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The Development of Air Doctrine in the Army Air Arm, 1917-1941

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The Development of Air Doctrine in the Army Air Arm, 1917-1941 SPECIAL STUD1 ES The Development of Air Doctrine in the Army Air Arm 19 17- 1941 Thomas H. Greei New Imprint by Office of Air Force Histo ry United States Air Forct Washington, D.C., 198: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Greer, Thomas H. The development of air doctrine in the Army air arm, 1917-1941. (Special studies) Reprint. Originally published Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.: USAF Historical Division, Research Studies Institute, Air University, 1955. (USAF historical studies: no. 89) Bibliography: p. 142 Includes index. 1. United States. Army-Aviation-History. 2. Aeronautics, Military- United States-History. 3. Air power. 4. Military art and science-United States-History-20th century. I. Title. 11. Series: Special studies (United States. Air Force. Office of Air Force History) UG633.G73 1986 358.4'00973 85-21378 ISBN 0-912799-25-0 This volume is a reprint of a September 1955 edition original- ly issued by the USAF Historical Division, Research Studies Institute, Air University. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Offlce Washington. D.C.20402 FOREWORD yhis monograph recounts the development of air doctrine in the Army air arm from 1917 to 1941. It includes concepts, both strategic and tactical, that emerged during World War I and the period following, up to the entry of the United States into World War 11. The study is based primarily on official Air Force records and upon interviews with officers of the air arm who have been especially associated with air doctrine. It was pre- pared for the USAF Historical Division by Dr. Thomas H. Greer, formerly a member of the Division and presently associate professor of humanities, Michigan State College. A number of changes in, and additions to, the original draft have been made by members of the Historical Division, notably Mr. Robert T. Finney and Dr. Albert F. Simpson. All such changes and addi- tions have been based upon Historical Division studies and data not available to Dr. Greer when he prepared the basic draft. Both the original draft and the final version were edited by personnel of the Division. Like other Historical Division studies, this history is subject to revision, and additional information or suggested corrections will be welcomed. iii Contents INTRODUCTION .. .. .. , . .. .. .. .. , .. , .. , .. , . , .. .. .. , , . .. .. , .. .. , , . .. .. vii I THE AIR SERVICE IN WORLD WAR I, 1917-1918 ....... 1 Prewar Organization and Concepts 1 American Participation in World War I .. .. , .. .. .. .. , , . .. .. .. 3 General concepts of warfare and air employment . 3 Over-all air operations, organization, and control . .. .. .. .. 4 Pursuit aviation . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 Bombardment aviation . .. ._,... , _.. .. , , ... ... ... .. .... .... 9 12 12 1926 .................................................... ..................................... 14 Diverging Views of the Nature o .................................... 14 The War Department view . .. .. 14 Views of Air Service leaders ..................................... 15 The Struggle for the Control o er ................................ 20 20 21 22 25 Evolving Doctrines of Air Employment 30 The general fun 30 33 36 38 Attack aviation .. .............. 39 Comparative sum ...................... 40 I11 DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIR FORCE IDEA, 1926-1935 44 44 44 Successful development of two-engine bombers : the B-9 ................. 45 46 47 and Douhet ................................................................ 48 The employment of airpower ........ 52 Bombardment aviation; the preci escort problem ........................................................... 57 Pursuit aviation .. 60 Attack aviation ....................... ...................................... 66 The Impasse with the Navy Regarding Land-based Bom- bardment ... .......................................... 67 Establishment Air Force (1935) ........................ 70 IV REFINEMENT AND SUBSTANTIATION OF THE LONG- RANGE BOMBARDMENT CONCEPT, 1935-1939 76 Hemisphere Defense Policy as a Factor in Strat cepts and Air Doctrine ........................ .............. 76 Elaboration of Air Theory at the Air Corps Tactical School 77 The nature of war and the employment of air 77 Bombardment aviation ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... ... ... 80 Pursuit aviation . .. , . .. ........................................ 83 Attack aviation ................................... ....... ........ 87 The 'Crucial Fight for Production and Development of the Long-range Bomber ............ ...................... 89 Bomber program related to 89 Andrews presses for exclusive procurement of four- engine bombers , . .. , . ,. , ...................................... 