The Art of Wing Leadership and Aircrew Morale in Combat
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Our Cover: Combat histories are full of examples of men who rose through the ranks due to their remarkable ability to achieve success in battle. Maj Adolf Galland began his com- bat career as a lieutenant in the Condor Legion flying ground- attack missions for the German Luftwaffe in the Spanish Civil War. Although he began his Luftwaffe service as an attack pilot, it was his success as a Bf 109 pilot and commander of Jagdgeschwader (fighter wing) 26 (JG26) in the Battle of Britain that gained him the reputation as Germany’s top fighter commander in the Second World War. The US Army Air Forces had its share of successful squadron and group leaders, but one would be hard-pressed to find a more successful combat commander—who was also respected and loved by his men— than Lt Col Joseph Laughlin (shown on the cover as a colonel, his final wartime rank). Culminating in his command of the 362d Fighter Group (FG), XIX Tactical Air Command (TAC), Ninth Air Force, Colonel Laughlin encouraged and led his P-47 pilots from one end of France to the other in support of Gen George S. Patton’s Third Army in the summer of 1944. Col James R. McCarthy assumed command of the 43d Strategic Wing on 1 December 1972, just in time for Linebacker II to begin. Faced with an awesome responsibility and paradoxically limited authority, Colonel McCarthy led his wing to success in spite of severe challenges. After you have read the research report, please give us your frank opinion on the contents. All comments––large or small, complimentary or caustic––will be gratefully appreciated. Mail them to CADRE/AR, Building 1400, 401 Chennault Circle, Maxwell AFB AL 36112–6428. The Art of Wing Leadership Zentner and Aircrew Morale in Combat Cut along dotted line Thank you for your assistance ............................................................................................... ......... COLLEGE OF AEROSPACE DOCTRINE, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AIR UNIVERSITY The Art of Wing Leadership and Aircrew Morale in Combat JOHN J. ZENTNER Lt Col, USAF CADRE Paper No. 11 Air University Press Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 36112-6615 June 2001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Zentner, John J., 1965– The art of wing leadership and aircrew morale in combat / John J. Zentner. p. cm. -- (CADRE paper ; no. 11) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 1-58566-090-6 1. Air warfare--Case studies. 2. Leadership--Case studies. 3. Morale--Case studies. 4. Flight crews--Case studies. I. Title. II. Series. UG700 .Z45 2001 358.4'133041--dc21 2001022756 Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Air University, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. Cleared for public release: distribution unlimited. This CADRE Paper and others in the series are available electronically at the Air University Research Web site http://research.maxwell.af.mil under “Research Papers” then “Special Collections.” ii CADRE Papers CADRE Papers are occasional publications sponsored by the Airpower Research Institute of Air University’s College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education (CADRE). Dedicated to promoting understanding of aerospace power theory and application, these studies are published by the Air University Press and broadly distributed to the US Air Force, the Department of Defense and other governmental organiza- tions, leading scholars, selected institutions of higher learn- ing, public policy institutes, and the media. All military members and civilian employees assigned to Air University are invited to contribute unclassified manuscripts. Manuscripts should deal with air and/or space power history, theory, doctrine or strategy, or with joint or combined service matters bearing on the application of air and/or space power. Authors should submit three copies of a double-spaced, typed manuscript and an electronic version of the manuscript on a 3.5-inch disk(s) along with a brief (200-word maximum) abstract. 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Please send inquiries or comments to: Dean of Research Airpower Research Institute CADRE 401 Chennault Circle Maxwell AFB AL 36112-6428 Tel: (334) 953-6875 DSN 493-6875 Fax: (334) 953-6739 Internet: [email protected] iii Contents Chapter Page DISCLAIMER . ii FOREWORD . vii ABOUT THE AUTHOR . ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . 9xi 1 INTRODUCTION . 91 Leadership and Morale in Air Combat . 91 Existing Thoughts on Military Morale . 92 Methodology . 94 Limitations . 96 Assumptions . 98 Findings . 98 Notes . 98 2 THE MORALE PROBLEM. 11 Who Is the Leader? . 11 Morale: The Definition . 12 The Power of Three . 15 Maintaining Control. 20 Notes . 20 3 MAJ ADOLF GALLAND: JAGDGESCHWADER 26. 23 Germany’s Battle for Britain. 24 Jagdgeschwader 26 in the Battle of Britain . 30 Pilot Morale within Jagdgeschwader 26 . 31 Galland’s Influence on Morale . 38 Conclusions . 41 Notes . 41 4 LT COL JOSEPH LAUGHLIN: 362d FIGHTER GROUP . 47 Allied Invasion of France . 