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The US Army Air Forces in WWII

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The US Army Air Forces in WWII DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE Air Force Historical Studies Office 28 June 2011 Errata Sheet for the Air Force History and Museum Program publication: With Courage: the United States Army Air Forces in WWII, 1994, by Bernard C. Nalty, John F. Shiner, and George M. Watson. Page 215 Correct: Second Lieutenant Lloyd D. Hughes To: Second Lieutenant Lloyd H. Hughes Page 218 Correct Lieutenant Hughes To: Second Lieutenant Lloyd H. Hughes Page 357 Correct Hughes, Lloyd D., 215, 218 To: Hughes, Lloyd H., 215, 218 Foreword In the last decade of the twentieth century, the United States Air Force commemorates two significant benchmarks in its heritage. The first is the occasion for the publication of this book, a tribute to the men and women who served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War 11. The four years between 1991 and 1995 mark the fiftieth anniversary cycle of events in which the nation raised and trained an air armada and com- mitted it to operations on a scale unknown to that time. With Courage: U.S.Army Air Forces in World War ZZ retells the story of sacrifice, valor, and achievements in air campaigns against tough, determined adversaries. It describes the development of a uniquely American doctrine for the application of air power against an opponent's key industries and centers of national life, a doctrine whose legacy today is the Global Reach - Global Power strategic planning framework of the modern U.S. Air Force. The narrative integrates aspects of strategic intelligence, logistics, technology, and leadership to offer a full yet concise account of the contributions of American air power to victory in that war. A second commemoration in September 1997 marks the fiftieth birthday of the United States Air Force as a separate military institution. From its origins in 1907 until it achieved independence on September 18, 1947, the Air Force was, under several different names, a subordinate branch of the United States Army. The combat achievements and the incom- parable growth of air power capabilities and thought in World War I1 made the Air Force's separation from the Army both desirable and in- evitable afterward. In the early years of the Cold War that followed, the Air Force was the principal arm of American strategic deterrent policy. It has continued to develop as the most flexible military instrument of American policy. After World War 11, the Air Force deployed units in three major conflicts and in a succession of crises. It revealed an increasing reach in humanitarian missions as well. In 1991, the U.S. Air Force fielded an overwhelming presence in the Persian Gulf to defeat the forces of a predatory local regime. For the first time in history, global and precise air power was the decisive element in bringing a hostile government and its ground forces to terms. As the Cold War recedes into history, it leaves in its wake ancient and new ethnic grievances, resurgent nationalism, and contending militant religious beliefs to complicate international relations. .In this charged and Preface When separate regional conflicts in the Far East and Europe merged into global combat in 1939, popular usage immediately referred to the new conflagration as a second world war, coming as it did a bare twenty years after the first general war of the age. In the years between 1941 and 1945, the United States of America joined the fray after a surprise attack on its Pacific fleet anchorage in Hawaii. The cataclysm involved all the major powers of the earth, took an estimated sixty million military and non-combatant lives, and became one of the defining events of the century. Over eight million American veterans of the conflict are still alive today to commemorate their part in what they came to regard as a great crusade. Among the most evident trends of the time were new military tech- nologies. The rise of air power as an indispensable adjunct to ground and naval forces was one of the hallmarks of the era. Aircraft had shown their potential in World War I, but in the twenty years following that conflict, new theory and doctrine arose on their employment in war. World War I1 vastly expanded this thinking as events rewrote the orderly theory that had prevailed in the prewar Army Air Corps. America's industrial base, in feats of its own, gave U.S. and allied air forces the wherewithal to overcome the aerial might of the Axis. In an intelligence coup only revealed some thirty years after the end of the war, American and allied governments broke the most guarded communications codes of the enemy, an untold advantage in aerial and other operations. Perhaps the greatest achievement was in molding a citizen-soldiery into a fighting host. Of the twelve million men and women mobilized for the