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Autumn 2003

Volume 1, Issue 4 Air Force Historian A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE AIR FORCE WEATHER HISTORY OFFICE

Origins of the First Air Force Weather Recon Unit It is not clear when the Pearl Harbor on activated the Army Air first dedicated weather December 7, 1941, and Forces flight was the US’s subsequent entry Reconnaissance made, but reconnaissance into World War II Squadron (Test) in all its forms was the seemingly delayed any One at Patterson , raison d’être of the Army’s further action on the Ohio. air service. By the 1920s, establishment of weather Air Corps pilots were reconnaissance units for regularly collecting nearly eight months. weather data. The North Atlantic aircraft Mr. Al Moyers ferry route to Air Force Weather presented unique weather Historian challenges to aircrews.

The Air Staff recognized that reliable, consistent Officers of the Army Air Forces Mr. Jerry White Weather Reconnaissance Deputy Air Force An Army Air Corps pilot and weather data was needed Weather Historian Squadron (Test) Number One Army Signal Corps forecaster to ensure that the maximum of with one of their B-25s at Truax confer beside a DH-4 at Scott Field, Wisconsin, June 1943. Field, Illinois, following an early- aircraft and crews made the journey safely. The Air Staff programmed morning weather reconnaissance flight, 1927. the unit to be equipped with B-24s, but the Air Corps pilots continued demand for these to conduct weather bombers necessitated a reconnaissance flights in Inside this issue change. Planners addition to their other identified the B-25 for the flying duties throughout 20 OWS Heritage 2 squadron and in June the 1930s, supporting 1943, following training at Aldrich Recalls 3 both Air Corps missions Truax Field, Wisconsin, and US Weather Bureau Emblem of the Army Air Forces New Reading 3 the squadron was sent to work. Weather Reconnaissance Presque Isle Field, Maine, Looking Back 4 With the onset of World Squadron (Test) Number One where it joined the 8th Weather 4 War II, Air Corps leaders On May 6, 1942, Col, later Weather Region. apparently recognized the Lt Gen, Howard A. Craig, The Army Air Forces first value of dedicated then the Air Staff’s weather reconnaissance weather reconnaissance. Assistant Chief of Staff for squadron began flying In November 1941, Brig Plans, drafted a operational missions on Gen, later Gen, Muir S. memorandum titled August 9, 1943. By the

Fairchild, then Assistant “Creation of a Test end of October they had Chief of the Air Corps, Weather Reconnaissance accumulated more than recommended the Squadron.” The colonel’s 900 flying hours in 300 organizing of weather proposal was approved missions. ✫ reconnaissance units. and on August 21, 1942, However, the bombing of the Army Air Forces Air Force Weather Historian

