Air War WW2 Portal 
8th Air Force Europe in August 1942
SATURDAY, 1 AUGUST 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO, 8th Air Force): Lieutenant General Ira C
Eaker describes the mission of the VIII Bomber Command as the destruction of
carefully chosen strategic targets in Europe.
HQ 31st Fighter Group and 307th, 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons move
from Atcham to Westhampnett, Biggin Hill, Kenley and Westhampnett, England
respectively with Spitfire Mk Vs.
WEDNESDAY, 5 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): VIII Fighter Command dispatches its first mission-11 Spitfire
Mk Vs of the 31st Fighter Group on a practice run over France.
FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): HQ 60th Troop Carrier Group and 10th and 28th Troop Carrier
Squadrons move from Chelveston and Podington to Aldermaston, England with
C-47s.
SUNDAY, 9 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Unit moves in England: HQ 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) to
Chelveston from the US; 27th Fighter Squadron from Goxhill to Atcham (the
squadron is operating their P-38s from Reykjavik, Iceland).
TUESDAY, 11 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Referring to Operation TORCH (plans for the invasion of N
Africa in Nov 42), Major General Carl Spaatz informs General Henry H "Hap"
Arnold that, in his opinion, the UK remains the only base from which air
supremacy over Germany can be established.
WEDNESDAY, 12 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): 31st Fighter Group at Westhampnett, England with Spitfire Mk
Vs, is declared fully operational and ready for combat operations under Royal
Air Force (RAF) control until it gains enough experience to be able to fight
as a group; this is first US fighter unit in the UK to reach this operational
status.
FRIDAY, 14 AUGUST 1942
ETO: 1st Composite Squadron, AAF Composite Force 8012, arrives on Ascension
Island in the South Atlantic from the US with P-39s and B-25s.
SATURDAY, 15 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): 11th Troop Carrier Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, moves
from Chelveston to Aldermaston, England with C-47s.
SUNDAY, 16 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): HQ 6th Fighter Wing arrives at Bushey Hall, England from the
US; the wing will train replacement pilot for fighter organizations until Sep
43.
MONDAY, 17 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Mission 1: 12 of 12 B-17s bomb Rouen/Sotteville marshalling
yard in France at 1739-1746 hours; they claim 0-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2
B-17s are damaged. 6 B-17s also fly a diversion without loss; escort is
provided by RAF Spitfires.
TUESDAY, 18 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 14th Fighter Group at
Atcham; HQ 64th Troop Carrier Group and 16th, 17th, 18th and 35th Troop
Carrier Squadrons at Ramsbury with C-47s; HQ 92d Bombardment Group (Heavy)
and 325th, 326th, 327th and 407th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Bovingdon
with B-17s (they will fly some combat missions while training replacement
crews, Aug 42-Jan 43); 32d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 301st Bombardment
Group (Heavy), at Chelveston with B-17s (first mission is 2 Oct).
WEDNESDAY, 19 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Mission 2: 22 of 24 B-17s bomb Abbeville/Drucat Airfield,
France at 1032-1040 hours; 3 B-17s are damaged; 6 B-17s fly a diversion and 2
airmen are WIA. This mission is flown to occupy the Luftwaffe and prevent
them from opposing an invasion by over 5,000 Allied troops, mostly Canadians,
who raid Dieppe, France. 123 Spitfire Mk Vs of the 31st Fighter Group support
the raid on Dieppe and claim 1-1-5 Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of 8
Spitfires (4 pilots are MIA); 2d Lieutenant Samuel F Junkin Jr of the 309th
Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, flying a Spitfire Mk V in support of
the amphibious raid on Dieppe, shoots down a German fighter, this being the
first aerial victory won by an 8th Air Force fighter pilot flying from the UK.
Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 1st Bombardment Wing at Brampton
Grange; 353d and 419th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 301st Bombardment Group
(Heavy), at Chelveston with B-17s (first mission is 2 Oct).
