SPECIAL EDITION FOR AAF ORGANIZATIONS

•
 THE OFFICIAL GUIDr
TO THE ARMY AIR FORCES

A DIRECTORY, ALMANAC AND

CHRONICLE Of ACHIEVEMENT

This special edition has been published for orranintions of the

, FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSE VELT Army Air Forces by Pocket Books. Inc.• New York 20. N. Y., .
COmm.andcr-Jn.Chicl of tIl e Army and Navy arrane:ement with the Army Air Forces Aid Society, copyriiht
owners. For this edition the Socfety has relinquished all royalties.
 PRINTING HlSTORY OF

AAF
rhe Official Guide to the Army Air Forces

Pocket Book edition published June 1944 FOREWORD

1ST PRINTING . . . . . • • . • . . .• . MAY 1944

2ND PRINTL~G .. . . • • • • • • . . . JUNE 1944 AAF is more than the abbreviated term for the Army
Air Forces. It is a symbol of massed American striking
SPECIAL AAF EDITION
power. Fundamentally, the AAF is a people's air force,
and its bombs dropping on the enemy represent the
, work of millions of Americans in and out of uniform.
In a democracy it is fitting that the people should
have th e opportunity to obtain a thorough understand-
T:-IIS IS A WARTIME BOOK
• ing of their military air organization. This book fur-
THIS IS AN ORIGINAL POCKET BOOK PRO- nishes that opportunity. It coordinates l:he many as-
pects of OUT activity and provides an integrated picture
DU CED IN FULL CO:l\JPLIANCE WITH TIlE
of the AAF as it is today.
GOVERNl\'I ENT'S REGULATIONS FOR CON- "This book is a useful, accurate guide to our opera-
tions and should be of wide personal interest to those
SERV ING PAPER AND OTHER ESSENTIA L
who know the AAF through relatives and friends in
MATERIALS. the service. It will be especially valuable to those who
hope to become directly associated with us. To the
officers, men and women of the AAF it should serve
as a helpful work of reference.

H. H. ARNOLD
General, U. S. Army
Printed in the U. S. A. Commanding General, Anny Air Forces

!GHIT 1944 BY THE ARMY Alit FORCES ATD OelETY


CONTENTS
OREWORD by GENERAL II. H. Afu'\TOLD
" T MGET-An Introductioll to tlle AAF
"HAT WE ARE
Tcam1Aork: key to AAF operations-Organization for air war-
Continental air forces and commands-Parts of an air force:
aircrcws, flights, squadrons. groups, wings, divisions, com-
mands-An air force ill combat-Command, staff and control
-Unified planning-\Vorking with others.
"HO ''IE ARE
Personnel expansion and requirements-Aviation cadets-Gen-
eral duties of air and grollnd crcws-\liIitary occupational
specialties-Aeronautical ratings and badges-Pay scales-In-
signia-The redistribution program-\\'omen in uniform-
Civilian personneJ-'Vomen \'olunteers.
lOW WE TRAIN 10 1
Training for pilots, navigators, bombardiers, gunners, glider
pilots, ~adar observers-Technical, administrative and supply
training-J low air and gronnd units prepare for com hat-
Ch.'erseas training-AAF Tactical Center-School of Aviation
Medicia~taff officers cOtlrscs-Convalcsccnt and rehabilita-
tion training-Prevention of flying accidents.
"'HAT WE FIGHT WITH 12 3
Procurement and ~rodllc tion-AAF airplanes: types. perform -
ance, characterishcs-Engineering-Engines-Jet proplllsion-
Aviatioa fuels-Propellers-Electrical and hydraulic systems-
~Iachine guns, turrets. aerial c.'1nnon-Bombs-lnstruments-
Parachctes-Photographic equipmcnt-\Vright Field-Tcst pi-
lots-Proving for combat.
HOW WE KEEP 'EM FLYING 177
Air logistics-Sopply and transport al;cllcies---Types of slIpplv-
Air depots, baSe IUPPIy, JCn'ice ccntcrs--Tramportation hy
~ouncf ana IerrMovinc lUI AAF unit-(hcrscas mo\'elll cllt-
n1IIIP,"'~ .~tbin t~eatcn-Ferrying of aircraft-Air trans-
port-M pnontleS-Maintenance prohlclll ,) and methods-
Ecbelou Of maintenance-Reclamation and "':l lv:lge.
CONTENTS
WHAT WE FIGHT FROM
The need for airbascs-Types and fun ctions-Maintenance and
control-The battle for airbases-llow we build our bases:
construction fa cts and figurcs-Camouflage-Aviation and air-
v borne engineers-Use of combat bases.
I OUR BATTLEFIELD
Natural hazards of the air-Army Airways Communications
8 System-:\AF \\feather Service-The body in flight: anoxia.
aer~n~bolism, .b~ackoll~s. and redouts, cold, fatigue-Oxygen
-Anabon me(hcllle-Btllhng out-Forced landings-Sun'j"al in
tropics, desert and arctic.
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 254
Strategic and tactical operations- Target selection-The homb·
37 ing problem-Heavy bombardment and the bombsight-Me-
dium and light bombardment-Fighters and fighter escort-
Air defense-Airborne warfare-Reconnaissance-Na\'igation-
-Intelligence-Communications-Gunnery-The combat air
forces-Unit and indi"idual citations-Chronological war rec-
ord. .
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS 339
Chronological record from Civil \\'ar to Pearl Harbor.
AWARDS AND INSIGNIA ::!:q
Color Plates .... - ............. _ " ............... ;!3~
ROTOGRAVURE SECTIONS
Our Leaders (with biogmphies )-Mcn of .\\1' .. ...... 56
Aircraft of the AAF .... ......................... 1 n
The AAF in Combat ............................ 301
DRAWINGS, DIAGHAi\IS. \lAPS
Listed by subjects in the iude)"
APPENDIX
Bibliography ..................... •• . . . . ........ .,:;:8
'bbrevlatlons
no .. .................... . .. ... .. ...... 366
AAF Vernacular ........•.....•.....•....••..... 36S
INDEX
 ON TARGET
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AAF

If you would know the Army Air Forces today, consider firs t
a global network of men and airplanes, supply lines, COI11-
munications routes and airbases; think of this network as a
striking force that since the start of the war has made morc
than 700.000 combat fl ights, dropped more than 600,000
tons of bombs, fired morc than 75.000,000 rounds of am·
munition against the enemy.
Now think of a part of this striking force: of 1000 heavy
bombers stretched across 100 miles of sky, with as many
fighter planes fanning a protective cover; 30,000 tons of
metal, 11,000 fighting men and 2500 tons of high explosives
roaring along in battle formation to a common objective.
Consider the objective: a production cen ter that is 3
source of enemy power; a German equivalent of Detroit or
Pittsburgh fashioning weapons of war for use against Ameri·
can troops and the troops of our Allies; a vital, stmtegic
target protected by land and sca, accessible only through the
aIr.
Think of the attack: 1000 bombers forci ng thcir way to
within 5 vertical miles of this enemy stronghold; men who
take aim and hurl their bombs down those 5 miles onto the
target; metal and men who wi11 be back over the target to·
1
I OFFICIAL AAF GUIOE
morrow or the next day, who are capable of repeating the
:performance again and again, of shifting their attack to other
'targets at will; think in terms of repeated bombings; think
:o{ each mass attack -as a major military campaign taking
iplace within the space of hours.
ITHE CHALLENGE OF WAR
In that sober hour on Dec. 7, '94', the challenge to the
:AAF was clearly outlined:
I Could we, the air organization of the u~ S. Army, mass
and perfect the men and materials to graduate from a minor
tairpower to the mightiest air force the world had ever
known?
i Could we, with our limited strength, fight holding actions
lover 5 continents while we amassed the necessary resources?
I Could we, in minimum time, launch an air offensive that
I would fatally weaken the enemy's ability to resis t?
Actually, considerable planning had gone before. The na-
tions already at war had proved that airpower would be a
I decisive factor in the struggle, that airpower could only be
defeated by superior airpower. Ever since World War I
farsighted military men and civilian students of military
. affairs in this country had been convinced that the airplane
would have a profound effect on future warfare. During th e
i 19'0'S this thinking and study began to crystallize into
I certain definite conclusions within the AAF. We believed :
. That the most efficient method of waging war was to destroy the
enemy's weapons while they were still in production, thus de-
priving his armies of those weapons and eventually rendering him
powerless.
,That 2irpower. capitalizing upon its inherent long-range strategic
: capabilities and operating in sufficient strength, could accomplisll
this objective.
That precision bombing was the heart of such airpower and the
I key to our operations.
I That airpower, operating in cooperation with ground and Se.1 units,
could be a decisive factor by isolating the battle area and par-
ticipating on the battle6c1d.
11lat land·based aircraft. with emphasis on the long-range, high alti-
ON TARGET 3
tude heavy bomber, would be the backbone of our air force, and
that supcr-bombers would bc required.
That the maximum st rength of our weapon could be realized and
its limitations offset by our ability to make sustaill cd mass att::lcks_
THE AIR WAR PLAN
Nlore than 3 months before Pearl H arbor, the AAF, in
response to an instruction of the Presiden t, submitted to th e
\Var D epartment an air war plan based on the following
assumptions:
That we might be at war with Ccnmmy and Japan si11lulbneollsly.
That Germany, as the center of thc Axis system and its principal
military power, would have to bc dealt with first.
That a land invasion of Cermany would take considerable tim e to
prepare. ,
That a sustained and powerful bombing assault against specific
targets migh t m.-;lke an invasion unnecessary, or if nccessary, would
playa vital role in any such effort.
That a specific numbcr of bombardment planes cOl1ld be sct lip as
the power element of an air offcnsivc.
That in addition to bases in Britain, cfforts sho uld be made to de·
velop bases in the Ne:u East; and to obtain Atlantic and \ Vestem
Mediterranean bases-if necessary by land. sea and air action.
That a long-range, heavily armed escort fightcr would be needcd to
offset German defenses.
That a "strategic defensive" would be necess.lry in Asi.l until Ger-
many was defeated.
The plan, as submitted, called for the crcation of an al r
force numberi ng more than 2,000,000 men and upwards of
88,000 planes.
The val uc of an air offensive was predicated on th e con·
viction that th e German industrial effort, and conscqucntly
the continued existence of the German anny, was dependent
on the following elements: the electric power sys tem, the
transportation sys tcm, th e oil and petroleum system, eivili,m
moralc.
vVe believed that destruction of specified targets in th e
first 3 ca tegories would paralyze the fun ctioning of c.leh, and
that th e same result co uld be accomplished by a collapse of
enemy civilian morale.
 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
\Ve realized that it might be desirable to accomplish certain
"intermediate" objectives, as: neutralization of the Gennan air
oree, att~ck on airbases, attack on aircraft factories (engine
nd airframe), and attack on aluminum and magnesium
lants producing the essential metals from which airplanes
re built.
In order to secure OUT bases and maintain supplies, we
ecommcnded "diversionary" objectives such as submarine
bases, surface sea craft, "invasion" bases.
PLAN OF I1MEDIATE At.TION
A weol after the U. S. was attacked, the AAF submitted
lCfollowing recommendations:
Since the Axis powers command a substantial advantage in forces
available for immediate use, protection of the military and in-
~
dustrial strength of the U. S. is the FIRST and most basic COIl-
sideratioo; protection of the British Isles, as a base for future of-
fensive operations, is the SECOND consideration.
'Offensive action against the sources of Axis military strength is
mandatory, if we are to win.
As steps In the creation of an air force for the preservation
of national security and the defeat of the Axis powers, we
recommended the acquisition of 88,000 planes and-stepping
up the pre~PearI Harbor estimate-2.,90o,Ooo men and offi-
cers. \Ve further recommended the prm·iding of air defense
for the U. S., Panama and Hawaii; the providing of h emi~
sphere defense; the providing of supplies necessa ry to secure
I bases in Britain and the Near East; the maintenance of lines
of communication; the reinforcing of the Philippines; th e
providing of shipping needed for the offensive; and th e con-
struction of bases in Alaska and the Aleutians for an ultimate
offensive against Japan.
Since all military plans are subject to alteration in th e
face of action before the enemy. new wavs must be devised
for attaining the objective, new plans dra,,'n to conform with
changing circumstances. Objectives originally tagged "di-
versionar)"" or Hintennediate" may for immediate reasons be-
come "primary," thus inRuencing other elements of a plan.
However, the overall strategy remains unchanged .
'
ON TARGET 5
THE FIRST RUSH OF WAR
Pearl Harbor converted our long-delibcrated PLAN of ac-
tion into ACTION itself. In th e sudden h"ansfonnation from
a nation at peace to a nation at war, our air program was
like an animal unleashed from its cage after long confine~
ment, but with neither his tceth nor claws sharp enough or
strong enough to be immediately effective.
The very nature of the war made it necessary that we, as
the flying force of the nation, should bear the brunt of the
enemy's first rush of conquest. Our efforts during the first
6 months of war were valiant but meager when measured
by today's standards. Yet we did delay the enemy, and in
some, measure held him and interfered with his plan of
domination. We built up the hard way the combat expcri~
ence required to put our own plan into full-fledged action.
In th e early days of expansion everything we wanted was
needed "yesterday"; and mostly we wanted strength. The
quotas we set up were of necessity as changeable as our
initial organization charts. And while we were still CREATING
the essential industrial means, the enemy was in a position
to USE his means to push us further and further back from
the points from which we could launch a future offensive.
Between 1939 and 1941 the production facilities at our
disposal had increased 400 %, but the liou's share of that
expansion had gone to Great Britain under "defense aid" and
lend~lease agreements. Yet, foreign purchases of the na-
tion's aircraft had given us the valuable asset of battle~tested
planes. And alth ough lend~lea se had cost us immediate
strength, it had also prompted expansion of our original pro~
duction facilities and prepared us for the far greater ex~
pansion needed.
Our training facilities were wholly inadequate for th e job
ahead, but we could utilize those of private and commercial
flying that fortunately had becn built up in the peacetime
years; we could make use of the nation's educational system,
could transfonn hotels into training centers. The "combat
aircrew," as we know it today, was unknown in ea rly 1942.
Balance was lacking among th e necessary components of the

• OfFICIAL US GUIDE
.\AF-the ainnen, technicians, ground crews-and we didn't
have enough planes with whicb to instruct OUT men. But a
training program initiated in 1939 had ~ven us a nucleus of
skilled personnel; and every rural and CIty area of the nab on
I could contribute to a vast pool of trainable men, many of
whom not only had a keen interest in the airplane, but a
similarl) valuable aptitude for things mechanical.
\V e lacked both transport facilities and bases. Naval
strength had to be devoted largcly to securing lines of com-
munication; this not only placed a heaVIer burden on air
operations but also gave the enemy a chance to wage sub~
marine warfare, which in turn absorbed some of our aerial
operations and by necessity diverted them from industrial
targets. However, after the first threat of direct attack. had
passed, the location of the U. S. guaranteed security for the
productton program that lay ahcad. \Ve could grow without
the destructive time·loss factors of bomb·harried production
which both Great Britain and GermanI' had suffered. The
Briti'ih Isles could become one huge 'airbase for strategic
bombing operations. In the South Pacific we could benefit
from the aid offered by Australia. Throughout the world we
had other Allied nations to assist us in our prosecution of the
war.
THE NEtWORK IN ACTION
After we had pushed through the first year of combat,
graduallv the cycle of war began to turn to our advantage.
Our accumulation of strength began to mesh with the con-
ce"P.b of our war plan; combat experience meshed with train -
ing, supply and communications with the establishment of
bases-until the global network took shape.
fo:arly in 1944 we massed our first loo-mile procession of
bombers, Simultaneously, we were preparing to strike in
even grClt~r numbers, were Hying even larger bom bers, and
were planmng to carry massed aerial attack across th e world
to ,apan Bllt early '944 was the start of the real air offensive.
Today, while 1000 of our bombers stretch across th e sky
over Ccmlany. alJ O\'er the glob<; om men art making thcm -
ON TARtET
selves understood in Hindustani, Italian, Arabic, Bcn g~l'
Eskimo, pidgin English; and our planes are making th em
selves understood in the tropics, arctic and desert; over sc'
mountain and glacier, . ,
In China, at this moment, some of us may Just be.Iand11l
medium bombers after raiding Japanese warehouses n.l Ind
China. Every ounce of gasoline ol~r plan:s use?-h~e th
gas for the jeeps and trucks o,n the aITfic1d~ In Chma, like th
gas for the hcavy bombers Just now . tak111g off for ,a daw
mission to bomb Formosa-was ea rn ed over th e I-Illnala ya
by air. In India our ,transports are coming i,n after a day 0
shuttling th ese supplies. Several thousa nd 1111les to the sout
east, on a Pacific island once headquarters for the Japanes
others of us are beiilg briefed to ~wee'p o,vcr an cnel~ly I~Hrho
and from zero altitude attack hIS shlppmg. On a tiny Isb n.:!
in the Arabian Sea we ' si t out a sandstorm and wait fo r til(
evening transport. On the h?t Tunisian desert we arc stil
busy looking for salvageable Items from the ycar-old wreck!
of enemy planes, Over the Central Pacific our ~ight seard
planes with their equipmen t that sees better III the dad
than ~n y man has ever seen in daylight, are on patrol. 01
the west coast of the U, S., while another shift is coming of
work in the great airplane factori es, thousands of us arc till.:.
ing off in training flight~ in small, aircraft that ollt-perfo rn
the combat planes our pIlots flew 111 th e .last war. In a Nc"
York City procurement office a .eolonel d~~tates a req uest fa;
4 mi11ion rivets. In the Aleutians th e I Bombed Japa n
club is initiating some new members. Vie are o~er Kan sa:
on our first solo; high over central G~rmany With encl11)
fighters attacking; low over a Japanese airfield stra fin g plane:
on the runway; far out over the Pacific with an, enemy wnr
ship clearly fixed in the cross-hairs of our bombSight. \Ve ~n
the AAF.
* * *
In this bOOK we tell about our men and our planes- wile
they are and what th ey do- and about our whole globa
nchvork.
I

WHAT WE ARE
Wehave a saying in the AAF that 10 men in a bomber will
never replace a combat aircrew. Similarly, 210 million m en
and 1 00,000 airplanes will never replace an air force.
The AAF is, first of all, a huge team. T eamwork is the
corncrstcne of al1 our acti,"ities-in the air and on the ground.
No onc man in a bomber crew ca n carry out a 111ission by
himsc1f. Unless the work of each member is planned, disci·
plincd and coordinated with the others, all will fail. One man
cannot win a battle, but one man can lose it.
Between plane and plane, teamwork is as necessary as it
is between man and man. A cohesive formation of bombers
is essentlal for mass bombing and for seU-protection . If one
;1ircraft fail s to mai ntain its appointed position it jeopardizes
not only itself ?U~ the ~~tire formation, and pcrhap!; th e suc-
cess of the n1lSS1011 . Fighters must work c10sely with th e
hom bers they are escorting. rnley fly in teams, cover one
.mother, attack in unison.
AAF aircrews have no monopoly on teamwork. It must exist
between them and their ground men; among ground crews
8
-
WHAT WE ARE !
themselves; and among the forces back home-both militar~
and civilian-whi ch develop and build the planes, ship the
supplies and train the men. Nor is teamwork confined to any
one branch of the anned forces. Essential to success in the
war is AAF teamwork with the ground armies, with the Navy,
and with Allied forces in combined ai r-sea-ground operation s.
OUR ORGANIZATION
Evolution of the AAF-The AAF stems from modest be-
ginnings. Created in 1907 as a tiny branch of the Signal
Corps, the Army air arm mushroomed during World War I
to what then seemed giant proportions. During the latter
months of the war the Ai r Service was set up as a separate
branch of the Anny, distinct from the Signal Corps. In 1926
it was renamed th e Air Corps. In 1935 a combat air organiza-
tion was establish ed to complement the Air Corps-the
General H eadquarters (GHQ) Air Force. Later renamed the
Air Force Combat Command, this was a unified combat force
composed of the various fighting air un its. It was an early
testing ground for the strategical and tactical doctrines on
which our present aerial offensives were conceived.
" lith the creation of the Air Force Combat Command,
the Air Corps concentrated on supply and training functions.
From its Materiel Division and its training centers grew the
continental commands of the AAF which have been chiefly
responsible for building the AAF into the fighting machine
it is today.
Shortly after Pearl Harbor, the U. S. Army was reorganized.
The Air Corps and Air Force Combat Command were
merged into the Army Air Forces. The Infantry, Cavalry,
Field Artillery and other surface combat elements were
merged into the Army Ground Forces. The supply and
service agencies-Quartennaster, Ordnance, C hemical \Var-
fare, etc.-were merged into the Services of Supply, subse-
quen tly renamed the Army Service Forces. ResponSibility for
coordina ting th e 3 forces was lodged in the General Staff, a
body composed of equal numbers of air and ground officers.
The military air arm currently consists of the following
 10 OFFICIAL AAF GUIOE
clements: th e Commanding General, AAF; th e Deputy Com·
I mandcf; the Air Staff; 4 continental air forces; 6 AAF COt~l ·
i mands and certain oth er AAF agencies which are enga~ed m
I va rious specialized activities; and 11 combat air forces m th e
I th eaters of opera tions.
The Commanding General, AAF and the
Air Staff- The Commandin g General, AAF, 10
, add ition to th e duties of his command, is a
• member of the Combined Chiefs of Staff and
th e Joint Chiefs of Staff, which determine th e strategic ob-
jectives and plans of th e Allied amled forces (see page 3?)·
11,e Air Staff is the arm of the Commandmg General whIch
enablcs bim to direct and control all th e far-flun g parts of the
_ AA F. It translates the war plans laid down by th e PresIdent
I and th e higher planning agencies into concrete courses of
I AA I" ac!lon. It keeps in close touch with the theatcrs of opcra-
I tions in order to see that productIOn and trammg program s a~c
gea red to the changing requirements of t~e war. Month? m
adva nce it plans where, when and what kmds and qu~nht.ICs
of plane:; and men will be ne~ded : It develops and ma mt~ms
a synch ronized schedule takmg mto ~ccount . the .m ulbpl.c
facto rs affecting fully trained and eqUIpped aIr UnI ts. TillS
schedule serves as the basis for specific directives from the
Commanding General to AAF agcncies in the field .
T he Headquarters of th e AAI", m Washm gton, D . C .,
incl udes th e Commanding G eneral, AAF, the D eputy C om-
mander, and th e Air Staff . The Air Staff consists of a Chief
of Air Staff (who is also th e Deputy Commandcr, AAF ), as-
sisted by 4 D eputy Chiefs; 6 Assistant Chiefs ?f Air Staff, each
responsible for a main phase of AAF operations; and several
special o/licers, each a specialist in a particul ar fi eld .
COMMANDI NG GE NE RAL, AAF
G ENERAL H. H. ARNOLD
OFF ICE RS OF T Il E AIR STAF F
DE I'UTY COMM AN DER, AAF, AND CHI EF OF AI R STAFf' : LT. GEN.
B. M . G ILES-Assists and advises th e Comm and ing Ceneral; directs,
supervises, coordinates act ivities of the Air Sta ff , the comma nds
a nd the conti nental ai r forces.
WHAT WE ARE
1
DEPUTY CHIEFS OF AIR STAFF : BRIG. Gt-:N. \ V . E . H ALL, BRIG. GEl
H. S. HANSELL. J R., BRIG. GEN. P. TIM BERLAK E, BR IG. GEN . U
VVILSON-Assist the C hief of Air Staff in the performance of
duties.
ASS ISTANT CIII £F OF AI R STAFF, PLANS : M AJ . GEN. L , S. KUTER- R
omm cnds strategy and deploym en t of air combat units; in terpret
appro\'ed wa r plan s in term s of air combat require ments.
ASSISTANT CHt EF OF AI R STAFF . OP ERATI ONS. COMM ITMENTS AND Rl
QUIREMENTS : MAJ . G EN. H . A , C RA IG-Translates approved al
war plans into an in tegrated AAF program covcring personnel
eq ui pm ent , trained uni ts an d replaceme nt crews; establishes tac tic
and tech n iques of aerial warfare, standards and characte ristics rf
quired of aircraft and combat unit plans; ord ers the c reat ion 0
un its. the mo,oement of un its and aircraft to overseas theaters.
ASSISTANT C H IEF OF AIR STAFF, PER SONNE L: MAJ . GEN, J. M . BEVAN
- Plans, establish es pol icies for and supervises th e AAF pe rsonne
program , both milita ry and civilian; supervises recreational an<
m orale ac tivities; administers personnel operations for the personn e
of the Air Staff.
ASSISTANT ClII EF OF AI R STAFF, INTELLIGENCE: BRIC. GEN. T . D
\ V IIITE- E stablish es policies and plans for air intelligence ac tivities
including co unter-intelligence, photo.in terpretat ion and in telligenc(
train ing; collects, evaluates and d issemina tes informa tion bea r i n ~
on th e air war.
ASSISTANT CHIEF OF AI R STAFF, TRAININC : MAJ , GEN. R . W . H ARPER
- Establish es training sch edules and policies and supe rvises AA F
training act ivities; stim ulates and coordinates the development and
lise of t raining aids, such as texts, training 61ms, syn thetic train ing
devices and posters.
ASSISTANT CUU;:F OF AIR STAFF, MATERIEL, MA INTENANCE AND DISTRI-
BUTION : MAJ . GEN . O. p , E Cllo Ls-Establish es plans a nd poliCies
fo r all supply activities of the AAF, including th e developm ent,
procure ment and prod uc t ion of aircraft and related equipm ent,
the supply and maintenance of all such supplies within the conti·
nen tal U, S" and air transportation to overseas thcate rs; also works
in close coord ina tion with the Army Se rvice Forces in the furnish-
ing of supplies and services by other b ranch es of the \ Var D epart-
men t to the Arm y Air F orces. .
CIIIEF, MANAGEMENT CONTROL: BR IC. G EN. Bo E. C ATEs-Advises on
organ iza tional. admin istrative and procedural matters; prepa res rec-
olllln endations to obtain t he most effi cient utiliz.1 tion of AAF man-
power; obtains and main tains c urrent statistical information rela·
t i,oc to all A:\F acti\'ities.
12 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE

-- -'" -... -- -
---'" ..
~
i ;l
Alit I'NSPECT01l: BRIC . GEN. J. \V . JONEs-Develops plans and polio c ~
c ~

----•
~ ~

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spections of AAF activities for the Commanding General.

AIR SURG EON : MAJ . GEN. D. N. W . GRANT-Plans and directs all
: medical fa cilities and personnel of the AAF, including aero-
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!CHIEF, BUDCET ."ND FISCAL OFFICE: BRIG . GEN. L. \V. MILLER-

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Supervises and administers all AAF budget and fiscal mattcrs.
AIIl JUDGE ADVOCATE: BRIC. GEN. L. H . HEDRICIC-Acts as legal .---- ~

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~tR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER: BRIC. GEN. R. M. MCCLELLAND
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CHIEf'. OFFICE OF LECISLATIVE SERVICES: COL. W. S. ECE- I-Iandles

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lCUlEF , SPECIAL PROJECTS: COL. F. T. DAVISON-Performs such
special projects as the Commanding General may from time to
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CIIIEF, OFFICE OF FLYING SAFETY: COL. G . C. PRlcR- Develops and
I carries out a fl ying safety program for the prevention of aircraft
accidents; develops and enforces procedures for the control of
military air traffic.
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CUlEF7 OFTlCE OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Lt. Col. R. D. Smith- '"