91 development of the bomber . .. .. .. .. .. .. ............................................ 93 The General Stail b 94 100 The Influence of Foreign Wars upon Americ 101 102 ............................................................. 102 Spain . .. .. .. .. .. , . .. , .. .................................... 102 Munich . .. , .. .. .. .. , . .. .. I......I..,,....,...........,,.. 103 Adjustments in Air Organization ............................................ 103 V PREPARATION OF AIR DOCTRINE FOR WORLD WAR 11, 1939-1941 ........................................................ 107 General Influence of the European War upon the Theory and Position of Airpower ... ............................ 107 Tactical Lessons from the Air War Abroad ................... 108 Final Shaping of Air Doctrines on the Eve of Ame Involvement , .. .. .. , , . .. .. ....................... 110 Purpose and nature of warfare .............................. 110 The role and employment of airpower in war .................. 111 Bombardment aviation . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 115 Pursuit aviation ...................................................................... 120 Attack and light bombardment aviation . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 121 Blueprint for action: AWPD/l .................. 123 Establishment of Army Air Forces (1941) ........................ 126 VI CONCLUSIONS ................... 128 FOOTNOTES ............... 131 BIBLIOGRAP 142 APPENDIX 1. Organizational Charts 144 2. Redesignations- of the Army Air Arm, 1907-1942 .............. 149 INDEX .............................................................................................. 151 vf' INTRODUCTION whenthe debacle at Pearl Harbor thrust The history of civilized mankind shows the United States into a war for survival, us but three.. revolutionary nlilitary in- the nation marshalled its forces on land ventions, or discoveries: discipline, gun- and sea and in the air. And although land, powder, and the airplane . The airplane, sea, and air forces all played vital roles in for the first time in the long and bloody securing the triumph, the part of the air history of human conflict, has given tq warfare the means of striking, not only arm was unique. For the first time in the at the army or navy of the opponent, history of war, airpower was employed as a but directly at the seat and source of his major striking force, drastically altering Power-at his citizenry, at his capital city, the course and nature of the struggle and at his industrial, commercial, and political decisively influencing the outcome. centers-without flrst having to overthrow American airpower was the product of the armed forces with which he seeks to men and machines-and something more. protect them.' Like every other kind of military force it depended basically upon ideas-ideas both The story of the development of air doc- of practicable and of potential employment. trine is the story of an unprecedented in- But unlike the time-honored forces of land tellectual achievement. It involves bold and sea, the air force had neither traditions flights of imagination, stern logic, and new nor theories developed over long centuries patterns of thought. It was achieved, as of experience.' Fighting on land dates back most new ideas are achieved, in the face to the dawn of human society; fighting on of fierce opposition compounded of inertia, water must be nearly as ancient. Through vested interest, and rigid thinking. But the tortuous history of warfare, men had when the crucial test came in 1941, Amer- time-lots of it-to devise the weapons, tac- ica had the makings of airpower-both the tics, and strategy of surface combat. Air men and machines and a carefully devel- warfare, on the other hand, came with dra- oped doctrine which could readily be trans- matic suddenness. It presented, within an lated into a plan of military action. That incredibly short time, awesome and revo- the doctrine was sound is affirmed by the lutionary weapons of destruction. Man's results of America's air war. imagination was staggered, or should have But air doctrine is a dynamic thing, and been, by the possibilities of this new me- the ideas of 1941 will not serve the needs dium, and he strove to envision its optimum of the present and future. We must keep use for defense and offense. Here, indeed, searching for and developing ideas in order was a challenge to the power of man to think and plan-and the stakes were high to keep pace with the continuous techno- in terms of national power and survival. logical and strategic changes. In that im- The importance of this new medium as seen portant task we can receive inspiration in the long view of history, has been force- and guidance by examining the doctrinal fully put by a contemporary military ob- steps and missteps of the air arm during
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