The 20 OWS has a Long Heritage in the Far East The 20th Weather While headquartered in and Japan to Squadron activated at the Philippines, the 20th support the war effort. By Cairo, Egypt, on April 15, lost two men to combat early November 1950, the 1943, and was assigned action. 20th was overseeing 27 to the Ninth Air Force, but detachments, eight of Following the capitulation Capt Robert A. Woodman was soon thereafter which were in Korea, of Japan, the 20th began at the Kimpo Army Air disbanded on October 31, where, on average, one of its long association with Base, Korea, weather 1943. these detachments Japan. The squadron station explains surface relocated every five days. The Army Air Forces moved its headquarters to charts to the chief of the The Air Force activated Central Korean Weather again activated the 20th Tokyo on November 2, the 30th Weather Service, 1946. on December 6, 1944, on 1945, and accompanied Squadron to oversee Biak Island in what was Headquarters, Fifth Air Korean operations, but the then known as the Force to Nagoya on May 20th remained deeply Netherlands East Indies, 22, 1946. involved in the war effort. today’s Indonesia. The War demobilization 20th absorbed the The 20th was assigned to caused the 20th to lose resources and mission of the newly activated 1st personnel rapidly. To the 5231st Weather Weather Wing in 1954. accomplish its growing Squadron (Provisional). The squadron was mission, the 20th hired The 20th was assigned to inactivated on February local nationals, employed the Far East Air Forces 18, 1957, but emerged non-weather officers to Weather Group anew at Fuchu Air Station, The current 20 OWS oversee some weather (Provisional) at that . Japan, on June 8, 1964, emblem was approved stations, and began on- where it remained until on June 9, 1982. In May 1945 the squadron the-job schools to cross- 1974 when it relocated to moved its headquarters by train enlisted men into Yokota Air Base. Again, it from Biak Island to Fort weather career fields. was inactivated in 1976 as McKinley near Manila, By late-1946, the 20th part of an Air Weather Philippines. By the close was operating weather Service reorganization of July 1945, the squadron stations in Japan, China, only to return at Yokota on had grown to more than and Korea. The 20th January 1, 1985. 700 men and the relinquished control of the headquarters was As part of the divestiture China stations in 1947 An unidentified airman overseeing the work of 34 of Air Weather Service, and the last Korean inspects the weather stations, many of the 20th was assigned to station was closed in installed at Yokota Air which were in isolated Pacific Air Forces in 1991. 1949. The squadron Base, Japan, 1948. locations. It relocated to Hickam Air came under the Force Base, Hawai’i, on The Army Air Forces leadership of the 2143d April 1, 1992, and was Weather Service assumed Air Weather Wing in 1949. inactivated on June 1. control of all weather Within three days of North With the reengineering of organizations on July 1, Korean troops crossing Air Force Weather the 1945, and organized the into South Korea in June 20th was redesignated an 20th under the 1st 1950, a detachment of the Operational Weather Weather Group on 20th Weather Squadron Squadron on July 13, September 20, 1945. Due Lt Col Oliver K. Jones, was airlifted to Taegu, 2000, and activated on to congested quarters at Commander, 20th Korea. The leadership of October 1. It was Fort McKinley, the 20th’s Weather Squadron, the 20th Weather assigned to Fifth Air Force headquarters moved briefs Maj Gen Earle E. Squadron was soon and stationed again at again in August 1945 to Partridge, Commander, burdened by the growth of Yokota Air Base, Japan.✫ nearby Nichols Field. Fifth Air Force, 1950. detachments both in

Autumn 2003

General Aldrich Recalls his Career in AF Weather

Maj Gen Thomas A. and commanded the 57th and our main job was to Aldrich was Commander, Weather Reconnaissance provide the weather Air Weather Service, Squadron in Australia. He forecast for the day for the 1973-1974. During World later commanded the 9th students who were in War II, he graduated from Weather Reconnaissance training. [I]n those days the course at Wing before being named we also forecasted for the the University of Chicago Air Weather Service vice city newspaper. We put a daily forecast in the under the leadership of Dr. commander in 1970. The newspaper. One morning Horace Byers and Dr. general concluded his in the I was on the Carl-Gustav Rossby. career as Commander, night shift. It was an Twenty-Second Air Force. “With that kind of obvious day where I would guidance, you had The Air Force Weather have forecast . I was excellent training,” the History Office conducted raised in this town and I Maj Gen Thomas Aldrich general recently recalled. an interview with General didn’t remember more General Aldrich is a native Aldrich in November 2002. than five or six days of fog of San Angelo, Texas, and Here is an excerpt from in my whole , so I didn’t nearby Goodfellow Air that interview: put that fog forecast in Force Base was his first there. Lo and behold, that MR. MOYERS: What were morning it was a foggy day assignment in 1944. He the typical duties of the in west Texas. completed pilot training in [Goodfellow] base weather 1950. officer in 1944? The complete interview is