Under direction of AAF Public Relations Board plans and super·
vises public relations and related activities.
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The AAF Commands and the Continental Air Forces- ~
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During tbe prewar period and the early months of the war, '--
tthe AAF concentrated on growing. In 1943, as it approached
its scheduled size, it gradually shifted its emphasis from ~
training to op<;rations. But even after it has reached its peak, it
must continue to train mcn and produce planes and equip·
mcnt in ordcr to maintain its combat forces at full strength .
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hose lost in action and those relieved from combat duty.
14 OFfiCIAL AlF CUIDE
, In charge of building and maintaining combat air forces
. arc the several AAF commands, the 4 air forces in the con-
tinen tal U. S., and certai n other AAF field agencies. Sub ject
! to the overall di rectives and programs of the Commanding
General, AAF, the commander of each of these organizations
has full au thority and responsibility for organizing his COl1l~
mand and devc10ping methods and procedures for accom-
plishing his objectives.
111e 4 continental air forces originated as Air Districts
under the old GHO Air I'orce in the winter of '940-41.
Sct up as air comb:rt organizations, each was assigned a ecr-
Itain area of the U. S. in which to operate. Thus the 1st Air
1 Force operates along the eastern seaboard; the 2nd in the
A-.
: Ilorthwestern and mountain areas; the 3rd in the southeastern
Iarea; and the 4th along the west coast and in the southwest.
IDuring the early part of the war, a major responsibility, par~
I ticularly of th e 1st and 4th Air I'orces, was to guard against
I possible attack on the continental U. S. Today, although
they still maintain a defensive force, their main job is the
organizing and training of air units for overseas comba t.
Each rommand and air force has its own headquarters and
its own subordinate field organization. ll1ese organizations
are characterized by the nature of their varying activities. The
Materiel Command, for example, which deals primarily with
. priva te industries, functions through procurement di stricts
located at or nca r principal industrial centers. These districts
maintai n offices in th e variolls aircraft factories. The Air
Service Command has 11 air depots as well as a number of
special depots and stations. Each major AAF installation has
a supply and maintenan ce orga nization which draws on an
. appropriate air depot for supplies and heavy maintenance
work.
The 4 continental air forces opera te through sub-com-
mands or wings, each of which supervises airbascs of a par-
ticular type or in a particular area. The Training Command is
'organized into several sub-commands, including 2 techlli cal
training commands, each operating technical schools in a
pccified area of the continent, and 3 flying training com·
ands, £<jch operating Hying schools in a specified area.
WHAT WE ARE l'
The Air Transport Command is composed of a ferryin
division whi ch ferries new airplanes from factory to destin
tion, either in th e U. S. or abroad; a domestic transportatio(i
division for th e transport of supplies and passengers in th~
continental U. S.; and several foreign wings, each operatin~
transport routes over a specified region of th e world.
THE AAF COMMANDS AND CONTINENTAL AIR FORCES
TRAINING COMMAND-Fort \¥orth, T ex.; Lt. Gen. B. K. Yount. Or·
ganized-Tech. Tr. Comd. 26 Mar. '41; Flying Tr. Com(l. 23
Jan . '42; combined in to Training Comd. 7 July '43. Function-
Training of pilots, bombardiers, navigators, gunners, mechanics
and other ground technicians; basic training of aU incoming per-
sonnel ; officer candidate training.
I TROOP CARRIER COMMAND-Indianapolis, Ind .; Brig. Gen. F. \ V.
Evans. Organized-As Air Transport Comd. 30 Apr. '42; redesig-
nated I Troop Carrier Comd. 20 June '42. Function-Organiza-
tion and training of troop carrier, glid er and medical air evacuation
units and crews; joint training with Army Ground Forces of
airborne units.
AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND-Washington, D . C.; Maj. Gen . H . L.
George. Organized-As Ferrying Comd. 29 May '4 1; redesignated
Air Tran sport Comd . 20 June '42. Function-Ferrying of new
aircraft from factory to llsing locations all over the world; world-
wide air transport service for personnel, supplies :md mail.
MATERIEL COMMAND-Wright Field, Dayton , Ohio; Maj. Gen . C . E .
Branshaw. O rganized-As Air Corps Materiel Division 15 Oct.
'26; redesignated Materiel Comrl. 9 Mar. '42. Function- Re·
search, development and procurement of aircraft and related eq uip-
ment. .
AIR SERVICE CO:MMAND-Patterson Field, Fairfield, Ohio; Maj. Gen.
\V . H . Fr;lIlk. O rganized-As Air Corps Provisional Maintenan ce
Comd . 15 Mar. '41 ; as Air Corps Maintenance Comd. 29 Apr.
'41; redesigna ted Ai r Service Comd. 17 Oct. '41. Function-Dis-
tribution and supply to AAF units of AAF equipment and sup-
plies; maintenan ce and repair of aircraft; training of service, supply
and maintenance un its for assignment overseas.
PROVING CROUND COht:MAND-Egli n Field, Fla.; Brig. Gen . G. Gard-
ner. Organized-As Air Corps Prov ing Ground 15 May '41 ; re-
designated Proving Ground Comd. I Apr. '42. Function-Opera-
tional test s and ,tudies of aircraft and aircra ft equipment.
l'
1ST AIR FORCE-Mitchel
OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
Field, Hempstead , t. I., N. Y.; Maj. Gen.
F. 0'0. Hunter. Organized-As NE Air District 16 Jan. '41;
redesigns.ted 1 St Air Force 9 Apr. '41. Function-Organi7..ation
and training of bomber, fighter and other units and crews for
assignment overseas; participation with Army Ground Forces in
combat :r3ining maneuvers; provision of units and planes for de-
fense of the continental U. S.
2ND Alit FORCE-Co1orado Springs, Colo.; Brig. Gen. U. C. EDt.
I Organized-As NW Air District 16 Jan. '41; redesignated lnd
Air Force 9 Apr. '41. Function-Same as 1St Air Force.
:3RO AIR FORcE-Tampa, Fla.; Maj. Gen. W. T. Larson. Organized
-As SE Air District 16 Jan . '41; redesignated 3Td Air Force 24
May '41. Function-Same as 1St Air Force.
14TH AIR FORCE-San Francisl:u, Calif.; Maj. Gen. W. E. Lynd. Or-
ganized-As SW Air District 16 Jan. '41; redesignated 4th Air
Force 31 Mar. '41. Function-Same as 1St Air Force.
OTHER AAF AGENCIES
• tactical purposes, into a flight. ll1is means that they tn-lin ,
MF BOARD, Orlando, Fla.-Development and determination of AAF
military requirements.
TACTICAL CENTER, Orlando, Fla .-Testing and demonstrating tacti-
cal unit organization, equipment and techniques; training of se-
lected MF, Army and Navy personnel in air tactics and doctrine;
training of air intelligence officers and air inspectors.
1 REDISTR IBUTION CENTER, Atlantic City, N. J.-Processing and assign-
ment of AAF personnel returned from overseas; operation of rest
I camps for such personnel.
ARMY AIRWAYS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM WINC, Asheville, N. C.-
Provision of world-wide system of communications along military
airways, including radio stations, airbase control towers, beacons,
I telctype systems, radio ranges and other communications facilitics.
WEATHER WINC, Asheville, N . C.-Provision of scientific weather in-
fonnation service for the AAF' and the rest of the Army.
SCHOOL OF AV IATION MEDICINE, Randolph Field. Tex.-Training of
AAF medical personnel; research and development in science of
aviation m ed ic ine.
FIRST MO'T10N PICTURE UNIT, Culvcr City, Calif.-Production of mo-
tion pictures for the training and orientation of AAF personnel.
AEkONAUTICAL CHART PI.ANT, St. Louis, Mo .-Procu rement, repro-
duction and distribution of 3cronautical c harts for AAF operation s
around the world,
WHAT WE AlI£ 11
THE PARTS OF AN"AIR FORCE
To understand precisely what an air force is and what
makes it tick, it is necessary to know fhe units which comprise
it and how they arc organized to work together,
The Airplane and Crew- Basic unit of .all aerial combat or·
ganizations is the individual airplane and its combat crew.
In the fighter airplane, the crew is a one-man organization-
the pilot, who also acts as his own navigator, gunner, radio-
operator and even bombardier. In contrast, a heavy b omher
-has a crew of 10 or morc highly specialized men, The medium
bom ber normally has a crew of 6.
The F light-Two or morc ai rplanes may be organized , for
fly and fight together. One of the planes is the flight kodcT;
its pilot, the flight commander, directs the operations of the
entire flight. The flight, as a sub-division of the next larger
unit, the squadron, simplifies the problem of control by the
squadron commander, who would otherwise have to deal
directly with a large number of individual airplanes. A flight
usually consists of 4 or more airplanes which in combat may
fly in pairs, trios, or fours known as elements of th e Hight.
The Squadron-rnle smallest air force unit having both
tactical and administrative duties is the squadron. Unlike the
flight, it includes ground personnel whose duties 3re to ad ~
minister the squadron and to furnish nccessary ground service.
When necessary, it ca n be stationed at an advanced base and
operate on its own resources for a short period. The make~up
of a squadron is determin ed by th e type of airplane it operates
and the nature of its mission. Basic types of flying squadrons
include very heavy, heavy, medium and light bomber, 2 ~en ~
gine fighter, single-engine fighter, night fighter, troop carricr,
tactical reconnaissance, photo-reconnaissancc, transport and
ferrying squadrons.
While th e composition of th ese different types varies
widely both in equ ipment and personnel, sq uadrons of a
 WHAT WE ARE 19
• OfFICIAL AAF GUIDE
>lAKE-UP OF TYPICAL HEAVY BOMBER CREW-(B-1 7) and in T ables of Equipment (T/Es) which au thorize equlJ)-
m ent by t ype and quantity for eaeh kind of squadron.
RANE AND DUTY CUN POSITION
TITLE Th e squaClron has a comma nd ing . officer and a group o f
ilot 1ST LT.-Commands airplane sllbordinate officers to assi st him in plan n ing an d carrying out
and crcw; pilots airplane .
th e squad ron 's m ission. Its activi ties normally fall in to 4
:opilot 2ND LT.-Assists pilot in Aring
basic division s :
plane; opera tes fi re control.
~ o lllba rdier 2ND LT.-Locates, ident ifi es and Chin turret 1 . TilE TACTICAL DIVISION includes an operations nnd an in tell igence
bombs target; directs plane section and all t he aircrews. T he operations officer usually acts as
while over target. the squadron commander's chief assista nt. lJ e directs the tra ining
avig'ltor 2ND LT .-Navigates plane to tar- Alternate on of all the crews and prepares the detailed pla ns for all missions.
get and home. chin turret The intell igence officer collects and provides necessary information
erial engineer- T .!ScT .-Handles and corrects Top turret rela tive to the enemy, the war situation, targets, etc. TIle opera-
gunner mechanical tro uhles in Right; tions officer is also assisted hy a communications officer, an arma-
checks airplane before Right; ment officer, an oxygen officer and perhaps other specialists.
gunnery. 2. THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION handles all the office work required
55't . aerial engt- S,/SCT .-Assists aerial engineer- \Vaist gun for squadron administration, and such housekeeping activities as
! neer-gunner gunner; gunnery. sq uadron supply, transportation and mess. It is headed by the
diD opcmtor- T .lSc1.'.-Operates all radio com- Radio hatch
meChanic gun- munications; makes necessary gun • sq uadron executive and includ es the squadron adjutant.
3. TilE SERV ICE DIVISION consists of chemical, medical and ordnance
ner radio repairs; gunnery. services, and includes the squadron flig ht surgeon and the squad-
Ass' t . radio oper- S,/SCl' .-Assists radio operator· Ball turret ron ord nance officer.
m echanic gunner ; gunnery. 4 . TilE TECHN ICAL DIVISION is responsible for all ground mainten:l.I1ce
gunner and servicing of airplanes and equipmen t. It normally handles the
Armorer-genner T '!Sc T.-Maintains and repairs Waist gun supply of technica l aircraft equipment and parts. This divis ion
annalllcnt, incl uding gUllS, is headed by the squadron enginecring officer. It may also include
gunsights, turrets, bomh racks, armament, cOllllllunications and photographic sect ions.
etc.; gunnery.
IAss't. armorer- S./ScT.-Assists armorer-gunner; Tail gun Service and R epa ir- T h e scrvice a n d repa ir person ncl of a
gunner gunncry. . . squadron a re organized into grou n d crews, eaeh of which
(Note: Ranks and duty assiglllll cnts varv som t:wh;:lt III different is no rm ally rcsponsible for th e scrvice and maintenan cc of a
organizations. O ffi n :r r;l1lks are 'a ll ont: grade lugher jf pa rtic ular plane. Ground crews con sist of aircraft mechani cs
the airplane is a fl ight leader.) an d sp ecialists in propel lc rs, instruments, armor, etc. Each
ground crew is supervised by a crcw ch ief and the crew chiefs
arc supe rvised by a 1ine ch ief- a m aster scrgcan t .
given type a re similar. T ests and experien e~ d e te rmine th e Th e p erso nn el of cach sqlwdron are d ivided into an air
numbe r of planes which sh ould be grouped In one squad ron cch elon a n d <l ground echc1on. l11e air ech elon may fly wh en
for m axim uin effic ien cy in comba t, and wh a t person~el , th e sq uadron moves from one station to another. It includ es
equipment and supplies are required to kecp the planes Hymg. th e squadron commander, the aircrews, the engincer ing offi-
Suc h determination s th en b ecom e a p rescnbcd standa~d . TIl ey cer, th e fl igh t surgeon , key ground mech anics and specialists.
are published in T ables of Organization (T / Os) which state 'l1l e ground ech elo n , whi ch in cl udes th e rest of t h e sq uad ron,
!thc numbe r of pe rsonnel in each specialty and in each rank , travels b y b oa t, rai l or t ru ck.
 20 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE

The Group-Next organizational level above the squadron

is the group. This usually consists of from 2 to 4 combat
squadrons and a group headquarters. It is both tactical, in
that it provides a grouping of aircraft to perform combat
missions together, and administrative, in that it forms a
nucleus for administrative services for all its squadrons. All
squadrons in a particular group fly the same type of planes;
groups, like squadrons, are referred to by type of plane-
heavy bomber group, light bomber group, fighter group, etc.
When an entire group is stationed at one large airbase,
the ground personnel of the various squadrons may he
pooled to provide conso1idated maintenance, mess, transpor-
tation, personnel and other services. However, squadrons are
sometimes stationed at separate bases ~nd must furnish these
services wholly or in part. All squadrons of a group train
together and the group usually moves and fights as a unit.
It is a vital organization in combat operations and is the J
basic yardstick in AAF planning.
Higher Levels of Command-Above the group level, the or-
ganiz<ltionallayers in different air forces reflect a variety con·
ditioned by the requirements of a particular theater and its
air strength. Normal1y, 2 or more groups constitute a wing,
OJ non-administrative body concerned chiefly with tactical
plans and operations. Similarly, 2. or more wings are usually
grouped with auxiliary units to form a command, which is a
large striking organization of one major category of air
strength. In some cases where a particular type of aviation
is too unwieldy, in point of size, for a single command to

+
control, air divisions may be formed between the wing and
command levels. The air force itself is the next level, usual1y
composed of 3 or more commands.
It is difficult to avoid overSimplification in describing
i these organizations. In practice, they follow no standard
formula. If direct air force control is desirable, a group or
wing may be attached directly to an air force. Dominance
I of one type of activity may cause an air force to be formed
within a theater air force. Because of this, tactical and stra-
tegic air forces were formed in Africa and in England. (For
explanation of strategic and tactical operations see page 255.)

22 OFFICIAL AM GUIDE
Supporting Units-The bomber or the fighter squadron is
only rel~tively and temporarily self-sufficient. It cannot supply
Itself wIth the bombs, bullets and gasoline necessary to 8y
mISSIons day after day_ It cannot carry the heavy equipment
necessary to overhaul 3 fouled engine or scrape a smooth
runway out of a jungle_ For these needs and others combat
~nits ~epend upon ground organizations, or supporting serv·
ICC UDltS.
Specially trained units supply and, if necessary, repair
b~mbs, g,uns and other ordnances; chemicals, medical sup-
phcs, .radiOS and telephones. Truck units move up men and
sUl?phes fro.m the. rear and transpo.rt salvaged equipment.
MIlItary pohce furnish ground protection to bases and aircraft.
\V ea~~r detachments .pro~jde vital forecasts for the planning
of r:"JSslons. Co~m1U1lIcatlOns units perform any number of
dutJe:. Other umts provide the ordinary needs of living: food,
c1othmg, shelter. S upportin~ units range all the way from
work battahons to hIghly skIlled groups of topographic engi-
neers, ~eteorol?g~sts, ph~tog.raphers and rada~ specialists.
Certain specialized umts In an overseas air force are at·
tached directly to combat units or to higher headquarters.
Mo~t of them, however, become part of the air force air
service command (see page 178). This command is on the
same level as th e bomber and fighter commands and performs
dubes e9ually essen tial; It draws heavily upon the supplies
and services of the Army Service Forces in the theater. In a
theat~r where the only A~erican forces arc the air force, how.
ever, It may have to prOVide a11 th e supplies and services itself.
ORGAIIIlATIIN FOR AIR
. The Air Forces in Combat TheaterrEach theater of opera-
tions nonnally has one or more al[ forces. The air force
commander normally is responsible to the theater com.
•
WHAT WE ARE 23
n~andcr for air ~pcration s . In addition to commanding lh c
air force, he adVISes th e theater commander on air matters.
No two air forces are identical. Eaeh is conditioned br its
strategic situation, geographi c ;md climatological condit{ons,
cncmy operations and ta ctics, and oth er factors. As the war
progresses and th e strategic "Iitnation changes, rapid shifts
occur in th e loc'lti on, nature and use of th e different air
forces. The commanding gcncral of an ai r forcc dctcT1nines
its organization.
All units of an air force are comhincd under a single com-
mander for th e accomplishm cn t of a comm on objcctivc. nlC
essential offensive elemcnt of air organi za ti on is a bomhing
forec for strategic att1cks wcll behind th e cnemy's front
lines on in~u s trial and transportation centers and other key
targets. This force may be organized as a strategic air force
(such as th e 8th and 15th Air Forces) consisting of heavy
and sometimes medium bomber units, fighter un its for escort,
and photographic aviation. In other cases, these attack); arc
carried out by a bomber command of an air force with fi oohtcr
escorts drawn from the fighter command .
In a theat~r wl~crc an air force is operating with ground
forces, a .tactical au force becomes a bas ic component of th e
th ea ter au force. It usually contains light and medium bomber
units, fighter-bomber uni ts, reconnaissa nce units, fighter units
and troop carrier units. " ' hen, as in the New Gui nea cam-
paign, transpo rtation of m ~n ' and equipment by air is an
Important d cment of opera bans, a troop cmricr command or
a troop ca rri er wing may be es tablished dirccth- und er th e air
force. .
~n a~r force normally possesses an air defensc command,
which lIlc1u~l es. fighter ~ro ups as wc! l as various grou nd de-
f: l1se orgamzabo~l s . Tlll~ command s mission is to protect
aIr and ground lIlstall nhons and commu nica tions from en-
emy attack. "fllc air force air service command con trols th e
servi~e. units ~ss ign ed to an. air force an~ is respo nsible for
provldlllg services and su pplICs to the enbre air force.
Another important air force ac tivity is reconnaissance in-
c111dill~ ph oto~ra phi c rcconna.i'\sancc. Vital bo th to air' unci
ground operations, a rcconn;]Jss:mce group or wing may be
 24 OFFICllL AM GUIDE
WHAT WE ARE 25
attached directly to the air force headquarters. Construction
of mbases IS ordinarily planned and controlled by air force Cooperation Command as well as eoas tal defense, photo-
headquarters. Tra~mng IS a. continu~us air force activity. reconnaissance and service units.
The No~ ~frican ExperIence-BasIc requirements of air As the campaign progressed it became apparent that these
force orgaDlzatJon are 8exibilitr and adaptability. A specific forces would have to be integrated. In attacks against rear
c~ample ~~ the a?apt?hO~ of aIr force organization to a par- . targets, fighter aircraft had to be used in conjunction with
tlcular mJ~ltary situabon IS the experience of the Northwest heavy bombers. In missions against enemy ground and air
Afncan Au Forces in 1942-43. forces in the battle area, fighters had to team up with
medium and light bombers. In defense against enemy air at·
tack, figh ters had to be used alone.
CENrut PUll Of O_,LlTlON NORTNW[ ST AfRICAN AIR fORCES. SP~N~ 1M.!
T h e bomber command was confronted by similar de-
STRAnGlC AIR 10RC[ mands for flexibility, For attacks on enemy shipping and
AttIcki 1m fa. btpts .1Id cDmmlllicatioDS. enemy ports, a striking force of. bombers was required. For
" NY)' Miters; ISCtrt ~$. coordinated mass attacks on enemy forces in the battle area,
medium and light bombers had to he removed from the con-

_.,""' ......
_TAl AI. 10RC[ TACTICAl ". 10RC[ trol of scattered anny commanders in the field and concen-

r_
IiiI; ........... "'lnl:
SOl " "... is . . . ; ... \
Contrel ttl, air, IttJck tr"". iI·
stallatiOlls; coop'rate witt! 11'01IIII
f.rets; "".aliuance. lair
1IiY-= -.. io-., liPton.
trated under a single air control. Another air. force mission,
the defense of Allied shipping and Allied ports in North
Africa, required various types of aircraft.

/
H,,,, & lIIedium Hllllars; TACTICAL BOMB 10RC[ In February 1943, the month which marked th e turn ing
'ia_ters. M_, 1iPt; ............ point of the African campaign, a11 th e air elements in the the-
::Iter were reorganized on the basis of types of tasks to be per-
J;ORTHWE~
formed rather than types of aircraft employed. .
,"OIO' RECONNAISSANC[
AI. [ NGIN[IR
A strategic air force of heavy bombers and escort fighters
WING AfRICAlt ASrfitIll cMS1nIetieI1IIII was established for attacks on enemy shipping, ports and
,. 1IIir. tieater. AIR 1IIiIII.a.et. bomber bases in Sardinia and SiCily. Air units previously as-

/-~~
signed to grou nd commanders were fu sed in a tactical air force
undcr air command. Its tasks included operations against
l AI. l [ RVIC[ COMMAND TRAINING COMMAND cncmy air forces, bombing and strafing attacks on enemy
TI'IiAiI( of lIIWIy 'niwed armies and transportation lines, and reconnaissance and map-
Sewtr. NilltetallC. _I.
uti smite. ping. :Morcover, a tactical bombardment force to bomb en-
TIDOP CARRI[R COMMAND All types of aireratt.
Airborne OPlrJtioa; air
cmy ground forces was set up under the direct control of the
I'facuation of wound ... tactical air force, while a coastal air force was set up to defend
Troop CllTi.r pllnts. Allied ports and shipping.
Because of th e tremendous areas that had to be covered,
The forces originall y available to th e All ' d A' C the coastal air force was divided into 4 gcographical coastal
rnaod . N th f ' . Ie rr orn- commands, and the tactical air force into 3 geographical
er OD .or A nca !Deluded the bomber> fi gIt
support ·
1 er au
, serv~ce ... cOlllmands and troop carrier win of' th tacti cal divisions.
U. S. 12th Au I'orce; and, am~.H1g British air units. ~le Ann; This reorganization safeguarded and enhanced the peculiar
advantages of the air weapon in regard to mobility and 8exi-

OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
bility by rctaining ccntral planning and control in the stra-
tegic air force and the tactical bomber force. Units and air·
planes were not frozen under any command; they were used
wherc they could function most effectively. In attacking key
targets, the tactical air force and the strategic air force fur-
DIshed each otl,er w,th bombers and escort fighters. This kind
of collaborallon was also reBected in the relationship between
the tactical air force and surface forces . It has become a model
for combined action .. It is no exaggeration to say that the
Northwest Afncan Air Forces furnished the pattern for sub-
scqocnt operations in Sicily and Italy, and that the plan of air
organ~za~on for the, a.s~ault on western Europe follows simi-
lar pnnclplcs of BeXlblhty and collaboration .
HOW AN AIR FORCE OPERATES
111c Principle of Comm3nd- The North African air cam-
paign was won by an air force composed of several hundred
th?~sand men, operating equipment worth several hundred
mll~I01! dollars o~er ~n area of thousands of square miles. For
all ,Its nnmense Size, It was won by an air force operating as ooc
UIlIt, controlled and directed by one man.
Obviou~ly, no single commander can personally direct al1
the men In such a force. Nevertheless his plan and his will
n.lUSt .controJ every n,-tan. The . device which makes this pos-
Sible IS the orgamzatlon of umts and levels of units under a
plan known as tl,e principle of command. According to the
pnnc~pJe of command, every unit has a single commander
who IS completely responsible for his command and who di-
rcct~ the .actions. of his subordinates. By this method no man
receives I11structions from more than one immediate com-
mander.
. 'Joe number of .in~i vi.duals one commander ca n pcrsonally
duect and control IS 111TI1ted. When it exceeds that limit it is
subdivided into groups, each one under a subordinate 'com-
~lande~. This subdividing continues all the way down the
hne. Smce a squadron commander cannot personally direct
:111 ~oo or more o.f his men, hc organizes his squadron into
\cctions. When Ius planes arc in flight, it is difficult to COll -
27
WHAT WE ARE
trol di rectly the movemen t of marc than a few of th em:
therefore th e planes arc group~d into fli ghts, each und er ~~
fli ght comm ander. Since th e fhght command cr cm~n o t pe r
sonally direct th e aiming of all th e gun s or the openl1l~ of ~n
the b omb bays of all tl, e planes in his Bight,h e deals WIth t e
ai lane commander of each plane-th e pilot. 111e pilot 111
~l:rn command s the aircrew of his plane. In the la.rgest pl::tnes.
crews arc subdivided into sections so th at th e auplane CO~ll ­
mand er will not have more th an 3 or 4 subordmates With
whom to deal. .
The Use of Staff- Although a commander must see. t? It
that his orders are carried out and must take full responslbl.h ty
for the way they are carried out, h e alo~le ca,?not possl~ly
solve all the problem s of his comm~ nd . l'or thiS h e requtrcs
expert advice and assistance from l~ls staff. .
The purpose of a staff is to aS~lst th e commander III th e
performan ce of his command dutIes. .
In the AAF, an airplane comm and er does not rcql.lI ~e a
fonnalized staff, nor does a fli ght con~ m ;:l1:der. The \·3 T10~tS
assistants to a squadron commander ad Vise lll!,n bu.t are n ot, I ~l
th e strict sense, a staff to him ~ecau se th eu cllIcf responsI-
bilities are operational- th e carrym g out of orders. In a group
and in all higher levels, however, every air comm and er h as ;1
sizeable staff. .
The staff does not, of itself, possess any aU~lOnty . l~ nu y
issue orders to subordinate commanders, but m so domg It
merely carries out the wish es of its c~mmander and employs
the autllOrity of his posi tion. Its dull es may b e broadl~ de-
fined as assisting the commander of th e umt by (I ) :1dvlsmg
him on policy matters and on str~tegic and ta~tical 'plat~S,
(2 ) mainta ining current informa bon and k~epl11g hun 111-
formed at all tim es, ( 3) elaborating upon hiS gencral phlns
,md preparing appropriate orders to carry th em out, and ( 4 )
fo llowing up to sec that his orders arc properly e.xecutcd ..
Staff Organization-"ll,e duties of staff office; s are logIcall y
div ided into 4 main categories, or staff sections. F or con-
venience of reference, th ese sections are commonly referred
to in th e wing and h igh er levels by ~umbcr as A.- I. ( p~rson
nel ); A-l (intclligence); /\-3 (opcratlons and trallllllg), and
 28 OFFICIAL AiF GUIDE

A-4 (supply). Similar staff sections in the groups are desig- -...- E:--"-
I: _ -

- -
~

nated as S (for staff) -S' l, S-2, S-3 and S-4.

A- I , OR 5-1, is concerned with all policics and plans relating to per-
~
~
~
~
~
~ ~

- - '" --
~ ~ ~

!! ...
~!;~
D_

1: .... ~
==

sonnet These include such matters as person nel authorizations,

procalurcs, classifications, procurement, assignment, promotions, i< -"
leaves, reward s, citations, honors, punishment, religious and rcere-
ational services, morale, Anny postal service, custody of prisoners ~
x
.- ;:
of war, quartering of soldiers, relations with civil government and
civilians, maintenance of order and discipline, burials and sim ilar
matters.
~
<.>
""
-
=
~

~
~
~
:z - -
., ., . -
., D

"-
z
l!' "• ~
0
t "~

... -
A-2, OR $-Z, keeps the commander informed as to the situation and C> = ~
D
o::l
~
~~
--
~
capabilities of the enemy. This office is concerned with photo- ~
.
~
o •
""
:;;:
-
~ 0
graphic intelligence and reconnaissance, interrogation of prisoners ~
.
.§· ~
~
z

- --'g"
u
of W2r, issuance of intelligence reports, maintenance of pertinent x E
., -
-
.,
~
maps and charts, interrogation of pilots after return from missions z ~

~
:;: :;: ~~
and intelligence training of all personnel. It also makes studies of
o •'"'~
c..
~
v> ~
~
enemy targets, han.dles policies and regulation::; relating to sccurity % x
~
~
o ,
';::
and counter-intel1igence and advises the commander on public re- v> ~

~ "<.l~
z
latior:s matters. A most important function of a squadron inteIli- i<
...
C>
;::: -;::
genet officer is to brief combat crews prior to missions, providing
'"
--"
~ ~ o •
them with relcvant information on the enemy.
. ··.-
~ ~ ~

•:.: =
-
x z (;
x
A-3, OR 5-3, is concerned with all plans and policies pertaining to th e
organization and movement of the unit or subordinate units, to ...""
~
~ =
~
~
~ :;; :;; ~

D
o _
"
....
~ ~ 0
their training, and to combat operations. This office prepares the v> ~
~
"",
tactical plans for all combat missions . It must keep informed as C>
z 's•
•-
to the strenrh and state of training of units, the availability and
I condition 0 aircraft and other equipment, and combat readiness "C>
z -- -- -- -- ~ •
0

I
,
geneony. It is concerned in all matters pertaining to fl ying, such :IE

...
~

-- - - - -
~
~
~
~
~
~
~

~
~=
0
as oxygen equipment, communications, weather, flight control. :IE
- - -- - ";:a ..t
~

I
.-
D D D U u
C> ~
flying safety and others. ::; ~ ~
~

" '4, OR 5-4. performs an staff fun ctions pertaining to supply and ~
C> ..o •

-
"
.--;: ~
maintenance. This office must keep thoroughly familiar with the
status of all supplies, determine supply requirements and prepare '""" <>--"
o ••

...
~

..,
0
1=
logistical plans to support tactical operations. It is responsible for
policies, organizations, facilities and personnel for servicing and
m:Jinten:Jnce of aircmft; for procurement, distribution, transpor-
tation, storage, reclamation and salvage of supplies; for construe-
~

,.,.• ::E
E
"'"
::E
""
Q
z: ---
~

~
~
X
~~
~u
~

~
~
X
~=
~x
~

~
~
z
~
~
~
~
u

-x=
;;:
=~
~
~
u
t::%
== ~ ~=
~
~
~
~~
x=
_x
- "l:I""
·... "'.
~
~
.;;

tion and maintenance of airbases, supply depots and other fa- = ~~ ~. ~~ EX

-
~~
co x_
~=

--
x~ ~-

-
c iliti~. u ~~ x'" ~-
::;s ~'"

-. ..'"
c;~ -~
'-' =~
- ,"
x
- ~
~= ~"
x - ~= x=~ ~'"
-=
It should be noted tllat while the squadron does not have
~
~
x ..,
"" '"'"
!;u
s
'"'"
!;~ u= u
a formalized staff, its prin cipal officers are grouped along the ::; !;;: =
same general lines as the staff section s. .., u "=u u= =
u =
U

=
0-
 30 OFFICIAL U,F GUIDE
. The Sl""'ial Staff- In additioll to the gcneral staff scctions
lust .dc.scnbed, each commander is provided with a group of
spcctahzed officers., commonly referred to as the special staff.
~11esc .officers advise the commander and his staff on matters
III which they are particularly qualified. Some of them arc
also responsible ~or carrying out ?perations in their particular
fields. The special staff usuall y lIleludcs some or all of the
follo\VIng:
ADJUTANTS CEN~RA~ OR .\DJU!.\~TS ". IIandling of official correspond-
ence, authenttcation and distrIbution of orders; maintenance and
cus~y of records, rosters, reports; office procedure and adminis-
trabon.
INSPECTORS CENERAL OR INSPECTORS· Inspections and investigations
for :he commander of the internal situation of his command.
FINAN~II: OFFICERS' Pay of troops and maintenance of a finan ce
sen lce.
JUDGE .A~VOC~TES · Le~~l cOl~nse} to the commander and his staff;
adm l1llStratton of mlhtary Justice; the handling of all other legal
r
maLers.
STATISTICAl: CONTROL OFFICERS " Provision of fa ctual data necessary
for effectIVe management. ,
WEATI:ER OFFICERS · Provision of information. foreca sts and advice
on weather.
COMM~NI~ATIONS OFFICERS " Advice and staff supervision of air com-
mumcabons.
SURGE~NS . Advice and .inf?rmati~n .on the health and physical fitness
of a.l personnel, sam tation, aVla~lOn medical problems, evacuation
of sd: .and wounded,. ~~d medical training; technical supervision
of rne(ilcaI troops, fa cilities and supplies_
SPECIAL SERVICE OFFICERS · Development and main tenan ce of the
b cntaI and physical well-being of the troops by utilization of wel-
re, recreation, oricnt~tion, information and morale activities.
PROV~ST MARSIIALS' AsSistance in supervision and operation of all
pollee matters.
PJlOTOCRA.PHlC .o~~ICERS • Advice and technical supervision of pho-
tograplJJC activities.
CHAPLAINS" Provision of rc1igious and morale guidance to an pcr.
WHAT WE ARE 31
command of engineer troops in the construction of airh:l)'c~. land
ing fiel ds and relnted fa cilities.
ORDNANCE OFFICERS ' Advice on all ord nance 1llatt er~ and ~edlllic<i1
supervision of ordnance activities.
QUARl'f;RMA STERS' Advice on all quartermaster matters :md tcd1l1iC::I1
supervision of quartermaster troops.
The Inspection System- A primary means of control, whi ch
h as long been es tablished in all military organiZ<ltion"" is that
of inspection. Inspection in t he AAF starts at th e very bottolll
- th e mechanic inspecting a planc, th e sergea nt inspecting
the military bearing of his men . At high er levels th e COlll -
mander of every unit must make frequent inspec tions of th e
units immedia tely below him and occasional inspections of all
subordinate units.
However, the com mandin g officer of a large organizahon
lacks the necessary time to make regular inspections. For this
reason th e commander of each un it is assisted by an inspector,
or a staff of inspectors whose full -tim e responsibilities arc to
keep him currently infonn ed of the condition of his CO I11 -
mand and to initiate corrcctive action wherever necessary.
There are 3 main types of inspection in the AAF: adminis-
trative inspection, deSigned to deternl ine the degree of effi-
ciency of administration and to ass ure compliance with orders
and regulations; technical inspection, concerned with the
condition of aircraft, aircraft parts and techniques empl oyed
in th eir maintenance; and tactical inspection, whi ch is the
inspection of an entire unit to ascertain the efficiency with
which it can perfoml its primary mission and its readiness for
active combat service. "-
A spccialized type of inspection made by th e Air Inspector
of th e C om manding General, AAF, is known as the Prepa ra-
tion for Overseas Movement (POM) Inspection . This is a
thorough and detailed inspec ti on which is made of every AAF
unit before it is sent overseas. In this inspecti on every factor

I sonnel of the command.

