VIII Air Force Composite Command

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VIII Air Force Composite Command
File:Consolidated B-24D-65-CO Liberator - 42-40509 -Cookie - 492bg 858 bs.jpg
B-24 Liberator 858th Squadron B-24D marked for Carpetbagger operations[note 1]
Active1942–1945
Disbanded8 October 1948
CountryFile:Flag of the United States (23px).png United States
BranchFile:Flag of the United States Air Force.svg United States Air Force
RoleTraining and Special Operations
EngagementsEuropean Theater of Operations

The VIII Air Force Composite Command was a subordinate command of Eighth Air Force. It was originally responsible for combat training of aircrews arriving from the United States, a mission it continued until near the end of the war, when the air divisions began the training. Starting in late winter of 1944, the command took over special operations missions, including night leaflet dropping, infiltration of agents behind enemy lines and supplying resistance forces in occupied countries. As Allied forces advanced across Europe, most of its personnel were used to form provisional disarmament units. The command was disbanded in October 1948, when the United States Air Force decided it would have no future need for a level of command between major commands and air divisions.

History

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Lineage

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  • Established as 8th Air Force Composite Command[note 2]
Activated c. 4 July 1942
Redesignated VIII Air Force Composite Command on 18 September 1942
Inactivated c. 31 May 1945
Disbanded 8 October 1948[1]

Assignments

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Components

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Groups
  • 1st Combat Crew Replacement Center Group (Bombardment, Heavy, Special), 12 November 1943 – c. 31 May 1945
  • 2d Combat Crew Replacement Center Group (Bombardment, Heavy, Special), 12 November 1943 – c. 31 May 1945
  • 3d Combat Crew Replacement Center Group (Bombardment or Fighter, Special), 21 November 1943 – c. 23 September 1944, 10 October 1944 – 1 February 1945 (attached to Air Disarmament Command [Provisional])[2]
  • 4th Combat Crew Replacement Center Group (Bombardment or Fighter, Special), 21 November 1943 – c. 31 May 1945
  • 5th Combat Crew Replacement Center Group, 3 November 1943 – c. 31 May 1945
  • 328th Service Group, 26 February 1944–c. August 1944
  • 482d Bombardment Group, 14 February – 1 October 1944[3]
  • 492d Bombardment Group, c. 10 August – 1 October 1944[4]
  • 495th Fighter Training Group, 26 October – December 1943, February 1944–September 1944[5]
  • 496th Fighter Training Group, 11 December – December 1943; February – September 1944
  • 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional) 28 March – 4 August 1944
  • 2900th Combat Crew Replacement Center Group (Provisional), 16 August – 14 November 1943
  • 2901st Combat Crew Replacement Center Group (Provisional), 20 August – 12 November 1943
  • 2902d Combat Crew Replacement Center Group (Provisional), 23 August – 21 November 1943
  • 2915th Combat Crew Replacement Center Group (Provisional), 16 August – 12 November 1943
Squadrons

Stations

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References

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Notes

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Explanatory notes
  1. ^ Aircraft is Consolidated B-24D-65-CO Liberator, serial 42-40509 "Cookie", Lost on 7 October 1943.
  2. ^ The unit was constituted and activated with an arabic number in its name. The use of roman numerals to designate Army Air Forces combat commands did not begin until September 1942. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ In February 1944, the original Eighth Air Force was redesignated United States Strategic Air Forces. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 463-464.
  4. ^ In February 1944, VIII Bomber Command was redesignated Eighth Air Force. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 471-472.
Citations
  1. ^ AFOOR Letter 887e, 8 October 1948, Subject: Disbanding Inactive Units
  2. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 171
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 756
  9. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 780
  10. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 784
  11. ^ a b Station number in Anderson, p. 23.
  12. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ^ Station number in Anderson, p. 46.
  14. ^ Station number in Anderson, p. 60.
  15. ^ Station number in Johnson, p.50.

Bibliography

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Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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