war, some two and a half million served in the Army Air Forces. Many gave the last measure of service; to these especially this history is dedicated. No history of such scale is the labor of a single individual. This one is the work of many hands. Special recognition is due the three authors who wrote the text of this volume. Mr. Bernard C. Nalty is a veteran of sev- eral official defense historical programs; he has specialized in analyses of U.S. Air Force operations in Southeast Asia and has produced a respected history of the African-American military experience. Mr. Nalty crafted the narrative on aerial combat operations appearing in this book. Col. John F. Shiner, who retired in 1991, completed the chapter that became the introduction to this volume. Dr. George M. Watson, Jr., author of an official study on the evolution of the office of the secretary of the Air Force, completed the segment on the home front and industrial pro- duction. I am indebted to them for creating the heart of this book. My role was to edit the volume, conceive its design, obtain photographs and other illustrations, and complete the photographic essays. Executing the finished design would have been impossible without the cooperation of many others. Mr. William Phillips readily agreed to our using his image, Alone No More, for the cover of the volume. Permission for this was arranged by Ms. Jennifer Oakes of the Greenwich Workshop, Inc., Shelton, Connecticut, which owns the copyright for the original art and has prints of it available. Ms. Lori Crane and Ms. Protean Gibril inte- grated Mr. Phillips's artwork into the cover design. Ms. Crane also produced all of the interior art in the book; the six aircraft vignettes that grace the text pages were her creations. Mrs. Michelle Smith compiled the book's index. Mr. Larry Bowring, Bowring Cartographics, Arlington, Virginia, created the two multicolor fold-out maps. A number of unsung professionals helped us acquire the images in the photographic essays. Mr. Timothy Cronen, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, was especially gracious in meeting our many demands. Mr. Robert Mikesh, a former Smithsonian staffer, assisted with photos of Japanese aircraft that proved elusive during our search. Ms. Mary Beth Straight, US. Naval Institute photo-archivist, offered similar assistance. Retired Air Force Col. Richard Cole provided a copy of a portrait of Brig. Gen. Harold H. George for our use. Mr. Charles Haberlein and Mr. Edwin Finney, Jr., Center for Naval History, were another indispensable source of valuable pictures. Special thanks is also due Mr. James A. Longo, Prudential Insurance Company, for assistance in obtaining a portrait of Mr. Franklin D'Olier. Within the Center for Air Force History, I am indebted to several pro- fessionals who reviewed this work as it progressed. Dr. Richard G. Davis provided valuable comments on World War I1 aerial operations in Europe. Mr. Herman Wolk oversaw the entire production through its many and complicated stages. Dr. Richard P. Hallion further advanced the cause with his detailed suggestions and editorial assistance. To Mrs. Anna Barbara Wittig, I owe much for her special acumen and continued encouragement; to Mrs. Karen Fleming-Michael goes my gratitude as well for her willing support in reading photo-essay copy and her generosity in sharing images. ALFREDM. BECK January 1994 ... Vlll unpredictable atmosphere, the Air Force has a demonstrated ability to reach points of tension around the world within hours, delivering decisive, precise force against any opponent. It is an unparalleled strategic instrument for a period of particularly volatile international relationships. As the Air Force meets the demands of the future, it is well to honor those who were present during its gestation and birth. We dedicate this volume, with respect and affection, to the men and women of the Army Air Forces of the Second World War. RICHARDP. HALLION January 1994 Air Force Historian vi Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Nalty, Bernard C. With courage : the U.S. Army Air Force in World War I1 : a commemorative history /Bernard C. Nalty, John F. Shiner, George M. Watson : Alfred M. Beck, editor. 366 p. 25 cm.+General Histories) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-16-036396-9 (hard) 1. United States, Army, Army Air Force-History-World War, 1939-1945. I. Shiner, John F. 11. Watson, George M. 111. Beck, Alfred M., 1939-. IV. Title V. Series D790.N32 1994 940.54’49734~20 94-4716 CIP For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, DC 20402 Alfred M. Beck chief editor In peace there's nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility: But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of the tiger; Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, Disguise fair nature with hard favor'd rage; Then lend the eye a fearful aspect.
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