8Th Air Force Fighter Groups

[Daniel BASTIEN]

End of mai 1944, for raids with targets in Germany, the Bomb Groups provided 12 bombers per Squadron, that is a total of 36 aircraft per Bomb Group. How many aircraft a Figther Group was supposed to provide at that time ? Thank you.

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Unfortunately the answer is it depends for both bombers and fighters. The Bomb Groups had 4 squadrons, at 12 per squadron it would be 48 to the group, the fighter groups had 3 squadrons.

As of 6 June 1944 the 8th Air Force reported its regular bomb groups establishment was 48 aircraft each, translating to 1,920 for the 40 groups, plus 2 mixed groups with an establishment of 60 aircraft. Counting aircraft on operational airfields repairable in over 36 hours there were 2,613 on hand of which 2,290 were serviceable, on average around 62 bombers on hand per group, 54.5 serviceable. The 15 fighter groups present had an establishment of 75 aircraft each, 1,125 for the air force, they had 1,097 on hand of which 903 were serviceable, so around 73 fighters on hand per group, 60 serviceable. There were 2,687 bomber crews on strength of whom 2,158 were operational, there were 1,662 fighter crews on strength of which 1,244 were operational.

On 27 May 1944 the 15 fighter groups sent 710 aircraft, another 24 P-47 sent to attack a barge convoy, on 28 May they sent 697 aircraft, on 29 May they sent 673 aircraft, on 30 May they sent 672 aircraft, plus 100 P-47 on bombing operations, on 31 May they sent 682 aircraft. A total of 690 is on average 46 aircraft per group, formations of around 24 were found to be optimum.

To drill down to the groups, the census of 2000 hours 30 May noted the 40 bomb groups had 1,153 B-17 and 1,169 B-24 present on operational airfields, including those under repair, around 55 B-17 per group and 61.5 B-24 per group. B-17 group strengths ranged from 34 to 69, B-24 from 49 to 69. There were 276 P-38, 345 P-47 and 501 P-51. P-38 group average strength 69, either 68 or 70 on strength, P-47 average 86, strengths from 82 to 94, P-51 groups average 71.5 strengths from 68 to 77. All up 2,322 bombers in 40 groups, 1,122 fighters in 15 groups. In theory a P-47 group could fly an A, B and C group each of 24 aircraft, the other fighters would need to have smaller average formation sizes on this date, there had been 186 P-38, 284 P-47, 302 P-51, 468 B-17 and 460 B-24 sorties on 30 May.

 

[Daniel BASTIEN]

Unfortunately the answer is it depends for both bombers and fighters. The Bomb Groups had 4 squadrons, at 12 per squadron it would be 48 to the group, the fighter groups had 3 squadrons.

As of 6 June 1944 the 8th Air Force reported its regular bomb groups establishment was 48 aircraft each, translating to 1,920 for the 40 groups, plus 2 mixed groups with an establishment of 60 aircraft. Counting aircraft on operational airfields repairable in over 36 hours there were 2,613 on hand of which 2,290 were serviceable, on average around 62 bombers on hand per group, 54.5 serviceable. The 15 fighter groups present had an establishment of 75 aircraft each, 1,125 for the air force, they had 1,097 on hand of which 903 were serviceable, so around 73 fighters on hand per group, 60 serviceable. There were 2,687 bomber crews on strength of whom 2,158 were operational, there were 1,662 fighter crews on strength of which 1,244 were operational.

On 27 May 1944 the 15 fighter groups sent 710 aircraft, another 24 P-47 sent to attack a barge convoy, on 28 May they sent 697 aircraft, on 29 May they sent 673 aircraft, on 30 May they sent 672 aircraft, plus 100 P-47 on bombing operations, on 31 May they sent 682 aircraft. A total of 690 is on average 46 aircraft per group, formations of around 24 were found to be optimum.

To drill down to the groups, the census of 2000 hours 30 May noted the 40 bomb groups had 1,153 B-17 and 1,169 B-24 present on operational airfields, including those under repair, around 55 B-17 per group and 61.5 B-24 per group. B-17 group strengths ranged from 34 to 69, B-24 from 49 to 69. There were 276 P-38, 345 P-47 and 501 P-51. P-38 group average strength 69, either 68 or 70 on strength, P-47 average 86, strengths from 82 to 94, P-51 groups average 71.5 strengths from 68 to 77. All up 2,322 bombers in 40 groups, 1,122 fighters in 15 groups. In theory a P-47 group could fly an A, B and C group each of 24 aircraft, the other fighters would need to have smaller average formation sizes on this date, there had been 186 P-38, 284 P-47, 302 P-51, 468 B-17 and 460 B-24 sorties on 30 May.

Thank you Geoffrey

 

[pbehn]

Thank you Geoffrey

Posted here previously, US squadrons increased in numbers to the point that they had to "double up" on their identification letters, having used all available letters.