Heavy Bombers of the Mighty Eighth; An Historical Survey of the B-17s and B-24s Assigned to the Eighth United States Air Force August 1942 0 June 1945
Savannah, GA: Eighth Air Force Memorial Museum Foundation, 1995. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Velobound. viii, 421, [3] pages, including covers. There is a substantial amount of tabular data. This is a result of Project Bits and Pieces. The 8th Air Force Memorial Museum Foundation, Inc. filed as a Domestic Non Profit Corporation in the State of Florida and is no longer active. Most of this work is in a two-column format. Project Bits and Pieces was designed to provide an historical survey of B-17s and B-24s assigned to the 8th Air force (8AF) from acceptance into the inventory through each bomber's ultimate fate. The primary and secondary sources utilized in Project Bits and Pieces wee 1) historical documents, 2) photographs, 3) personal accounts, and 4) published research. The volume is comprised of four sections -- 1) 8AF units outlined in the Table of Contents, 2)Pilot of Records Index, 3)Aircraft Name Index, and 4) the Bibliography. Paul M. Andrews was a noted aviation author who earned an advanced degree from McGill University (Canada). He has been published in the American Aviation Historical Society Journal and provided focused research support to many other published aviation authors. He has worked as an analyst for the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations. William H. Adams is a noted statistical historian who published a comprehensive list of 8th Air Force Fighter Losses among other works. The bomb groups of the Mighty Eighth Air Force played an unprecedented and pivotal role in World War II, conducting strategic bombing missions over Nazi-occupied Europe to cripple Germany’s war industry and pave the way for the eventual Allied victory. Activated in 1942, the Eighth became the largest air striking force in history, flying thousands of missions that targeted enemy factories, railways, and military resources. Despite facing fierce resistance from enemy fighters and German anti-aircraft defenses, its heavy bomber crews and fighter escorts demonstrated extraordinary bravery and determination. Their valiant efforts cemented the Eighth Air Force’s enduring legacy. During World War II, approximately 350,000 airmen served in the Mighty Eighth. The Eighth suffered heavy casualties, with over 26,000 airmen killed in action, and approximately 28,000 airmen became prisoners of war (POWs). Many airmen are still Missing in Action today, like the nine men from the Joe Noyes Crew. A successor organization, The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, is a non-profit organization with a museum facility located in Pooler, Georgia, in the western suburbs of Savannah. It educates visitors through the use of exhibits, artifacts, archival materials, and stories, most of which are dedicated to the history of the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Corps that served in the European Theater during World War II. Among the many World War II exhibits are aircraft including a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber that can be viewed while being restored, a model of a Messerschmitt Bf 109G fighter, and a 3/4-scale model of a P-51 Mustang fighter. Aircraft on display outside include the B-47 Stratojet, MiG-17, and F-4 Phantom II from the post-WWII Cold War era. Planning for a museum dedicated to the Eighth Air Force began in 1983. Thirteen years later, on 14 May 1996, the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum opened to the public. A 2003 statute named the museum as the official State of Georgia center for character education. The museum received a B-17 project from the National Air and Space Museum in January 2009. In February 2011, a fire truck that was used at Hunter Army Airfield during World War II was donated to the museum. The museum changed its name to the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in March 2013. The museum broke ground on a 20,000 sq ft expansion in February 2024. In June 2025, the museum announced that it would be receiving a B-24 from the Barksdale Global Power Museum. Condition: Very good / Clear plastic front and back covers.
Keywords: 8th Air Force, Eighth Air Force, Reference Works, B-17, B-24, Historical Survey, Aviation History, Heavy Bombers
[Book #90432]
Price: $175.00