CliEMICAL OFFICERS· Advice on all matters pertaining to chemical
warf.ne.
Ala FO~CE ENGINE ERS · T echnical advice on engineering matters and
•
bearin g on th e ability of th e unit to perform its assigned job
is checked-from the condition of th e tee th of every man,
the compl eteness of every record , th e spark plugs in every
plane, to the combat effectiveness of every aire rew. An in-
spection of this type culminates in ,3 detailed report which is

32 OFFICIAL AAF GUIOE
submitted to the Commanding General, AAF. Upon the
basis of thi s information, it is determined whether th e unit
should cr should not be sent overseas, and appropriate action
is recommended to the War D epa rtment General Staff.
Stati~tical Control System-Basis for an decisions and for
all plans of a unit comomandl"" is accurate and complete in-
formation. He must know exactly what his subordinate unit$
are able to do---how many planes they arc able to put in the
air, how many train ed crews arc rcady to go on a III ission,
l what shortages or deficiencies of supplies, equipment or per-
sonnel might impede operations. To furnish such factual data,
a statistIcal control system has been established throughout
all eehe:ons of the AAF. It is a system for the collection,
compilation, analysis and presentation of statistical data con-
cerning: personnel, housing, training, operations, aircraft,
I equipment, supply and maintenance.
Summary rcports on al1 AAF operations arc regularly fur-
nished to the Commanding General, AAF in \Vashington,
D. C. These provide him and his staff information upon
whieh are based the strategic, tactical, production, training
and personnel plans of the AAF.
Budget and Finance-Financial control is exercised in the
AAF through its budget and fiscal system. Budget and fiscal
officers are assigned to cach of the higher lcvels of com mand;
through their allocation of funds and accounting of cxpcndi-
tures, they arc able to maintain for their commanders com-
plete control over th e fiscal aspects of th eir organizations.
Anny Air Forces Board-TIle Army Air Forces Board is th e
AAF laboratmy group for tactical research and experimenta-
tion. The board utilizes the personnel and facilities of the
AAF T actical Center and the Proving Ground Command to
conduct tests which precede its decisions and recomm enda-
tions. Direetives issued by the board foml a basis for de-
termining operational suitability of individual aircraft and
I items of equipment, and for developing improved operational
technique. The key assignments on the board- tactics, or-
ganization, equipment, aircraft, armament and ordnance, and
communications-are held by officers with combat experi-
ence who are speCialists in th eir field s.
WHAT WE ARE 33
PLANNING ATOTAL WAR -
A bomber forma tion bom bs a small railroad bridge. south
of ~landalay. A cloud of B-17S and B-24S baiters an alrphne
fac tory deep in Germany. Several gro~~ps of medlUm b ombers
attack a storage dump in northenl It ranee. All of th ese .op-
erations seem unrelated except for the common denOtnmCl-
tor that they arc air attacks on enemy targets. But why these
particular targets? H ow docs the AAF. happen to h.~lVe th ~se
particular planes, personnel and bases III these pa[be l~lar \\ <lr
area s? How was it decid ed what types of pla~ es, : nd III what
numbers should be provided for such opera tIons.
TIle first of th ese questions is a matter of. target selec-
tion. The second is onc of deploym ent of avmbb1c forces.
TIle third is one of program. T he answers to all of them must
be determ ined in the light of an overall waf :plan for th e
defeat of th e en em y. This war plan must take mto account
all the forces available for usc against the en~m y : Army,. N3\·Y
and Allied forces. It must be correlated With productive re-
sources, manpower, shipping facilities and other broad factor~
in an all-out war. . ...
Combined and Join~ C hiefs of Staff-U I~l1nat~ respon sll~lh t~·
for our war plan rests III the Commander-m-C h tcf- th e 1 r~s l­
dent- together Wit~l th e. ~overllln ~ntal leaders of our Allies.
Their broad stra tegic deCISIons arc nllp1cm entcd by th e Com-
bined C hiefs of Staff, th e high est m il itary plannmg ~od y of
th e Uni ted Na tions. Th e C ombin ed C hi efs of ~t~ff 1I1 ~I ~ld cs
th e top commanders of th e AI~l cri ea n and .,Bn.h sh ~ll1ht~ ry
services. Its American m embers mcludc the I reS ident s C hief
of Staff th e Chief of Staff of th e U. S. Arm y, the Command-
ing G Cl;eral, AAF, and the Co mmand er-in.Chi ~f of the U .. s.
Fleet. In itself, this American group eompnses the Jomt
C hiefs of Staff. whi ch is th e planning body for all U . S. forces.

34 OFFICIAL lAF GUIDE
The Combined Chiefs of Staff normally does not name spe-
cific targets for air attac~ but does indicate the priori tic!!
of different types of strategic targets in the various theaters.
This body also makes overal1 plans which in turn determine
the conduct of tactical air operations. On the basis of such
priorities the air force commanders select individual blrgets
and execute plans for aerial missions against them.
Th. General Staff and tbe Air Staff- The ""ar Department
Gcnernl Staff is the planning agency for the U. S. Annv. It co-
ordinates planning problems relating to air, ground and sen-·
icc activities. It maintains direct contact with all th e theaters
of operations, determines what units will be sent to what
theater, correlates supply and transport rcq,l1ircments with
tacticaJ plans, steers the en tire Army training program to meet
anticipated war needs. TIle Air Staff of the Commanding
General, AAF, works in cJose coordination with both th e
Combmed and Joint Chiefs of Staff and the War DelJart-
ment General Staff. The Air Staff prepares and submits to
these agencies recommendations relative to the AAF pro-
gram, the employment of airpower and the d~loym e nt of
AAF units. It interprets the decisions of th ese planning bodies
into specific courses of AAF action a.nd follows through to
see th at they are successfully accomplIshed.
WORKING WITH OTHERS
Nothing better illustrates the fact that this is a war of a
whole people than the teamwork between the military forces
and civilian agencies. The continuous, hour-to-hour inter-
dependence of the AAF with co untless other organizations
touche~ almost every aspect of OUT national life. \Vithin th e
Army itself, the AAF, th e Army Service Forces and the Arm v
GroUI},C Forces work as one team. . AAF works arc legion , Governm ent ageneles lI~c1 udc th e \ Va r
T1le Army Service Forces provides our food, our cJothing
and other everyday essentials for the MI". 11,e Corps of
Engineers has built many of our airbases and has provided
tiS with trained personnel to build new oncs in combat zo nes.
The Ordnance Department designs and procures our bomb~
and Ch emical 'Varfare Service provides incendiaries and other
WHAT WE ARE 35
chemicals, and is responsible for protective llleasures .aga.inst
gas attack. The Signal Corps and our own eOI:llllullI.C:J ttons
svs tcm work lwnd in hand in developing at~d . tnstlllmg t,h e
l;~ltes t communications equipment. ~l1lc tralllJ11g of sc ~v~ee
personnel for AAF units has been to a huge ex t~ nt a }omt
~ und ertaking. The AAF and the Arm y Ground l' o r~es ,,"o,rk
elosely togeth er in joint training activities. AAF ta cttcal ltl1~tS
regularly participate in grol1~l(l force . n~aneuve.rs. AAI" Ulllt.'
and equipment arc also lIsed m th e traJ1l1ng of aubornc troops:
including glider troops ~Ild para~roope~s. A ~VOrld-\vld,~
weather service for the entne Arm y IS furlll sh~d b) the AAI .
Similarly, the Air Tnmsport Command pr?~' ldes for ~pccdy
air transportation of key personnel and ~ ntJcal supplies for
th e entire Arn1\' as well as for othcr agencl,es. .
Army and Navy combine i~ ,t!le planmng ,of atrer,~ft pro·
duetion raw materials and faclhtIes. TIle AAF Sllpen Ises th e
produet'ion of scveral types of planes .for th e avy, and the
Navy reciprocates on other types. ~lInng the lirst yea~ and a
half of war, the AAF Antisubmarine Comma~ld J?ro\"ldcd an
air patrol al?ng vital s~a lanes, The ~ooperahve mt~rel: an ge
of informatIon, techmques and taehcs betwcen N.IV) and
AAF is illustrated in the joint staff trainin g of Aml y and N a."y
officers at the AAF Tactical Ccnter, the de\"e1opment ~f t~a Ill ­
ing devices, exchan ge of maps and charts, commumea hons
and radar developments.
Through th e mechanism. of lend-lease, th~ AA F ha,s p~r.
ti cipated in the strengthemng. of all our Allies., \Vor~l\l.g 111
collaboration with representatIvcs of oth er ~ lllted attOns,
AAfi' has programmed. procured and superVised .the p roduc-
tion of thousands of airplanes for oth er e?untnes, and has
provided for th eir shipment. I~ has also tramed thousa n,ds of
fliers for Canada, England, Clll~a, Fran~e and o,th er A~hes,
The civil agencies, both publIc and pnv~ te,. wlth whIch th e
Production Board, th e Joint Aircraft COlll l~l lttee, the \~a r
:rvral lpower COlllmission and m~ n y oth er ltedern.l. agencIes.
Thc Na ti onal Advisory COllllTiittec on ~cro.nallhes, cst,jlb.
lisllcd in 191 5, has prO\'idcd in va luable aI d III ,neronauticlI,1
de"c1opmen ts, many of whi ch arc now standard 111 the 1\/\1',
36 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE

The Ci\'il Aeronautics Administration and the AAF work

togdbcr in the development and utilization of civil air facili-
ties, the training of pilots, the control of air traffic and re-
lated activities.
WHO WE ARE
An outstanding example of civil participation in the AAF
prog"'" is the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). This organization
consists of volunteer civilians, many of them fliers using thei r
own planes. The Civil Air Patrol has operated in close col-
----
Jaboration with the AAF on various types of projects since
th e war began and it was made an AAF auxiliary by Executive
Order on April '9. '94 3. During the bitterest part of the
antisubmarine campaign, from :M arch 1942 to August 1943 ,
it prmlided an antisubmari ne air patrol which totalled more
than 14 mi1lion miles of over-water flying and spotted 173
submarines. The Civil Air Patrol provides an cxtcnsi"e air
courier service for the transport of critical supplies, parts and
mail between AAF bases as weB as for other <lgcncies. Other
important Civil Air Patrol contributions include training of
pre-induction personnel (see page 121), search missions for
lost aircraft, a southern air patrol over the :M exican border. We total more than two and a third million individuals. \Ve
Combined Operations-The ultimate flowering of team- hail from every part of th e coun try and we have been sen tbto
work is rcRected in combined military operations of ground , almost every part of th e globe. Soon one-half of our num er
sea and air forces. 111e necessity for timing, for integrated will be on duty outside our borders,
planni:lg and for joint action in sllch operations involves Nine out of every ten of us werc gath ered into the ~AF
more than mere cooperation between one service and an- in the last four years- siu ce Jun e of 1940 wh en our expan-
other. Combined operations, such as th ose ca rri ed on in th e . began Ycstcrch)' we were the clerks, salesmen,
slon program . < •T d ' e tl e
i~land offensives in the Pacific and in the conquest of North students and farm h ands of the nabon .. 0 ay we.u 1f
Africa, require the application of military power in mass and pilots, gunners, radio operators and mlIl1ten:.mce men 0
speed as one force. In North Africa, combined ground-air op- the AAF. .. t II t tl c
erations werc developed to a point where the ground com- \ \forkin g alongside us and contnblltmg no a) y . ? le a -
mander and the air commander worked in the samc h eadquar- com plishmcnt of our progra1l~ .arc some 500:?OO cl.v1han elll-
ters; the ground plan and the air plan were one plan. Except loyccs at AAF stations, rangmg f~~m ll1lskllled laborers ~o
for strategic air attacks behind enemy lines, virtllal1y all the highly specialized technicians. Ad,chtlOnal thou s:.l11 ds serve m
major offensive operations of the United Nations have been auxiliary capacities-including natlves of the arctic, desert <lnd
combired operations-air-ground, alT-sea, or air-sea-ground.
trog~~~ h as b cen a twofold problem of expansion; first,. that of
buildi ng an imll1ensc organi 7. ation fr.om scratch ; secolld,. tl.wt
of investing til ,lt untrailled bod y With hundreds of sep.u,ltc
37
 WHO WE ARE 39
38 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
skills. TI,e possessors of th ese skills arc not only th e fighting REPLAC EMENT- R eplacements must be made for th ose un ablc
men of th e AAF, but also th e far larger number requi red to to con tin ue: th e casualties. Such replacem ent varies COII -
maintain, supply and support the figllting m en. stantly with th e fortun es of war.
T oday OUf problem of expansion is licked . Our strength is All th ese factors arc aflee ted by th e co urse of ba ttle. M od-
at its intend ed peak. Our acquisition of personnel is now based em aerial wa rfare knows no static plan.
on rCFiacenlcnt. G rowth- In 1938 tll cre were approximately 1300 officers
. The men who pa\'cd the way for our expansion grew up and 1 8 ,000 m en , wi th an addi tional 2 8 0 0 officers and 4 00
with the AAF and with the predecessor air arms from which Jll en ill th e R eserve Corps, to b cgi n th e job of expanding thc
th e AAF sprang. Despite dwindling appropriations and conse- AA F to its present strength .
quent lack of personnel and equipmen t, th ese pioneers carried V arious metlJ ods wcre used to a ttain tllis strength . Officers
on th e essential plan'ning and experimenting. an d enlisted m cn in th e Reservc C orps were called into serv-
Tociay th e pioneers and th e newcomers merge to fornl th e icc; officers and men in other componen ts of th e Regular
largc~ t air force in the world. Army were perm itted to apply for t ransfer into the AAF; 4 00C
men in the Na tional G uard were taken inj recruitin g cam-
p;ligns utilizing such facili ties as radio, pamphlets, posters and
PROCUREMENT OF PERSONNEL motor trailers werc used from time to tim e to ob tain more
Requirements- Personnel procurement is a continuous proc- mechanics, rad io opera tors or a\' ia tion . cadets, depending on
ess, subject to constant m odification in its details. For ex- th e urgent n ceds of the mom ent.
ampl e, a decision, m oti vated by combat experience, to ad d one New officers were ob tained by 2 meth ods : civilians with ex.-
gunner to th e crew of each heavy bomber might cause a revi- pcrience valuable to the technical needs of th e A AF wcrc com-
sion i:l th e number of men to be taken into th e AAF, th c missioned by a special procurement organi zati on ; poten tial of-
n urnb:::r of gunn ers to be seleetcd from tha t in take, th e n UI11 - ficer material among enlisted m en was selected and sent to th e
bcr and size of gunn ery schools to be establish ed and th e in- O fficer C andidate School at ~ l ialTli Beach, Fla., and gradua tes
tensity of the training period for gunners already in schools. were granted com missions. ...
Th is h ypoth etical case concerns tll C addition of just one
man to a crew. Procurement changes arising from a m ore COI11- 2,373,882
pliea ted problem such as tll e adop tion of an enti rely new air-
pJan.e are Jl?turalIy grea ter. Such ch anges are constantly oe-
curnng.
Once. allowa nce has been made for such changes, and once
th e dcsITed strength h as been reach cd, the problem becom es
one of keeping strength at th e desired level. H ere several fac-
tors enter:
AU'l'IIORIZ ED STR ENGT II- This q~ota is the minimum plus th e 51.11lI
reSCTves of manpower reqUired for superiority over th e
cIH.m y. 1940 1940 1941 1942 1943
"0 I A:1I0N-1l1C rigors of aerial combat makc it necessary t o JULY DEC. DEC. DEC. DEC.
relieve personne1 for res t after a period of service; this re-
qui -cs aV;:lilable rese rve personne1. GROWTH OF AAF PERSONNEL * OFFICERS AND ENUSTED MEN

40 OFFICIAL AM GUIDE
AI:hough the Selective Service program supplied quantities
of personnel to tJle AAF, our growing and specialized needs
continuously out-distanced the supply_ ln the fall of 1942, a
SPCCi,ll recruiting campaign was undertaken to obtain sorely
needed mechanics, armorers, radio technicians and other spe-
cialists. This campaign alone resulted in 1 28,000 enlistments.
During this period, from September to December 1942, over
500,000 men were absorbed by the AAF.
Present Procurement-Selective Service is the basic procure-
[ ment source for male military personnel. Those entering mili-
tary ~ervice pass through its induction centers, and are as-
signe:l to one of the 3 major forces of the Army in prorated
vo]une dependent on needs and available supply.
~nlOSC not yet of Army age may prepare tllcmselves for fu·
ture aviation training tluough the Civil Air Patrol training
program. The original CAP enrollment com prised 40,000 ca-
dets. Present plans call for enrollment of 250,000 by the end
of 1944- High sch ool students from the ages of 15 to 18 will
be enrolled with the cooperation of civic organizations
throughout the country. ll1is training is planned on a 3-year
period; future aviation cadets will have the most thorough
prcp<iration for flying studies ever furnished to citizens of tllis
coun:ry. CAP, Chambers of Commerce , Rotary , Kiwanis,
Elks, Lions and other civic organizations can furnish infomla-
tion on this program. ...
AVIATION CADETS
The AAF's principal source of flyi ng officers and ground
officer specialists has been the Aviation Cadet Recruiting
Program.
This ac.ti~i.ty, tempora~jly suspended in March 1944, was
open to cl':Jhans and enlIsted men able to satisfy certain en-
trance reqUirements. Successful completion of Aviation Cadct
Training qualified men to be commissioned 2nd lieutenants or
WHO WE ARE 41
appointed flight officers (se~ page 52) . 11,e program com-
prised aircrew trainees-pilots, bombard~ers .and navl~ato~s­
and men trained in armament, commulllcabons, engmeenng,
meteorology and photography. .
At present, entrance to the Aviation Cadet Program IS con-
fined to certain AAF officers and enlisted men. However, the
requirements of war may at any time prompt the re·establish·
m ent of aviation cadet recruiting.
For the most up·to·date information, civilians may consult
th eir nearest U. S. Recruiting and Induction Center; an Avi-
ation Cadet Examining Board; a Civil Air Patrol .unit h ead·
quarters, or the adjutant of any Army post.
AAF Enlisted Personnel-The only enlisted personnel who
may apply for aircrew training are enlisted m en of the AAF
who are combat crew members returned from overseas thea·
tcrs after completion of a prescrihed number of con~bat mis-
sions or in accordance with 'Var D epartment regulatIOns.
Application for those eligible may be made through th e or-
gclllization commander or at a R edistribution Station upon
return to the U. S. An enlisted man found qualified and as-
signed to aircrew training (bomba rdier, pilot or navigator )
mav elect to train as an aviation student instead of accepting
apljointment as an aviation cadet. H e th en retains all the pay
and al10wances of his enlisted grade during his training period.
OfJieers-A very limited number of AAF officers in th e grade
of 2nd and 1 St lieutenants are being qualified for aircrew
t raining. These men are called stud ent officers.
Basic Physical Requirements
VISION-Minimum 2 0120 each eye without glasses; mllst ha\'c
pcrfect COIOT vision.
TI::ETH-No minimum , jf free from gross dental infections and •
cOTTec tible bv full OT paTtial dentures.
Il EARINC-M illi~um 2 0120 each ear (whispeTed ,'oice).
llE1 CHT- Mininllllll 60" ma ximum 76" (pilots minimum 64").
WEICHT-Miuimum 105 Ibs. maximum 200 Ibs. (pilots milli·
mum 114 lbs.)-based on relation to height and age.
Ed ucational Requirements- Formal schooling is n ot re·
quired; applicants are given a qualifying examination of short·
an swer, multiple·ch oice type.
 OfFICIAL AAF GUIDE
'Tlle foHowing subjects have -been found extremcly helpful
for yo ung men of school age in preparation for flyi ng service
with the AAF:
PILOT-ScieIiCC (gases. he.'lt, gravity, stress, stra in , energy, forces);
matllC'llatics ( fund:nncnt;11 processes, fomlulas and equations ) ;
1ll~c1lille shop , be nch mctal work , mechanica l drawing, blueprint
reading and physic-.Il training.
BOM8ARDIER-i'. fa thematics tll rougll trigonomctry; science (propcrties
of nlateria ls, heat, gascs. forces, frictions, air c urrcnts); m cellani-
eal drawing, map and blucprint reading and ph ysical tra ining .
NAVIGATOR-Mathematics as above; science (astronom y, weather cle·
ments, temperature, variation , air masses and currents, electricity);
maps, charts and radio; geography, blucprint reading, mcchanic:tl
drawing and physical training.
. Tests-Applicants arc givcn a series of ps),chomcter and
i placement tests at th e Basic Training Center in order to check
I mental and muscular coordination. Scores made on thesc
~ tests detennine the particular phase of flying-pilot, bom -
~ bardier or navigator- in which applicants can be best and
I most qcickly trained. Failing to meet the minimum standa rds
I for any of these, applicants arc eligible to apply for aerial
gunnery training.
.WARY
Classification-From Jan. 1, 194 2, to June 30, 1943, the
period of grea test growth, th~ A~~' eXjJanded fron: 354,161 to
1,197,1l4----o r 520%. Each Illdlvldua had to be mterviewed
classified and assigned- l ,842,953 in 18 months. The pro~
curement program poured into uniforms a varied mass of
skills, backgrounds and mental abilities, and varying dcgrccs
of cduc<ltion and training.
!h. e AAF rcq~i!ed a high level of technic~ll aptitudes or
abIlities (see .Mllitary OccUpatiol1al Specialties, page 45 ) .
A~ceptcd claSSification procedures were not adequate to obtain
slIItable personnel. New methods had to be devised .
Reception centers arc the first step in Arm y and AAft c1nssi-
WHO WE ARE 43
fi cation for the enlisted man. H ere the newcomer is issued his
first eCluipment and the Army obtains the first indication of
his ability. After an introductory orientation lecture, he takes
the most important of the various tests-the Arm y General
Classification Test, known as GCT. Other tests given at the
reception centers inc1ude: Oral Trades Test; General M e-
chanical Aptitude Test; Radio Operator Aptitude T est.
ll1ese tesfs are not intended to furnish proof of exact or de-
tailed knowledge but to serve as an indication of aptitude for
training in the technical categories involved .
From the reception centers the AAF receives its quota of
enlisted personnel. Then addi tional tests are given to select
men for the various technical training schools. T ests given at
AAF Basic Training Centers are: Wea ther Aptitude Trade
T est; Radio Operator Trade Test; Cryptography Test; Tut
and Bolt Manual Dexteri ty Test; U-Bolt Assembly Test; Tech-
nical Trade T est.
AAF classification does not stop here. With each new job at
each new station, individual classification is rechecked in the
light of the soldier's current activities as compared to his po~
tentialities. Officers follow the same general proced ure.
Typical AAF Jobs- Listed below are more than 2 0 fields
of skill required by the AAF. Pilot, bombardier and navigator
are officer members of the aircrew. Unless indicated, all other
classifications in this section are held by enlisted men. All du-
ties are described in broad tenns, with only major functions
listed.
GENERAL NATURE OF DUTIES-AIR
J' 1T~oT-Hand les controls of p lane and commands aircraft; in addi-
tion , fighter pilot fires guns, navigates, communicates with radio.
sometimes directs and releases bom bs.
lIOMBA RDIER-Direc ts fl ight of bomber when approaching and 01'er
target; operates bo mbsight; releases bombs; gunner during attack .
NAVIGATOR- Plo ts course of plane to and from th e objec tive; fur·
nish es pilot with fligh t directions; keeps Bigh t log bookj gunner
during attack.
.A ER IAL ENG INEER- Flies with multi.engine bomber a nd t ransport ;
makes repairs a nd adjustments in flight; substitutes tor or helps
copilo t opcmte Raps, landing gear, ctc.; g unner during Mlacl::.
 44 OffiCIAL AAf GUIDE
RAOIO oPuAToa-Opcratcs plane radio, direction finder, radio com-
pass, etc.; rcl.1YS data by radio to personnel au ground; rcccil'Cs
wcatllcr and otller information; gunner during attack.
AU!.\l CU~N ~ R-.\1aus guns; informs pilot of approaclling enemy
pia Irs; services guns and turrets in flight.
GENERAL NATURE OF DUTIES-GROUND
AR~rAMENT OFFIcER-Superviscs maintenance, loading and repair
of armament equipment; i.~ responsible for knowledge of l;ltcst
armament devices and techniques.
COMM~ N 1CATIONS OFf:ICER-Supcrviscs maintenance, operation and
repror of radar, radIO, telegraplJ , teletype and directional equip-
mCJlt including radio compasses.
AIR C R~T :MAINTI::N~NCE O~l'lCER~SUpcn'ises engineering ground
duties ot crew chiefs, 3eIJal engmecrs, inspectors .1nd mechanics.
ME'~E?ROLOCY OF~' l c ER-Analyzes wcatller conditions; forecasts CO I/ .
ellhons along flIght routes; keeps navioator informcd· supcH'iscs
" 'cather tecImicians. /) , cialists of the AAF in job categories of annament, communi-
1·1I0TOGRAPHY. OFFICF.R-Dirccts operations of mobile and fixcd
photographIC 1.1boratories an~ cquipJ~lcnt; supen,jscs aerial pho.
tographers .and camcra rcpamnen; IS responsible for accurate
pholograpluc mapping of strategic arcas.
ARMoRER-lnspect~, adjusts and repairs acrial machiuc g uns, can.
nons, synchro.lIlzcrs. gun c.1mcms, bomb racks aud other anna-
mcn~ mccbamsms.
METAL .WORKER-Rcpairs airbase cquipment including too ls; rcmakes
ccrtam brokcll and worn parts.
\\,EI.DER-l"USCS metal parts by means of electric weIcliug apparatus
or o.tyacclylcnc tordl.
AIRI'LA.'lE MJ'.CHA:" IC AND REPAIRMAN-Chccks tIle coudition of air-
planes and eu!;mesj m:lkcs repairs, rcplacements and adjustments;
J~spects cJcctncal and control systems, undercarrj;lge, bmkcs cn.
gUlcs and propellers. '
WIRE 1ECIINICIAN-[llstalls, inspects, scrviccs and rcpairs tclephone
an~ t~legr~ph communicMions systcms; scts up switcllbo;mls;
mamtams Illlcs O\'cr largc arcas.
S\'NTI.IETIC 'I:RA ININC DEVICE INSTRUCTOR- T eaches instrumcllt Hying
(bl"~ Ilr mg) to pilot students t11Tough tlle lise of thc Link
Trainer; mstructs 011 oVlcr syntllctic training deviccs.
P.\RACHUTE JUCCER-SCW~ and patcll cs by lland ;lIId mach inc dam-
aged paraclwtc canoplcs; rcplaces defective shro uds; rcpairs har.
IICSSCS; repacks par:lclJutcs.
45
WHO WE ARE
PIIOTOCRAPHIC TECHNICIAN-Develops films and p rin ts pictures; as-
sembles mosaic maps; takes motion and still photographs in RigM
or on ground.
RADIO OPERATOR, ),,'IECHANIC AND REPAIRMAN-Operates and adjusts
all transmitter and receiver equipment; repairs detective radios
and parts; tests circuits and tubes.
WEATHER OBSERVER AND FORECASTER-Analyzes weather conditions;
observes illstrum ents recording wind velocities, changes in tem-
perature, humidity, barometric pressure, amount of rainfall aud
othcr conditions; prepares weather maps and reports.
SU PP LY CLERK-Receives, stores and issues equipment, material, mer-
cll andise and tools; checks incoming orders; counts, grades and
weighs articles; takes periodic inventories; prepares reports,
AI)'I1Nl STRATlVE CLERK- Prepares reports; ta bulates and posts data
in record books and on bulletin boa rds; op erates office machines;
may supervise l)eadquarters clerks.
Distinctive Patches for Specialties-Enlisted technical spe-
cations, engineering, photography and weather arc authorized
to wear the patches shown below. Patches are orange on blue
background and worn with lowest point 4 inches above edge
of right sleeve (left breast pocket on fatigue uniform ) .
ARlilAMOO COMMUNlCATlGN$
V
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES- After a
qualifying period of time in his assigned duties, every soldier
is classified according to his Military Occupational Specialty
(MOS ) . Each specialty has a number which becomes a part
of the soldier's record. Progressively, as more specialized tasks
are perform ed, his record is supplemented by add itional MOS
numbers to show a complete picture of the soldier's experi-
ence. The AAF utilizes app roximately 500 m ilitary occupa-
tional specialties, about evenly divided between officers and
enlisted men . The fo11owing summary indica tes the diverSity
of technicians required to accomplish the AAF mission .
 OFFICIAL AM GUIDE
OFF ICER SPECIALTIES
• •\T~D PERSONNEL-l9 types of
p!'ots from glidcr to 4.cn.
glllC, 7 types of bomh:lCCliers
and navigators; airbase Com-
lIl.mdcr.
AlRCR~T ENCIXEERIXG-:lirpl:lOC
1I13mtcnancc ellgillcers, ill'
Speclors alld aeronautical en.
glllc~rs.
AVIATION ~NCINEERS-iIlSpcctiOIl ,
mccbamcal, surveying COli-
struct~ou. camouflagc' aud
mappmg engincers.
A.R~U.MENT AND ORD!'iANCE_in_
eludes . torpedo, hombsigltt
alld mmc specialists' bomb
disposal and oHlcr drdnallcc
officers.
cOMMUS'ICATlON5-includes sig-
nal, messagc centcr, crvptallil.
l.\'.tic ami pigeon officers; ra.
dlO, telephone, telephoto,
radar and telegraph enginccrs.
OJ'ERATioN,s-personal equip.
ment. Rlgllt control, prioritics
and traffic, and weight and
balance officers.
• .\DAR-.. irborne alld ground of-
ficers.
AIJlCJlAFT WARNINC OFFlceKS
PIiOTOCIlAPIIIC-i.lcllldes grotlJld
a~d ae~ial pllOtogmphers, mo-
tI?'! pJcture producers, tecl!-
DJCI:ms, laboratory supervisors.
INI'P.LI.!CENCE-hi<;torical, pllblic
~elatrcJl! and prisoner of lVar
~nterrogat;on officers; pIioto
mtcrpreters.
" \ l I'HICAI, OFf'ICP.RS
WE.~·I'IIF.R-forecasters. climatolo.
gists, occauograpltcrs.
r,' INANCE, BUDGET AND FISCAL
a..-to·ICERS
AI):"!IN~STRATIVE-adiutaut; pllh.
IJcatJons and inspcctioll offi-
ccrs, non-tactical utlit COil/-
malldcrs,
I' ERSO.:\'~to: .L~UJi/it:lI.r persolluel
and CJVJ/J;lll personnel officcrs
classification and assigumcllt
officers; psychologists.
CIJ .\f'L.\INS
SI'~CIAL SERVICES-iucltldcs ph vs.
Ical fitncss and orientation
officers.
.\IEJ)lC.U-S3 types including Sur.
geo~ls,. nurscs, l'cteriuarians,
S~ lJJt;ltIOU cngineers, dieti.
cmus, l?hysical tllcrapy "iels
and vaned mcdical specialists.
SUI'I'LY-quartclillaster, arlllY c\".
change. sahtage, laundry, tech-
nica l, freight , pctrolc um. pro.
CIitClOent and rencgotiation
officers.
TR"' NS I'~KTATIO N_lIIarjll e officers
c1as~lfied as master, mare iwd
ellgl1leer; motor and ." -",'/ tr,lllS-
portation officers.
MESS OFFICERS
U:C.AL-iudge advocates; lcgal as.
slstance :Iud claims officers.
CIJEMICAL-alt iatioll Cllcllli cal
lV:Jrfare spccia/ists.
{'k?VOST MARSIJAL-includes lIlil-
Itary police aud prisou officers.
ANT1\IRCRAFT AR,'rlLLERY OVI'l'
C~RS
WHO WE ARE
ENLISTED SPECIALTIES
PILOTs-liaison and service pilots.
AIRcREw-gunners, photogra .
phe~s, radio operators, aerial
engmeers.
ADMINISTRATIvE-financial, typ-
ing and mail clerks; interpre-
ters, translators and investi-
gators; business machine op-
erators; supply technicians in
communications, ordnance,
engineer and qua.rtermaster
equipment.
AIRCRAFT WARNINc-control1crs,
aircraft observers, information
center operators.
ANTIAIRCRAFT-includes gunners,
repairmen, beightfindcrs, lis-
teners, searchlight men .
ARMAMENT AND ORDNANCE-
power turret, bombsight, mu-
nitions and armament techni·
cians.
BANDSMAN-12 types classified by
instrument.
CHEMICAL-toxic gas handlers,
decontaminating equipment
technicians,
COM M UNICATIONs-i neIudes
code, cryptographic, pigeon,
signal and facsimile tec hni-
cians; radar mec hanics and ra-
dar repairmc;n ; radar operators,
radio operators; telephone tech·
nicians and telegraph techni-
cians.
DRAF'TsMEN-draftslncfl and pho-
togra til Jll Ct rists,
DUTY AND INSTRUCTION-includes
military police g llard,~ , at1detic
instructors, tec hnical instruc·
tors, airplaue handlers,
47
ENCINEER, UTILI'fV AND REPAIR-
includes geodetic computers,
surveyors, laundry technici:lns;
construction men including
bricklayers, ca mouBeurs, rig-
gers, carpenters.
MAINTENANCE-includes super-
cllargel, power plaut, and fab-
ric and dope specialists; elec·
trical instrument, automatic
pilot and fire control special.
ists; gyro, optical, hydraulic
and mechanical instrument
technician s; machinists; para-
c hute, and propeller special-
ists; sheet metal workers, we ld-
ers, woodworkers.
MEDICAL-laboratory, supply, op-
tical and dental technicians;
pharmacy and veterinary spe-
cialists.
}.tARINE-includes able seamcn,
mates, oilers, engineers, etc,
PHOTOGRAPHiC-includes ca mera
and motion picture techni·
cians, p ho tograpll ers and pro-
jectionists, laboratory assistants.
REPRODUCT ION AND PRINTINC-
lithographic and printing spe·
cia lists. •
SERVICE AND REPAIR-iucJndes
shoe repair, leather and can-
vas lVorkers; painters; refrig-
eration mechanics; demolition
specialists; water supply tech·
nicians.
TRAINER EQUIPMJ::N I'-n:lvigation
tr:lin ers; instrumcnt Bying
trainers; altitude chamber a lld
Be,'(ible gunnery speci:llists,
TRANSI' O RT ATION-a 1I t 0 11101 ive
 WHO WE ARE 49
OFFICIAL AlF GUIDE
~ [ I S C£LLANEOUs-iJl cllldcs
at 25 % , Flying timc in non -m ilitary aircraft of 400 or m ore h orse-
eq~ipmcnt operators aud re- dog
p:urmcn, diesel meclm nics, trainers, tire (ebuilders, cuter· power is credited at 100 % . . ,. ~ I

SERVICE PILOT- Obtainable b y lOdl\'lduals b etween 18 and 4, \\,ho

motor ,mel tractor specialists. ta inmcnt directors, physics
laboratory ~ ssis tants . have passed physical qualifi cations and ,who , possess. o utstandmg
WEATHER-forecasters. observers;
cqlllpl11Cnt, radio·so nde men. qualifications for the performance of service pilot d uties as de~ned
in AAF Reg. 35-23. Completion of a flight test a n~ profesSion al
.y~
--
AERONAUTICAL RATINGS-In order to be rated as anv 01
tJle various types of Bying personnel, officers, warrant oHi~crs.
flight officers and enlisted men on duty with the AAF must
examination. certain fl ying time. an d a recomm endation hy a board
of officers is required. , '
SE N IOR SERVIC E Pll.oT- Obtainable b y a rated servlCC pil ot wh o ha s
1500 hours' logged time according to 'Var D:cpa rt~cnt records,

L IAISON PILOT-Gran ted only to officers, warrant o ~ccrs a~d enhs~e?

