Military
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On 28 January 1942, the Eighth Air Force was activated in the adjacent building, then a National Guard Armory. After moving to England, it was ready by 17 August to test the theory that daylight bombing raids could be made with profitable results. Twelve B-17s took part in this mission, striking the railway marshalling yards at Rouen, France, and returning safely to their home base. The success of this mission established the pattern for the strategic bombardment of Nazi Germany, with the Eighth Air Force by day and the RAF by night. Under the leadership of Generals Carl A. Spaatz, Ira C. Eaker, and James H. Doolittle, it flew over 600,000 sorties, delivered over 700,000 tons of bombs, and destroyed over 15,000 German aircraft. On a single mission on December 24, 1944, it sent 2,000 B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators and nearly 1,000 fighters in the Battle of Germany. The renowned winged-eight, emblem of the Eighth Air Force, was designed by former Air Force Major Ed Winter, a native of Savannah.
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Savannah, Georgia · United States