48 362d Fighter Group Operations . 152 Pilot Morale within the 362d Fighter Group . 156 v Chapter Page Joseph Laughlin’s Influence on Morale . 161 Conclusions . 164 Notes . 164 5 COL JAMES R. MCCARTHY: 43d STRATEGIC WING . 171 End of the Vietnam War: US Withdrawal. 172 43d Strategic Wing Operations in Linebacker II . 178 Aircrew Morale within the 43d Strategic Wing. 180 James McCarthy’s Influence on Morale . 186 Conclusions . 189 Notes . 190 6 CONCLUSIONS . 195 Similarities in Aircrew Morale . 195 Morale, Wing Leadership, and Combat . 197 Implications for Airpower . 199 Recommendations for the USAF . 100 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 103 Illustrations Figure 1 Basic Relationship Model . 195 Table 1 Jagdgeschwader 26 Kill Claims and Losses by Month (July–October 1940) . 131 2 362d Fighter Group Attrition by Month (June–October 1944) . 155 3 43d Strategic Wing Sortie Summary during Linebacker II: 18–29 December 1972 . 179 vi Foreword Lt Col John J. Zentner’s The Art of Wing Leadership and Aircrew Morale in Combat addresses the role that the air force wing commander plays in affecting the level of aircrew morale during combat. More specifically, Colonel Zentner’s study seeks to identify and define those unique characteristics asso- ciated with leading airmen that sustain aircrew morale in the face of significant losses. Colonel Zentner defines aircrew morale as the enthusiasm and persistence with which an aviator flies combat missions. He then offers three historical case studies to establish a framework within which aircrew morale can be assessed. The first case study is of Maj Adolf Galland and Jagdgeschwader 26 during the Battle of Britain. The second case study consid- ers Lt Col Joseph Laughlin and the 362d Fighter Group dur- ing the invasion of France in the summer of 1944. The third case study examines Col James R. McCarthy and the 43d Strategic Wing during Operation Linebacker II. Drawing heav- ily on the results of questionnaires and personal interviews, each case study is focused on the importance that aircrews ascribed to three general areas: individual needs, group cohe- sion, and unit esprit de corps. Colonel Zentner concludes that aircrew control over devel- opment of combat tactics was the single most important ele- ment affecting morale. This finding supports one of the fun- damental truths about the employment of airpower, centralized control and decentralized execution, that has become embeded in the airman’s culture. In each of the three cases studied by the author, morale generally improved when the wing commander either displayed a personal flair for tac- tical innovation or allowed his subordinates to become inno- vative. Conversely, morale declined when higher headquarters placed burdensome and unsound restrictions on aircrew tac- tics. In light of the restrictive rules of engagement that have governed recent applications of American airpower, Colonel Zentner recommends the USAF take steps to modify doctrine and professional military education in order to relate the find- ings of this study to the combat air forces. vii The Art of Wing Leadership and Aircrew Morale in Combat originally was written as a master’s thesis for Air University’s School of Advanced Airpower Studies. In cooperation with the College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education (CADRE), the Developing Aerospace Leaders Program Office is pleased to support publication of Colonel Zentner’s study as a CADRE Paper and thereby make it available to a wider audi- ence in the US Air Force and beyond. CHARLES D. LINK, SES Major General, USAF, Retired Director, Developing Aerospace Leaders Program Office viii About the Author Lt Col John J. Zentner (BSEE, Loyola Marymount University; MBA, University of Phoenix), a senior navigator with 2,000 fly- ing hours, is chief, Synchronization Cell, Seventh Air Force, Osan Air Base, Korea. He was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps, Loyola Marymount University, in 1987. Graduating from specialized undergraduate navigator training in 1988, he went on to fly the F-111F as a weapon systems officer at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom. Colonel Zentner flew 25 combat missions in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and transitioned to the F-15E in 1992. He served a tour at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada, in the 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron and an operational assignment in the 366th Air Expeditionary Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Colonel Zentner is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, Air Command and Staff College, and the School of Advanced Airpower Studies. ix Acknowledgments I acknowledge several people without whose support and help I could not have completed this work. I thank Joseph Caver of the USAF Historical Research Agency, who spent hours assisting me with primary source documents through- out the year. I thank author Donald L. Caldwell and Herr Wilhelm Goebel of the German Fighter Pilots’ Association for their assistance in contacting former Luftwaffe pilots from World War II.