Air Base England: The Mighty Eighth in World War Two: Part One: The Bomber Bases

HOME FROM HOME?From small beginnings in late 1942 to the mighty daylight air armadas of 1945, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) campaigns from bases in the United Kingdom were proof of the commitment of the US to the Allied strategy of ‘Germany First’. The destruction of Hitler’s regime was the key, and US air power became a dominant factor in the European campaigns. Not in itself war-winning, it was only one element of overall Allied air power, and air power was also not an isolated weapon of war, and victory ultimately came from ‘boots on the ground’ from D-Day in June 1945 to the hard-fought battles into Germany and the final German collapse in May 1945.However, the impact of the USAAF’s Eighth and Ninth Air Forces was without doubt significant; it was also costly and at times at risk. It was seldom at risk of total failure, even with high loss rates the sheer amount of men and material available was too great, if commanders were determined enough to keep going. As with the RAF’s bombing campaign, losses could have been reduced if some decision had been made differently, if training had been more appropriate, and commanders, in some cases, less dogmatic and fixated. This book will provide an overview of the campaigns of the Eighth Air Force, but that is only a brief overview with some key events and decisions. The book focuses on the operational air bases from which the Bomber Groups and their Little Friends, the Fighter Groups, flew on an almost daily basis.

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