How many US fighters above Europe belonged to 8th Air Force?

[Starly]

So far I can't find any information regarding my question. Pretty recently I learned that when it comes to US Air Forces the 8th Air Force was the only one that used 150 octane fuel and I'm trying to figure out how common it was for a German pilot to encounter another fighter running on 150 octane fuel. To my knowledge it was very common in 8th Air Force but I don't know how many fighters above Europe were part of the 8th Air Force since I can't find any numbers.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

drgondog is the man to ask.

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

The RAF was using 150 octane as well, so if your question is about allied fighters the RAF figures have to be added, if Europe you need to add the operations of the allied forces in the Mediterranean, which stayed with 100 Octane. If it is US in the ETO fighters that has the issue the 8th and 9th were fighting different battles and the 8th was more likely to encounter Luftwaffe fighters, so it is not a number of fighters or sorties, probably the best measure is the number of claims made by the fighters. Plus knowing the dates the US fighter groups switched to 150 octane and noting the F-6 reconnaissance units were armed and making clams, one of the 9th's fighter groups became a reconnaissance group.

The higher octane fuels gave better low level performance, they did not give any better high altitude performance. To illustrate, the Spitfire VIII modified to 150 Octane and 25 pounds boost, versus its 100 Octane 18 pounds standard configuration, was 30 mph faster at 14,000 feet but no faster at 20,200 feet.

Just post war the USAAF put together summaries of operations, any RAF ones are harder to find. The attached are when the 8th was using 150 octane, the relative fighter strengths of the 8th and 9th and their claims which can give an idea of the ratio of 150 versus 100 Octane using USAAF ETO fighters encountering Luftwaffe aircraft, the overwhelming majority of USAAF claims in the ETO were for Luftwaffe fighters.

 

[drgondog]

So far I can't find any information regarding my question. Pretty recently I learned that when it comes to US Air Forces the 8th Air Force was the only one that used 150 octane fuel and I'm trying to figure out how common it was for a German pilot to encounter another fighter running on 150 octane fuel. To my knowledge it was very common in 8th Air Force but

15 FGs in 8th AF. Typical operational mission strength = 16/squadron, 48 per FG. That increased at end of 1944 to deliver A and B Groups with up to 8 flights each per group for combined 60 to 64.

I don't know how many fighters above Europe were part of the 8th Air Force since I can't find any numbers.

100/150 was not exclusive to 8th AF. It was available in June for combat ops in ETO. Nearly same (or same) required for 25# Boost in Spit and Tempest, roughly equivalent to 75"MP in P-51B/D. Not sure why 9th AF would be precluded save obvious reason of inadequate supply. Looking further, see this link for the introduction of 100/150 into 8th, then 2 TAF then 9th AF.

150 Grade Fuel

100/150 Grade Fuel, WWII Aircraft Performance Data

www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org

By September 194r it would be quite common for all VIII FC to use 100/130 at 72", and 2 TAF in October and 9th in December/January 1945.