Active 1942–1943 | Country United States | |
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Branch United States Army Air Force Role Medium Bombardment; Troop Carrier | ||
The VIII Air Support Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. Its last assignment was with Eighth Air Force, stationed at Sunninghill, Berkshire, England. It was inactivated on 1 December 1943.
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VIII Air Support Command engaged in training, with one reconnaissance and one troop carrier group assigned, until July 1943. Afterward, carried out medium bombardment operations against the enemy on the Continent until October 1943 when all components and personnel were withdrawn from the command
The command was inactivated and its units reassigned to other Eighth and Ninth Air Force units on 1 December 1943.
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Operational history
The VIII Ground Air Support Command (GASC) was constituted on 28 April 1942 at Bolling Field, Washington, D.C. commanded by Col. Robert C. Candee and assigned to Eighth Air Force. Col. Candee was promoted to Briadier General and deployed the VIII GASC to England, but did not open its headquarters at Membury in Berkshire until 17 August where took control of a troup carrier wing whose two groups, the 60th and 64th, were stationed at Aldermarston and Ramsbury, both places in the vicinity of Membury.
The mission of VIII Ground Air Support Command was initially training and reconnaissance and troop transport. The transport units were reassigned to the new Twelfth Air Force in late 1942. In February 1943, the command's mission was expanded to carrying out medium bombardment operations against the enemy on the Continent.
In February 1941, the first Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers were accepted by the USAAF. It was to be in the European theatre where the Marauder was to achieve its greatest success. In the United Kingdom, the Marauder formed the basis of the medium bomber forces of the VIII Air Support Command. The first B-26s arrived in the United Kingdom in February 1943. They were to be used in low-level missions against German military targets on the Continent.
On 16 October 1943, the B-26 Marauder units were reassigned to IX Bomber Command, leaving VIII Air Support Command without any operational units. Its command staff was reassigned to other units, and the command was inactivated on 1 December 1943