C.
and has had 5 years' e:-''Pcricn ce as a licen sed pilot With the AA .

meet certain qualifications. men assigned to organic air observat ion of ~he Fld d A~tJllery. Laal;
PI LOT-A rating of pilot in the AAF may be obtained: son pilot ratings formerly granted to enlisted m en III the AA I
* By success ful completion of a prescrihed course of instruction have been discontinued.
ftt hea vier-thrln-air pilots at an AAF advanced pilot school. This GLIDER PILOT- Requires successful completion of a prcsc:ribed ~d­
method is the onc from which the bulk of our pilot personnel vanced course of glider pilot traini~g at .an AAF spcclal ,serVIce
is ohtained. schooL Individuals m ay be rated glider pilot who h old ,ratings .as
* U')on the recommendation of a board of officers on the basis of command pilot, senior pilot, p ilot, service pilot or sCOIor serncc
meeting one of the following requirements :
(1) Pre"iolls aeronautic.11 ra tings held or pre"iolls acronautical in -
shuction passed within a specified past period; certain rec}uire-
ments of fI ying time; completion of a Right test . .
(2 ) A rating as service pilot currently hdd; ecrtain requirements
of Hying time; determination by the hoard of qualifications and
radincss for assignment to th e comb<lt duties appropriate for a
pi:ot who has graduated from an AAF <ldva nced fI ying schooL
(3 ) Graduation from a course of instruction for hC;I\-icr-than-air
pilots in :mned forces of friendl y forc igh nation s or the acc umu-
L'ltion of certain required fl ying tim e with the armed forces of
hiendly foreign nations.
lENlOft PILoT-Reqllires not less than 5 years' service as rated pilot SENIOR PILOT PILOT
with aviation componcn ts of the militarv or na val services and
not bs than 1500 hours' logged time acCording to \Var Depart-
ment records.
COMMAND PILOT-Obtain;lble by an y ra ted pilot having certain com-
~inati~ms o~ the following: 1 0, 15 or 20 years' acti,c duty or se rv-
Ice Wlth air components of the military or n;I\'al sen 'ices, and SERVICE PILOT
2000 or 3000 hours or more logged tim e according to \Var De-
partment records. C redited at 100% is tim e fl own in heavier-than-
air military aircra ft as pilot. copilot, or whcn not at the controls
hilt octing in c.1J>:1city of command pilot in unit opcr;ltion s of 2
or more aircraft , All other fi ying tim e in milit:1ry he:tvier-than -air
GliOER PILOT LIAISON PILOT
aircraft is cred ited at 50%, Lighter-than .air pilot tim c is cred itcd
50 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
pilot and who have flown as pilot of tactical type gliders 3 hours
or more and have made at least 10 landings, passed a flight test,
and ale recommend ed by an exam ining board.
AI.CRAY':' oBsEIIVER-Obtainable by individ uals who hold ratings as
command pilot, senior pilot, pilot, senior balloon pilot or balloon
pilot-provided they have qualified as expert aerial gunner or
aerial sharpshooter . have been certified by their commanding offi-
cers as competent to carry out the fun ctions of an aircraft ob-
server. and satisfy onc of the fonowing additional requirements:
(I ) Have served as a regularly assigned member of a combat crcw
in observation and reconnaissance aviation units of the AAF;
completion of a course in aerial navigation , including celestial;
establishmen t of quali6cation as bombardier 1st class, 2nd class,
or 3rd class.
(2 ) Have served as a regularly assigned member of a combat crew
in iI balloon squadron, and are certified by their commanding
ofOCers as competent to carry out the fun ction s of an aircra ft
ob!erver.
(3 ) Have graduated from the AAF tactical school and have 6
y~rs' service as a rated pilot in the AAF.
~ IOMBARDIER
UVIGATDI
~ TECHNICAl DBSERVEI
AlRtIAlI DISElYER
AlICII• •EMII~ AERIAL GUNNER
WHO WE ARE 51
AIR CRAFT OBSERVER (bombardier, navigator, radio obscrver n igllt
fighter, radio observer Re M, Right engincer )-Cranted upon
successful complction of the prescribed course of instruction for
SUch. ratings at an authorized AAF special service school. Rating
as aIrcra ft observer (bomb:lrdicr, navigator and radio obscn'cr
night fightcr) is also granted to individuals who havc demon-
strated in a theater of operations their ability to satisfactorily per-
form the duties of b ombardicr, navigator or radio obscn'cr night
fighter, are certified by their commanding officers as competent
' to carry out the functions proper to such ratings, and have Aown
50 ,hours, performing combat m issions as bombardier, navigator or
radIO observer night fi ghter.
SENIOR AIRCRAFT OBSERVER-Obtainable by ra ted aircraft observcrs
who have not less than 5 years' service as ratcd aircraft observcr
with air componcnts of the military service and have flown as
rated aircraft obscrver 500 hours or morc.
TECHNICAL OBSERVER-Obtainable by commissioned officcrs who hold
ratings as cO,mmand pilot~ s~n i or pilot. pilot, senior balloon pilot
or balloon pilot, whose prmclpal d uty should be that of a technical
fliGHT SURGEON
FlIGltT NURS£
~ WASP
S£NIDI BAUIIOII PILDT
BAlLOON PIlDT
~ BAlLOON OIS£1IYE1

52 OFFICIAL lAF GUIDE
observer and whose experience with the AAF makes them espe-
cially qualified to perform technical duty incident to the opera tion
of aircraft in Hight. Requirements include certification by t he com-
maDding officer of the individual concerned that the principal
duty of the individual should be that of technical obseryer~ that
he is qualified by both experience and ability to perform sl1ch du ty,
wlut specific duties arc to be performed as technical obscn"cr,
and a summary of the applicant's c).:perience pertinent thereto.
SENJOI BALLOON PILOT-Obtainable by ho1ders of balloon pilot rating
who have 10 years' service with air components of the mil itary
service and who have piloted military airships or military motorized
balloons for 100 hours.
BALLOON PILOT-Crantcd only to individuals who complete a pre-
scribed balloon pilot course. No such course is bcing conducted
at the present tim e.
(AAF Regulation 50-7 describes in detail aeronautical ratings.)
Fligbt Oflicers-On July 8, '942, the grade of flight officcr
was established. Upon graduation, aviation ( flying tra ining)
cadets who have not qualified for commissions as 2nd lieuten-
ants may be appointed flight officcrs with a status equi,·alent to
that (If warrant officer, junior grade. Promotion from fl ight of-
ficer to 2nd lieutenant is permitted.
Wearing of Aerial Gunner and Aircrew Member Badges
AERIAL CUNNE R- Upon authoriza tion by his commanding officer, a
reglilarly assigned aerial gunner member of an aircrew, who 113S
demonstrated his proficiency as such, may wear the badge during
such time as he is assigned to such duties. Graduates of an AAF
flexible gunnery school, or of an AAF instructors' school (flexibl e
gU':1nery L may wear the badge during such time as they afC
asS I~ed as a regular gunner member of an air crew, are awaiting
assi€nment to such duties, Of are perfonning duties of an in struc-
tor :n flexible gunnery.
AIRCREW MEMB ER- Upon authorization by his command ing offi cer,
a regularly assigned member of an aircfew who has dem onstra ted
bis proficiency as such , may wear the badge during suell t ime as
he i5 assigned to such d uties. Ind ividuals auth orized to wem spe.
cific badges may cont inue to wea r such badges when no longer
to assigned if they meet one of the following requirements:
WHO WE ARE 53
( 1) 150 hours' fl ying duty as regularly assigned aerial gunner or
aircrew member.
( 2) Participation as regul~rlr assign~d aeri.al gunner or aircrcw
member in 10 combat miSSions durmg which exposure to enemy
6re was probable and expected.
(3) Physically incapacitated through ~n emy action or while dis·
charging duties as member of an Slrcrew.
Army Air Forces Technician Badl;e-AAF enlisted techni-
cians and mechanics have been authOrIzed to wear a distinctive
silver badge indicating the skills !n which they are qualified.
Qualifications: at least 6 months serVICe With the AAF and
ci"ther graduation from an ~~th ~rized course in techn ical
training or evidence of cap~blhty 111 one or more of .the fol-
lowing 24 specialties for whIch the badge has been deSIgnated:
Airplane annorer; airplane electrical, h y?raulic a?d
instrument specialist; airplane mechamc, mach m-
ist, metal worker and welder; airplane power plan t
specialist; airplane propeller s'pecia~ist; AC.S ra~io
specialist; bombsigh t mechamc, Lmk T ramer m-
structor, parachute rigger, photographer, ph oto·
graphic laborat ory tech nician, powe~ t urre.t and
gunsight specialist, radio V -I mechamc, rad iO V·I
observer, radio mechanic. radio operator, teletype·
writer m echanic, weather forecaster, observer.
PAY AND INSIGNIA OF RANK OR G RADE
OFF ICERs-Comm issioned, warrant and Righ t. The f?llowing chart
showing rank iden tifying insignia (worn on garnson caps and
outer clothing), and rates of pay and ~llowances, does n?t 1T:clude
pay increases based on length of service, etc. Information 111 the
chart on the next page is base pay only.
ENLISTED MEN-Grades arc known by both name and number, i.e.
enlisted man, 7th grade, is a private; 6th grade, a private 1St class.
The chart on page 55 shows grades, identifying chevrons (worn on
sleeves of outer clothing) and pay scale of enlisted men.
AVIATION CADETs-Base pay $75 per month and a subsistence allow·
ance of $ 1 per day. (As with officers, aviation cadets, after gradu-
ation, arc granted $250 clothing allow;mce.)
 WHO WE ARE 55
54 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE

Rank Insignia Yearly Pay Rent Allowance (Mo.) Rank Sleeve Insignia Monthly Base Pay
with d!!ndlnls si!!!!!
Private (7th grade) no chevrons $50
General ~~~~ $8.000 $120 $105
Private first class (6th grade) A 54
Lt General ~~~ 8,000 120 105 Corporal (5th grade) ~ 66
Maj. General ~~ 8,000 120 105 Sergeant (4th grade) ~ 78
Brig. General ~ 6,000 120 105
Colonel y 4,000 120 105
Staff Sergeant (3rd grade) ~ 96

Lt. ColQnel • (SiIYlr) 3,500 120 105

Technical Sergeant (2nd grade)
~ 114
$ ~aster Sergeant, (1st grade) ~
Major
Captain §
(Gold) 3,000
2,400
105
90
90
75
First Sergeant ~ 138

Pay scale noted above shows. base pay amounts . This is the lowest
1st Lielltenant c:::J (Silver) 2,000 75 60 amount paid to each grade. To this may be added other amounts
for Bying pay, longevity, etc.; descriptions of which follow.
2nd Lieutenant = (Gold) 1,800 60 45
LONGEVITy-Every enlisted man receives an increase of 5 % of his
Warrallt Officer (chieO = ("OWl) 2,100 75 60 base pay for each 3 years of service up to 30 years.
FOREIGN SERVICE-The base pay of officers is increased by 10% (en-
listed men 20%) for any s~rvice wh ile on sea duty or duty in
Warrant Officer U.g,l ~ (Blown) 1,800 60 45 any place beyond the continental limits of the U. S. or in Alaska.
ALLOWANC E FOR DEl' ENDENTS (Class F Allotment )-Under the
Right Ifficer ~ (Blat) 1,800 60 45 Oct. 26. 19 43 amendment to the Servicemen's Dependent AI·
lowance Act of 1942, dependents of enlisted men receive increased
In the above, all officers with dependents receive $42 per month benefits. Several classes of benefits are allowed-for wife and chil·
(30 day period) subsistence allowance; single officers, $21 . (Ex- dren, for parents, brothers and sisters whose chief support is the
ceptKm: Lt. Col. and Maj., married, receive $63 .) serviceman, and for combinations of these famil y relationships.
Men with dependents al10w the government to deduct $22 per
PLYING PAy-Flying officers and enlisted men receive an increase month from pay, the remainder of the amount received by the
of 50% of their base pay when by orders of competent authority famil y is contributed by th e government. A wi fe will receive
they afC required to participate regularly and frequently in aeri.11 $50 per month; with one child , $80, and $20 for each additional
flights. Non-flying officers receive flyin g pay at the rate of $60 per child . A mother as a dependent will receive $37, i.n case of total
month when th ey participate in regular and frequent aerial flights dependency, $50.
ordered by competent authority. CHAPTER CONTINUED ON PAGE B9
 •
56

OUR LEADERS
Brief Biographies of Some AAF Men wilh Key Assignmenls·
• Henry H.
ARNOLD, General
COMMAND ING GENERAL, AAF
First a irman to achieve the rank of General and one _of the nation's
first miitary piloh, Gen. Arnold serves on the Combined Chiefs of Staff
and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Gen. Arnold was born in Gladwyne. Pa., June 25, 1886. He grad·
uated from the U. S. Military Academy and was commissioned 2nd Lt.
Inf. June 1-4, 1907; served in -th e Philippines; was d etailed to the
Signal Corps in April, 1911. After completing flying instruction at
Dayton, Ohio, in June, 1911. Gen. Arnold beceme an instructor at the
Signal Corps Aviation School; he was promoted to 1st Lt. in April,
1913. In February, 1917, after serving in the Philippines and California,
he we"t to the Panama Canal Zone to organize and command the
aviation service there. He was promoted to Capt. in May, 1916; to
Maj. (temp.) .in June, and to Cor. (temp .) in August, 1917.
With U. S. entry into the World War, Gen. Arnold was placed in
charge of the Information Service, Aviation Divisio n, Signal Corps;
later appointed Executive Officer; then, Assistant Director, Office of
Militar) Aero nautics. In 1925 he beca me Chief, Information Division.
Office Chief of Air Corps. He commanded Air Corps troops at Ft.
Riley, 1926 to 1928, graduated from the Command and General Staff
School in June, 1929. and until 1936 held command posts at Fa irfield,
Ohio, and at March Field. Calif. · Gen. Arnold received the 1934
Maday Trophy award in recognition ' of his leadership of the U. S.
Army Alaskan flight of that year. He was promoted to Brig. Gen.
(temp .) in February. 1935.
Service as Assistant Chief of the Air Corps was followed by a p-
pointment as Chief of the Air Corps, Sept. 29, 1938. He was desig-
nated Acting De puty Chie f of Staff for Air in October, 1940, and ap-
pointed Chief of the AAF in Jun e, 1941. He became a permanent
Brig. G.n. in December, 1940; permanent Mai. Gen., February, 194';
Lt. Gen. (temp.) , December, 194 1. When the War Dep artm ent was
reorganized March 9, 1942, Gen. Arnold became Command ing Gen-
eral of the AAF; in March, 1943, he was promoted to G e neral (temp.).
Ratings: Command Pilot, Aircraft Obse rver, Technical Observer. Dec-
orations: DFC, DSM, Air Medal.
• Ranl.s and assignm ents as of May 1, 1944. Space limifations do no f
permit a complete listing of Army Air Forces' /Nders.
58
WAR DEPARTMENT
LOVETT, Hon. Robert A.
ASS'T SECRETARY OF WAR FO·R AIR
Born Huntsville, Ter., Sept. 14, 1895. Graduated
Yale Uni .... , 1918. Post·graduate courses Har-
vard Law School 11919-19201 and Harvard Grad.
uate Sch . of Busines5 Administration. 1920- 1921.
Naval pilot, ensig n in 1917; served in France and
awarded French wings. Established U. S. Naval
Air Service Transition Flying School ume year.
Promoted to Lt. Commander and received Navy
Cron in 1918. Between 1921 ud 1940 engaged
in p~ila"thropic interesh ~nd served as di,rector ,,~d. !rustee of nu~er.
cus ,orporations. He resigned from bUSiness actiVi t ies and obtained
leo .... of absence from other interesls in 1940 to acce pt appointment as
Special Assistant to the Secretary of War; was appointed Assistant
Secrttary of War for Air in April 1941.
McNARNEY, Lt. Gen. Jo,eph T.
DEP. CHIEF OF STAFF. U. S. ARMY
Born Emporium . Pa. , Aug. 28. 1893. Graduated
USMA and commissioned 2nd Lt . Inf. June 12.
1915. Complete d flying training and recei ... ed
rating of Jr. Military Avi ator in April 1917.
Served in France during W orld War I. Grad-
uated Army War College 1930. Served in War
Plans Di ... isio n. General Staff, 1939, and ap-
pointed member of J oi nt Army and Navy Plan-
fling Committee . Member of Special Observers
GrClup, Lo nd on. 1941. Member of Roberts Commission 1941 -42. Desig-
nated Dep . Chief of Staff, U. S. Army , March 1942. Roltings: Command
Pilot. Technical Obser.... r. Aircraft Observer.
GILES, Lt. Gen. Barney McK.
DEPUTY COMMANDER AAF. CHIEF OF AIR STAFF
Born Mineola, Ttil., Sept. 13, 1892. Attended
East Texas College and Univ. of Texa s. Appointed
flying cadet and commiuioned 2nd Lt. Aviation
Sectio n of Signal Corps Reserve April 9, 1918.
Rece i... ed Reg . Army co mmission July I. 1920 •.
Served in France and in Coblenl, Germany. Dur-
ing 1918-19. Organind and comm and e d 4th
Air Ser... ice Area C om mand and designated C o m.
manding General of 4th Bombe r Command
19.a. Made Command ing General 4th Air Force. San Fran cisco . Calif .•
Sept. 1942. In March' 1943 became Au·t. to Chief of Air Staff and in
Jul., 1943 nemed Chief of Air Staff. Ratings: Command Pilot, Tech-
nical Observer. Aircraft Observer. Decordtions : DFC. Air Medal.
59
CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
EMMONS, Lt. Gen. Oelo, C.
COMMANDING GENERAL,
WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND
Bor n Huntin gto n, W . Va., Jan . 17, 1888. Grad ·
uate d USM A and commissio ned 2nd Lt. Inf. June
II. 1909. Executi .... offic e r for Au't. Sec retary
of W ar for Air 1928-31. Commanding General.
G HQ Air Force March 1939. Assigned Ch ief
of Air Force Combat Command Jun e 1941 and
designated Commanding General, Hawaiian Dept.
De c. 1941. Named C ommanding General West-
ern Defense C o mmand Sept. 1943. Ratings:
Command Pilot. Aircraft Observer. Decordtions: DFC , DSM, Air Medal.
YOUNT, Lt. Gen. Barton K.
CO MM ANDING GENERAL.
AAF TRAINING COMMAND
Born Troy, Ohio , Jan . 18. 1884. Attended Ohio
State Uni.... Graduated USMA, commiuioned
2nd Lt. Inf. June 14, 1907. Member Board of
Officen for reorganiIation of Air Ser... ice 1918·
19. Ass't. Military Attach e for Aviation, Paris
1925-29; served as Techni cal Expert at Gen e va
Disarmament Conference. G raduated Army War
College 1936. C ommand e r Air Corps Tra ining
Center. Randolph Field , Tex., 1938. Appointed
Au't. to Chief of Air C o rps July 1938. Pla ced in c harge of all train·
ing activities of the Air Corps l'n9. Command e d Panama Canal De pt.
Air Force Oct. 1940; South e ast Air District Dec. 1940. Commanding
General of AAF Flying Training Command March 1942. In July 1943
becam e Command ing G e ne ral , AAF Tra ining C o mmand . Ratin gs:
Command Pilot, Te chn ica l Ob server, Aircraft Observe r.
HUNTER, Maj. Gen. Frank 0'0.
COMMAND ING GENERAL,
1st AI R FORCE .
Born Savannah . Ga .• De c. 8, 18904 . Enlided as
fl ying cad et , and co mmission e d 1st Lt. Aviation
Section , Signal Corps Reserve , Sept. 12, 1917.
Reg . Army commission as 1st Lt . Air Service July
" 1920. Shot down 9 plane s in World War I.
Military Observe r in Lond o n 1940. In May 1942
becam e Commanding G e ne ra l of the 8th Air
Force Fighter C o mmand . Re turne d t o U S in
Sept. 1943 and d e signa t ed C o mmand ing General
1st Air Force . Ratings: C ommand Pilot. Aircraft Observer, Technica l
Observer. Decorations : DSC with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Silve r St ar,
leaion of Merit, Purp le H eart , Fre nc h Croix d e Gu e rre with Palm .
• ENT, Brig. Gen. Uzal G.
COMMANDING GENERAL, 2ND AIR FORCE
Born Northumberland , P•. , Ma rch 3, 1900. At·
tended Susquehanna Un;..,. S.rY~d 0' enlisted
man in Inf., Aviation and Ba lloon compani.s
1918- 19. Graduated USMA and commissioned
2nd Lt. Ai, Service June 1924. Military attache
at Lima, Peru, 1940. Assigned to 9th Air Force.
Middle East Command. Oct. 1942. Returned to
U. S. and designated Comm"nding Gener.1 2nd
Air Force Jan. 1944. Ratjngs: Commend Pilot,
Aircr.ft Observer, 8.lIoon Pilot , B.lloon Obs.r.... r. Decor.'ions: OSM
with O.k Luf Cluster, DSC , OFC with Oak leaf Cluster, Ai, Medal
with O.k Leef Cluder.
LARSON. Maj . Gen. Wesnide T.
CO .... MANDING GENERAL, litO AIR FORCE
Born Ve,nalis, Calif., April 18, IB92. Attended
Polytechnic College of Engineering at Oakland ,
Calif. Enlisted Aviation Section Si9nal Corps
Reserv. Oct. 19, 1917, and completed flying
training at Perk Field , Te nn. Commiuioned
2nd Lt. May 18, 1918. Sarvad at Park , EUin9ton
end Kelly fields , and in Panama Canal Zone 1920·
28. Commanded 13th Bombardment Group,
langley Field 1941. Designated Commanding
S."."I: 1st Bomber Command 1942 : Antisubmarine Command , 1'1.. 2·
43 : 3rtl Air Foree, Tempa , Fla. , Sept . 19 .. 3. Ratings : Commend Pilot ,
Aircraft Ob.. rver.
LYND. Maj. Gen. William E.
COMMANDING GENERAL, ,UH Alit FORCE
Born Santa Fe , Kan ., Sept. 10, 1893. Attended
Univ. of Seettle. Commiss ioned 2nd Lt. Inf.
Id.ho Nat'l C)uard April .. , 1917. Served in France
during World Wer I. Graduat_d Naval War Col·
I_q_ June 1918. Air BaSIl Commander , Wheel.r
Field , Hawaii 19)9. Commending G.n.ral 7th
Bomb.,. ComrnenO i" Hawaii, aftd in No..,. 19.. 2-
named Army Air Offie.r on staff of Commander.
in·Chief of Pacific FI.et. Commandinq Gen_ral
4th "'-r Foree July 194). R.t;n9': Command Pibt, Aircraft Observ.r.
D~"iQlt.: Silver Star laward.d in 1918). OFC, Air M.dal .... ith Oak
i.e.f Clustar. Purpl. H.art.
GEORGE, Maj. Gen. Harold L.
COM MANDING GENEItAL,
&I
Alit TRANSPORT COMMAND
Born Somerville , Mass., July 19. 1893. Commis'
sio ned 2nd Lt. Aviation Section, S:gnal Corps,
March 29, 1918. Served in War Pl ans Division ,
Air Service, 1925·29. Chief of Bombardment and
Air Force Instruction and Director of Air Tadics
a nd Strategy. Maxwell Field, Ala. 19)2·36. Com.
ma nd ing General Ferry ing Command March
19 .. 2: Air Transport Command Aug. 19"2.
Ratings: Command Pilot , Aircraft Observer. Decoration : Silver Star.
E U ROPE AN- M EDITERR A N EAN
SPAATZ, Lt. Gen. Carl
COMMA ND ING GENERAL,
U. S. STRATEGIC AIR FORCES IN EUROPE
Bor n Boyerto.... n. Pa., Jun. 28, 1891. Gr<!lduated
USMA and commissioned 2nd Lt. Inf. June 12,
1914, Stationed Schofield Barracks, Hawaii 1914-
IS, then detailed <!IS student at Aviation Sch. San
Diego, Calif. Served in France during World
War I and credited with 2 German planes. C om.
manded Kelly Field, Tex" 1920·21. Special Mili·
tary Observer in En gl<!lnd 19-40. Chief Mate riel
Division of Air Corps Od. 1940. Chief of Air Force Combat C omma nd
J<!In. 19 ..2. Commanding General 8th Air Fo rce May 19"2 : Nort h..... st
African Air Forces, Nov. 1942. In Jan . 19 .... bec <!lme C ommand inq Ge n.
eral of U. S. Strateqic Air Forces in Europe . Ratings: Command Pilot,
Aircraft Observer. Decorations: DSC, DSM , DFC, Le gion of M.rit.
EAKER. Lt. Gen. Ira C.
COMMAND I NG GENERAL,
MEDITERRANEAN ALLIED AIR FORces
Sorn Llano , Tex .• April 13 , 1896. Commini on.d
2nd Lt. Inf , Reg . Arm y Nov. IS , 1917 . C om·
rT'!anded Mitch . 1 Field , N, Y., 1921 ·23 . Nam ed
Command er of Bombardm . nt Euro pean Thut.r,
J"ly 19 .. 2 <!Ind l<!Iter C o mmand i n~ G e n.ral of 8th
Air Force . Designated Comm <!ln d er Mediter.
ranean Alli.d Air Forces in- Jan. 19~ . Rotin9s:
C ommand Pilot . Tec hnica l O bs. rve r, Airc raft
Obse rver. Decor.tions : Sil..,e, Star, DFC .... ith Oak Lea f C lust .r, l.g ion
of M.rit.
 IZ
DOOLITTLE, Lt. Gen. James H.
COMMANDING GENERAL, ITH AIR FORCE
8o~n Alameda, Calif" Dec. 14, 1896. Attended
Unt¥,o of C.lif. Enlisted.s flying c.det, Sign. I
Corps Reserv., Oct. 6, 1917. Commissioned
2nd ,Lt. March! I, 1918. Entered MIT 1923 end
recerved ~.st.r $ and Doctor's degrees 1924 and
1925. ReSIgned Reg_ Army commission on Feb
15. 1930 and ,commiuioned <II Maj., Spec . Res:
Ord,.red to .chv" duty.s Moj. July I, 1940. On
. I Apr.' 18, 1942 led first uri,,1 ,.id on J • • nele
m",n .nd. Commanded 12th Air Forc. Sept 1942 Com d' P G
er.l : NW African Strategic Air Forc. March' 1943: 15th A"!a"F '"9 N,n.
194] ' 8th A' Fo J . It oree 0'1'
I rce "n. 19..... Rating' Comm"d P',lot D
., ,. '
M d I f H on OS" S'I . . ecor. Ions:
':d" o'th 3 Co," "", I ver Star, OFC with O.k L..,f Clulter Air
me " WI LIsters. '
TWINING, Maj. Gen. Nathan F.
COMMANDING GENERAL, 15TH AIR FORCE
Born Monroe, Wis., Oct. II, 1897. Graduated
from USMA and eomminioned 2nd It Inf N
I, 1918. Served at March Field C,I','f " dO,'"
H awa,!.. 1927 ' " n In
. ·32. Designated Director of War
Or~."'z.tlon and Movement AAF 1942. Ap.
pOinted Commanding Gener.l 13th Air Force
J~" . 19"~. July 1943 usigned Commander of
:,rcr.ft .n
Solomon Islands, in which capacity h.
Co' i,.dad .11 air strength in thet ere. Becem
mmend,ng Gener.1 15th Air Force Jan 1944 R ,· ·C d'
Pilot- Airer ft Ob D ' " . "'9S: omman
LN,' CI..t.~. Air M'ed:i:
KOI",OIr.: OFC, legion of Merit with O.k
BRERETON, Lt. Gen. Lewis H.
COMMANDING GENERAL, 9TH AIR FORCE
~or" Allegheny, P• ., June 21 , 1890. Graduated
. S.•N~ .... r Acad emy 1911. Resigned a. ensign ,
commissioned 2nd It Coed Arty Co A USMA and commissioned 2nd Lt. Air Service
17 1911 0" . 'ps ug .
, ' . urlng World War 1 laW action in
Frlnce. Air Attach.e. American Embassy, Paril ,
~'i1'i- 22 . ~ommandlng Officer France Field and
anama Air Depot, and Acting Ai; Office r Pan_
am~ Cana l Department 1931·35. 'n Jul 19<41
• .'Slgned to command 3rd Air Force C y d 1942. Chief of Shff '2th Air Force Oct. 19<42.
I 1119 S."•• I: 10th Air Foree March 19<42 . 9th A' F . Oomman -
ReI;"9': Comm."d Pilot Tachnical Observ ' . Ir orce, ct. 1942.
,.tio",':
DSC. Silve, St.,' with Oak luf CI:;;a~lr~s"~t g~e'::.r .
urp. H •• rt, Fre"ch Croix de 61.1." with 2 p'• Im • • . . Ir e" ,
MDdci"
13
CANNON, Moj. Gen. John K.
COMMANDING GENERAL, 12TH Alit FORCE
Born S.lt lake City. Utah , March 9, IB92.
Gr.duated U'.h Ag,icultural Colla ge 191<4. Com-
minioned 2nd Lt. Inf. Rese rve Nov. 27. 1917.
Director of Flying, later of Trai"ing . Rand ol ph
Field . Tex., 1931-35. Chief of U. S. Military
Min;on
General ''05'Buenos Ai,es 1938. Commanding
Interceptor Command , Mitch el Field,
N. Y., Feb. 19<42. Became Commanding Gen e ral
12th Air Force Dee. 19<43. Rutings! C ommand
Pilot. Aircraft Observer. Decorations: DSM , Air Med.l, legio" of Merit.
ANDERSON, Maj. Gen. Frederick L. Jr.
DEPUTY COMMANDER FOR OPERATIONS,
U. S. STRATEGIC AIR FORCES IN EURO PE
Born Kingston . N. Y., Oct. <4, 1905. Graduated
USMA and commissioned 2nd Lt. Cov. June 9,
1928. Graduated Advanced Flying Sch .• Kelly
Field . Te •. Sept. 1929. Served in the Philippines
until 191<4. Directo r of Bombardi er Instruction
Air Corps Tadie,,1 Sch. July 19<40. Deputy Direc-
tor of Bo mbardment, Hq . AAF. in Jan. 19<42.
Assigned .s Commanding General of 8th Bomber
Command . Becam e Deputy Commander for Operations USAFE in July
19<43. Ratings: Command Pilot, Technical Observer, Aircr.ft Observer.
Decof,J/ions: Silver Star, DFC, legion of Merit, Air Med.1.
VANDENBERG, Maj. G en. Hoyt S.
DEPUTY COMM ANDER-IN-CHIEF
ALLIED EXPED ITIONARY AIR FoRcES
Born Milwaukee, Wis., Jan . 24, 1899. Graduated
June 12. 1923 . Served in Hawtlii 1929· 3 1. Grad -
uated Army War C ollege 1939. Operations .nd
Tr.i ning Officer IA-3) Air Staff, Washington,
D. C. , March \942 . Assign ed to United Kingdom
.nd assisted in plans for African invasion June
Return ed t o U. S. and designated De puty Chi ef of Air Staff Aug . 19-43.
Bec. me Deputy Comm.nd e r-in .Chi ef Allie d Expeditio n.ry Air Fo ree s
March 19<44. Rollings: C o mmand Pilot, Techn ical Ob server, Aircraft Ob-
serve r. Decorations: DSM , Silver Stu, DFC , l egion of Merit, Air Medal.

