The 8th Air Force was the most potent arm of American air power during WW2, tasked with the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Flying B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers with P-51 Mustang fighter escorts, the "Mighty Eighth" swept the vaunted Luftwaffe from the skies in epic air battles over Occupied Europe. By the end of 1944, the 8th Air Force was using 4 different Quick Attachable Chest (QAC) parachute harnesses and at least 5 types of chest packs. A mistake in pairing a harness with the proper pack could prove fatal, necessitating the use of two color coded groups (red and ...
