Through the late summer of 1942, the 8th Bomber Command (soon to be renamed the 8th Air Force) continued to build up strength as new bomber groups began to arrive in England. They flew routes from the US that took them from Maine, to Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, Northern Ireland and finally to their bases in East Anglia; chosen for its large open spaces and relatively flat terrain, close enough to the continent to allow for deep penetration into Axis airspace. The 97th BG, the first B-17 group to have arrived in England, was the first to achieve operational readiness and was chosen for the first mission from England flown by American heavy bombers.

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