A StATIC
STRATEMEYER, Maj. Gen. George E.
COMMANDING GENERAL
EASTERN AIR COMMAND '
Born C incinnat i. Ohio. Nov. 24, 1890. Grad.
uated USMA and commiuioned 2nd Lt, Inf. June
12. 1915. Commanding Officer. Air Service
Mechanical Sch. Kelly Fie ld . Tex . 1917 and Com.
manding Officer. Chanute Field. III., 1921 . In -
strudor at USMA un til 1929. Graduated Army
"'!ar C~I.I~ ge 1939. Chief Training and Opera -
. flons DIVI Sion, Office of Chief of Air Corps April
1941. Co~mandl~g Genera l, Southeast Air Corps Training Center Jan .
1942. Chief of Air Staff June 1942 . Air Advisor to Commanding Gen -
er.l, ~hin • . 8urma -l ndia Theater July 1943 : Commanding General , East-
ern Air Commend . Aug. 1943. Rolfing s: Command Pilot , Aircraft Ob-
server. Decorations : DSM , Air Meda l.
DAVIDSON, Maj. Gen. Howard C.
COMMANDING GENERAL. rOTH AIR FORCE
Bo,n Wharton , Tex .• Sept. 15. 1890. Graduated
USMA . comminioned 2nd Lt. Info June 12, 1913.
Served at Tours and Paris 1917· 19. Ass 'f Mili .
tary Attache , London 1922-26. Command in g Of-
fic er Bolling Field , D. C ., 1928·32. Command ed
19th Bombardme nt Group 1935·36. Graduated
A~my War College J une 1940 and ordered t o
Hldam F ~e ld. Ha .... aii as Commanding Offic er .
C omma nd ing Genera l: Ha .... aiian Interceptor
Comm •• d Dec. 1941 : 7th Air Forc e June 1942 ; AAFTTC Mississippi
P
~·llt. ~'e. Nov, 1942 ; 10th Air Force July 1943. Rolfi"9S; Comm a nd
lot, AI'cr.ft Observer.
CHENNAULT. Maj. Gen. Claire l.
COMMANDING GENERAL, 14TH AIR FORCE
Bor~ .CommercE', Tex. , Sept. 6, 1890. Attend ed
~u~SI.n. State Univ . and Norma l Colleg e. Com _
miSSioned 1st Lt. Inf. Reserve Nov. 27 , 1917. In .
structor .end Diredor of Flying at Brooh Fi eld ,
Te..... unfll 19)0. Author : Role of Defensive Pu r.
SUI~ 1935. Retired Apri l 30 , 1937 and .... ent t o
China : mede a Brig . Gen . in the Chinese Air
F~rce end pieced in charge of AVG (Fly ing
Co' Tigers): R~cell ed to act ive duty April 1942.
I mm.n~1n9 6~ne,.I : A,AF In Chin" July 1942 ; 14fh Air Force, March
'43. R.,,,,gs: AI,pl.,... Pilot, Aircr.ft Observer , D ecorations: DSM , OFC .
65
PACIFIC
I KENNEY, Lt. Gen. George C.
COMMANDING GENERAL , 5TH AIR FORCE
80'" y.,mou,h , Nov. Sco';" Au • . b, 1889. At·
tend ed MIT. At outbre~k of World W~r I en·
liste d as fly ing c~det ; commissio ned 1st Lt. in
Avi~tion Sect ion. Signal Corps Reserve, Nov. 5,
1917. Served in Fr~",ce end G e rmany 1917·19;
credited .... ith destruction of 2 enemy ~ ; rcraft.
Gradu~ted Army W~r Coll ege June 1933. Au't
Att~che for Air in Paris in 1940. Comm~nd i ng
G enera l 4th Ai r Force April 1942 . Command · .
ing General Allied Air Forces in Au s tr~ lia n theater; 5th AIr Force
Sept. 1942. Rolfings: Command Pilot, Aircreft Observer. Decorations :
DSC .... ith cluster, DSM, Silver Star , OFC , Purple Heart.
HARMON, Lt. Gen. Millard F.
COMMA NDING GENERAL.
U. S. ARMY FORCES IN SOUTH PACIFI C
• Born S~n Francisco, Ca lif., Jar'! . 19, 1888. Gr~d ·
uated USMA , commissioned 2nd Lt. In f. June 12 ,
1912. Saw actio n ~t Somme du ri ng World War
I. Ass', Prof. Military Sci e nce & Tactics, Un iv. of
Washington 1923·24. Gr~duate Army War Col.
lege June 1925. C ommand ed Luke Field , Ha waii
and 5t h Bomba rdment Group 193b-3 R. Air Ob·
server and member Harr im~n Commiss ion 1941 .
Commanding Gen e ral 4th Interceptor Command of 4th A.ir Force April
1941 ; 2nd Air Force July 1941. Chief of Air St~ff , W e.5hlngton . D. ~ .,
Ja n. 1941.. Commanding General U. S. Army Forces In South ~aclfic
Are~ Jul y 1942. Rolt ings: Comm~nd Pilot , Technical Observe~. Aircraft
Observer. D ecorolt ions: Navy DSM . Fre nch eroi.. de Gu erre .... Ith bronte
ster.
HARMON , Maj. G en. Hubert R.
COMMA NDING GENERA L, 13TH AIR FORCE
Born Chest er, Pa ., April ) , 1892. Graduated
U5MA , commissioned 2nd Lt . Coast Arty. Corps
June 12 , 1915. Became Chief of Air St~A' Air
Serv ice Com mand. Th ird Army 1919. Aviation
Officer. U. S. Liquidation Comm itte e London
1919.20. Instructor USMA 1929· ) 2. C ommander
19th Bombardment Gro up 1936·37. Grad uate
Army War College July 1938. Chief of Oper.
a"tions , Perso nn el. Washin9ton , O. C . 1937·40.
Comma nding Gen eral : Gulf Coast Tra ini ng Cente r 19-41 ; 6th Air Force
1942 ; 13th Air Forc e Jan . 1944 . Ratings: Command Pi lot , Aircraft Ob -
server . Decorolfior'!s : Legion of Merit, Air Meda l.
 II
HALE, Moj. Gen. Willis H.
SOUTH ATLANTIC "
I COMM A NDING GENERAL, 7TH AIR FO RCE
Bor" Pittsburg , Ken., Jan, 7, 1893. Lt. in Philip.
WALSH, Maj. Gen. Robert LeG.
COMMANDING GENERAL,
pine constabulary 1913 to March 20 , 1917 when U. S. ARMY FORCES, SOUTH ATLANTIC
commissioned 2nd Lt. Inf. Reg_ Army and pro- Born Walla Walla, Wash., July 25, 189". Grad-
moted fo 1st Lt. same date. Served in Chine t d USMA and comm issioned 2nd Lt. C.av.
end France 1917.18. Prof. Military Science and " ' . 13 1916 . After service in France
T"ctics Yale Un i". 1920-22. Gradueted Army J une, O. . .dUringf
W Id W I he was assigned to 1'1 lSI on 0
War Colle ge June 1937. Inspector Gene,.1 of
GHQ Air Force , langley Field. Va ., 1939.40.
or ar
Military Aeronautics in w.
as h'Ing to~,
20 Ass't Attache for A" at Pam an
O e 1919
'd 'M d ' d
a fI
Ch ief of St.ff 3,d Air Force, Tampa , Fl• . , 1940 .... '.
Commending Gener.' 7th Ai, Force Ha .. eii July 1942. Rating:s: Com- 1929-31. Commanded Albroo~ Field , C . Z. , b~3;:
mend Piot, Aircraft Observer. Decordtions: DSM, legion of Merit, 35. Graduated Arm y War College !9040· • Transport Command June
Purpl. H•• rt, Navy Cross. manding General: South Atlahntic IW~~g ' NA If 1942. R~t;n9s: Command
1942 ; U. S. Army Forces Sout A~ an IC .ov. f Merit
Pilot, Aircraft Observe r. Decor.I,on: legion 0 .
JOHNSON, Moj. Gen. Davenport
CARIBBeAN
COMMANDING GENERAL, 11TH AIR FORCE
Bor" Tyler, Tex., March 28, 1890. Graduated '
USMA , commissioned 2nd Lt. Inf. June 12, 1912. BREIT, Lt. Gen. George H.
Military Observer with French Army during COMMANDING GeNeRAL,
World War I. Graduated Army War College CARIBBEAN DEFENSe COMMAND
June 1929. Commanded 3rd Attack Group to Born Cleveland Ohio , Feb. 7, 1886. Graduated
July 1932. Commanding Officer Hamilton Field , VMI 1909. Appointed 2nd Lt. Ph ilippine Scouts
Ca lif., 1937. Ass't to Chie f of Air Corps in March 22, 1910; 2nd Lt. of C ay. Reg. Army 1911.
Washington, D. C ., 19"0. Commanded 6th Air Commanded Crissy Field 1921 -24., Grct~ar~
Forc e, Pa nama , C . Z., 19"2. Became Director Arm War College June 1936. Ass t to Ie 0
I Militory l equi,..mants Hq. AAF Nov. 19 .. 2. C ommanding G eneral 2nd Air torps Jan . 1939. Chief of Air Corps May
Air Forc. Feb. 1941; 11th Air Force Sept. 19"3. Ratings: C om mand 1941. Became Deputy SUl?teme . C~mman.der of
Pilot, Aircr.ft Oblerver. Decor~';ons: Silver Star, Air Medal, Fre nch Allied Forces in South PaCific and .. n April '.942 d C ndin
Croj.. de Gue"a. d Ch' f f Allied Air Forc es In Australia . Name omma N 9
nam e Ie. 0 f Command and Panama Conal Dept., ov.
General C~rlbbeC an
1942. R.tlngs: omman De ed""
p "lot
I , Technical Oblerver , Aircraft Observer.
MIDDLE EAST Decorations: DSM , Silver Star, DFC.

GILES, Brig. Gen. Benjamin F. WOOTEN , Brig. Gen. Ralph H.

COMMANDING GeNERAL,
U. S. ARMY FORces, MIDDle EAST
Born Mineola , Ter., Se pt. 13, 1892. Attended
Univ. of Ter. and commissioned 2nd Lt. Inf. Res.
April 28 , 1917. Served in Fra nce during World
War I. C omm issio ned 2nd Lt. Air Service , Reg .
Army July I , 1920. Ch ief of Aviation Division,
Nat'l. Guard Bureau 1939. Commanding Gen-
eral: Hq . North Atlantic Wing, Air Tra nsport
C ommand Aug. 19.. 2 ; 9th Air Force Troop Car-
I rler Commend Oct. 19..3; U. S. Army Forces, Middle East Feb. 19.....
R.,i",s; Command Pilot, Aircraft Observe,. D8<o,..,;ons: DSM, Air
M.d.l.
COMMANDING GENERAL, 6TH AIR FORCE
Born Tate Co., Min., Aug . 30, 1893 .• ~raduated
A & M College of Texas, 1916. C om.m lulone~.2 nd
Lt. Inf. Reg . Army Aug. 8 1917;. ChIef of ~ l lltary
Procurement and Transportation, Washln~ton,
o C 1924-28. Military Attache, Santiago,
Chile " 1929-33; 1938-41. Graduated Army War
C olle' e Jun e 1937. Air Of!icer G~n.e ral Hq.,
1941 9 Assigned AAF Technical Training Com-
mand , M~~mi B~ach, ~'ab'thM~~~h F~~:!' S~:v~~~9~!mmand
and Chief of
Commahn
Staff 6t
AI~g
If
F enera N • med
orce .
Commanding Gene ral 6th Air Force Nov.
b
1943. R.tinqs: Command Pilot, Aircraft 0 server.
11
. •
. .... .
n
 WHO WE ARE 89

HUMAN RELATIONS
In the last analysis. AA F effectiveness rests upon the indi-
vidual soldier and the efforts hc expends in his assignment.
A discontented soldier, or a sick soldier, is seldom a good sol-
dier. The AAF th erefore takes a special interest in th e llse of
leisure time, personal and family problems, recreation and
worship.
Special Service- T'he duties of special service officers with
th e AAF" arc many-sided . The 2 main secti ons of th e special
service division, however, are ph ysical fitn ess and orientation.
An extensive ph ys ical fitness prog ram for all AAF perso n-
nel is supplemented by intra- and inter-unit athletic compe-
tition. A physic<lI fitn ess test is givell each quarter to eheck the
progress or improvement which m;:1Y have resulted from this
sustained conditioning program.
Early in the war th e need for current films and periodicals,
for touring stage entertainment and for recreational supplies
of <1I1 kinds was recognized by th e AAF. Indoctrination l edu-
ca tional prograllls of orientation, and Army Institute courses
are available to the men; from ping-pong to textbooks: the
problems of leisure time arc given constant attenti on. In the
forward stations for example, one of th e first buildings con-
~ tru cted is often an enlisted men's squad ron dayroom.
Chaplains-~nle provision of spiritual guidance for the men
is essential at all Arm y stations, wheth er at a permanent base
in the U. S. or an isolated outpost on New Britain or Iceland.
The AAF chaplain at island stations of the South Pacific is
likely to make his visits via bomber. 1\l fore than 1 600 chaplains
serve with th e AAF.
Personal Affairs-T'o provide assistance and advice 0 11 per-
sona l and financia l matters for the soldier and his depend ents,
a Persona l Affairs Division has been created, with Personal
Affairs Officers in the field . \Vh cn an individual joins th e AAF,
Personal Affairs is interes ted in seeing that:
lie is adcquately protectcd by U. S. CO\'Crnlllclit insurance.
Legal be llcficiarics arc dcsign<ltcd 10 rccei\'c gratu ity p:l}" in cvent
of 'lis death.
 WHO WE ARE 89
..-.;1~: -.?-
"
HUMAN RELAnONS Q<2D ~ -..J:; __
~

-'" -.I:

In the las t analysis, AAF effectiveness rests upon th e incli- dJt46.-

~
~~e:.
vidua l soldier and th e efforts h e expend s in h is i.lssignmcnt.
,
A disconten ted soldier, or a sick soldier, is seldom a good sol-
dier. The AA F therefore l akes a special interest in th e use of
l c i ~ll re time, personal and family problem s, recrea tion and
, AAF OVERSEAS
....
UNITS , -

AAF REPLACEMENT CONTROL DEPOTS ,

wor~hip.
,
Special Service-The duties of special service officers with
th e MP arc many-s ided . The 2 mai n sections of the special
service di vision, h owever, are physical fitn ess and orientation .
, OVERSEAS PORTS OF EMBARKATION
An extensive physical fitn ess program for all AAF person- IIr wallr ...... . . . "air
nel i ~ su pplem ented by intra- and inteT-un it athle tic COlll )>C-
titian. A ph ys ical fi tness tes t is given each quarter to check the
progress or improvement which may havc res ulted from this
sustained conditioning program. by w;;,, 5:S'1~
Early in the war th e need for current film s and periodical s, ..._..-.-
for tourin g stage entertainm ent and for recreational suppli es
of an kinds was recognized by th e AAF. In doc trin ati on , edu-
ca tio:laI progra ms of ori entati on, and Arm y Institute COurses
are available to th e men; from ping-pong to tex tbooks: thc
problem s of leisure time are given co nstan t atten tion . Tn the
forward stations for exa m ple, one of th e fi rst build ings con-
structed is often an enlisted men 's squad ro n dayroom .
C haplains-Tl1 c provision of spi ritual guidance fo r th e m en
is eS5cn tiai at all Amly stati ons, whether at a perm ancnt base
in the U. S. or an isolated outpos t on New Britain or Iceland .
The AAF chaplain at island stations of th e So uth Pac ific is
li kely to makc hi s visits via bom ber. t\'[orc than 1 600 chapl:1ins
serv(; with th e AAF.
Personal Affairs-To prov id e assistancc and ad vice on per-
sonal and fin ancial matters fo r th e soldier and his depend ents,
a Personal Affai rs Division has been crea ted, with Personal
Affa irs O fficers in th e field . \ Vhen an individual joi ns th e AAF,
Pe r~o nal Affa irs is in teres ted in seein g th at :
llc is adequately protccted by V. S. GO\'cnl lllcnt inslInlllce.
Legal bCllcficia rics arc dcsign;Itcd to recci\'c gt:lt uity Pi')' in C\'Cllt
01 his death .
DISCHARGE
~,--~~~~~~~, , ASSIGNMENT ,
 94 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
AAJ'i' NURSE S-A t th e present time, more th :111 6500 1I11,rscs
\ arc on duty with the AAF. Of this number, 500 arc flight
n urses servino throughout th e world wherever we arc cvncuat-
ing woundel by plane. The rcmaind~r. a l~ m cmb~rs of the
I Army lursc Corps, arc on duty at AAl' sta tton hOSP!t.lls.
Training. Duties, Pay-Nurses assigned to th e AAI' . ar~ ,sent
to one of 11 different training centers for 4 wc:eks of mlht~ry
indoctrination, tmining and physical conditioning before bcmg
sent to AAF station hospitals in the U. S. . .
1\.tcmbcrs of the Army Nurse Corps are granted the pnvl-
lcocs of the sen 'icc as prescribed by th eir rank. They do not
I h ~ld ccmmissio ns as do V.; AC and male officers, but hold
appointm e,nts il~ ,t h e 1\1,cdical Co~ps. Nurses are accordcd fun
m cmberslllp pnnlegcs 111 officers clubs.
Pay ii th e same as that of Army offi~crs (sec pay tables on
page 5A) except in the instance of Right nurse~1 who draw
$60 per m onth extra when th ey a~e plaec.d on fiY 111~ s tatu~. "
Flight Nurscs-f\ftcr 6 mon.tJ~s duty 111 an AA~ h?splt<ll,
members of the ANC arc eli gible to make a!,pllea hon . for
flight llllfse training. The physical examl11atJ~)I"lS reqtllTed
prior to assignment arc the same as all other flyll1g personnel
must pass. In addition, th e nur~es must be recoln.mcnded. by
the se nior flight surgeon of th elf comma nd as bemg partlcu-
larl v ada pted to duty in the air evacuation service.
Tf th ey meet th ese requirem ents, th e nurses are sent to the
School of Air Evacuation, Bowm an Ficld. Ky. Here they ~111-
dcrgo 8 weeks of academic, professional, milita~y and ph ysical
trainin g to prepare them fo~ the strcnuous ~utJe~ ah ead . Sub-
jec ts in which they arc requlfcd to be profiCient mcl ~ldc eme~­
geney medical treatment, intraveno us th erapy, tr0l?lcal m edi-
cine, fl,eld sa nitation, and compass. map and aenal pho~og­
raphy ori cntation . Upon graduation , they arc rated flight
nurses and aTC permitted to wear gold flight surgeons' wings
with the ANC insignia superimposed. (Sec page 51.)
By the end of 1943, there were fligh t nurse units in . every
tll cater of opemtions where units of the AA.F were aS~ lgncd.
Flight nurses arrived in the Sicilian and ItalIan campa igns as
soon a~ it was possible to send transport planes to the fmn.t.
Within 3 days af ter the initial landing in the Tarawa-Makm
WHO WE ARE 95
campaign, the wound ed wcr~ ev~eu:1ted to I,lawa ii aboard
4-engi ned transport planes With flight nurses 11\ attendance.
WASP- In cludi ng train ces, th ere are now about
1200 women pilots on active duty with the AAF'
as members of the W omen's Airforce Service Pi-
lots. This group is engaged in 1 0 different kinds of
non-combat fiyin g mi ssions. W omen pilots assigned
to the Air Transport Command ferry 4 3 diffcrent
types of aircraft, cverything from small PTs to our fastest
fighters and our heavy cargo :md bombardment planes, frO~11
factorics to points th roughout th e country and to bases 111
Ca nada. \;Vasps take meteorolog ists up for wea th er obsen;1-
tion s and fly admini strative mi ss ions in 8 dom es ti c AAF
w~ath e r re~ion s; ~hey tran sp,ort eq ll!~m.el~t, break in engines
With slow-tun c Ayl1lg at 2 0 chffercnt I rillntng Command bases
and perfonn various courier du.ti es. . .
Training- Primary, intermcchate and advanced tramlll g for
th e 'Vasps is conducted at Avenge r Field, Sweetwater, Texas,
by th e AAF Training Command. ~111 e 27-week course is re-
quired regardless of previous fl ying c.\':pcrie1~cc. It i.n clud es fl ~l ­
ing training. ground sch ool, II1strum cnt m struch on, and IS
gcnerally the same as that given to aviation cadets. \Vh cn
necessary. \Vasps receive additional tran sitional fl ying instruc-
tion at the particular s t~ltion to whi ch th ey are assigned.
Special mi ssions. such as tow target work, may require tmining
at B-17, B-24, B-26, or C-60 schools.
Pay and S,t atus-Alth ough '''asp s arc on Civil Service statu s
(as of Spring 1944). th e), are entitled to th e pri vileges of offi-
cers wh en on an Army base and mu st conform to military reg-
ulation s wh cn on dllty. They arc paid $150 a month whil e in
trainin g; $ 250 a month whcn placed on operation;]1 duly.
\\' ASP wings arc th e st:1nci:1rd AAJi' silvcr wings with a lozenge
in th e center (sec page 51).
Entrance Requirements-( As of Spring 1944):
35 hours' flying timc (CAA ccrtificatc)-ll eigilt : 62 ~ inchcs,
ruiuimUln- Age: J 8 years 6 IIIOS. to 3S-Educ;ltion : high school
or equiv,zlcnt- Persoll:ll iutcrvicw with official \VASP represcnt·
ativ(}-I\!lust pass a physica l ex;,unillatioll [or flying and avi:ltion
cadet qualifying exa mination.
 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
CIVILIAN PERS'ONNEL
Civi lian employees play an important role in the AAF.
I~ . 1.940 when th e AAF had 51 ,000 military membcrs, th e
cl1vlhan. ~mpl.oyees. numbered 8,:0.0! today, with more than
2 ~ mllh on In ulllfor~n, AAF clvlhans total 350,000 within
the U. S. Add to th IS figure tllOse employed by the ' arms
and .servlces at AAF mstaJl atJ ons and the estimate is 500 ,000.
An Important 18% of the AAF wear mufti; ha1f or more are
women.
Some J 83,000 civilians are working in Air Service Com-
mand depots th~oughout ~e country in maintenance, repair
and supply o.f aircraft, engmes and radios. Over 34,000 arc
connected With the procurement activities of the Matcriel
C ommand. TIle ~raining Comma~d employs approximately
64 ,0:>':'. not only tn offices but as Instructors and mcchan ics.
ClVlha~ ex£erts in the Nat~on~1 Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics ( NACA) are deSlgnmg and testing the equip-
ment of tomorrow. Our w~.t~er school programs were planned
and executed Jargel~ by clVlhan meteorologists. The high pri-
on~ enemy mdustnal t~rgets we bomb are selected partly by
CI~I Ian economists and mdustnaiIsts who advise military strat-
egists. fn all phases of AAF work civilian experts act as con-
sultants to th e military.
• " .'"S UTlHlC'U'
II:v::~1 I::::~:H
II=¥II
J~s t as th e military perso nn el receive award s for outstanding
servl ~e~ ~o too do civilian employees of th e AAF. rnlis custom
was IllItlated on December 8, 104, . Civilian decorations arc
shown above.
VOLUNTEERS WITH THE AM
. Groun.d .<?bscrvcr Corps-The Ground Observer C orps co n-
SiSts of CIVIlian men and women of all ages wh o, with out pa y.
WHO WE ARE 97
kept th ousand s of observati? " posts up and !=lawn our coasts in
continuous 24-hour operation from th e day we cnt.ered the
wa r until the fall of '943. Wh en tluea t of cn emy aen al attack
on our shores diminished with our offensive acti ons abroad,
it was decided to reduce the burden on ex isting com m.e!cial
telephone facilities and to release this. large pool of mIlItary
and civilian manpower for oth er essential war work by plaCing
the GOC on an alert status. Since O ct. 4, 194 3, m embers of
the corps have mann ed th eir observa t!on posts at intervals f?[
tes t and training in place of the prevIOus Z4-hour-a-day baSIS.
AAF awa rds for civil!an volun.t ccrs wi th - ~.
the Aircraft W arnmg ServIce. mus-
trated: (left ) J Fighter Command
(right) IV Fighter Command . Bars
indicate number of hours served.
Aircraft Warning Corps-TIle Aircraft Wam~ng Corps in-
cludes all those volunteers in filter and informati on ccnte.rs. of
our continental fighter commands who are on th e recclVmg
end of, the ground observers' reports. At its peak this corps
num bered more than 25,000 . Like the GOC, the Aircraft
Warning Corps is now al so on an alert status; th ose assigned
to filter centers serve on the sa me days that ground observers
arc on duty. Information centers, however. differ in th is re-
spect : radar information comes in to th em 24 hc:mrs a day;
continuous operati on is dem anded of that porhon of the
AWe required to plot radar inform ation .
AAF Women Volunteers-Som e 25,000 wom en m embers of
AAF families arc engaged in a wid e variety of volunteer acti~­
' itics throughout the country. At almost every AAF base and It1
many communities a local AAF wom en' s club is th e hub
around which revolve welfare projects for AAF personn el. T o
coordinate th e work of th ese hundreds of local AAF women's
groups, the National Association of .Air Forces. ~,:~m en was
organized on Feb . 8, 1944. The maJor re.spo n~ lblhtJ cs of th e
groups serving with th e NAAF\¥ arc outlined III th e ch art on
th e following pages.
 100 OfFICiAl AM GUIO(

