Doolittle and the Eighth

The words

1. Air Corps

   The Air Corps handled training and equipment. In June 1941, the Army Air Forces was created to unite it with the operational Air Force Combat Command.

   Air Corps functions and June 20, 1941 organization · USAF Museum: establishing the AAF (opens a new tab)

2. Air Supremacy

   Doolittle’s command sought control of the air. Fighter escorts increasingly left close defensive positions to seek and attack German aircraft.

   Ch. 2, pp. 46–47, offensive escort tactics · AAF history: escort tactics and Berlin (opens a new tab)

3. Berlin

   The Eighth’s bombers reached Berlin in March 1944 with P-51 escorts. Clouds disrupted aiming, and bombs on the March 6 raid scattered across the city.

   Ch. 2, pp. 49–51, March 4 and 6 missions · AAF history: escort tactics and Berlin (opens a new tab)

4. Bomb Group

   The 305th Bombardment Group flew B-17s from Chelveston. Its work depended on maintainers, armourers, refuellers, medics and other ground personnel.

   Chelveston operations and the group’s supporting personnel · USAF historian: the 305th at Chelveston (opens a new tab)

5. Bomber Crew

   A B-17 usually carried ten specialists, including pilots, a navigator, bombardier and gunners. Combat brought deaths, injuries and captivity to bomber crews.

   B-17 manual: crew responsibilities (opens a new tab) · USAF historian: the 305th at Chelveston (opens a new tab)

6. Combat Box

   Combat boxes arranged B-17s for mutual protection by concentrating defensive gunfire. LeMay’s 305th helped develop these formation tactics before Doolittle’s 1944 command.

   LeMay and development of the combat box · USAF historian: the 305th at Chelveston (opens a new tab)

7. Crewman

   At high altitude, a crewman relied on the bomber’s oxygen equipment. The 303rd’s October 1944 orders assigned regular crew oxygen checks to the bombardier.

   October 15, 1944 orders, Oxygen, General · 303rd orders: crew oxygen checks (opens a new tab)

8. Doolittle

   James “Jimmy” Doolittle took over the Eighth Air Force in January 1944. He had previously commanded the Fifteenth Air Force in the Mediterranean.

   Biography, Fifteenth and Eighth commands · USAF: Doolittle’s wartime commands (opens a new tab)

9. Drop Tanks

   Drop tanks carried extra fuel outside the fighter. Auxiliary wing tanks extended P-51 escort range, helping American bombers reach targets deep inside Germany.

   Ch. 2, p. 49, auxiliary tanks and escort range · AAF history: escort tactics and Berlin (opens a new tab)

10. Eighth

    The Eighth Air Force’s bombers operated from Britain. Spaatz’s USSTAF coordinated their strategic operations with those of the Italy-based Fifteenth Air Force.

    Ch. 1, p. 6, coordinating the two bomber forces · AAF history: the Eighth and USSTAF (opens a new tab)

11. Formation

    In October 1944, the 303rd Bombardment Group prescribed a twelve-aircraft squadron formation: four flights of three, arranged in high and low positions.

    October 15, 1944 orders, 12-aircraft formation · 303rd orders: bomber formations (opens a new tab)

12. Fortresses

    Fortresses were Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. Four engines, high-altitude performance and heavy defensive armament supported their role in the American bombing campaign over Europe.

    Aircraft design, European service and technical notes · USAF Museum: the Flying Fortress (opens a new tab)

13. LeMay

    Colonel Curtis LeMay led the 305th at Chelveston. Its lead crews helped coordinate bomb-release timing, developing techniques adopted across the Eighth Air Force.

    305th leadership and the lead-crew system · USAF historian: the 305th at Chelveston (opens a new tab)

14. Pinetree

    Pinetree was the wartime code name for VIII Bomber Command’s headquarters at Wycombe Abbey, where American officers directed the bomber campaign from England.

    VIII Bomber Command’s school headquarters and code name · Eighth Air Force: the Pinetree headquarters (opens a new tab)

15. Wycombe Abbey

    The Air Ministry requisitioned Wycombe Abbey in 1942, and its pupils relocated to other schools. American officers worked from the former headmistress’s offices.

    Did you know?

    During the wartime occupation, the school’s chapel became a cinema.

    School requisition, pupil relocation and offices · Wycombe Abbey: the school in wartime (opens a new tab)