Combat Stories
Members of the military were required to complete what were termed 'after action' reports; this is a term typically used by the US Army. World War II was no different in the paperwork that would inform higher command and serve as tools for future engagements. The Army Air Forces of World War II had a couple of narratives about their activities in conflict. The first were mission summaries. These reports were paired with mission briefs also termed field orders; these would detail when a mission would begin, the groups and aircraft involved, target, flight paths, rendezvous, ingress and egress, time on target, bomb and ammunition loads and purpose of the mission. The mission summary would entail the actual times, targets, results both successful and unsuccessful, losses, early damage assessment and more. These reports were on a group level whether bomber or fighter.
Then there were individual reports. Most of these reports were called 'encounter' reports. They were first person accounts of combat. They could be called eyewitness to history; but more appropriately participants in/to history.
Herein we are offering encounter reports by members of the 8th Army Air Forces in World War II. These are transcriptions of official reports typically taken shortly after the engagement and provide a detailed recap of the action between U.S. Soldiers-Airmen and the German enemy. Some detail claims of destruction of enemy aircraft or other instruments of war. These reports offer a remarkable insight into the individual's activities and we are happy to bring these reports to you for historical and educational enjoyment.
17th Bombardment Group
- Donald Sonnega
1st Fighter Group
07/11/1943 - Ernest Chapman
20th Fighter Group
08/09/1944 - Robert Meyer
08/09/1944 - John Randolph
08/09/1944 - Keith Price
08/09/1944 - William Smith
08/09/1944 - Jess Yaryan
More 20th Fighter Group Combat Stories
27th Fighter Bomber Group
08/19/1943 - George Forbes
301st Bombardment Group
- Max Johnston
306th Bombardment Group
- Glen Loveland
310th Bombardment Group
08/27/1943 - Henry Kuhn
339th Fighter Group
06/08/1944 - Peter McMahon
08/04/1944 - Lawrence Powell
09/11/1944 - Raymond Mayer
09/23/1944 - Lester March
11/02/1944 - Donald Penny
More 339th Fighter Group Combat Stories
33rd Fighter Group
12/08/1944 - Charles Leonard
352nd Fighter Group
11/26/1943 - John Bennett
11/26/1943 - John Meyer
12/20/1943 - Daniel Britt
03/15/1944 - Stephen Andrew
05/30/1944 - Robert Berkshire
More 352nd Fighter Group Combat Stories
353rd Fighter Group
10/14/1943 - William Bailey
12/01/1943 - Walter Beckham
02/10/1944 - Clifford Armstrong
12/05/1944 - Wilton Johnson
12/24/1944 - George Lee
More 353rd Fighter Group Combat Stories
355th Fighter Group
11/07/1943 - Norman Olson
11/13/1943 - Roland Vincent
11/29/1943 - Jack Woertz
12/05/1943 - Ray Baker
02/20/1944 - Ben Johnston
More 355th Fighter Group Combat Stories
356th Fighter Group
11/26/1944 - Donald Baccus
12/05/1944 - Raymond Campbell
12/05/1944 - Clifford Ashby
01/14/1945 - Robert Barnhart
01/14/1945 - Melvin Baylor
More 356th Fighter Group Combat Stories
357th Fighter Group
03/04/1944 - Charles Yeager
03/18/1944 - Fletcher Adams
04/11/1944 - Fletcher Adams
05/27/1944 - Fletcher Adams
09/13/1944 - Charles Yeager
More 357th Fighter Group Combat Stories
359th Fighter Group
03/29/1944 - John Murphy
08/09/1944 - John Murphy
09/11/1944 - George Baker
09/12/1944 - Merle Barth
10/24/1944 - Boyd Adkins
More 359th Fighter Group Combat Stories
361st Fighter Group
02/24/1944 - Robert Stoltz
05/08/1944 - Hugh Chapman
06/25/1944 - Jack Crandell
09/12/1944 - William Kemp
09/12/1944 - Claire Chennault
More 361st Fighter Group Combat Stories
364th Fighter Group
08/23/1944 - Argent Acosta
12/23/1944 - George Ceuleers
12/27/1944 - Daniel Leftwich
12/27/1944 - Robert Allen
12/27/1944 - Ernest Duderstadt
More 364th Fighter Group Combat Stories
366th Fighter Group
05/10/1944 - Harold Holt
05/10/1944 - Clure Smith
05/10/1944 - Albert Merz
05/10/1944 - Robert Jones
05/26/1944 - Robert Jones
More 366th Fighter Group Combat Stories
370th Fighter Group
05/19/1944 - Richard McNees
05/19/1944 - Walter Hearne
376th Bombardment Group
- Albert Romero
01/11/1943 - Theodore Drazkowski
07/16/1943 - Carl Valentine
404th Fighter Bomber Group
05/19/1944 - Benjamin Kitchens
443 Troop Carrier Group
12/10/1943 - Ivan Hirshburg
12/10/1943 - Charles Lawton
479th Fighter Group
10/07/1944 - Hubert Zemke
12/05/1944 - Richard Candelaria
12/05/1944 - Gordon Doolittle
12/05/1944 - Philip Gossard
12/05/1944 - Arthur Jeffrey
More 479th Fighter Group Combat Stories
4th Fighter Group
06/22/1943 - Ernest Beatie
06/26/1943 - Raymond Care
07/28/1943 - Raymond Care
07/28/1943 - Leon Blanding
07/28/1943 - Frank Boyles
More 4th Fighter Group Combat Stories
55th Fighter Group
07/07/1944 - John Landers
07/07/1944 - Robert Callaghan
07/07/1944 - Eugene Holderman
07/07/1944 - William Reilly
07/21/1944 - Richard Forsblad
More 55th Fighter Group Combat Stories
56th Fighter Group
05/12/1944 - Steven Gerick
06/06/1944 - William McElhare
06/06/1944 - B. Michael Gladych
06/07/1944 - B. Michael Gladych
06/07/1944 - Steven Gerick
More 56th Fighter Group Combat Stories
78th Fighter Group
11/26/1943 - Howard Askelton
02/24/1944 - Charles Peal
04/13/1944 - Charles Peal
04/25/1944 - Kenneth Allstaedt
06/06/1944 - Vincent Massa
More 78th Fighter Group Combat Stories
98th Bombardment Group
- Daniel Kiernan
02/20/1943 - J L Giblin
09/03/1943 - Hoover Edwards
99th Bombarment Group
- Venon Fairbanks
07/22/1943 - Kenneth Titus
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Volunteering
Are you an AAC, AAF or USAF Veteran, family member, historian or WW2 enthusiast? We Need YOU! Contact us today to see how you can help the Army Air Corps Library and Museum, a Texas Not-For-Profit Corporation.
We need your help! We are looking for volunteers that can help us with the following tasks.
(1) Typing and Transcriptionists: One of our big projects is extracting data from the thousands of documents we have and putting this data into a database where we can display the information on a website such as this one. (2) Photography and Document Scanning.
Historical Artifacts
We are looking for photos, documents and other types of artifacts including uniforms and gear of the 8th Air Force in World War II as well as other units and commands. We accept electronic/scans or originals of pictures and paper records. A General Order could be an award document that contains information on many servicemen. Special Orders may contain transfers or other information. Flight records, accident reports, maintenance logs, after action reports, pilot encounter reports, diaries and biorgraphies; all of these types of documents help us support or mission: preserving your history! Contact us today for instructions on sending us this material.