ARMY All FORCES AID soclm

The Army Air Forces Aid Society, whose add ress is Wash-
ington 6, D. C " was inco rporated in the District of Columbia
March 9, 1942, lor th e purpose of relieving distress of AAF
, pCr\Ollnel , including those who have honorably served with HOW WE TRAI~
N ~~
ti, e AAr, and th eir depend ents.
'J1,c Society. composed of persons interested in the AAF,
113' 4 classes of membership, each ha ving the same rights and
pri vi l cgc~. the difference in tIle classes being the fce or an-
nual du es paid by the member. Patron members pay an in iti al
fcc of $100; life members pay $50; benefa ctor members and
memhers-at-large pay annual dues of $5 and $ 1 respectively.
The Board 01 Trustees of the Society is as follows:
! General llenry 11, Arnold Mr. ltobcrt A. Lovett
MT\ , /ICllrv H. Arnold Brig. Cen. BCI/Ilett E. Meyers
Ma;. Cell .,ame, M , BcvanJ Mr. Floyd B. OdIum
11011 . Joh n M . Costello Capt. Eddie Rickcnbackcr
M (f. lI oward C. Da vidson Brig. Cen. Cyrus It Smith
M ( I>. I;/Jlles /-I . Doolitt Ie Mr. T/lomas ,. Watson I n th e AAF we must be more than ind ivid uals organized into
Mr. Hohert V . Fleming Mr. C harles E. Wilsoll team s. 'vVe must be train ed indivi duals and train ed tea ms.
Lt. CCIl. 8arlll~Y A1 . Giles J\1 ore than 500 separate skill s contri~ute to the success of . a
routine bombing mission-skills. ral~gJl1g fro~ that of a dnll
All er Ihe war the Society plans:
sergeant helping to make reCTlllts 1I1t~ soldler~ to that of a
-R To assist I\AP personnel find tll eir depcnden ts in obtaining gov- bombardie r synch ronizing th c cross-hairs on his. ta rget.
CrJln:c1lt bcncfits to whic11 th ey may be JawfuJJy eJl titJed ~ Our training problem has been furth er compli ca ted by the
-trTo :lSSist in providing for education, vocatIOnal rehabilita· h ighly techni cal nature of many of th ese duties, by the ~eed
tion mel ;ob placement. for vast expansion, and by ou r oldest enemy-lack. of tlmc.
<CtTo provide finan cial assistance in wort11Y cases.
. Based on pre-l'c.:1rl Harbor fig~res, wc h.a~c expc n enced as
111C Arm y Air Forces Aid Society is at present accepti ng mu ch as a 2 0000% increase 111 th e trallllll g of somc spe-
voluntmy memberships and contriblltions for future usc to- cialists. 1n oth'c r spccialties, in which training did not even
ward the fulfil1ment of its mission when other agencies cur- begin until after 1941, th e increasc can not be measured per-
rentl y p<"1'fonning similar functions cease to operate. centage-wise. .
T he statist ics of our trall1l1lg CXP:lI1SlO n wo uld givc l?a~lse
• to an Einstein . During th e first 2 yea rs of war onc .mllilon
m en- nea rly half our total strength- were engaged 111 AAF
t raining eithcr as trainers or tralllces. Dunng the p~a.k yea r. of
1943, 120,000 aircrew train ees Ae~ I"n ore th~n 3 b!llton mtl es
in th e U. S.- as though the entire population of Savannah,
101
 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
102
Ca., seized by an uncontrollable impulse and equipped with
the necessary priorities, flew 134,000 trips around the
equator.
The Training Program-The AAF training program has
I been a continuing experiment in. mass education. Originally
small, scattered and loosely coordmated, the bulk of it had in .
early 19,4: been unified under 2 n.ew comn1.flnds-the Techni·
cal Trammg Command and the Flying Training Command.
Th e T echnical Training Command used every available type
of educational facility to train hundreds of tllOusands of tech-
nicians .in duties rang~n~ from-repairing an airplane engine
to ro:astmg a Thanksgl\rmg turkey. It leased 68 civilian me-
?hamcs schools, turned factory shops into classrooms, and
Increased the number of its own schools from 3' to 33. It
I bought or leased 452 hotels and converted them into cambi·
~ation schools and barracks. Within 2 years of its inception,
It turned out some 600,000 graduates. Men unable to attcnd
tech~lical sch091 ~ for reasons of time and space learned on
the Job by workmg alongside training-school graduates.
FIrst problem of the Flying Training Command was the
con s truc~ion of sufficient fields to train pilots, bombardiers
and navIgators. In the south, as training stations sprang up
AAF TRAINING COMMAND
Figures below, showing total number of 544,37.
I training course graduates in 1941 and
I 1943 , reveal tremendous expansion of AAF
Training Command program. Most im-
pressive iJlcrease was production of gunners
and technicians, for whom there was not
even a formal training program in 194' .
11,515
I 1941 1943
PlOT
HOW WE TRAIN 103
aviation cadets arrived at h a 1f~ com pl e t ed fields; training planes
flew over bulldozers at work laying run ways. By 194 3 th e
Flying Training Command 's yearly ou tpu t had rocketed to
6 5,79 7 pilots, 16,057 bombardi ers, 1 5,9 28 navigators.
Once th e Flying and T echnical T ra in ing Commands had
trained individuals in their particular skills, th ere remained
th e final training task of tcaching th em to empl oy these skills
with combat equipment under combat cond itions and of
welding th em into opera ti onal teams. The 4 domes tic air
forces trained new fighter and bombardment groups and also
replacements for aircrews los t in battle or returned home
from overseas groups.
The T roop Carri er, Air Transport and Air Service C om-
mands fused technical and £lyiilg school graduates into spe-
cialized units. Such units as reconnaissa nce, air warning and
fighter control were activa ted and trained. Many units were
com,posed of specialists tra ~n ed by the Army Service Forces
- . SIgnal, Ordnance, ChemIcal Warfare, ~ngineers, M edical,
Finance, Quartermaster and Transportation.
T raining Commands Merged- In July of '943 the Flying
and T ec1:n~cal Trallll ng Commands were merged into th e
AAF Tralllmg Command. In D ecember th e training of all ~
but a few Arm y Service Forces~train e d specialists was taken
ovcr by the AAF. The fonnati on of new units dro pped off
and gav ~ way to a s te ppe d~ up replacem.cnt training program .
(Exception: the B-29 Superfortress umt program which got
under way late III 1'943 and IS now 111 full swing. )
Today, combat has replaced training as th e AAF's largest
fun ction. As more and more of our men go overseas th e
training program will contract furth er. Because of new 'com ~
bat Icssons, new techniq ues and new methods however it
always will be a vital factor. "
INDIVIDUAL TRAINING
Every man assigned to AAF lea rns at th e outset t'o be
a soldier. H e takes a 5 weeks' basic military course wh ich i l1~
 104 OFFICIAL AAF CUIDE HOW wE TRAtN 105

clndc\ 73 hours of <lrill ~ :lnd lllllrches; 15 hours of pl' ys icnl Fli ght i ll Millllll nl cd
trainin g. 54 h OUfll uf llIark ~ lllan ~ h ip; 13 hours of military pro- w hen !lltu lc'lIl , en~
ctolitd undt r C,1I1011Y,
cedure; R hours of fir!'>1 aaJ; 1 2 hour!'> of !lnni l al'ion; 3 hours of USCS in strtUllellt fl to
pcr!\ollal ildjtl ~ l m c nt : 5 h o ur ~ of cafe of clothing and equip- mallcuvt'r Ihe t..illk
011 il ll !tw ivd mOllllt.
m ent ; S hours of defense agnimt chemica l att ack; 5 hams o f N c:NI1 C 011 illlli nl c~
indi vidl1al ~ccurity :lnd camoufl:lgc; 4 Ii ours of map find photo- lor 's desk recordll the
interpretation; nnd 4 h our~ of defellse ngnin sl' air attack. Link'lI act ion .
ll:l, ic tmining for men enlisted for aviation cnd ct tr:lining
:1ho incl udc5 cx h:Hlsti vc ph ysical, psychological and 111(.:nla1
tcsh to det ermin e th eir fi tness for 1"l1C flying program and to
ascertai n til e specialty for whi ch th ey nrc best suited . After
basic Iminin g each man is rC;lciy to begin tr:1inin g in his spe-
cialty. 'TIl e individlla l I'min in g sc hedul e is di vid ed into 1 ma ~
t jor categories: Flyin g Tmining, and Technical, Adm ini s·
t"rati vc and Service Twin in g.

