America Enters the War.

America’s President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill had forged strong links between their two countries during WWII. However the United States were reluctant to fully engage once more in a war on mainland Europe. This was partially compensated for by the ‘Lend Lease’ agreement; this special arrangement allowed the American industrial might to provide weapons and other resources to Britain in their struggle against Nazi Germany. Unlike ‘benevolent neutrality’ this was strictly business, Britain was sinking under fire and debt. A series of isolated incidents mostly involving American Navy ships and German U-Boats had not angered President Roosevelt enough to ask the United States Congress to enter the War on the side of Britain.

The entry to the War came when Japan as an ally of Germany attacked the Pacific fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, on December 7th 1941. At last Churchill had what he wanted, the full backing of the American war machine. Logistics of moving men and equipment over great distances and oceans still meant a time lag between the declaration of war and being engaged against enemy forces. American land forces were not to engage any Germans in Europe on a truly large scale until D-Day 6th June 1944. America’s first action was in North Africa against Field Marshall Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps. The plan was named ‘Operation Torch’ and led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower assisted on the ground by General George S. Patton and supported in the air by the 12th USAAF in November 1942.

At the same time both land and air forces were being installed in Britain, Lt. General Jacob Loucks Devers had been sent over to organise this deployment. Since the declaration of war he had been Commanding Officer of Fort Bragg were he had overseen the initial training of 3,500 troops under his command this was expanded to over 70,000 troops…the big push was on. No bases were ready or officially assigned to the United States Army Air Force …USAAF until September 1942.  

United States Congress accepts the gauntlet thrown down by Germany

Signed on behalf of the United States Armed Forces by

Gen. Omar Bradley, Lt. Gen. Jacob Loucks Devers and Admiral H. Kent Hewitt

The task of preparation had been jointly delegated to the British Air Ministry and the American 8th Air Force; they worked well during the spring and summer of 1942 to have things ready for the first delivery of B17 Flying Fortress Bombers to arrive in July 1942. Most of these airfields were in the East Midlands of Britain. The first B-17’s left for the UK on the 23rd of June 1942, flying by the northern ferry route, Goose Bay, Greenland, Meeks Field Iceland, to Prestwick. The first B-17’s arrived in England on the 1st of July 1942. The ground units sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on the 4th of June 1942 and arrived in Clyde on the 10th of June 1942.  

Meeks Field Iceland…July 25th 1942 ‘STINKY’ gets an engine-changed enroute.

Significantly the 97th Bomb Group was one of the first groups to settle in, two squadrons the 340th and the 341st were based at Polebrook its 414th squadron was based in Grafton Underwood in July/August 1942. The B17 ‘STINKY’ serial no. 41-9045 was part of these first groups of B17’s to arrive in England in July 1942.

The 97th Bomb Group, consisting of the 340th, 341st, 342nd and the 414th Squadrons, only flew B-17’s during all of their missions. The 97th started out in England in the 8th Air Force Polebrook, Northamptonshire, England then it was sent to North Africa as part of the 12th Air Force in November 1942, as follows: Maison Blanche, Algeria - circa 13th November 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria circa 22nd November 1942; Biskra, Algeria – 26th December 1942; Chateaudun-du-Rhumel, Algeria – 8th February 1943; Pont-du-Fahs, Tunisia – 12th August 1943; Depienne, Tunisia – 14th August 1943; Cerignola Italy - circa 14th December 1943; Amendola Italy – 17th January 1944; Marcianise Italy - circa October 1944 to October 29th 1945.

Since arriving from the US in July these squadrons were engaged in training flights in preparation for their first mission. Three planes were lost without having seen action, on the 1st of August 1942, B17 serial no. 41-9024 had brake failure overshooting the runway and hitting a lorry, no one injured but the plane was a write-off. The second incident on 11th August 1942 was tragic, the plane serial no. 41-9098 crashed into a mountain in Llanrhawdr in Wales, all on board perished. On the 11th August the plane serial no. 41-9115 crashed in Elvedon, Suffolk bringing the total to 11 losses out of the original 49 aircraft, which had formed the initial flight from America. Not all had crashed some broke down enroute and others were reassigned to weather forecasting duties.

This bomber group were fully operational by August 1942 and on the 17th August the enemy felt their strength the objective was to bomb the railway infrastructure in France and the marshalling yard at Rouen was the target.

STINKY, YANKEE DOODLE, BUTCHER SHOP and BIRMINGHAM BLITZKREIG were amongst the planes, which undertook and successfully carried out this famous operation. For the first time in WWII over Europe America had struck a mighty blow with the famous ‘Mighty Eighth’. STINKY was piloted by Lt. Francis Xavier Casey, BUTCHER SHOP by Major Paul Tibbets (of Hiroshima fame when piloting ENOLA GAY) and Brigadier General Ira Eaker, Commanding Officer, 8th USAAF piloted YANKEE DOODLE on this attack.

STINKY & Crew

 This crew was not the crew on board for the crash landing they had been sent to North Africa with a new B17 F (STINKY Jnr)…Donald A. Martin …Tail Gunner is far right.

When the 97th Bomber Group was sent to North Africa to support Operation Torch they were equipped with new B17 F’s in place of their B17 E’s most of the B17 E’s were sent to the 92nd Bomber Group. During November these B17 E’s were assigned to assist Operation Torch but in a different way.

They were converted a little so that they could carry VIP’s and important freight to the North African Theatre. The courier service between North Africa terminated in Britain at Predannack and later Portreath.

How are our GI’s Fairing Out?

The scene is set, forces are in place and attacks have begun, both the American President and Members of Congress need answers as to how effective the American fighting machine has become in modern trench-less warfare.

Without doubt the allies were up against an efficient and very effective fighting machine in their advisory. The Germans had almost perfected mechanised warfare their successes to date had relied heavily on the Blitzkrieg (Lightening Attack) tactic. Fast highly mechanised forces supported by heavy armour, outstanding artillery and air support, along with well-trained and well-equipped troops. How would this foe be beaten? Had we anything to learn? How does our armour hold up against perhaps the best artillery piece in the world? The Germans had developed an 88 mm artillery gun for deployment as an anti-aircraft gun but to the astonishment of many its true potency was as an anti-tank gun. It’s accuracy and velocity allowed it to annihilate approaching tanks long before they could return fire at their enemy…Important questions indeed.

The Americans faired well, mainly due to overwhelming air support and with the help of the British Mediterranean Fleet based in Malta, they were able to slow down the German re-supply channels from Italy dramatically.

The Mission

What was needed was a team of specialists to be assembled and despatched to the front line to see at firsthand what was happening and then report back to the President. Enabling the U.S. Government to formulate strategies that would overcome any inadequacies, if they indeed existed.

And so on the 14th of December a team led by Lt. General Jacob Loucks Devers set out on an epic journey that would take until the 28th January 1943 to complete having travelled almost 29,000 miles in the process.

See the Archived Documents section where you will find 'General Devers Notes'...

which submitted on his return, dealing with the many aspects of efficiency and effectiveness

of the American fighting machine at war in foreign lands.

Mission leader General Jacob Loucks Devers

pictured here as a Four Star General 1945