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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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.