FL Yl NG TRAINING: Pilots
TRANSITI ON l~ I.Y I NC TRA ININc-Bcfore th ey hegin to train in IInil ,
I· R..... l.I GtrJ SC II OO I..- IO wecks' course: Sea and ai r recognition , )0
hours; code, 48 h6ms; ph ysics, 24 hours: math , 20 hours; llIf1pS
and chu ts, . 8 ho urs; daily physical :Ul d milita ry trainin g.
1,.Ut.1 AR\' .. I.VINC SC HOOL- IQ weeks' co urse: 70 hours in 125 t·o 225
hI' Op<.1l cockpit biplanc .. or low wing m ono p lan es; 94 h ours :IC:1·
demic work in groLlnd sc hool; 54 homs lIIilit:lry train ing.
KAS IC FI.TINe SC IIOOl..- IO weeks' course : 70 hOllrs in a 4 50 ho rse·
power basic traine r; 94 hours ill grollnd school; 47 h ours miJital")'
Imining. By the end o( basic school tmill(:es have learned t·o ny a
plane compe te ntly. I"nrtb er training wi ll teach th em to fl y n war·
plan e the AAF wa)' . Before the end of basic. trainees arc classified
--on the basi.. o( choice and imlrllct'ors' reports -for single.
engi nc training ( fi ght er pilot ) or 2·engine train ing (OOrl"lhe r,
traml>o"j or 2 cnginc figh ter pi lot ).
ADVA NCE D )ILVINC TRA ININC- IO wecks' co ursc (sing1c engine and
2 cuginl!): 70 h ours o( fl yin g; 60 ha m s o( ground school; 19
luJt1rll military tr:linin g. Si ngle ·cngine train ees fl y 600 horsepower
AT 6\ : nd take a course in fi xcd gunn cry. T wo engine tminees fl y
A' I 24!., AT- 17!., AT9S, Of AT l OS. Ba \ed on pcrforma nce and
c11f)j(c, th ey arc carmarked (or hC:lVY or medillm bornbardm c n~ ,
tr:lII \pOlt , troop car rier or 1 engine fi ght e r. AI the e nd of ad.
\,:lI1 n~d ' rainillg th c gradua tes, <;ingJe and 2.e ngille, arc :Iwardcd the
sihh pIlot's wing~ o( the AAF and appo inLed flight officers 0 )
(olllllli\~ ioned 2nd licllt cllants.
LINK TRAINER - •
pilots lea rn to fl y the type of w:lrplane Ih.ey ,\'ill hand le in comh:!t;
For exa mple, those marked (or 13 ' 26 amglllll cnt ta ~e a 10 weeks
tran sit ion COllfse of whic h 105 hours are spent fl)lng 13' 265 and
t.he rest in grollnd sch ool. 13-17 and B' 24- pil ots also ~et. 1 0~ homs
4.cngine fl yillg lim e alld ~d.ditional grol~!lc1 'i{'h~)i tmmmg III a I ~
weeks' post.gmd ll:1. le tranSition cou rse . "Igili cr pilot s get :J 5 wed.. s
tran flit ioll cOllrse; si ngle·e ngin e pi lo ts ~ Y 10 hours in P' 40S; J~.;8
pil ots take 10 hours in P' ;22S ( m o(lified p. ,Ss}. G unne ry . I~ a
I
part of fig h ter tra nsition train ~n g . A,I .t he COI1c1l1 ~ lOn o f Iml'I\, I'Oll
t'rain ing, pilot~ report to tllllt lr:1l1l1l1g groups where th e), :Irc
welded illt'o fig hting team s.
Navigator and Uombardicr Trainin g
weeks' course: Trai nees lI tt end the "!lIn e pre-
I'lt tW Ll C I/ 'I' SC II OOL- I O
fli ght school. Both hOlllbard~crs and na\igators take 48 hOIlf'i of
code' 28 hOllfS of math ellla tlcs; 24 hours uf llIaps and ch arh: 30
h Ollr~ of airc raft rc{'ogn it ion ; 12 h ours of n:1\'a l recogni tion ; 12
hours of principles of fli ght; 20 hOllrs of aero.ph )'s ics; 9 hun rs o(
a ltitude cq ll ipill ent.
CUNN lmv SC II OOL-6 weeks' course: n e(':1 \l ~e ever)' I>omher ("few
melllber III1ISI be all ex pcrt gllILll er. 1I:1 \' iga tm [l nd hOlllh:lf(licr
tmin ee.. arc sent to a Jl ex ibJe gunn ery M:hool aft cr preflig ht M:huol.
Th ey iC:lnt weapo ll'>, ba llistics, turret operaliun. and II willI Cll rl ll:'e;
gl lll repa irs; flir , lIe:l and I:md rCl:ogn it ion ; ~ h O()tlll g frolll a 1II00IIIg
 •
'08 OFFI CIAL AAF GUIDE
bHC nnd frolU n t urret ; firi ng from th e nir nt ground object's, nt'
tow Inrgds nnd nl olher plulI cs wilh n gUll cnlll crn . Aflcl' ~ lInllcry
school Ixuubardier and nav iga tor tra illces scparnt c nnd eneh tukes
n IIPCC,lllCd ad va nced course.
nOM IlAIlO IJlR S It OO L- ::O weeks' course: Following gunnery sc hool,
bOlllhardier Imin ees spe nd 1::0 hours i ll A'I'. \ I tmini ng plnn cs on
pratlicc ho mhing rllns and 7 18 h ours in gro und school. T he Inli er
cO II ~iS I ~ of: nnvignlion , 96 hours; bombinG, 388 ho ms; lInvigllH olI
lind bonhi ng nnd relnted tmini ng (code, meteorology, nir lind
sen recogniti on ). 13.1 ho urs. AI I'he co nclusion of Ihe co urse
trainees nrc [(wa rded bom bardier's sih'cr wings, nppoint cd flight
offi cers or commiss ioned 2nd lieute nant s, find sellt on 10 unit
tra in ing.
NAVICATO" SC IIOO L-10 weeks' course: Fo llowing gunn ery sch ool
navigatcr Imi nces spelld 10'1 hours ill the nir o n I>rncticni nflvi$fI '
lion prohlems, nnd 781 hOllrs in g round sc hool. Th e IIIIt er III.
eludes : pilot:lge, 8 hours; instrum ent s, 8) homs; cl end reck o ning,
54 h OlliS; melio, 8 hOllrs; celeslinl Ilnvigl\lio ll , $'l hours; met'cor·
o logy, 47 hours; code find r ecognitiOIl , 9 hours cac h o Upon co m.
pleting th e co urse, train eesfi re aWfl rded nnvigll lor's win gs, np.
pointed Aig ht officers or cOHl missioned l nd lielll ennnts, nnd tid·
va llced to unit twillin g,
nOMnARD If'M, ·NAVICATOM, SC II OO I.- t l weeks ' CO\lrse: Ench 1I1 0 1lih n
specified number of gra dl1ntc nnvig:lt ors ( 180 llIonthl y On Murch
! , 1944) receive fulf bombardier's tmining, excluding nnv ign lion
III which th ey nrc :drend), profi cient. BomlxlI'Clier.nnvigator tm in.
IIIg provides th e doubly twined officers needed for n ' 29S lind for
lend pl:1I1cs in mcdi um bomber missi on s.
G lider Pilols- AAF enli sted men belween th e ages of 18
::Ind 26 who hnve had 115 hours flyi ng lim e eith er in :l glider
or power aircrnft nrc eligible for glider pilot '"raini ng, (Q uotas
arc nl prese nt fill ed.) Th e 6 month s' course is as foll ows:
Fi rst 1 monlhs nrc el evo ted to gro und trninin g. Trainees
take cOllll1l:l llcio type tm inin g in pe rson nl olllba t :md
weapo ns During the next m o ntll tllC': Y learn glider repair and
Hlaintcnancc. The fourth I!lontll th ey Oy powered aircrnf l';
th en spend a month i C:l l'llin g 1'0 fl y gliders nnd stucl r,i ng
meteorology, na viga tioll .1I1e1 selected nC;ldcll1ic silbie IS. I'he
final 111 0,11h is devoted to ndv:l1Iccc! glider fl ying, I'Ile trai nees
beco ming profi cient in the tn clicai lIses of gliders, \Vhcn nd~
v;tlleed tmining is o\'er, th ey arc (Iwn rd ccl sil ver glider pilot's
HOW wE TRAIN lOT
wings. ap l.oilltecl ni'h~' offi~ r~ or C~II~m i s, ion~d ::.n~l l i~'11
tenant s, )0 111 I-roop orflcr IlIlItS for Imloms:'IS te.lm m~ llIbc.:rs,
Rndl1f Observer, Night Fightcr- Aviution nd ets wl t,lI 1-op<".
cin l qllftlir.cntions who nrc climillul cd from Ri ght. lrui llll.'g (or
reasons wh ich do not c1 bql1ulify 111 ('111 h om fur ther {l lrt'l ew
dllties tHC eligible to Imill fl S rnd rH obs rvcrs, ni ·ht fi ghly r.
Becallse th eir work rcqllir S a th orOllgh kll o wl('~l g .of n ~lIll g
tCc1111iqIlC, !'II CY rnllst Il nvc had III' I co ~ t 50 honrs fiylllS III li t.' .
Th ey firsl' toke n 6 wcd.s· SUlinery COHfSC, followed hy 9
weeks' radar opCl'fltions. Twini1lg is cl c~ i gn cd to cnnl?I ' them
10 Oy wit h 0 pilot in fI l ·sca t ·d niglll' lighl cr il ild direct tllc
pilot to ellemy aircraft by mell llS of mdar. Rnd rll' ObSC IVCl'S
II rc appo int cl Oight of!l ccrs or ,C~ lIlln h,lI i on c;~1 lnd l iclll C ll :l~1I 11
lind lroeced to o pcra t lOnul tTn llllll ~ Will i night r. ghl cr 1I1lIt ~,
Aircrcw, E nlisted ]\lIen- Ali cnh:-.lcd III llib rs of un :'111'
crew ar ilcrinl gllnnC I:s~ onl y th e career ~lIl1n ,r. howe"er: i..
ex lllsivcly n gllnlll:r. 111 ", oll1(:rs :Irc tmllH..'d III n I 'chnlcn l
sp cio lty bcfor ' Ih 'Y be ome gHllnc.;rs,
~~~
...,,--..
AI '"he clld of th e b:tsic lruining P 'ri o I. 111 n cI~ (hc n to I
t rain as cu re r gunn ers fIrc eli 'iblc to cnt'er th e 6 we k~' gun
ncry school. (For Olltlin of gunnery coursc, sec page 101i
uncler Na vigator unci B Olllb:nd ier:) Airplnnc n.nll orc r.gtlll1~ tr
train ccs 1'lIke n 10 wccks' COllrse 111 1'11 ' op rn hon tlnd rnnlll
t CU:lUCC of nirpl:lnc nrm amcnt. Airplullc lllCCh:llli ~gllnn l'r
tT:linccs '":IKC 27 weeks' tmining in ni rpln n in ~pcc li olt ulld
llI nin tcn:ln c. Radio opcru lor !O cchani ·gullllcr tminces gl'l
10 weeks of combat r w rncli o opcl'll lioli :lnd r(")lair, AI the
cOllcl usion of th 'ir techn ical '"mini ng, spceinlisl SUIllicr Imi n-
ces go 10 gunne ry scho 1.
T E I1 N ICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND SE RV I :II
TRAI N IN .: Officers nud Officer Truin 's
A....~ AIl"-tl NHn""T I V I~ Olo'''' I C I~ " S AN!) l nAI to: IOC 11 00 I ..... I 6 weeks ' ('O 'II ~(' :
1" rOIlI Ih e nlnks of cn l i.~ l cd 1I1CI1 , both ill Ihi ~ ('0 \11111 )' nlld ()\(' I M" .I ',

108 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
come qualified ca ndidates for th is school, commonly ca lled DeS.
~J11e course is div ided into two 8 week pcrioru . For the fi rst 8 weeks
all candida tes study the req uisites for ad ministration of AAF uni t'! :
c1'lssifica tion , mil itary d iscipline, sanitation , squadron duties, voice
and com mand, arms and marlc.sman.ship, first aid, protection
agailUl chem ical attack, gua rd duty. cam ouA agc, and m aps and
chart!. At th e end of 8 weeks ca ndida tes arc assigned to special ized
t raining in th e type of administration for wh ich they arc best
(Iua lified : ad jutant, personnel, intelligence, mess management,
physical train ing. sta tistical, supply, or train ing. D uring the last
8 weeks 1 0 days are spen t in field training. Upon gradua t ion all
ca nd ida tes 3rc comm issioned l Oci lieutenants.
AVIA.TION CADETS. CROUND-~nl CSe arc selected enlisted men or offi cers
with special educa t ional qualifications. Before th ey begin cadet
tra in ing;. they generally have spent several mont hs in th e service.
at the very least 8 weeks of has ic tra ining. After a 12 weeks ' spc·
cial basic trai nin ~ course, they proceed to specialized t(:chnical
course!, after wh ich they afC com m issioned 2n d lieu tenants. Ca-
dets altend one of the following schools: Ph otogra phic labo ra-
tory Com manders School,. 16 weeks; Com munica tions O ffi cefs
School, 18 weeks; Armamen t O ffi cers School, 19 weeks; Engineer-
ing Officers School, 20 weeks; Weather O fficers School, 33 weeks;
Radar Officers School (3 types), 38, 42 , nd 48 weeks.
RESIDENT CRADUATE TRAININC I' ROCRAM- MedicaJ offi cers who enter
the service directly from t heir fi nal yea r at medical school or from
internship, work for the first 6 months under t he supervision of ex-
pcrienaxJ medical o fficers in an AAIf hospital, T h is half yea r's
tra in ing supplies th e practica l experience nCCCS5.1ry to fulfill the
du ties of m ed ica l officers .
NUI.SE'l TlA ININC PROCRAM-30 days' Cou rsc . Upon ass ignmen t to the
AAF, r.ur~cs arc given a course in m ilit<l ry orga nil..a tion , 5.1nitation ,
food inspection and hospi tal proced ures, After completing the
Wurse, they report for duty at AAF hosp itab,
Mo P ENC J N'EE~ I NC SC IIOOL-3 months ' course, At W right Field , O h io,
t he ~ate ncJ. Command Rives a et;>u rse ill . aeron au tical engin eering
for pilon WIth degrees . nle CUrric ulu m 1<; designed to make stu-
denn more valuable for Materiel Com m<l nd d uties.
E nl isted Men- TII C preparation of enlisted men for ground
(h~ty is th e AA I~'s la rge.5t single training job; 314 sepa rate
skdls are taught \0 80 different types of courses. A d iges t of
th e courses is listed below:
HOW WE TRAIN 109
C ommunica tions (rad io, telegra ph , teleph one, rad ar): .6
co urses ran ging from 4 to 44 weeks; airplan c repai r and ma in-
tenan ce : 15 co urses, 5 to 29 weeks; arm am en t and equ ip-
m ent : 5 courses, 8 to 2 3 weeKs; wea th er : 2 cou rses of 11 and
33 weeks; photogr:1phy: 5 co urses, 2 to 16 weeks; aviation en-
gi neers: 8 courses, 4 to 12 weeks; motor tran sport: 4 courses,
5 to 1 0 weeks; Lin k Train er: 4 courses, 8 to 12 weeks; mis-
ccllanco us: 7 courses, 3 to 9 weeks.
There arc no sch ools, as such, for th e training of AA F en-
l isted med ical personn e1. E nlisted men qu alifi ed for med ical
wo rk arc placed in AA F hospitals, train under supervision on
th e job, arc award ed technicians' ratings wh en th ey achieve
proficiency.
UNIT AND CREW
TIle second part o~ AAF tra,i ning-unit ~nd crew trai ning
- is devo ted to maklll g coordlllatcd , effecti ve teams out ot
sol d ier~spcci ali sts-tea m s within ai rpl anes, teams of airplanes,
tea ms of airp lan es and gro und personnel, teams of groun d
personnel al one.
Immedi ately after Pea rl lIarbor th ere was a pressing need
for compl ete n ew units: figh ter, bombard ment, t ransport, re-
co nn aissa nce, troop ca rri cr. These ul1its were supplied by th e
operati onal unit train ing (OTU ) program. Sim ultan eously,
a replacement un it training (RTU ) progra m was initiated to
prov ide replacements for overseas ai rcrews wh ich had been
lost in battle or return ed home for reassignment. By th e end
of 1943 most of th e auth orized new uni ts h ad been foml ed .
Stepped-up air acti on increased th e dem and for repraccmen b,
and RTU becam e a larger progra m th an OTU .
T oday, except for B~ 29 units and a few oth ers, all ai r unit
and crew training is RTU. Because th e low casualty rate
am ong AAr ground perso nn el obviates th e n eed for an ex·
110 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
tcn ~i\'c replacement train ing progra m , the training of ground
units. which have no fl yin g personnel o r airp lanes, is nlmost
entirely OTU,
Following is an outlin e of unit and crew training divid ed
into the 2 main classifications of ::lic units and ground units.
AIR UNIT TRAINING
Bombardment: Medium, H eavy and Very H eavy- Tn the
days when medium and heavy bombardm ent OTU was fUll c-
ti oning. units were formed by brea king off cadres or skeleton
units from groups within th e 4 domestic air forces and sup-
plemen ting this c.xpericnced nucleus with new graduntcs of
fl yi ng and techni cal schools. G ro und and fl ying personnel
were trained togeth er, and the unit wa s cal)nblc of ad mini s-
tering, feeding, clo th ing and ho using itsc1 . The unit went
overseas after 90 days of trainin g.
Under th e present RTU sys tem , fl ying personn el ( pilo ts,
na vigators, bombardie rs, gunn ers) report to gro ups with in
the 4 do mes tic air forces. T hey arc train ed by instructor
crews, nlany of th em with combat experience. Administration
and mai ntenance work are don e by a ground ech elon which
is a regu lar pa rt of the group. Trainees undergo a 9o-day
course, d ivided into 3 ove rl appi ng phases: First, the train ees
in crease th eir proficiency in indi vidu al skills, lea rn to work as
a tea m, and become fam il iar with equipm ent and techniqu es.
Second. formation fl ying is stressed. F inally, train ees move to
a training area which approximates a battle zone, fl y long
form ntio n bombing mi ss ions by da y and night, lea rn to live,
wo rk an d fight und er cOlli bat conditi ons.
When there is tim e between the date an aircrcw completes
its training and the date it is to report at an overseas base,
th e crtw will often train with a ta ctical air division . Tactical
air divisions ope rate in conjunctio n with Anny Ground
Forces in !nancuver area s, act as fl yin g pa rtn ers to the ground
troops in war games. Fighter units also train when th ey ca n
with tacti cal air di visions; whenever it can be arranged, fighters
and bombers fl y together in jo j,nt training exercises.
The sole remainin g bo mbardment OTU- th e format ion
of 8 -2.9 ( very heavy) Supcrfortrcss units -rec ruits pilots with
HOW WE TRAIN 111
at least 300 hours 4-cngin c fl ying tim e from stnrF nnd i1l
strtlc to r positions at £ -17 or n ~ 2 4 tra1lsition schools or fra il I
4-cngine co rnb~l t groups. opi lo ts nrc new grncluntes of "'
engin e trn nsition scllOols. O th er mcmbers of th c B-':9 nir
c rew arc 2. bornbnrclier navigators, nn acria l cngin cering offi-
cer,. a radi o opem toNn cchfi ll ic and gunn ers. The aircrcw:-. arc
jOined by technical, Adm inistra tive :mcl suppl y pe rsonnel who
h ave had t.'{ pericnce in th e gro und echelons of 4-clISl nc
gro ups. Twining timc for th e whole 13-2.9 \1n it is 4 m o nth s.
Fig hter, Fighter-Bomber and Night fig htcr- Fig hll:r and
fighter-bomber RTU trnining resembl es b n1bard1ll cnt RTU
except for th ese 2. differences: li rs t. becal1 se all nirernft in
th ese catego ri es arc single-scaters, only pilo ts nrc tmill cd; sec-
ond , trainin g is m easllred in hours as well as m onth s (:1 pilot
mll st .get nt lca~ t 60 l~ ol1fs' , n y in ~ exp ric nec). T hi s level. how-
ever, IS eo nstnntly h ems r:1 lseel. fh e prescn t goal is 1 20 hOl1rs.
Alth o ugh fighters ha ve been IIscd advan tageously as fi ght 'r-
b ombers, th eir primary role is nir lighting. Training. th cre-
fore, mu st accompli sh 2 thin gs: teach a pilot to pos ition h is
aircraft properly, and to aim and lire hi s g"IlS aeclIrfitcly.
The fighter and fighter-bomber OTU progra m is abo llt
cO.m ple.tc, but I~ ight fightcr OT U is sti!1 a~~ acti ve pro~r.1m .
N ight fig,h tcr nlrcrcws take a 4 mo nl"ll s 0 ru cOllfse. rh ey I
fly 2-cl~,glll e P-70S o,r P-61S a~ld specialize in n igh t opem·
h ons. 1 he crew consIsts of a pil o t ,w el fi n observer (sec IXlgc
274) wh o :11so do ubl es as a gunn er. rews nre taught to seck
out :mcl attack enem y planes. Th e groun d complem ent: of n
, ni ght fi.gh te ~ un.it jo ins th e unit halfway through th e cO llrse
and tmm s With It fO,r th e Ii l1al 2 month s, N igh t li ghter RTLI s
- alrcrcw onl y-tr~llII 5 mo nth s.
Reconnaissan ce- Two ty pes of grol1ps, p ho to rceonn ni ~a l1 cc
and tncti cal rcconnnissa nec, arc tra in ed :
PIIO'I'O·RECONNAISSANCF.- Pilots wilh :I~ lClIst 40 hours' fl ying tim e:' ill
:I 1'·)8 toke an 8 weeks' co ursc. Thcy fly an F·S (eom·crt ed. \111
nrn~ cd P.· )8), practice high nltitHdc flying, lcarn the ttX'i1niQHc of
t:lk111g :nr photos and become proficicnt in evnsive nctioll. nu\
pl ct'e B' :! 4 crews nlso r(:ccive 8 weeks' training. III nn F. .., (COli
verted ~ ' l4) they \e:lm phol'o mappin g. In photo.ll\flppiug tlt t·
pl:lne (li es over the are:1 to be pltotogrn phed until pictures nrc
 112 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
made of every sq uare foot of it. Then the pictures are mounted in
a nnsn ic to provide a photog raphic map .
TA CTI CAL RE CO NNAISSANCE-Here, photograph y is secondary; the
main job is observation. Pilots with at leas t 60 hours' experience in
iI P' ?1 train for 6 wc~ks in an F-6 (converted P·S l ). 111ey-fl y at
m ~d:um. and low al titudes, become experts , in recognition and
onerl tah~n, learn to detect camouflage and how to adjust long-
range arh~lery fire and naval gunfire. They use cameras chiefl y for
confirmatlo':l of, wlmt they have seell, but their primary task is to
seck out obJectlVcs on the ground. . job. He becomes steadily more proficien t through prog ressive
Combat Camera Crews-Crews of officers and enlisted men
~vith photographi c and moti on picture experience, are train ed
In a 10 weeks' course. l11cy learn by taking newsreel and stilI
picturc:s of simulated combat action and arc assigned as cam.
era units with overseas air forces.
~roop Carrier .Units-Troop carrier' training is now almost
entirely RTU . PIJo.ts mar.ked for troop carrier are graduates
of a~v.anced . 2~eng~ne flymg schools. After taking 30 da ys '
tran~ltlon .tramIng 111 C47S, they are sent to train in a troop
ca rner UnIt. At the e~d of 2 ~onths. th~y are joined by th eir
crew m embers-:-copllot~ engmeer, rad~o operator and, in
some cases, navigator. Wh en the new crew is ready to fly as
a tea m, it begins to practice dropping small units of airhorne
~round fo:ces .stationed. at .adjoinin~ ~cld s. 111is troop.carry.
mg opera.tl? " Increases III size as trammg progresses. A glider
e1em e~t lOl11s the crews and the troop ca rrier teams lea rn to
tow glIders. Working as a unit, in airplanes and gliders th ey
arc taught . th~ s'pe~ialized techniques they will empl~y in
c?l11bat- aIr dl sclpl1l1c, low altitude Hying, all-wea ther opera- .
b ons, wcal?ons, communications, nav iga tion, glider and para-
troo~ lan~mgs? supply. by air, air evacuation (sec page 19 6 )
and IdentIfica tIOn of aIr and ground objects. W11 en the crews
have complcted training (5 months for pilots, 3 for oth er crew
ll1em ben), th ey are assigned to troop ca rrier units overseas:-'"
Air Transport Units- Since th e planes flown by the Air
Transp~rt Comm ~md range from bantamweight primary train-
~rs ~o giant .4 -engl11.c cargo planes, the ATC training program
~s d ' v~rsc. Pilots Hymg for ATC arc classified into 5 categories
Identified by the type of planes flown, as follows:
HOW WE TRAIN 113
CLASS ONE-S111<111, singlc-cnginc t ra incrs; CLASS 'l'WO- 2·cn-
gine advanced tra iners and small 2-engincd cargo pJancs; C LASS
THREE-heavy 2-engi ne ca rgo planes; C LA SS FOUR-2-cngine
fightcrs and mcdium bombers; CLASS FlvE- hcavy bom bers and
4-engine cargo aircraft. Upon attaining the ratin g of C lass
Five pilot, th e ATe pilot ca n fl y any plan~ in th e AAF.
From the day h e sta rts his train ing with ATC as C lass One
pilot, he is a stud ent, constantl y learni ng by working at his
transition from C lass O ne to C lass Fivc, from th e lightcs t to
th e h eaviest type aircraft. Every Right h e makes is a t ra ining
Right. In addition to on-th e-job training in th e air, intensive
ground school courses in aircraft engi necring, instrum ents,
naviga tion and meteorology arc completed . All pilots must go
th rough this entire sequence, th e length of tim e requ ircd de·
pending on the ability of th e pilot to adva nce, availability of
aircraft and Hying conditions. Pilots are trained individually
for single-engine dom es tic flyi ng but crews are train ed as
units for bombers and multi-engine transports. Th ese crews,
incl ud ing pilots, copilots, naviga tors, radio opera tors and
Hight cngincers; train as units for several weeks in a special-
ized sch ool.
In addition to flight personnel, ATC trains ground per-
sonnel in sllch field s as traffi c, travel and insuran ce, loading,
flight control, wcather foreDlsting. engi neerin g, co mmunica-
ti ons, personnel, administration, supply and mess.
G ROUND UNIT TRAINING
The training of ground units (units contai ning no Hying
personnel and no aircraft) is llsuall y a 2-phasc process. First.
techni cal school gra duates report to a training base opcra ted
by a dom es ti c gro llnd group. Und er th e direc ti on of th e
pa ren t group th e indi\'iduals arc formed into squad rons (no t
groups, as is th e ease with com hat units) and t rai n as Sti ch
during the first phase. [n the second phase the squ:1drons arc
sent to domesti c bnscs whe re th ey lenrn to coo rdin ate th eir
particular functi ons with th e wo rk of oth e r typ es of squadron s.
Tllis is call cd co mbin ed trainin g. Followi ng is a table of
prin cipal types of ground units trained and length of trai n ing:
.... TYPE OF uN"lf- ' ~ ' ~_""_ ' _' _ _ ' _' _r _'_"
FUNCTION \\'Ef:t:S OF TRAINING
Unit COIllbined .
::

Airborne engineer aviation bat- Rehabilitates C:lptured airfields. COI l s trllc t ~ advance
talion airb.lses II 0
Airdrome sq uadron . special Uperates advance & auxiliary airbases 9 4
Aircraft warning unit Radar detection of fri endly and enenw aircraft 6 4
Airways detachment Maintenance of transient aircraft . 13 0
Aviation squadron Housekeeping; general labor fun ctions 9 4
Chemical company, air opera- Loads airplane spray tanks with liquid smoke. chem-
tions icals; operates chemical warehouses I5 6
Chemical depot company Stores & issues chemical ammunition & equipment 10 4
Chemical maintenance company Repairs & s.llvages chemical warfare equipment 10 4
Depot repair squadron ~ fa jar aircraft repairs 8 16
Depot supply squadron Supply for major repairs 8 16
Engineer a\'iation battalion Constructs, Illaintains, defends airbases II 0
Engineer aviation camouflage Supervises camouflage activities II 0
battalion
Engineer aviation fire fighting Fire fighting & crash crew service 6 0
platoon
Engineer depot company Operates engineer supply depot II.. 0
Engineer topographic company Prepares charts, maps, photomosaics II 0
Engineer utilities detachment Provides & mnintnins water & electric fa cilities II 0
Fighter control unit Directs aircmft by mdio·telephone; furnishes naviga-
tional aids 6 0
Headquarters squadron, service Administ ration , transportation of service group 8 16
group
Medical dispens.1T}', aviation Functions as dispensary 8 0

TYPE OF UNIT FUNCTION' W FEKS OF TRAININC

Unit Combined
~fedica l sections, service or de- Performs medical duties for service or depot groups 8 16
pot group
Medical supply platoon Stores, issues medical supplies 6 0
~Iilitary police company Guards inst.. llations, cond ucts crimin .. l im-estiga'
tioll s 10 0,
· Ordnance ammunition COIll - Stores, issues & maintain s :1I111uunition 16 8
pan y
·Ordnance maintenance com· Repairs, main tains ordnance mnterieJ 16 8
pany ,
Q uartermaster eomp..lny. service Stores & issues general supplies 8 8
group
Quartermaster service company Forms generaI.labor pool 5 8
Quartermaster truck company Transports troops, ammunition , equipment 8 8
Sen'ice squadron Aircraft maintenance & repair 8 16
Signal company Procures, installs, operates commllnications facilities 12 5
Signal company ~ epot Installs. does major repairs on radio & radar com-
munications 12 14
Signal construction battalion Constructs heavy wire installntions, strings cables 8 9
Signal radio interception com- Intercepts and analyzes enemy radio traffic, oper-
pany ates direction find ers 6 0
Station complement squadr~n Provides continuous operation of .. irbase 16 0
• Receive unit train ing from Army Service Forces.

0::
~
 111 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
•
OVERSEAS TRAINING
AAF training may be compared to assembly line produc·
tion. The parts of the machin e arc forged in the individual
training program and assembled in the unit and crew training
program . The last step is modification; makin g alterations in
c the fini shed product necessary for the particular rcquircll) cnts
of each overseas th eater. :Modification is done in training cen·
teTs in the th eaters of opera tion s themselves.
In th e British th ea ter, for exampl e, the 8th Air Force op-
erates a combat crew replacement center to which every n ew
crew rcp:)Tts for additional tminin g before it begins combat
opera tions. TIle course has 2 purposes-first, to correct any
flaws of individual crew members; seco nd, to indoctrinate
every man in th e procedures and problems of th e th eater.
First th e crews hear lectures which provide them with gen·
eral infonnation about th e theater. Th ey receive instruction
in the use and ca re of high altitude personal equipm ent, bail·
ing out, prisoner of war procedure and escape techniqu es,
obsen'ation and reporting, of intelligence data , air and naval
recognition, geography of EutOpe, and Gemla n air fighting
I methods. After th e lecture session the individual crew ll1em·
I bers-pilot, bombardier, na vigator, radio operator, mechanic
and gunners-get intensive ch ecks in th eir specialties to
make sme that th ey meet the standards for combat profi.
eienc},. Faults arc corrected before th e crewman is sent to
combat.
AM TACTICAL CENTER
lil e AAF Tactical Center, headquartc red at Orlando, F la.,
occupies an arCil of 8000 square miles-approximately the
'Jize of SIcily. Here ,a threefold program is conducted: the
training of cad res to form the nuclei of new units, the train·
ing of inGividuals in highly speciali zed duties and the testing
f new ta ctics and techniques unde r combat conditions. Since
'ts inception in late 1942, the Tactical Ccnter at Orlando has
um ed out more than 35,000 graduates, Illtlde about 500
ac tical te!)ts.
HOW WE TRA IN
1,7
The Tactical Center's t ra ining program is divided into ac~·
dem ic and pmctieal j)hases. Lectures and classes are . held 111
th e AAF Sch ool 0 Appl ied Tactics; field problem s are
workcd ou t in a simulated theater of opera ti ons.
Cadres reporting from opera tional units take a o~ e.m onth
courSC-2 weeks of acadernic work and 2 weeks learnmg battle
tactics. com muni cations, control sys tcJ?s, em ergency proce·
elures intellige nce mcthods and defenSive safeguard s.
~Ib;ny oth er courses, including some und er the Ann y·Navy
Staff College, are taught to oflicers from all branch es of th e
Army Navy and tvfarines.
Fo; AAF office rs, th e Ttlctical Center also condu cts several
spccial short co urses: senior officers. 1 <? ~ays; .s ta~ officers, 14
da ys; tactical inspectors, 15 days; admllllstrattv~ I11sl~cctors, 4
wceks; technical inspectors, 4 weeks; c~mbat ~ntell~gencc, 8
week s; photo.intcrpreta~ion , 8 \~ecks; alTbase lI1t~lhgence: 4
weeks; prisonc r of war mterrogatlon, 4 wee ks; scmor m cdl ~al
officer, 6 days; staff wcather officers, 2 weeks; persona~ eqtl ~p­
mcnt officers (oxygen devices, electri cally h ea ted c1othmg, hfe
veo;;ts, etc.) 2 wecks. rvfore than ,0 other specialized courses
arc oiven in th e AAF 'T actical Center,
b
OTHER TRAINING PROGRAMS
•
SI'ECIAL TRAINING
School of Aviation Medicine- Three co urses are taught at
th e School of Aviation M edicine. Randolph Field, T~x. A ?
weeks' aviation medical examiners co urse teaches AA I' m edl·
cal officers ( men wh o wcre ph ysic i~ n s in eivili~n life) to safe-
guard th e h ealth of airerews-ph yslOlogy of alti tude, effects of
gravity and d ccompr~sSlO.n . They a~e al so tau ght to adm l~l l ~.ter
ri gid ph ysical. eXtl lTIlllatlOns to a.lrcrew members. AVla~IO!)
medical examl11 crs may becom e RI ght surgeon s after a year s
expe rience, including 50 hours' Hyin g tim e, and may~ wear
fl ight surgeo ns' gold wings (sec pogc 51).
118 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
A 6 weeks' aviation physiologists course trains doctors and
ph ysioJogj~ ts in research methods. TIlei! work, after ~radua~
tion. is to ascertain wh eth er new techmqucs and equipment
j sea planes. M ech ani cs take a 6 weeks' course in seaplane m ain-
can safely be used within the limits of physiol~gical cnl?a~il­
it\". Aviation ph ysiologists also conduct the altItude tratnmg
program. Another 6 weeks' course trains enlisted m ed ic~!1
technicians to help aviation m edical examiners in aiTerew
ph ysical examinations.
School of Air Evacuation- To teach the methods of tran s-
porting patients by air to hospitals far behind the lines, th e
AAF School of Air Evacuation was set up in June, 1943 , at
Bowman [i'ield, Ky. In a 2 months' course, flight surgeon s,
nurses and enlisted men learn field medical technique, care
of airborne patients, preparation of medical record s, camou-
fl age, protective measures and problems of the battle zone.
AAF Staff Course- As our overseas operations expanded, a
need arose for skilled yo ung officers to ass ume staff duties in
high er echclons-wing and above. In Ju ly 1943', an AAF Staff
Course for captains, majors and, in some cases, colonels be-
twecn the ages of 25 and 35, was establish ed. The selected
officers take a 3-phase course: First, a 2 weeks' co urse at th e
AAF'Tactical Center (sec page 116) to learn the duties of a
staff officer in a combat theater. Next, a 2 weeks' tour of sta-
ti ons to observe th e work of the ?\1ateriel Command, th e
Antiaitcraft School, the Airborne Command, an amphibious
force and a port of embark<ttion. Finally, 4 weeks arc spent at
AAF headquarters studying personnel, intelligence, training.
operations, commitments and requirements, materiel, mainte-
nance and distribution, and plans.
Emergency Rescue Train ing- Any AAF man forced down
on land or sea can be sure that he wi1l be thc object of a
sc;u eh , A training program is dcvoted to prep:lTing special
squ<lcirons for searching out and rescuing strand ed personnel.
'T'he pJOgram is divided into 2 parts: aircr<lft and marine,
Members of aircraft rescue squadrons are pilots, navigators,
flight surgeons, sea search radar observers, and enlisted tech -
nicians who perform lll<1intcnancc and administrative fun c-
ti ons~ Pilots first repo rt to th e Navy's air training st<1 tion at
Pensacola, Fla., where they take a 10 weeks' course in flying
HOW WE TRAIN 119
tcnance. Then all flying, m edical and ground personnel spcnd
4 5 days learning to fun ction as a unit.
Sea rescue squadrons are composed of ~F o~ce~S'. ~nd
m en who have had ex tensive nautica l expenence 111 clvlha.n
1ife. The training period is 24 weeks: the first 6 on the baSIC
principles of seallla ~l sh.ip and sea rescue; tl?e ~ext 1 ~ on
instruction of cach IIldl v,d ual crew m ember III IllS partIcular
du ty; th e final 6 on un it training ..
, Convalescent Training- The ~ed1Um. of con valescen ce has
bcen profitably relievcd in AAJ', h ospitals b~ a program of
convalescent trainin g. T h e trammg program mclud~s cours~s
in code ch emical warfare, ca mouflage, map readlllg, calis-
th enics, ' first aid, booby traps and land mines, a~rcraft id~n.ti fi­
cation, geo politics, weather,. arctic and . tropical m edlcllle,
foreign languages, mathematics and ~h yS lCS.
Paticnts wcll enough to leave th eIr bcds a~te~d lec tures
and training films. vVh en a patien t must rem am 111 bed, the
tra ining is brought to his bedside. Lect ures. and demonstra -
tions are given in the wards; even complete aIrplane m ock-ups
have been set up in hospital bays.
Besides increasing th e soldier's kn owledge, convalescent
tT<lining has definite therapeutic advantages. It has sh ortened
the average c'onvalesce nt period by 30 to 40 % (sc.·ulet fever
conva lescence, for example, has been cut from 33 to 23 days).
Hospital readmissions have dropped a full 25 % . I.n t.nany c.'lses
th e need for a conval escent furlough has been el1l11lnated, en-
abling th e soldier to return m orc qui ckly to duty.
Rehabilitation- Eight large con va lesce nt ~~nters have. been
establish ed in th e United States to reconcl1tlOll casualtlCs so
that they ca n once more pcrfo.r~ll useful w?rk ~n. ~hc ~Ar or.
if th ey are unfit for furth er lluhtary duty, III clvll wn lIfe.
Patients sent to convalesce nt centers fro m ovcrseas h os-
pitals are kept busy. Light calisth enics, useful work in 11l<lIlual
crafts sh ops and gardenin g projects, and lectures a.nd ti cm.on-
strations on milita ry subj ects arc part of th e daIly routllle.
Patients who have und ergone amputations arc taught tI'~e usc
of artificial limbs. By easy stages th ey m as ter th e tcehlllques,
develop confid ence in th e11l ~clvcs and acquire a high degrce of
 120 OFFICIAL AAF CUIOE
, profi ciency. As soon as a paticnt:s h ealth peml i ~s, he begins a
: course of ac tual job trainin g. If It has been dC~ld cd to re~urn
~ h im to M F duty, he is given a refresh er course In th e specialty
· to which h e will be assigned . If th e patient is to be honorably
I d i~charg(d, he is given guid ance:: in a skill th at will help assure
( h im empl oym ent in civil life.
: INSTRUCTORS TRAINING
· Instru ctors for pilot, naviga tor, bombardier and gunnery
I schools are train ed at AAF centra l instructors schools. Both
J newly commissioned officers and. aircrew members r~tllm~d
· from comba t are taught instru ctIon method s. TIle pIlo t ~n ­
: stru ctor course is 4 weeks, naviga tor 9 weeks and bomba rdier
• 9 weeks. Ground sch ool instructors at pilot training fields
take a 4 weeks' course in th e lates t acad emic instructi on
i meth ods. G unn ery ccntral instructors school, the only one for
enlisted men, conducts a 4 weeks' co urse.
Because all·wcath er operati ons require a ~o und kno\~'ledgc
of instrument flying, an instrum ent central I11structors school
I was opened in ea rly '94 3. In spite 01 Hying blind th ro ugh all
kinds of wea th er, stu?ents th ere flc\~ over .250,000 h ours
I d uri ng the first yea r WIth out even a Inmor aCCIdent.
IFOREIGN STUDENT TRAINING
In 1943 some 6500 foreign stud en ts were train ed at ap-
proxima tely 50 AA P sta ti ons in the U. S.; 2 8 00 were trai ned
th e yea r before. Ea rly in th e war, about onc-thi rd of U. S.
! airfields were bt:ing used to train fo reign stud ents.
• Students from all pa rticipating nations cxcept th e British
tand Duteh take their traini ng, whether Hying or technic::11,
I alo.ngsid~, All1cr.i ~an trainees in regular !,-AF . t raining inst~l.
JlatJons. I he Bnhsh and Dutch usc Ml' eqlllprn cnt and au-
I planes, but co ndu ct th eir ow n programs.
! T ra in ing of all forcign stud ents, including British and
· D l1 tch, is un der AA F supervision, wi th tra ining costs being
leharged in the mai n against lend-lease. Upon completin g
.th eir COlilses, foreign students re turn to the air forces of their
low n na ti ons- except the C h i n c~e who report to tIl e C hin csc-
lAm cric:l n wing atta ched to th e U. S. 14th Air Fo rce in C hina.
HOW WE TRAIN 121
TRAINING AIDS
I
AAF training aids are di vided into 5 classifi cati ons :
1
PUBLICATIONs-Hundreds of highly technical publications have been
printed in attractive illustrated fo rms. .. .
POSTERS-A staff of skilled artists prepares posters willch dchvcr Im-
portant training messages in gm l~h i c, f~rcefl~1 m a~ n cr .
FII.Ms-Training films arc prod uced In conJunchon With th e AAF mo·
tion pict ure un it . Comba t mov.ie:> taken by AA r overseas ca mera-
men are often spliced in to tnnmng films. In the .past year Ill ore
than 1 50,000, 000 feet of training film were distnbutcd to AAF
stations here and abroad.
RECOCNITION DEVICES-A Rash system of aircraft recognition. has bce~l
de,'c1oped . In the Rash method a silh ouette of, an airplane IS
Rashed on a screen for a fra ction of a second, all owmg only eno ugh
time to pick out major identi fying feat ures. A f~er a stu?ent h:ls
learned by the Rash system. he is able to recognize any alT~a ft In
a m inim um of time. Picture cards an d models of planes , slu ps and
ground equ ipm ent are also included ~ n.der reco~ ~ i ti o n d e~ i ces. .
MEc nANICAL DEVICEs-These are speclahzed tralll lOg eqlllpm ent.
Link Trainers (see page 105 ). navigation , bombing and gunnery
train ers, and all other mechanical train ing devices which are not
act ua l operational equipment.
Aids to training are coo rdinated and supplied th rough the
AAF Training Aids Division, loca ted in New York C ity.
YOUTH TRAINING GUIDED BY TIll AAF
T wo civilian train ing programs. th e High School Victo~'
Corps -and th e C AP (Civil Ai r Patrol ) Cadets, are engaged '!'
preparing young men and women for future duty. In th e AA I'.
The AAF training organi za tion has only an ~dvlsory COlmec·
tion with both programs. M embe rs of th e Vic tory Corps are
stud ents in about 2 0,000 high sch ools who take courses
whic11 increase th eir aptitud e for military trainin g. C rcd it is
given in th e sch ool cur riculum . AAF co urse incl udes 1.11athc-
Ill'ltics, phYSics, phYSical tra in ing. elem entary aeronautics.
C AP cadet trai ning is ~ ~ ex tracurric.ul ar progra m f? r . bo~s
and girls 15 to 18. In 10c.JlJb es wh ere V I?tOry C orps tram,ll1.g IS
given . a boy or girl m ust be a m em ber m order to be eligible
for C AP c:lele t training. T he cadets wear AI' nnifonns. meet
•
122 OFFICI AL AAF GUIDE

rcglll:ul y for evening classes. nrc instru ted by C P members,

RC(luirc:.l ourses nrc militnry and ph ysi al training, code, nir~
craft identificn tion. As th e stud ent prog resses, he may hegin
prefligh t train illg-c1cl1Icn tary navigation ::m d meteor logy,
first aid, principles of night. WHAT WE FIGHT WITH
PREVENTION OF FLYING ACCIDENTS
The n)'in g ' .1fCly record for the last half of ' 943 IV.1' 6
fntal accide nts per l OO,OOO ho urs 0 0\\,11 , the sa me :IS th e rec-
ord for th e prewar decade 19 1- 19 40. and considerabl y less
than the ovcrn ll rotc for 1942 and 1943. T his safety recol'd
was accomplished in SI)itc of the trcrn clId ous cxpn nsioll ill
th e traiuing progrnm, t lC vast in crease in n um bers of ai rcraft
and th e in creasing mechan ical co mplexities of Ryillg.
The Ollice of I,'l)'i ng Safety ( form erly Fli gh t on trol Com-
Ill and) conducts a 5*phase flying S:1fcty program:
AC IOEN7 RBPORI'INc-AlI accident s arc reported first by rndio and
wire. 3Ild later on a standa rd question naire known as Form 14.
This information provides both nn tlp·to thc milllltc ftnd a de·
t3ilcd accou nt of the accident si tuation from which studies arc
made 10 ass ist in dctermining the nccess ity for IHc\'cnti\'c mcasures. In th e AAF we ent er in to n pnrtll crsh ip with our machin es
FIELD SM'ETY orU\TIONs-Stntist ical infonn:ltion on the nnture and and inst ru ments. It' is a losc rdntio ll!)hip, nt tilllcs condu ted
ca ll ~es of accident s i~ combin ed with the experiencc of sa fety of· vi rtunll v on a 1Il:11I·tO·1t1:l1l basis, nlld our nH:.'c hanicnl need s
ficers in the ficld . These. vetera n pilots, assist the contincnt.. l air a rc grc;it, both in quality :l1ld I1llln bers, I t takes som c 500,000
forces and the Training Comma nd in acciden t prevcntion. This scpam te items to kecp the AAF in opcrntion . nc 4< ngi nc
is accomplished through obscf\'a tioll of tmining and opcrating pro·
cedurc), resulting in corrective m ea~lIrcs :and recomlllcndations for bornbcr rC(lu ircs en o u gh alum inllrn for 55,000 coffce perco·
mod ification of :airem£! or changes in tmining policy. In tors; cnough alloy st cel to make 6800 elect ric iro ns: enough
SAl~ET Y tDUCATION- By empha sis. repetition and j" spi rahon, pilots steel for 160 w ash in g Illachines; eHo ugh rubber to rcc:! p 800
:Ind il1 s trll c tor ~ arc cncollOlgcd :lI1d assisted in obtai ning SOll11ci :Iut omobilc ti res; enough copper fo r Sso rad io receivers.
fl ying knowledge . Th e med ia for thi ~ progra m consist of training To prov ide uS with Hl c necessary airc raft und co roll ary
aids. films, posters and other educ:lliol1011 nids . c(luipm cnt, a civilian arlll Y of s 'vcntilllill io n mcn :I nd WOmen
FI.U; 1I1' cON'r ltOL- l'he fli ght control svs tem l1t ilizes nil nva il nb lc work :Iro und th e clock in mo re lhan 15.000 factories th ro ugh.
aerial nnvi~:llioll nl aids, meteorologic:"i (bta and experience, !Iud Oll t th e nation. To kccp !'h is hug' p rod uc tion whc'l tu mi ll g:.
tcchni(llIC III the di ~p:l t ching :lIId control of milita ry fligh ts. F ligllt
contro rcquiremclIt nrc determincd :l1Id night control procedures, som e 60 bi llio ns of doll ars havc hec n upprop riatcd in th '
mcthods lind practices established for t he AAF. la:-. t 1 ycnrs. Itl 19 39, a totul of 568 l'lIil ilary nil' raft was pro
1'.ljtf)ICAL S"'I~ I~ '1'Y I>lVI SloN- Openrtillg und er the medic:11 policies of dll ced in I'h e U . S. In 1940 0111' produc tion goal W~IS sct nt
the Air nrgeon. med ica l invcstign tions of nircmft rlccidel1 ts :Ire 1)0,000 pl:1 ll cs- a figure soon boost'cd 10 125,000.
Illude JpOI1 wl~ich to determinc the need for prot ective de" iccs, O ur progm m for glol>:11 nil' suprcma cy c:lll ed for planes
cmcrgcllc)' equipment and '<lfety procedures. !)lIpcri or to anyth ing trl c cll cm y ould pu t in thc nir ag'lill!)l us.
123

124 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
MB.lTARY AIRCRAFT PRDDUCTlOH
(TITM WDUT If AJIfIa($III NUMOS)
It caned principally lor long-range bombers and fighters to
strike deep into the enemy homeland; for land ~bascd aircraft.
since onl¥ from land bases can aircraft carry th e great weigh t
of explosIves necessary to produce any considerable effect on
strategic targets.
Along with th e war of production and combat goes the
war of experimental development, of design and research, to
provide the planes that will be in the air tomorrow.
Procurement and production of AAF aircraft, equipment
and accessories are supervised and administered by the Ma-
teriel Command, which also has the major responsibility for
engineering and inspection.
RATIO OF AIRCRAFT TYPES ACCEPTED
1943
WHAT WE FIGHT WITH '25
Production directives reach th e Materiel Command with
technical instructions as to the quantity of each airplane by
type, its performance requirements and its delivery schedules.
TIle actual administration and supervision are done by 3 sec-
tions of the command: production engineering, production
control, industrial planning.
AAF procurement is administered by procurement district
offices throughout the U. S. Supervision of these districts,
originally under civilian inspectors, now is conducted by
AAF officers who are also stationed at manufacturing plants.
Designations of Aircraft- Letters are assigned to aircraft ac-
cording to th e mission each type is designed to perfonn; nu-
merical designations refer to particular models. TIIUS, bomb-
ers bear the designation "B" fo r bombardment, as t he B-17 or
B-25. "P" stands for pursuit, although pursuit plan es are
now called fighter planes (P-40, P-Sl or P-38). 111is system 01
nomenc1ature was adoptcd in th e middle 1920'S, and th eo-
Petically, numerical deSignations indicate th e order in which
designs were accepted by the AAF for certain types of aircraft.
However, numbers are often assigned to designs which are
subsequently cancelled. Therefore the number 17 in B-17
does not necessarily identifv this model as th e 17th bomber
dcsign produced lor the AAF.
"A" stands for attack planes (A-20, A-24 ) wh ose miSSion
is low altitude bombing, dive-bombing, or strafing. A P-; 1
modified for dive-bombing is known as an A-36.
Other designations inc1ude: "c" for cargo aircraft (C-47,

()
fU- JUNI AUG. OCT. ole.
C-87); UC lor utility cargo ( UC-78); " F" lor ph oto-rccon-
naissa nce (F-S is th e P-38 photo-type plane ) ; " ROO lor rotary
wing aircraft; HC" for gliders ("Ce," cargo glider; ··Te."
training glider ); "0" for observation; " L" for liaison; " AT,"
"BT," "PT" for advance, basic and primary trainers; " X"
1944 indicates plane is experimcntal; "Y" is for service tes t aircraft.
{stIllDUU"
Dropping of "X" and "Y" indicates p1:me is in producti on'
"z" indicates it has becn dcc1ared obsolete. '
""h en a number is followed by a letter, it mea ns th at a
productiO~1 modifi cati?n- such as a change in engine. arma-
..MI AUG. OCT. DIe. ~ent or 1l1ternal cql1l£mcnt- has becn effected on this par-
,
ticular type 01 plane. ne B-17G , lor example, indicates the
126 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 127
seventh step of modification in the production model "C"
OBSERVATION
being the series letter.
Vnltee . 0 ·49 Vigilant
Curtiss . 0·52 Owl
MILITARY AIRCRAFT Lockheed 0 · 56 (B.J4) Ve ntura
Taylorcraft 0 ·57 (L.2). Grasshopper

~1t ~ T + T ,
Aeronica .
Piper.
VlIltee
0 ·58
0 · 59
0 ·62
(L·3).
(L·4 ).
(L· 5).
Grasshopper
Grasshopper
Sentinel

,
Df:~ I Cr:ER AA!-' DESIGNATIONS APPROVED NAME
TRAINERS
BO~IBERS
Boeing . B· 17 Fortress North American. AT·6 • Texan
Douglas . B· 18 Bolo Beech AT·7 Navigator
Douglas . B·23 Dragon Beech AT· IO \Vichita
Consolidated B·24 Liberator Beech AT· I I Kan san
North Americ;m. B·25 Mitchell Boeing AT· 15 Crcwmaker
Martn B·26 Marauder North American. AT-1 6 I-Ianmd
Boeing B·29 Superfortress Cessna AT· 17 Bobcat
Vega . B·34 (0· 56) Ventura Lockheed AT· 18 (A.29 ) Hudson
Douglas A·20 (p. 70) Havoc • VuJtee AT· 19 Reliant
Douglas A-24 Dauntless Fairchild . AT·2 1 Gunner
Curtiss A·25 Helldiver North American. BT·9. BT·14 Yale
Locbeed A·29 (AT. 18 ) Hudson Flcetwing BT· 12 Sophomore
Martn . A·30 Baltimore Vultee BT-I3, BT- 15 Valiant
Vultee A·31, A·35 . V engeance Steamlan I'T·I3 , PT· I 7
Brewiter . A·34 Bermuda PT-1 8, PT·27 Cadet
North American. A·36 (1'·51 ) Mustang Fairchild. PT· 19, 1'1'·23
PT-26 Cornell
FIGHTERS Ryan. PT·21 , PT- 22 Recruit
Lockheed 1'·38 Lightning
Bell P·39 Airacobra TRANSPORTS
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk Beech C·43 Traveller
Repu':>lic 1'-47 Thunderbolt Beech CA5 Exped iter
North American. 1'·5 I (A·36) Mustang Curtiss C·46 Commando
Northrop 1'·61 Black Widow Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Bell 1'·63 King Cobra Douglas C·49, C-53. Skytrooper
Douglas . P·70 (A.20) Havoc Douglas C·54 Skymaster
Lockheed C· 56, C·60 . Lodestar
LIAISON
Lockheed C-63 (AT. 18)
Taylo:craft L·2 (0 ·57). Grasshopper • (A-29 ) Hudson
Aeronica. L·3 (0 · 58 ) . Grasshopper Lockheed C-69 Constellation
Piper L·4 (0·59). Grasshopper Curtiss C·76 Caravan
Vultee L·5 (0·62). Sentinel Consolidnted C·S7 Liberator
•
Grumman OA·9 Goose
128 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
Removal 01 CamouRage- ln Deccmber '943 th e AAF or-
dered the removal of camouflage pain t from almost all Its aIr-
craft. It is estimated that removal of the familiar grecnish-
gray p2.in t gives AAF planes a sligh t increas~ in top speed, a
weigh t reduction in fighter types of approx Imately 15 to 20
pounds, and in heavy bombardment types of from 70 to 80
pounds. The action was taken upon recomm endahons of com-
bat commanders. Only specialized planes overseas will retain
their camouflage, and in the con t inental U. S. practically all
aircraft will roll off the assembly li nes a meta l color.
fUNDS Il'PRDPRJJTEJ) fOR ARMY AVIATION
... _______ UtI."
8 M __ ___ _ _ $115.-
an _____ __ 'l1,li1.
•• ____ ___ SIII. -
WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 129
and in the form of man h ours through voluntary payroll de-
ductions. W h erever possible, the AAF makes available a
specific plane for a dedicati on ceremony.
The bond purchase " Buy a Born ber" plan reach ed th e
$550,000,000 mark early in 1944. This represents more than
300 0 individual planes, with requests for participation com-
ing in at th e rate of about 300 a month . Planes financed
by War Bond purchases can be painted with th e nam e of the
sponsori ng community or non-comm ercial orgamzatIon.
Quotas set for the purchase of various types of planes for
th e AAF under th ese plans arc as follows :
PLANE C ASH BON DS
T"incr $ 10.000 $ 1;,000

1I1I _______ 1735,l1D11,1IIIO

Fighter
Medium bomber
50,000
150.000
i;,OOO
175,000
1I1I _______ II52.J14,J5I I-Ieavy bomber 250,000 300,000
1121 _______ 121,123,513 Arrangements for cash purchases arc made through the
1124-______ 112,121,lIII0 office of the Assistant Secretary of \OVar for Air. MF accept-
1121 _______ 121.&11,431
1m _______ $3I,II2,s&1 ances of War Bond financed planes are handled in coopera-
1133- ______ 125,&73)31 ti on with the U. S. Treasury D epartment.
113L ____ __ I3O,917,702 Performance and Characteristics-Aircraft characteristics,
1131 _______ 150)17,191
such as amlament instal1ations, are undergoing constant
193L ____ $62,602,127 modifica tion. In our B-25s, the bombardier and his compart-
I93L __ __ $67,308,374 ment were eliminated on some models for installation of a
193'- ____ $74,099,532 75 mm cannon and fixed .50 caliber guns. Because modifica-
1940 _____ $243,941,941 tions are constantly being made, accompanying ch art presents
1941 __ ___ $3,893,287,570 only normal equipm ent found on each aircraft type.
1942 ___ .$21,950,242,480 A plane'S performa,nee primarily is affee~ed by its, gross
194L __ $10,615,132,795 weight, speed and altitude. A bomber carrymg a maXlfllllm
bomb load of 3 tons ca nn ot fly as high as when it carries only
1944___ $23,655,998,000 onc ton of bombs. \~l hc n a fighter fl ies at h igh spced, It re-
duces its range by burning up gasoline faster , A plane has
"Buy A Bomber" Plans-The AAF has received several greater ran ge and spced at 30,000 feet, wh ere air is thin, than
thousand military airplanes through voluntary cash contrib u- at 10,000 feet where more power is expended to overcome
tions and special War Bond purchases sponsored by com- resistance of denser air, For th ese reasons. it does n ot n eces-
munities, organizations and oth er groups. sa ril y hold true !hat a bomber ca n ca,rry its m a~im um ~)omb
Under the cash plan, citizens have made outright gifts of load at its 111aXIIl1UITI speed a n d altI tudc for Its maximum
more than $3,000,000 for the purchase of planes for the range, Figures in the following cha rts nlUst be considered as
"AI". These contributions have been made both in cash presupposi ng spccific ope rational co nditions.
 WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 131
130 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
TAC rICAL BOMB CREW REMARKS TYPE
ENGINE Dfl(ENSIONS IfAX. WEIGHT OPERATTONAL • (b ) ARMAMENT
RADIUS LOAD I s.
4

Wing Span Length SPEED (lbs.) CEILING

700 6000 13-.50 cal guns; 9-11 Optional; external B-17G
B-I7G l-Wright 1200hp J03'UY 74'9' 300+ 60,000 JO,OOO turrets. bomb racks.
radial
750 6000 10 or more .50 ca.l 9-11 Cargo type: e-87,
B-24J l-P&W 1200 bp 110' 66'4' 300+ 60,000 30,000 guns; turrets. 1000 mile radius B-24J
:adial
400 2000 12-.50 cal guns; 5-6 Attack:75mmcan- B-25G
B-25G I-Wrigbtl700hp 67 '6' 53' S' 300+ 35,000+ 25,000 turrets. non; 14-.50 cal guns.
radial
350 2000 12-.50 cal guns; 6 Provision for tor- B-26B
B-26B !-P&W 2000 bp 71' 58'2' 300+ 35,000 20,000 turrets. pedo.
radial
Heavy armor and armament. 4-blade props. B-29
B-29 4-Wright 2200 hp 141 '3' 99' Very heavy; effective speed'
radi~ high altitude. '
250FB 2000 5 to 9.50 cal guns; 3 Night fighter P -70: A-20G
A-ZOG !-Wrightl700 hp 61'4" 48' 320+ 25,000 20,000+ 600E turrets. 4-20 mm cannon.
radial
250FB 2000 1-20 mm cannon j 1 Photo type F-5 : P -38J
P-38J 2-Allison 1520 hp 52' 37'10" 420+ 18,000 40,000 400+E 4-.50 cal guns. belly tanks, no guns.
in-line
100E 500 1-37 mm cannon; 1 P -39Q
P-39Q I-Allison 1325 hp 34' 30' r 375 8500 35,000+ 4-.50 cal guns.
in-line
150E 1000 6-.50 cal guns. I P-40N
P-40N l-Allison 1325 bp 37'4' 33'4' 350+ 9500+ JO,OOO
in-line
250FB 1000 8-.50 cal guns. 1 P-47D
P-47D I- P&W 2000 bp 40'S' 36' 1" 420+ 13,500 40,000 350E
radial
250:FB 1000 6-.50 cal guns. I Photo type: F-6 P-51D
P-51D I-Rolls Royce 37' 32'3' 425 10,000 40,000 600E Dive bomber: A-36
1500 hp in-line
Heavy a rmor. 3 Night fighter; twin- P-61
P-61 2-P&W radial Restricted: Long-range, effective speed tail and booms.
air cooled and rate of climb.
1-3 7 mm cannon; I Improved super- P -63
P-63 I-Allison 1500 hp Performan ce data restricted. 4-.50 cal guns. charger
in -line
800 ABBREVIATI ONS 3-4 36+ men or C-46
C-46 l -P&W 2000 hp 108' 76'4" 265 45,000 25,000+ E--escort 15,000+ Ibs. ca rgo.
radial FB-fighter-bomber
750 FLG--fixed landing gear 4 28 men or 6000 Ibs.; C-47
C-47 I-P&W 1200 hp 95' 64'6' 200+ 29,000 22 ,000 + Cant-Continental hospital,1 8Iitters.
radial Lyco--Lycomi ng
1000 P&W-Pratt and Whitney 6 36 men or 8000 Ibs. C-54A
C-MA 4-P&W 1350 hp 117'6'" 93'1()'" 250+ 60,000 20,000 + NOTE: Suffix letter after ca rgo.
radial plane denotes model on
wh ich maximum informa- 9 Pressurized cabin. C-69
C-69 <-Wright 2200 hp 123' 95'1' 300+ 90,000+ 30,000 tion cou ld be released as
radial of A2ril 15, 1944.
 WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 133
How a Plane Is Born-New airplanes are no t new in the
sense of being in venti ons. TIley are th e products of expcri.
mental design and engineering, constant testing and develop·
lllcnt to produce th e aircraft that will meet AAF requirem ents.
.. The AAF's aeronautical technicians decide what top speed
"C
"
.~ 1 o
Z
is required, wh at ratc of climb th e plane must have, how fa st
it may land with safety, h ow much space is required for tak-
ing off and land ing, its range, opera ti onal ceiling, and load-

SPEED IN MILES PER HOUR

300 400

-
•
'N-
1909
-+
1 1

--.., ...
•
~N
1918
1924
++
1936
+
1940
1941 ++
1942
1943
+
1944

including the number of crew, weight of fu el, oil, eq uipment,

bomb load and annament.
Once 3-view drawings based on established specifications
0. 0. have been prepared, a wind tunnel model is constructed. The
-" .Q
o model is subjected to high-speed flow of artificial wind pro-
...
,~

duced by huge fan s, while accurate measuring equipmen t de-

ternlines efficiency of the dcsign. Next, a full-sized mock-up,
or model of th e craft, is constructed from wood and ch c~lp
materials to fa cilitate proper placement of annament and

-~ --
o
~
accessory equipment and to determin e whether or not parts
will be accessible for maintenance and repair. Final stage is
production of the first model of the experimental airp1anc.
<
 GFFICIAL AM GUIDE
.RAH6E II MUS'
---..
41511l1S--t
-- -t
: :- - - - - - '-"-t'' '11- .1
la .m
l a _LEI
"
I I ..
t or fly forward or backward, or, unlike a dragonfly, sideways,
mi la .1L£$-----------.-!-t-4,~
-todificatioo-Modification is the tailoring .job of the AAF
ch fills the gap between the time we decl~e on an altera-
J of a plane and the time th~ fac~ory can Incorporate the
'Ilge into production. To modlficatlO!1 centers, operated on
ttract by commercial airline co~paflles and manufacturers,/
most of oor airplanes before shlpm~nt oversea~. Here the}
I modernized with the newest eqUipment available"
~1aDes also are dressed up or stripped d~~n accordmg to
:' military requirements and weather conditions. of th e the-
r for which they are destined. Dust filters are Installed on
Ines scheduled for operation in dry co.untnes w~ 11e l~lane.s
I their way to arctic regions are winten~ed. Modlfica~lOn 15
ltinued on operational aircraf~ by. servIce 'p~rsonncl m th e
~ters, where many modification Ide~s ~ngmate .
Obsolescence- Without our modermzatlon system, man y
our planes would become obsolete as soon as newer enemy
:uipment was developed and. befo~e similar improvement~
Iuld be made in our producbon aiTeraft, An oxygen mask
~t is reliable up to '5,000 feet is replaced by oxygen masks
lat are reliable as high as any of our alfplanes can fly.
eated wing de-icing developments ha,ve made our rubb~r
IIOt de-icers obsolete, so changes are belllg mad e on all types
'mremft. , Airframes- The load-carrying stru cture of an airplane-th c
i Rotary Wing Aircralt-One 01 the newes t types o f alTcraft
I use by the AAF is the helicopter, a rota ry wlIl g deSi gn
WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 135
capable of vertical flight and potentially useful in liaison, re-
connaissance and rescue work.
Whereas a conventional airplane relies on forward specd to
produce airflow over fixed wings, the helicopter flies by ro-
tating a series of small wings (rotors) to induce airflow over
th eir surfaces sufficient to lift the craft into the air. Its for-
ward motion is obtained in effect by tilting the rotor disc and
its directional con trol by varying the pitch of the tail roto r.
Like a dragonfly, it can remain stationary in a hovering position
Similar in appearance, but different in operating princip1c,
is the autogiro. It differs from th e h elicopter in th at its rotor
only provides lift as does the wing of an airplane, does not
provide forward motion . The plane obtains its forward speed
from a conventional engine-propeller power plant, must main-
tain forward speed to be airbo rne. It is in capable of zero
• speeds, cannot fly sideways or backward and cann ot ascend
vertically.
Gliders- In towed flight, gliders are dependent fo r forward
motion upon a powered aircraft to which they are attached
by a tow-rope. In free flight th e glider maintains safe forward
motion by means of a controlled rate of descent. A free flight
glider can execute many of th e maneuvers don e by powered
aircraft and has th e added advantage of being able to land in
res tricted areas and on almost any type of terrain. Two types
of gliders are now in use by the AAF. One can carry 15 full y-
equi ppcd infantrym en or paratroopers and anothcr 30 t roops
wi th th eir h eavy equipm ent. Equi pm en t has been developcd
for pick up of gliders on th e ground by planes in flight.
ENGINEERING
The airplane fund am entally is composed of 3 ma jor com-
ponents: the ai rfram e, th e cngi nc and th e propeller (engine
and propeller comprise th e power plan t ) . An else on th e air-
plane com es under th e headi ng of accesso ries o r equipm ent.
airfram e- in clud es wings, fuselage, co ntrol surfaccs and th c
m eta11ic or fabric skin that covers th em.
 OFFICIAL AAF GUIO£ WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 137

Aluminum-alloy, alclad and stainless steel arc the ~asic. ma- Plastics and impregnated plywoods have been substituted
most commonly used in airfram~. Alclad, .wlllc~ IS an for metals in some airframes. H owever, because physical prop~

I11()~"~I:~~:~:::~;~g~sheet
with pure alumInum coating. IS used
skin Aluminum-alloy is used for ribs, s tructu~al
of wings and fuselages, cowlin ~s and longerons. Stall1-
steel is used for pa rts, such as engme mounts an~ firewal1s
ivh ich must withstand high tempcrature~. ~ome wmg, panels
being huilt of stainless steel. Even wlt~m . the basIc com-
l '::l~:;l;~~:;o~;f'"the airframe th ere arc many mtncate parts and
~I details. For example, in the metal wing ~ip of a
8. there are 14 pieces of tubing, ri.bs and sheet Skill, and
bolts and nuts plus hundreds of nvets.
erties of non -metallic materials change under radical varia-
tions of tempcrntuTc and humidity, plastics and simila r sub-
stitutes are not as reliable as metals for structural parts of
combat aircraft.
Airfoils- Technically, an airfoil is any 8at or curved surface
designed to obtain reaction from th e air through which it
moves. The largest airfoil is the wing, which is designed to
develop the major part of th e lift of an aircraft.
The AAF today is using 2 types of airfoil cross sections:
conventional. and low drag or laminar Row sections. The con-
ventional airfoi l has its maximum thickness about 30 % of

a 0
lOW · WINS DIH£DRAl

.ID·...S
0
CUTlIIVIR -0
0 II
"",,·WIN' BlPlANI

WING TYPES

.1IIAU1

PARTS OF AN AIRCRAFT- P·38 FIGHTER

Il.·IIII_1 I. NOSI /.AIIDIN' 'EAR 11 COOlANT WJIITOR
12. . . .UICIIIUI DUCTS ,.IW.IWI II. SUPIRCHARGIR symM
J.I."CAI.. _ ' . /UPS 15. REAR SHEAR BIAM
il • • • _ 1t1W._WI 1&. CAMIRA NOSI F·5 MODII
l __
11. Fun TUIIS 17. IaMI SHACKU
.. t.=rr ClWAlTMm It 'WO WAY lAD" II. DROP TUI
 138 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 139

the distance from th e leadi ng edgc of the wing Th I . lower stalling speed. The drag eflects are beneficial t.o a cer-
flow airfoil seer h . . e am m ar tain extent in slowing down the aircraft. The popular Fowler
. Jon as Its max imum thickness 40 to 60 Of
f rom the leadmg edge. 10 flap protrudes beyond the trailing edge of th e wing and hence
C onventional types are I .. increases total wing area. Other types fit into th e underside
"f d . ess sensitive to surface irregular-
lies, an ca~ be ~ore caslly produced. For extremcJ hi h. of the wing. Dive Haps, or dive brakes, applica ble on figh ters
speed and hIgh altitude performance, th e laminar Ho: airfoil and dive bombers, slow down th e airplane in its dive to gi ve
IS bemgth,dopted beca use It IS designcd for higher speeds with th e pilot more time to sight th e target accura tely, permit a
a sm oo er flow of ai r over the wing steeper dive angle and a slower pul1-out. Ma neuver fl aps may
Pressurized C . .
th . . abm~Operatjon in the substra tosphere where be lIsed as auxiliary control surfaces which facili ta te th e mak-
f e ~xygen IS lJ~sufficlCn.t to sustain life has led to development ing of sharper turns by high-speed aircra ft . Flaps are operated
o e . pressun~ed cabIn on some AAF combat aircraft A from th e cock pit.
press~nz.ed ~bm enables ai rm en to mOve about freel jn 'th e Landing G ea r- Landin g gea r, or underca rriage, is the air-
pt ane s mtenor, b reathing nonnal air at high altl d . 't • plane's means of mobili ty when it is on th e ground . In th e
C Im matcs th e need fo r individ ual oxygen supply. u es, 1 air, landing gear generally is retracted into th e plane's engine
cnr here
are z meth ods of pressurizing. One is an indepcnd- nacelles or wings to help stream line the aircraft, alth ough a

~;:[:~~~ ~f\~~~~ !;~:d~~ 1~~~:g ~I~i~ac~o~;:~~s~

fixcd type is found on liaison and trainer type planes.
the T he AAF utilizes 2 general types of landing gear on its
~ucts to th e cabm Itself; such air is of sufficient density a~d planes: conven tional gcar with tail-wheel or ski d, and th e
em pera ture to allow norm al breathing The . . I . tri cycle gear wi th a wheel extended from th e nose of th e fuse-
m~~h the same. as a hot air blower system'. The o~h:rc~P s~e IS lage. T he latter permits easier opera ti on on small fields by
utd;ze; :e engme supercharger to d ivert back into th e ~ab: eliminatin g the ground looping tend ency comm on to con-
par.O ~ e compress~~ ai r supplied to the cngine. " cntional type gears; however, on rough fields th e nose wheel
JetDlsper~ed guthn poslt~ons, crew locations a nd danger of bul- of th e t ricycle gear is more susceptible to dam age .
. pu~ctu res at m l~ht render it inoperati ve, make Retractable t ypes operate e1cctrically or h ydraulicall y.
sunza tlOn of combat aupJancs difficult. prcs- Som e gea rs retract outward and sideways into wing wells as
I every aircraft has a system of landing fl on th e B-24; others rctract inwa rd into wing wells as on the
3re . owered from. th e trai ling edge of th e wing a~~ P~ 39 ; some pull up into engine nacelles as on th e B~ 1 7.
to mCrease tile hft coellicient of thewmg ' P
and t IlllS TireS-Airplane tires wear out rap idly beca use of high land-
ing and takeoff speeds and incrcased weigh ts of modern air-
cmft. In wartime th e problem is doubl y serious because our
LANDING FLAPS comba t aircmft often land on cru shcd rock, co ral, dirt or
metal run ways. ~1any reinforcing layers of rubber, synthetic
and natural, and cotton or rayon arc rcquired to withstand
th e impact of 3o-ton bombers landing on rough strips at
~~~;r..'W~ITI~H'OUT rups speeds ove r 1 00 mi les pcr hour. Sizcs of ti res ra nge from tiny
ones that suppo rt the tails of trainin g gliders and light air-
planes to hu gc 8·foot ti res on th e B"9 "Bying laboratory."
E ngines- Before th e airplane crill Ry it must have a source
SPIU .[EDED rOR RUN 1110 SlOP of power- the engine. \ Vithout power, th e airfram e is little
 140 OFFICIAL AAF CUIO£
more than a ~lid er. Speed, altitude, performance and th e
amount of weIght that ca n be sustain ed in Hi ht de end
upon the ho~sepower and number of engin es insralled. P
Most e!1g1I1~ development today is concentrated
types: radial all-cooled and in-line liquid-cooled. Whil~ntll~
larged frontal d . of rad Ial engines tends to dest roy an 1'd ea I
. area
aero ynanuc eS,lg n, new radial engin es have a red uced
fr?"tal area ~nd Improved cowlings which compare favorabl
WIth
. deSign
M the bl of m-line engines of cOIn parable
< (
h orsepowerY
. alor pro ems that must be solved in aircraft engine d e~
SIgnS are devc10pment of ,more horsepower for a iven dis-
pJacem.ent, and m?re effiCIent and economical con~um bon
of fuel, mOre specific problems are cooling, high altitude ig-
WHAT WE FICHT WITH 141
nition, carburetion and supercharging. Additional fins on the
cy1inders have helped solve the cooling problem on radial
engines; installation of special dampcrs and other devices has
eliminated some vibrations; new fuel injec ti on systems and
new lubricating oils have eliminated other problems. Con-
tinual progress in solution of th ese problems has made high
horsepower engines possible without increasing th e pound-per-
horsepower ratio.
Jet Propulsion- Perhaps th e greatest development in aero-
nautical engineering of th e last decade is the jet propelled
airplane, th e most interesting feature of which is elimination
of the propcller. The principle of jet propulsion overcomes
some of the speed limitations of the propeller-driven airplane.
\Ve can reasonably expect the jet engine to add 1 00 miles
or mOre an hour to th e speed of airplanes.
In its practical application jet propulsion may be defined
• as any kind of reaction motor which develops forward thrust
by th e rearward emission of a jet of air, gas or liquid. In the
AAF jet propelled fighter, now in production, the engine is
quite simple. It is a gas turbine, and the gases it creates, after
driving a turbo-compressor, are discharged through a re-
stricted tail pipe nozzle, thus giving the engine its thrust.
The engine is a modification of a British design; it presents
few new problems to the pilot other than how to fly a sim-
pler airplane.
Takeoff Rockets- Rockets may be utilized to assist take-
offs, are slung under th e fu selage or wings of a fighter or
bomber aircraft with conventional engine-propeller power
plant. Ignited by th e pilot from the cockpit, the rocket adds
forward thrust to th e horsepower pull of the engines, thus
permitting shorter takeoff runs with maximum loads.
Superchargers-Engines, like people, must have oxygen to
breathe at high altitudes; engines need oxygen to mix with
gasoline to obtain a combustible mixture in their cylinders.
The oxygen mask for the aircraft engine is the supercharger,
of which the AAF has 2 types: the turbo-supercharger and
th e geared supercharger. Both compress rarefied air to a den-
sity equal to air at sea level: both function at altitudes up to
43,000 feet.

