Personality Profile 75

Brigadier General William Billy Mitchell (1879-1936) by Macalino Minjoot

person in Wisconsin at his time “With us air people, the future of our nation is indissolubly and established what became bound up in the development of the Milwaukee Road railroad and air power.” the Marine Bank of Wisconsin. - Brigadier General William Mitchell Park and the shopping Billy Mitchell1 precinct of Mitchell Street were named in honor of Alexander.

INTRODUCTION Mitchell and his siblings Brigadier General William Billy learned German, Italian and Mitchell was a man who saw the Spanish. He also spoke French as future of air power. A determined fluently as English. and intelligent soldier, he pushed Mitchell's father was elected authorities to the limits in order to Congress in 1891 and to to prove his point. His ‘radical’ the Senate in 1893. Important ideas included using fighter guests were often invited to the planes, instead of battle ships, Mitchell home and, the children and soldiers transported by air were encouraged to interact and not just through land. and converse with their parents' guests. Mitchell was allowed at EARLY LIFE the dinner table with important guests, and always found a way to William Billy Mitchell was participate in the conversations.3 born on 29th December 1879, in

Nice, France to John Lendrum Mitchell graduated from Mitchell, a wealthy Wisconsin Columbian College of George senator and Harriet Michelle.2 Washington University in 1898. Mitchell was the eldest of his nine other siblings and came CAREER AND INTEREST IN from a distinguished family. His AVIATION

grandfather Alexander Mitchell, In May 1898, Mitchell enlisted a Scotsman, was the wealthiest at age of 18 in the Army as a

POINTER, Journal of the singapore armed forces Vol.42 No.3 Personality Profile 76 private in Company M of the 1st In 1916, Mitchell was made On Sunday, 14th April, 1918, a Wisconsin Infantry Regiment Deputy Commander of the year after the US entered the war, when the Spanish-American War Aviation Section, Signal Corps. Mitchell declared that America broke out. He was commissioned The US Army felt that Mitchell, had finally put its first squadron and served in the Army Signal at the age of 38, was too old for into combat. His flair for combat leadership was subsequently Corps in Cuba, the Philippines and flying lessons. Hence, he was proven at the Battle of Saint- Alaska before becoming interested forced to seek private instruction 4 Mihiel when he co-ordinated a in aviation. at the Curtiss Aviation School in force of 1,481 British, French Newport News where he managed and Italian planes, to support Mitchell was sent to Alaska 8 to pick up this skill quickly. American ground forces. During in 1901 where he successfully his time in France, Mitchell proved built telegraph lines in remote WORLD WAR I a highly effective commander, areas. During this posting, he On 6th April, 1917, the US but his aggressive approach and began studying Otto Lilienthal's unwillingness to operate in the declared war on Germany and glider experiments. This reading, chain of command made him Mitchell, by then a Lieutenant combined with further research, numerous enemies. Colonel, headed towards France as led him to conclude in 1906 that an observer. He immediately went future conflicts would be fought For his performance in World to Paris and set up an office. In War One (WWI), Mitchell received in the air.5 Paris, he learned how to develop several awards which includes; the aerial combat strategies and Distinguished Service Cross, the In March 1912, Mitchell was planned large-scale air operations Distinguished Service Medal, the assigned to the Army General World War I Victory Medal with when working closely with the Staff in Washington in 1912 as eight campaign clasps and several Royal Flying Corps' General Sir a captain. At the age of 32, he foreign decorations. Hugh Trenchard. was the youngest out of the 21 officers selected to serve the POST WORLD WAR I In two weeks, he became General Staff. Mitchell returned to the US as the first American officer to a hero in 1919 and was appointed fly over the lines when he rode In 1913, Mitchell was sent to Assistant Chief of the US Army with a French pilot. Mitchell the Army Staff College and became Air Service. He was appalled at quickly earned a reputation as the only Signal Corps Officer on the how quickly the organisation he Army General Staff.6 As aviation a daring and tireless leader. had helped to build in war had was assigned to the Signal Corps, He was promoted to Brigadier disintegrated in peacetime. Mitchell was well placed to General and given command of further develop his interest.7 He all American air units in General AIR ADVOCATE John J. Pershing's American was chosen as temporary head of Mitchell was supposed to Expeditionary Force. Slowly, more the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal have the post-war assignment of Corps, predecessor of the modern American pilots arrived and they Director of Air Service after the United States (US) Air Force. piloted French planes. leadership he portrayed in WWI.

