United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe


caption= United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe emblem
dates= 28th January 1942 - 22 February 1944 (as Eighth Air Force)
22 February 1944 - 7 August 1945
country= United States of America
allegiance=
branch= United States Army Air Forces (1944–1945)
type=
role= Command and Control
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison= Bushy Park, England
Feb 1942 - Sep 1944
St Germain-en-Laye, France
Sep 1944 - Aug 1945
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
World War II Victory Medal
European Campaign (1944-1945)
notable_commanders= General Carl Spaatz
anniversaries=The United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF) was the command and control authority of the United States Army Air Forces in Europe during World War II. It was established as a result of the redesignation of Eighth Air Force on 22 February 1944.

USSTAF exercised operational control of VIII Bomber Command (redesignated Eighth Air Force); Ninth Air Force in the European Theater of Operations and to an extent, the operations of Twelfth and Fifteenth Air Forces in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. USSTAF was the functional equivalent in Europe of U.S. Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific.

Formation of USAFE

Shortly after VE-Day, the United States Army and Army Air Forces began to demobilze in Europe. In May 1945, USSTAF consisted of about 17,000 aircraft and about 500,000 personnel. In Europe the aim was to maintain a small USAAF organization, exclusively for communication and transport purposes. On August 7, 1945, the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) was redesignated as the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and headquarters USAFE was relocated to Wiesbaden, Germany, on 28 Sep 1945.

USAFE was planned to be a small organization in Europe, exclusively for communication and transport purposes. By the end of 1946, the American Air Force in Europe was reduced drastically, comprising of around 75,000 personnel and less than 2,000 aircraft.

See also

* Bomber Command
* Strategic bombing during World War II
* United States Far East Air Forces
* Eighth Air Force
* Ninth Air Force
* Twelfth Air Force
* Fifteenth Air Force

References

*
* Cees Steijger (1991), "A History of USAFE", Voyageur, ISBN: 1853100757