2d, 4th and 5th Fighter Squadron, 52d Fighter Group arrive at Eglinton, Co
Derry, Ireland from the US (squadrons will be equipped with Spitfire Mk Vs
and 2d and 4th Fighter Squadrons will fly their first mission on 27 Aug; 5th
Fighter Squadron will not fly missions).
THURSDAY, 20 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): The principle of coordinated day and night bombing receives its
first formal definition in the "Joint British/American Directive on Day
Bomber Operations involving Fighter Cooperation." The emphasis is placed on
achieving continuity in the bombing offensive from the UK.
Mission 3: 11 of 12 B-17s bomb Amiens/Longeau marshalling yard, France at
1801 hours without loss.
Unit moves in England: 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, from
Atcham to High Ercall (the squadron is operating from Reykjavik, Iceland with
P-38s); 352d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) to
Podington from the US with B-17s (first mission is 5 Sep).
FRIDAY, 21 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): At General Henry H "HAP" Arnold's request, Lieutenant General
Dwight D Eisenhower gives Major General Carl Spaatz additional duties as Air
Officer for the ETO and head of the air section of its staff, thus assuring
active participation by the 8th Air Force in theater planning.
Mission 4: 12 B-17s are dispatched to the bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam,
The Netherlands but the mission is aborted due to an attack by 25 Bf 109s
and Fw 190s; the bombers claim 2-5-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 bomber is damaged;
1 airman is KIA and 5 WIA. Lack of proper coordination with the Spitfire
escorts is a major factor in the failure of the mission.
HQ VIII Ground Air Support Command moves from Bushy Park to Membury,
England.
MONDAY 24 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Mission 5: 12 of 12 B-17s bomb the shipyard of Ateliers et
Chantiers Maritime de la Seine at Le Trait, France; 3 B-17s are damaged and 5
airmen are WIA.
Major General Carl Spaatz reports the the RAF attitude towards US daylight
precision bombing seems to be changing from one of skepticism to one of
tentative approval.
Unit moves in England: HQ 6th Fighter Wing from Bushey Hall to Atcham; HQ
1st Fighter Group and 71st Fighter Squadron from Goxhill to Ibsley with P-38s
(first mission is 1 Sep); 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, from
Biggin Hill to Merston.
TUESDAY, 25 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Units of the Provisional Troop Carrier Command, organized in
the UK on 31 Jul pending arrival of the VIII Troop Carrier Command, are
transferred to the VIII Ground Air Support Command after plans to organize
the VIII Troop Carrier Command are abandoned.
308th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, moves from Kenley to
Westhampnett, England with Spitfires.
WEDNESDAY, 26 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Unit moves in England: HQ 52d Fighter Group and 2d, 4th and 5th
Fighter Squadrons from Eglinton, Ireland to Goxhill with Spitfires; 27th
Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, stops operating from Reykjavik, Iceland
with P-38s and moves to High Ercall.
THURSDAY, 27 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Mission 6: 7 of 9 B-17s bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, The
Netherlands at 1740 hours; 3 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is WIA.
92d Bombardment Group (Heavy) completes nonstop flight of the last of its 4
squadrons from Newfoundland to UK without a loss. A Combat Crew Replacement
Center (CCRC), the first in the Eighth Air Force, is established at
Bovingdon, England.
94th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, moves from Kirton in Lindsey to
Ibsley, England with P-38s.
FRIDAY, 28 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Mission 7: 11 of 14 B-17s bomb the Avions Potez aircraft
factory at Meaulte at 1337-1344 hours; 3 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA.
SATURDAY, 29 AUGUST 1942
ETO (8th AF): Mission 8: In France, 11 of 13 B-17s attack Courtrai Airfield
at 1131-1136 hours; 1 B-17 hits Steene Airfield at 1137; they claim 0-1-1
Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 B-17s are damaged.
Source:
COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59
used sources by McKillop:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History,
Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force
History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the
Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