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However, Major General Charles Army generals—a special corps German battleships, he would be T. Menoher, an artilleryman of mechanics, troop-carrying able to prove his assertions. who had commanded the 42nd aircraft, a civilian pilot pool ‘Rainbow’ Division in France, for wartime availability, long- Among those he alienated was was appointed Director instead, range bombers capable of flying Assistant Secretary of the Navy, on the recommendation of his the Atlantic and armor-piercing Franklin D. Roosevelt. Failing classmate General Pershing, to bombs. Convinced that bombers to achieve his goals, Mitchell maintain operational control of could sink battleships, he argued became increasingly outspoken aviation by the ground forces.10 that aviation should be the US's and attacked his superiors in the This appointment surprised many first line of defence. He encouraged US Army, as well as the leadership who felt that Mitchell was more the development of bombsight, of the US Navy and White House suited for that position. ski-equipped aircraft, engine for failing to understand the superchargers, aerial torpedoes importance of military aviation. Mitchell was able to retain and the concept of Airborne, his wartime rank of Brigadier an idea that allowed troops to PROJECT B General. A relentless advocate parachute from airplanes to land In February 1921, Mitchell for aviation, he encouraged US in the amidst of a battlefield. He was anxious to test his theories Army Air Force pilots to challenge ordered the establishment of aerial of destruction of ships by aerial records, as well as promoted forest-fire and border patrols and bombing. Reluctantly, both races, and ordered aircraft to aid followed that with a mass flight to Secretary of War, Newton Baker and in fighting forest fires. Convinced Alaska, a transcontinental air race Secretary of the Navy, Josephus that air power would become the and a flight around the perimeter Daniels agreed to a series of joint driving force of war in the future, of the US. He also encouraged Army Army-Navy exercises to be held he pressed for the creation of an pilots to set speed, endurance and that summer in which captured independent Air Force. altitude records at all cost in order ships could be used as targets. to keep aviation in the news. However, Mitchell the war hero Mitchell believed that he could soon became known as Mitchell With each success, Mitchell succeed in ‘wartime conditions’, the Agitator. Mitchell's vocal became more determined that the and that a thousand bombers support of air power brought him nation’s money should be spent could be built for the price of one into conflict with the US Navy on aircraft and not on expensive battleship, making aviation a more 11 as he felt that the importance of battleships. He stepped on the economical defence force. egos of Army generals and Navy an Air Force would make Navies’ admirals with his fiery way of battleships increasingly obsolete. Dubbed Project B, the exercises words and boasted that Army He tried to prove that airplanes were moved forward to June and planes could sink any battleship could actually accomplish the July 1921 under a set of rules of afloat under any conditions of war. things he had said. He then engagement that greatly favored Dynamic and impulsive, Mitchell the survivability of the ships. proposed a number of daring sought out the American press innovations for the Air Service and announced that if he were In the early tests, Mitchell's that stunned the non-flying given permission to bomb captured aircraft sank a captured German

