engined Mk I Mustang to the RAF, converted to Mk X by the installation of a two stage RR Merlin 61 engine.

    Mustang Mk X AM121 seen alongside a P-38 at BAD2. Delivered as an Alison engined Mk I Mustang to the RAF, converted to Mk X by the installation of a two stage RR Merlin 61 engine.

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  • General William 'Bill' E. Kepner.

    General William 'Bill' E. Kepner.

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  • "Major General William E Kepner standing on the wing of a plane* at an airbase in England. 2nd Bomb Division, 8th AF." * P-51D Mustang 44-14443

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  • "Major General William Kepner 8th AF, C/O USAAF fighter command, at a press conference held recently in London England 1943."

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

US Air Force Combat Units of World War II Description

Constituted as VIII Interceptor Command on 19 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Feb 1942. Redesignated VIII Fighter Command in May 1942. Moved to England, May-Jul 1942, and served with Eighth AF until after V-E Day.

Commanding officers

  • Benjamin Webster

    Military | Colonel

  • Francis Griswold

    Military | Lieutenant General | Pilot; Commanding Officer; Chief of Staff
    AM

  • Frank Hunter

    Military | Major General | Commanding General
    Formerly command pilot. WW I Ace. Hunter AFB named for him. CG VIIIFC 14 May 1942 to 29 August 1943. Retired 31 March 1946. 4 DSCs WW I

  • Murray Woodbury

    Military | Brigadier General | Fighter Wing Commander; Commanding General
    Murray C. Woodbury was born in 1899 in Burlington, Vt. He graduated from the Florida Military Academy in 1917, and attended Norwich University, Vt. He served as a private and private first class, Aviation Section, Signal Reserve, from Jan. 31, 1918, to...

  • 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
  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


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

  • Headquarters (8th Air Force)

    Headquarters (8th Air Force)


    8th Air Force Headquarters opened in London under the command of General Carl A Spaatz on 19 June 1942. It oversaw all Commands, Wings and Groups engaged in the Strategic Bombing Campaign until February 1944, when it became US Strategic Air Forces in...

Encompassing
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Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Missions

Stations

Station Location Date
Established 1 February 1942
Based High Wycombe 12 May 1942
Based Bushey Hall 27 July 1942 – January 1945
Based Charleroi 12 January 1945 – July 1945
Based High Wycombe 17 July 1945 – October 1945
Based Honington 26 October 1945 – March 1946

Connections

People

  • Harold Barnaby

    Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot
    Assigned to 83FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to VIII Fighter Command. ETD. Awards: SS, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Joseph Bennett

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter pilot
    Joined RCAF, assigned to 133S, transferred to 336FS 4FG 8AF USAAF, promoted 1st Lt ...

  • Jack Bernhard

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter pilot
    Jack Bernhard lived at 160 Central Park Square, New York City, before he enlisted. He became a pilot with the 78th Fighter Group at Duxford.

  • Frederick Betts

    Military | Colonel | Assistant Chief of Staff

  • Nathaniel Blanton

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter Pilot 1055 single engine/Squadron Commander | 20th Fighter Group
    Assigned to 24th PG in Philippines evacuated to Australia. Went to Java with the 17th PS and then 7th FS 49thFG in Australia and New Guinea completed tour and was credited with downing 4 Japanese Zeros. ...

  • Walker Boone

    Military | Major | Fighter pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
    Assigned to VIII fighter command. Transferred to 82FS, 78FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with 2 x kills. Completed Tour of Duty (ETD). Awards: AM (3 OLC), Bronze Star, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Lawrence Bouchard

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter pilot | 359th Fighter Group
    Assigned to 369FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to HQ Sqn, VIII Fighter Command. Completed 300hrs combat and returned home. ...

  • Charles Breed

    Military
    During WWII, Charles enlisted in the US Army Air Corp in October 1942 and served as an airplane mechanic with the 8th Fighter Command, P-51 Mustang Group stationed North of London. On V-E day, May 8, 1945, Charles' unit flew into Germany, as he told it...

  • James Briggs

    Military | Lieutenant General | Operations Officer

  • John Brown

    Military | Captain | Chaplain
    Methodist

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Aircraft

  • 42-3483 'Chopstick A-Able'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 20/6/43; Rome 7/8/43; Assigned with H2S 812BS/482BG [MI-A] Alconbury 10/43; 384BG Grafton Underwood 14/4/44; transferred 401BG Deenethorpe 17/4/44; became radio-relay with 8th Fighter Command 22/7/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 12/7...

  • EN909

    Spitfire
    Supermarine Spitfire EN909 Mk Vb, Built at Chattis Hill. ...

  • AM121

    P-51 Mustang
    Delivered as an Alison engined Mk I Mustang to the RAF, converted to Mk X by the installation of a two stage RR Merlin 61 engine. ...

  • AL963

    P-51 Mustang
    Delivered as an Alison engined Mk I Mustang to the RAF, converted to Mk X by the installation of a two stage RR Merlin 61 engine. First used for performance and handling trials of the Mustang I before conversion on 2 July 1942; its nose contours had a...

  • EP176

    Spitfire
    Supermarine Spitfire EP176 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...

Citations

None

Air Force
8th
Type
Not yet known
Type category
Not yet known
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
N/A
Insignia
A figurehead consisting of a blue demi lion rampant outlined in gold.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
04 September 2019 15:31:36 Emily Changes to motto, insignia, us air force combat units of world war ii description, unit part of associations, commanding officers associations and stations
Sources

Air Force Combat Units of World War II
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:44 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980)

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