Which U.S. military service were you more likely to get killed in during World War II?

U.S. Army Air Force

The VIII U.S. Army Air Force had 48,000 casualties out of a total of around 350,000 total who served in the unit during WW2, but that number is a bit misleading because the casualties were almost all aircrew and the total includes ground and air crews. Bomber units had particularly bad casualty rates, around 50% was typical, but the earliest crews fared the worst. Only around 20% of the bomber crews who served with the 8th in 1942-43 survived unscathed, they had the highest casualties of any major outfit in the war on the American side.Here is a link to the VIII's official fact sheet: http://www.mightyeighth.org/Library/PDFs/8thAFfacts.pdf

For simplicity's sake, let's say about 2.5% of all those who served having died in the line of duty, with the individual services registering 2.8% of Army personnel, 1.5% of Navy personnel, and 3.7% of all Marines. The 8th Army AF- 26000 kia / 350,000 total personnel in WWII = 7%

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20 Comments

kev lee

U.S. Air Force didn't come into singular existence until 1947. Prior to 1947, it was known as U.S.Army Air Corps. Therefore, if the air service is under Army command, shouldn't all casualties be listed under "Army"

edward goodnow

forget previous response...misread the question....had two similar ones at same time

edward goodnow

misleading in many many ways...the modern air force has far fewer casualties than during WW1 and WW2....when flight was still in its infancy, arial battles were common and most fights involved either dumb bombs or bullets. The modern Air Force has shoot and forget missiles and such keeping the aircraft out of the way of immediate danger, they fly much much higher and most incorporate some level of stealthiness. And if you are going to include statistics from WW2 then its inappropriate to not include data from further back....once agaian "Statistically speaking, statistics are wrong 80% of the time"

garcan

It is US Marine Corps, not corp.....Semper Fi...

DDPNANA

I never would have thought this was the answer. Learned something new!

Louis Abraham

Wasn't called The Air Force until after WWII. It was a division of the Army, so question is misleading and answer is wrong.

Debbie Shafer

This answer is wrong! The highest death rate was in ththe US Army

Robert Huddleston

The Air Corps was a service unit of the Army and as it was established by law it was not abolished until 1947 when the US Air Force was established. Meanwhile, the Air Corps expanded to include 21 numbered air forces: “Army Air Forces’” (plural) established on a level equal to the “Army Ground Forces” and the “Army Services Forces.” The three commanded by 5-star generals. I was commissioned a 2nd Lt in the Air Corps then posted to the 9th Air Force. At the end of the European war I was transferred back to the 2nd Air Force in the states. I was released from active duty as an Air Corps officer and in 1947 was a Reserve officer in the US Air Force.

Robert Huddleston

As a fighter pilot who lost his wingman the answer was self-evident!

Tom Armstrong

What losses did the merchant marines suffer? I read at one time that the numbers were substantial.

Raashid Khan

War never come with life but devastation

josh statlander

Have we completely standardized these like our children's tests? I thought this was supposed to be fun entertainment....

Mallory

Got it

Chris Jessee

VIII Air Force was only part of the 2million plus servicemen that served in the USAAF, which replaced the Army Air Corps in late 1941 / early 1942. I suspect the Marine Corps had the highest percentage KIA rate of any service.