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"Patrick's
Unit"
8th Air Force, 306th Bomber Group (Heavy),
367th Bomber Squadron.
8th Air Force
Activated at
Savannah, Georgia, 28 January 1942.
The Eight Air Force
was the daylight precision-bombing force in a combined Anglo-American air
assault against Germany.
In successive fases
of the offensive begun in 1942. Its objectives were submarine yards and pens,
aircraft industries, transportation, oil plants, and other critical war
industries. Although predominantly strategic in character, The Eight Air Force
repeatedly employed its striking force to attack tactical targets in operations
coordinated with ground armies, such as advances in Normandy after D-Day and the
Battle of the Bulge. In addition. It engaged in a large number of special
missions-leaflet-dropping, supply of partisan groups, and repatriation of
displaced persons and prisoners of war. At peak strength, the eight air force
included 40,5 Heavy bombardment, 15 fighter, and 2 photo reconnaissance groups
an organization capable of dispatching in a single mission (Christmas 1944) more
than 2.000 heavy bombers and almost 1.000 fighters, carrying 21.000 men. It
claimed the destruction of 21.419 enemy aircraft and on its 1.034.052 flights
(332.904 by heavy bombers), consumed a Total of 1.155.412.000 gallons of
gasoline. Transferred to the Pacific in the summer of 1945, the Eight Air Force
established headquarters on Okinawa but had little opportunity to engage in
combat before VJ-Day
Op 11 jan 1944 verongelukte 2
toestellen van de 306th Bomber Group, 367th Bomber Squadron', ze kwamen in
botsing boven Nieuw Heeten het was de "Arche Bishop" 42-31236
(Piloot 1Lt G. Campert) en de "Norah" 42-31538 (piloot 2Lt P. Cavos) beide B17's
waren op de terugvlucht van Halberstadt.
De "Norah"
werd tijdens een luchtgevecht getroffen en vloog daarbij stuurloos
achterwaarts uit de formatie en
kwam daarbij in botsing met de "Arche Bishop" die achter in de formatie vloog,
beide toestellen stortte ter aarde en alle twintig bemanningsleden kwamen
daarbij om het leven.
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