Air War WW2 Portal 
8th Air Force Europe in September 1942
TUESDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO, 8th Air Force): During Jul, the
following units arrive in England from the US: HQ 51st Troop Carrier Wing
at Greenham Common.
FRIDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO, 8th Air Force): The 352d Bombardment
Squadron (Heavy), 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy), moves from Podington to
Chelveston, England with B-17s (first mission is tomorrow).
SUNDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO, 8th Air Force): Mission 10: 76 bombers
and 37 fighters bomb targets in France; 2 B-17s are lost:
1. 12 of 12 DB-7s attack the Abbeville/Drucat Airfield at 1702 hours;
escort is provided by 37 Spitfires, all without loss.
2. 30 of 51 B-17s, 30 attack the Avions Potez aircraft plant at Meaulte at
1740-1748 hours; they claim 4-19-20 Luftwaffe aircraft; 2 B-17s are lost and
7 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 5 WIA and 18 MIA. This is the VIII Bomber
Command's first loss of aircraft in combat.
3. Of 13 B-17s, 11 hit St Omer/Longuenesse Airfield and 2 St Omer/Ft Rouge
Airfield without loss.
Arrivals in England from the US: HQ 67th Observation Group at Membury; and
the 367th, 368th and 369th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 306th Bombardment
Group (Heavy), at Thurleigh with B-17s.
MONDAY, 7 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO, 8th Air Force): Mission 11: 29 bombers
attack targets in the Netherlands without loss:
1. 4 of 15 B-17s ineffectively raid the Wilton shipyards at Rotterdam in
bad weather; they claim 8-4-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17s are damaged; 1
airman is KIA and 3 WIA.
2. 5 of 14 B-17s seek targets of opportunity in the vicinity of Utrecht;
they claim 4-6-5 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 B-17 is damaged and 1 airman is WIA.
Units arriving in England from the US: HQ 2d Bombardment Wing at Old
Catton; HQ 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 328th, 329th, 330th and 409th
Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Alconbury with B-24s (first mission is 9 Oct
42); HQ 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) at Thurleigh; 12th, 107th, 109th and
153d Observation Squadrons, 67th Observation Group, at Membury with no
aircraft (first mission is in Aug, Dec 43 and Jan 44 respectively); and 15th
Photographic Mapping Squadron, 3d Photographic Group, at Membury with B-17s
(first mission is Nov 42).
TUESDAY, 8 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO, 8th Air Force): The "Joint British
American Directive on Day Bomber Operations Involving Fighter Cooperation" is
issued; worked out between Major General Carl Spaatz and the RAF, it consigns
night bombing to the RAF and day bombing to the Eighth Air Force; the purpose
is to achieve continuity in the bombing offensive and secure RAF fighter
support for US bombers; General Spaatz orders all tactical operations to give
way to activity in support of Operation TORCH (plan for Allied landings in N
and NW Africa in Nov 42); processing of units of the newly created Twelfth
Air Force destined for N Africa takes priority over combat operations for the
present.
In England, HQ 3d Photographic Group arrives at Membury from the US; 342d
and 414th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy), move
from Grafton Underwood to Polebrook with B-17s.
WEDNESDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO, 8th Air Force): The 423d Bombardment
Squadron (Heavy), 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at Thurleigh,
England from the US with B-17s (first mission is 9 Oct).
THURSDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO, 8th Air Force): In England, the 5th
Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, VIII Bomber Command, moves from
Molesworth to Podington with F-4s (first mission is in Nov); and the 67th
Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrives at
Cheddington with B-24s (first mission is 20 Dec).
FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
UK (8th Air Force): The 364th and 365th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy),
305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrive at Grafton Underwood, England from
the US with B-17s.
SATURDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
8th Air Force: HQ VIII Air Force Composite Command arrives in Ireland and
is temporarily stationed at Long Kesh, County Down. Following units arrive
in England from the US: HQ 3d Bombardment Wing at Elveden Hall; HQ 4th
Bombardment Wing at Camp Lynn but soon loses its personnel to the XII Bomber
Command and is not manned again until Jan 43; HQ 91st Bombardment Group
(Heavy) at Kimbolton; HQ 303d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 358th, 359th,
360th and 427th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Molesworth with B-17s (first
mission 17 Nov); HQ 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 366th and 422d
Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Grafton Underwood with B-17s (first mission
17 Nov); 66th and 68th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group
(Heavy) at Cheddington with B-24s (first mission is 7 Nov). In England, HQ
4th Fighter Group and 334th, 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons are activated
at Bushey Hall with Spitfires to be manned by US pilots who formerly flew
with the RAF Eagle Squadrons; and the 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter
Group, moves from High Ercall to Colerne with P-38s (first mission is 2 Oct).
SUNDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
8th Air Force: In England, the 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light), VIII
Bomber Command, moves from Molesworth to Podington, with DB-7s; the 322d,
323d, 324th and 401st Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 91st Bombardment Group
(Heavy), arrive at Kimbolton from the US with B-17s (first mission is 7 Nov).
MONDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
8th Air Force: After the transfer of the combat unit to the Twelfth Air
Force (see below), the combat units assigned to the Eighth are: HQ 3d
Photographic Group and 5th, 12th, 13th and 14th Photographic Squadrons and
15th Photographic Mapping Squadron with F-4s, F-5s and B-17Fs; HQ 4th Fighter
Group and 334th, 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons at Steeple Morden with
Spitfire Vs; HQ 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 66th, 67th and 68th
Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Cheddington with B-24s; HQ 67th Observation
Group and 12th, 107th, 109th and 153d Observation Squadrons at Membury with
no aircraft; HQ 91st Bombardment Group and 322d, 323d, 324th and 401st
Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Kimbolton with B-17Fs; HQ 92d Bombardment
Group (Heavy) and 325th, 326th, 327th and 407th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy)
at Bovingdon with B-17Fs; HQ 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 328th, 329th,
330th and 409th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Alconbury with B-24Ds; HQ
303d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 358th, 359th, 360th and 427th Bombardment
Squadrons (Heavy) at Molesworth with B-17Fs; HQ 305th Bombardment Group
(Heavy) and 364th, 365th, 366th and 422d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at
Grafton Underwood with B-17Fs; and HQ 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and
367th, 368th, 369th and 423d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy) at Thurleigh with
B-17Fs.
WEDNESDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
8th Air Force: The VIII Air Force Services Command selects Honington and
Watton, England as sites for Bomber Command advance depots; the site for the
VIII Fighter Command awaits a final settlement of question of location and
mission of the Fighter Command.
FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
Eighth Air Force: VIII Ground Air Support Command at Membury, England is
redesignated VIII Air Support Command.
SATURDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
Eighth Air Force: Mission 12: 75 B-17s and 36 P-38s are dispatched to
attack Cherbourg/Maupertus and Morlaix/Porjeau Airfields, France; 16 execute
diversionary missions but the remainder are recalled due to adverse weather.
TUESDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 1942
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)
Eighth Air Force: US pilots who had been members of the 3 RAF Eagle
Squadrons (Numbers 71, 121 and 133 Squadrons) are taken over by the VIII
Fighter Command and organized into the 4th Fighter Group as the 334th, 335th
and 336th Fighter Squadrons; the group HQ and all squadrons move from Bushey
Hall to Debden, England with Spitfires.
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