In the early 1960s, available on request. ✫ Then-Lt Col Aldrich greets General Aldrich organized MAJ GEN ALDRICH: That WB-57 pilots upon their was a pilot training base, arrival in Australia, 1962. Another Book to Add to your Professional Reading The Air Force Weather served as a weather continue to benefit from History Office forecaster for bombing reading Petterssen’s recommends Weathering raids, special operations, candid and often pithy the : Sverre and was influential in the writing of his life’s work. Petterssen, the D-Day formulation of the Forecast, and the Rise of Operation OVERLORD D- Modern Meteorology by Day forecast. After World completed his memoirs in Sverre Petterssen and War II, Petterssen served, 1974. His recollections edited by James Rodger among many varied were first published in Fleming. assignments, as scientific Norwegian shortly before director for the Air his death. The American Dr. Sverre Petterssen was Weather Service, head of Meteorological Society born in in 1898 the Norwegian published this volume, the and studied meteorology Service, and first in English, in 2001. with the famed chair of the department of School. He became an meteorology at the Dr. James Fleming is a Dr. Sverre Petterssen, 1947. international leader in University of Chicago. professor at Colby College weather analysis and in Maine. He is one of the forecasting. His textbook Meteorology benefited leading historians of was required reading for greatly from Petterssen’s meteorology and the many years in university work. (and author of several works on meteorology courses. those associated with meteorology.✫ weather service) can During World War II, he

Air Force Weather Historian LookingNewsletter Back Title at Air Force Weather October 1, 1969, The Automated Digital Weather Switch Air Force Weather dedicated at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas.

History Office October 26, 1952, All crewmembers of a WB-29 were

HQ AFWA/HO killed when their craft crashed attempting to make a low-

106 Peacekeeper level penetration of Wilma, near Leyte Island.

Drive, Suite 2N3 November 1, 1961, Air Weather Service’s Centralized Offutt AFB NE Forecast Facility issued the first official clear air 68113-4039 forecast. AWS received its first B-29s in 1946. November 20,1968, Air Weather Service unveiled its

plan for the Space Environmental Support System. PHONE: 402 232-8682/8683 November 21, 1942, The Army Air Forces Weather Training Center was opened at Grand Rapids Michigan, to train meteorological cadets and enlisted forecasters. DSN: December 1, 1948, Headquarters, Air Weather Service 272-8682/8683 relocated to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.

December 11, 1957, The USAF Weather Central at

Suitland, Maryland, was inactivated and its resources FAX: combined with the [Global] Weather Central at Offutt Air AWS headquarters 402 232-8684 Force Base, Nebraska. was co-located with HQ MATS at Andrews E-MAIL: December 27-29, 1961, The initial cadre of Air Weather AFB in 1948. [email protected] Service personnel deployed to the Republic of Vietnam.

Setting the Record Straight “From World War II, every side under air To set the record straight, the “Looking Back” section of attack has learned to the last Air Force Weather Historian newsletter contained exploit weather and two mistakes. Air Weather Service’s last AN/TPQ-11 cover quickly.” weather , not AN/APQ-11 as reported, was removed from the inventory in 1977. Also, the Anthony H. Cordesman measuring set illustration should have read that it was the AN/GMQ-11 vice AN/GMQ-1. ✫ Air Force’s Rooted in the 1960s The roots of Air Force received no requests for and forecasts of solar Weather’s space weather solar forecasting, but activities were needed on program were planted well planners expected such in a routine basis. Later, before Air Weather the near future as interest North American Air In the next issue Service unveiled its Space in space weather Defense Command AWS Army Support; Environmental Support phenomena increased expressed a requirement 25 OWS Heritage; System architecture in with orbiting and for 24-hour forecasts of 1968. manned space flight. auroral activity by January Col Golding Interview; 1963 and for seven-day Air Weather Service In 1962 there was no and more. solar flare forecasts by organized a solar operationally oriented November 1963. prediction project in agency providing solar August 1961 under the forecasting. In June 1962, Within two years, Air leadership of Lt Col Roger the Air Force Scientific Weather Service had “Provide the historical perspective Olson in the headquarters Advisory Board’s organized a Solar for Air Force Weather to know its Directorate of Scientific Panel Forecast Center and past, understand its present, and Services at Scott Air reported that solar inaugurated the Solar anticipate its future.” Force Base, Illinois. Air phenomena presented a Observing and Weather Service had danger to “life in space” Forecasting Network.✫