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Flak: Lessons Learned

By Lone_Sentry_Admin, on November 27th, 2011%

“Lessons Learned” by U.S. Eighth Air Force fighters against German flak taken from Light, Intense, and Accurate: U.S. Eighth A.F. Strategic Fighters Versus German Flak in the ETO, Headquarters, 65th Fighter Wing, August 1945. The booklet was the work of Lt. Col. San Souci and Capt. William D. Thurston, assisted by Lt. Col. R. F. Kennedy, Wing A-2.

Flak Lessons Learned U.S. 8th Air Force

CHAPTER XI: LESSONS LEARNED

In fighting back at light flak, Enemy No. 1 of our fighters in the Eighth Air Force, we all learned a great deal. Operating as we did in East Anglia in England, a tight little area crowded to capacity with strategic air units, we were ideally situated to analyze, discuss and record what we learned over a considerable period of time. Our military communications net was perhaps the finest that ever existed in any combat zone, and the exchange of information among units left little to be desired.

Some of the lessons that grew out of this particular situation are worth setting down in a list, followed in Chapter XII by recommendations based on our experience:

1. Specialization in Fighters is a Myth. Anyone using fighters in a strategic air force might just as well make up his mind in the beginning that before it’s over his pilots will come up against every type of defense the enemy has. It was an error in the early days in the ETO to assume that high-level escort fighters would not be bothered by light flak. Ultimately we had to prepare to meet it, and we should have started sooner than we did.

2. Photo Interpretation is Reliable in Locating Flak. Our own experience as we went along, and investigations on the ground in Germany after the war, both proved that the flak defenses pin-pointed by photo reconnaissance were over 90% correct.

3. Reconnaissance Must be Continuous. It is obvious that frequent photos of every area reached by the strategic air force are absolutely essential in order to keep abreast of the fluid flak situation.

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Eighth Air Force: Stars over the Reich

By Lone_Sentry_Admin, on March 5th, 2010%

Stars over the Reich: U.S. Eighth Air Force  
In January 1945, Army Talks published a special edition for the “Stars over the Reich” for the men of the Eighth Air Force. With a forward by commander Lt. General James H. Doolittle, the special edition told the story of the men and machines of the Eighth Air Force as the unit approached its third anniversary.

The centerfold graphic highlighted the accomplishments of the Eighth Air Force over Europe from August 1942 to November 1944: U.S. Eighth Air Force History

However, the Eighth Air Force really came into its own as long-range fighter escorts became available. The following map showed the increasing range of the escorting fighters:

U.S. Eighth Air Force Escort Fighter Range

The Growth of Fighter Escort Range

1. For the first nine months of their operations the Eighth’s heavies had little fighter escort over the Continent.
2. Beginning in May, 1943, the P-47s regularly escorted missions within a 200 mile range.
3. Fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks, on 28 July the P-47s extended their range to 260 miles.
4. Two months later technical improvements and new tactics enabled the Thunderbolts to escort the bombers to Emden, 325 miles distant, and over the borders of the Reich.
5. By March ’44 the P-47s, with greatly improved fuel carrying equipment, had lengthened their escort range to Helmstedt, 470 miles.
6. In the same month P-38s, similarly equipped, began reaching the 500 mile mark.
7. On 6 March ’44 P-51s made their appearance over Berlin, escorting the heavies, 560 miles from base.
8. Five months later, 6 August, the Mustangs broke all records for Eighth fighter escort range when they accompanied a bombing mission to Gdynia, in the Polish Corridor—a round trip of more than 1,600 miles.

 

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