POINTER, Journal of the singapore armed forces Vol.42 No.3 Personality Profile 78 destroyer and light cruiser. From March, his term of Assistant Chief LATER LIFE 20th – 21st July, they attacked the ended and he was exiled to San Mitchell wrote more than 60 German battleship Ostfriesland.12 Antonio, Texas with the rank of articles, several newspaper series However, Mitchell violated the Colonel, to oversee air operations. and five books, never deviating rules of engagement by sinking from his appeal for public the battleship. In addition, the COURT MARTIAL circumstances of the exercises were understanding of the promise and Later that year, following the not under ‘wartime conditions’ the potential of air power. He loss of the US Navy airship USS as all of the target vessels made his last public appearance Shenandoah, Mitchell issued a were stationary and effectively on 11th February, 1935, when he statement accusing the military's defenseless at that point of time. addressed the House Military senior leadership of ‘almost Affairs Committee. treasonable administration of the FALL FROM POWER national defense’ and incompetence. Weakened by his struggle, the Mitchell repeated his success As a result of these statements, he old campaigner died in a New York later that year by sinking the was brought up on court-martial hospital on 19th February, 1936, retired battleship USS Alabama charges for insubordination at at the age of 56. He had elected in September. The tests provoked the direction of President Calvin President Warren Harding who Coolidge. Beginning that November, to be buried in Milwaukee, his wished to avoid any show of naval the court-martial saw Mitchell hometown, where he enlisted in weakness immediately prior to receive broad public support and 1898, rather than at Arlington the Washington Naval Conference. notable aviation officers such as National Cemetery. However, the sinking of the Eddie Rickenbacker, Henry Arnold retired battleship USS Alabama and Carl Spaatz testifying on his CONCLUSION did lead to increased funding for behalf.13 Mitchell not only foresaw military aviation. that an Air Force was essential On 17th December, 1925, for national survival, he also Mitchell continued to criticise Mitchell was found guilty and educated the public and its his superiors regarding aviation sentenced to a five-year suspension leaders on the role that air power policy. In 1924, the commander from active duty and loss of pay. would eventually play in national of the Air Service, Major General The youngest of the twelve judges, defence. For his foresight and Mason Patrick, sent him on a tour Major General Douglas MacArthur, willingness to sacrifice his career of Asia and the Far East to remove called serving on the panel for his beliefs, the US owes this him from the limelight. During this ‘distasteful’, and voted not guilty visionary man a debt of gratitude tour, Mitchell foresaw a future war stating that an officer should not with Japan and predicted an aerial be "silenced for being at variance it can never repay. Many wondered attack on Pearl Harbor. That fall, with his superiors in rank and with if he was successful in becoming he again blasted the Army and accepted doctrine.”14 Rather than the Chief of Air Force at the earliest Navy leadership, this time to the accept the punishment, Mitchell stage, what other plans or theories Lampert Committee. The following resigned on 1st February, 1926. he could have implemented. 

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ENDNOTES

1. Brainy Quote. http://www. 11. Project B. https:// brainyquote.com/quotes/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_ authors/b/billy_mitchell.html Mitchell#Project_B:_Anti-ship_ bombing_demonstration 2. The United States Senate is a legislative chamber in 12. General William “Billy” the bicameral legislature Mitchell and the Sinking of the of the United States, and Ostfriesland: A Consideration. together with the House of http://blog.nasm.si.edu/ Representatives makes up the aviation/general-william- U.S. Congress. %E2%80%9Cbilly%E2%80%9D- mitchell-and-the-sinking-of-the- Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia. ostfriesland-a-consideration/ org/wiki/United_States_Senate 13. Eddie Rickenbacker an American 3. Biography. http://biography. fighter ace in World War I yourdictionary.com/billy- and Medal of Honor recipient. mitchell With 26 aerial victories, he 4. Military Aviation: Brigadier was America's most successful General Billy Mitchell. http:// fighter ace in the war. https:// www.historynet.com/william- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_ billy-mitchell-an-air-power- Rickenbacker visionary.htm Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold was 5. Ibid. an American general officer 6. Billy Mitchell, Crusader for Air holding the grades of General of Power, Alfred F. Hurley. 17. the Army and General of the Air Force. https://en.wikipedia.org/ 7. Ibid. wiki/Henry_H._Arnold

8. Military Aviation: Brigadier Carl Andrew "Tooey" Spaatz General Billy Mitchell. http:// was an American World War militaryhistory.about.com/od/ II general. As commander of airforce/p/Military-Aviation- Strategic Air Forces in Europe Brigadier-General-Billy-Mitchell. in 1944, he successfully pressed htm. for the bombing of the enemy’s 9. Colonel Phillip S. Meilinger, oil production facilities as a USAF. Maxwell AFB. American priority over other targets. Airpower Biography: Billy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Mitchell. http://www.au.af.mil/ Carl_Andrew_Spaatz au/404.asp. 14. MacArthur 1964, 85. 10. Major General Charles T. Menoher. Biography. https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Charles_T._Menoher.

Hakim, Joy (1995). A History of Us: War, Peace and all that Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press.

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