142 OfFICIAL AAf GUIDE
r Flnl A.IN TJIIOIIII
IWUlEI WIlEn JIIlI
e_rusOt CHAIIIIEI
COMl'RlSSOIt
_---
,,,,.m
lIILfl
TURBD -SUP[RtHARG[R
The turbo-supercharger is operated by th e force of engine
,ex haust g3SCS upon a turbine wheel and impcl1 er or air com-
g>ressor. The gases pass through the turbine wheel, spinning
it; the wheel rotates th e impeller which compresses the rarc-
fied air. The air is then fed back into th e engine in sufficient
~ uantitics to support combustion when mixed with gasoline.
The geared supercharger, as its name implies, is driven by
!3 series of gea rs in train which turn its impeller, compressing
Ithe air ard at th e saIne ,time feeding it into the cylinders.
Aviation Fuels-Except for th ose airplanes which have
~ow-hor)cpower engines. aircraft must be serviced with a spe-
leial fuel (high octane ) and not the type of motor fucl used
in au tomobiles. The use of an inferior anti-knock value fuel
in tactical aircraft wou ld resu lt in overheating, detonation
nd pre-ignition which wo uld burn holes in pistons and cause
ther damage.
Octane rating is an arbitrary scale ad opted to indica te th c
omparative performance relative to th e fuel's resistan ce to
ctolla tion. This scale runs from zcro to 1 00 octa nc. Fuc1s
~aving ratings above 100 arc rated on a different scale desig.
rated as the Performance Number Scale. Ninety-five per cen t
f the ga~oline uscd in U. S. combat planes today exceeds
he 100 oc tane number in anti-knock va lues.
WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 143
Below is shown adaptation of fuels to type of aircraft:
AIR CRAFT
Liaison
Primary Train ers
OCTANE RATING OR PER . NO.
80-octane or aJl-purpose motor ve-
hicle fuel
73-octane aircraft engine fuel
CIWII(I Adv~lIced Train ers 87 to 97-octa ne
AJI Tactical T ypes 100/ 130 Performance Number
Self-sealing Gasoline Tanks--To help prevent igniting of
"l[ gasol ine tanks by enemy gunfi re, our aircraft engineers have
developed a gasoline tank which, wh ile not bulletproof, less-
ens danger of explosion and prevents loss of large amounts
of fuel through bullet h oles. This was accomplish ed by insert-
ing a series of linings of rubber and other materials in th e
tank. The linings are ca pable of sealing instantly multiple
punctures made by bursts from both light and heavy machine
gun fire and flak. This developm ent has saved co untl ess air-
m en and aircraft.
Droppable Fuel Tanks--The range of fighter planes, once
hampcred by limited fuel supply, has been increased sub-
stantially by th e use of droppable auxilia ry fu el tanks attached
bencath wings and fuselages. Streamlined to th e shape of a
tea rd rop, th ese droppable tan ks enable fighter planes like the
P-47 and P-51 to fly long bomber escort missions. Once th e
fi ghter plane has used up its auxilia ry fuel suppl y, th e tanks
are released by th e pilot, enabling th e plane to fight off en-
em y attacks and return to its base on th e fuel supply in its
wi ng tanks. Capacity varies from 150 gallons to 300 ga llons.
Some fighters carry 2 auxiliary tanks under th e wings and one
tank und er th e belly of th e fuselage.
Propellers-The power plant of any airplane is more than
just th e engine. Jt is the combination of engi ne and propeller.
The engine is the source of power for the propcller. The
propeller tran sforms thnt energy into thru st by boring itself
th rough th e air and pulling th e airpla ne af ter it.
Today th e AAF has propellers whi ch ran ge from small
wooden 2-bladed propellers less tllan 6 feet in diam eter to
gia nt 4-bbded all-metal propellers 2 0 feet in diam eter. M ost
comln on in use today is the 3-bhlded propeller although 4-
bbded props are becoming increasingly conventional.
 144 OffiCIAL AAf GUIDE
AIR RESISIAJlC(
VARIABU PITCH PROPELLER
I Pitch-Propeller blades are so constructed and operated that
! they may be turned at varying degrees, to take larger or smaller
} b~tes o~ aIr. ~creby Increasing or decreasing forward thrust.
I Smce au densIty varies with altitude, it is desirable to vary the
I angle of the prop blade to maintain a constant degree of
I thrust. The angle at which the blade is set is called pitch.
A comparatively new experiment with propellers is the use
I of reversible pitch control which enables the pilot to reverse
, completely the pitch of the blades, thereby creating nega-
tive thrust which acts as a brake to the forward movement of
: an airpl~De. Th.c re~ersible pitch ,propener is useful in slowing
down, aircraft In flight. decreasmg th e landing run after a
I plane 5 w~cc1s ha~c touc~ed the ground and supplementing
the flaps In reducing landing speed of large airplanes.
Propellers also are classified according to the followino
operating principles : b
1The fixed pitch propeJJer, as its name implies, has a fixed pitch
: that is !tatiollary at all times.
'The ~1Ou~d adjustable propcJJer has detachable blades, the pitch of
. w/ll~h 15 c~anged. whllc tIlC planc is on the ground and the propel-
ler IS not In mohon. - ment; heatcrs, motors and other auxlhary esscntIals.
The two-po~itio.n hydra~Jjc prop~ller has. a mechanism operated by
I a hydrauliC ~ISto~ wlHch permits tIl e pilot to control pitch during
I fa.keoO u~~ In flIght at eltlwr a predetermined low pitch or lligh
pitch pos.hon. The low pitch position is used for takeoff and thc
high pitcll for normal flight operations.
. The hydraulic .constant s~ed propeller is con ttolled in Right by a
I governol whIch automatically changes the pitc1J of th e propellcr to
WHAT WE fiGHT WITH 145
maintain constant engine speed. The pT(?pelle~ revo lutions per
minute may be adjusted by the pilot dUl1ng R,gh~ . There. are. 2
types: one employing oil prcss ll1e Jrom the e.ngm~ lubnca tmg
system , the other having a selt-contall1ed hydraulIc UnIt .
The electric constant speed propelJer operates much the sa me . as
the hydraulically-controlled propeller ~ut the power lor changmg
the pitch is provided by a small e1cctnc motor on the front of the
propeller hub, which is c<:>ntrolled by a constant speed governor ad-
justable from the cockpit.
Feathering- The hydrauli c and electric constant spe~d pro-
pcllers llsed on multi-en~inc a i ~pla n e~ are full~feath ermg .. A
full-feathering propcllcr IS onc m which ~le pItch changm g
m echanism can turn th e blades to approximately a 90-degree
angle of pitch relative tothe leading edge of th e wing, th ereby
presenting a knife edge m th e dIrection of flight. ~h e a~v?n­
tages are twofold: it pre."ent~ th ~ propeller from wlTI~mllh~ g
and causing excessive VibratIOn lTI. th c event of eng~n ~ fml -
ure and. with m otion stoppcd, It presents th e minimum
amount of drag, whereas a turning propcllcr would crea te
considerable resistance.
1 2 3
EMERGENCY " FEATHERING " OF PROPELLER
E lectrical Systems--Elcctrical systems provid ~ P?wer f?r
more than 1 00 pieces of equipm ent and ac~cssone.s III an alf-
plane. These include. vari ous type~ of radiO e9Ulpmen t, all
kind s of lighting eqmpment, pracb~a.lly every 1?lece of arm a-
.
Motors are llsed for many purposes: th e largest on cs 11ft
landin g gcar and turn gun turrets; ~l e. smallest operate gyro-
scopic instruments. Bc h~cen th esc limIts, m otors are llsed for
starting engines, opcratmg .b omb bay doo~s and cowl. 8<1.1)5,
rem ote positioning of eqmpm ent, opcratI on of ventIlatmg
fans and oth er functions_

141 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
A normal installation provides for onc generator on each
engine with a rating of 6 kilowatts ( I Y3 horsepower): The
units on 100 heavy bombers generate enough electnclty to
care fOi the requirements of a community of 1200 people.
The electrical systems of large plancs require approximately
6 miles of electrical wiring.
During the last 5 years, as aircraft demands on the e1ec~
trical system have increased, generators have been reduced
from" weight of 43 pounds per kilowatt to 4 pounds per
kilowatt.
Hydmulic Systems-Hydraulic systems wind like intricate
pipe-lines throughout the aircraft, supply the extra forces
which easily and smoothly motivate the airplane's flaps, en~
gine cowl flaps, dive brakes, landing gear mechanisms, bomb
bay doors and turrets. It would b~ vir~uany impossil:1e to p.cr-
fonn these operations manually In fhght due to wmd resls~­
ance. For operation of the system, heavy ~etro1cum~~ase 011
is stored in a reservoir. When the h ydrauhc system IS actu-
ated by the pilot, Huid pressure is built up in a hydraulic
pump, then released into the proper pipe-lines; the flippin g
of a switch or handle operates a series of diaphragms to raise
or lower the flaps, landing gear, etc.
ARMAMENT
Today's warplane is virtually a Hying gun platform. OUf
P-47S• with eight . 50 caliber guns, ca n firc in salvo at th e rate
of 6000 rounds per minute, creating 96,000 pounds of impact
pressure. A Hight of 13 P-47S has 3 times th e striking poweJ
of a machine gun unit in a Gennan infantry regiment while
a formation of 13 bombers. with 75 mm ca nnon, carries twice
the firepower of the same rcgimcnt's howitzers.
FIXED CUNS are those mounted in rigid position, generally fi red by
remote control and set to fire in one direction in respect to the
airplane. \Vith a fi xed gun the airplane itself is aimed at the target,
as in single.scat fighters.
WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 147
SJ "
=-
i ,.........-
RmBlt
(hand·held)
_
~
;:;Jj
t'~f£!fl\
~ I~
/ 7-
( -
_~ .
r ',.
RElIBlE
(turret·operated)
AXED ." -
FLEXIBLE GUNS are those which are installed on movable moun ts
which emJble the gun to be fired in various direct ions and to fol·
low a moving target. They may be either hand-held or turret·
operated .
.50 CALIBER MACHINE GUN-The .50 caliber gun , capable of fir ing at
a rate of more than 800 rounds per minute, weighs only 65 poun ds.
Its projectile leaves the muzzle at a speed of over 2900 feet per
second and is capable of penetrating any and all parts of an air-
plane including the engine. The small size and light weight of t he
complete round (shell ) permit more than 1000 rounds per gun
to be carried in some planes. Th is gun is mounted in the fuselage
or in the wings, or both, of most of our fighters. All flexib le guns ,
both han d·held and power turret mounted , in AAF bombard ment
airplanes are at present .50 caliber.
CUNSIGHTS-In the last war the ordinary ring and bead sight, comm on
to the hunter, was standard for all aircraft guns. Now the ring and
bead sight is used only on hand-held gUlls. Reflector type and
comput ing type gunsights in our turrets and fighter aircra ft elimi-
nate the need for lining lip th e gunner's eye, front and rear sights,
and the target; the sight itself actually projects a sigh t reticle
image on a tran sparent reflector plate which, at infin ity, moves
with the gunner's eye. Thus, alth ough the gunn er's head may be
in continual movement in rough air, the sight lin e and target will
remain together. New computing sights have been developed and
placed in prod uction for use in all gun positions.
AIKCRAFT ROCKETs- Investigat ions and experim entation with aircraft
rockets arc being conducted to produce new rocket projectors
and projectiles not only as offensive weapons but for defensive
action as well.
141
-•
.. BAll TUlRET
TURRETS-Because the high velocity of air that flows over an air-
plane's surfaces in Hight makes it difficult to turn guns into the
airstream by hand, booster motors 3rc lIsed to h elp move and aim
Acxible gun s in aircraft. Most effective method of solving the
problem has been th e developm ent of h ydraulic and electrically
operatce gun turrets.
The turret is an independ ent unit . It has: a seat; hand controls
that tum it in azimuth and eleva tion and fire the gun s; oxygen and
interphone communication equipment; heating units for elec-
trically heated Hying suits, gunsights, ammunition belts and con-
tainers; its own armor protection; a plexi-glass dom e or enclosure
to provide maximum visibility for the gunner. Other than remote
controlled turrets which at present are limited in use, there arc 6
basic ty?CS of turrets on AAF bombers : nose turrets, chin turrets,
ball turrets, tail turrets, upper turrets and training types.
.EMOTE CONTROLLED TURRETs-Certain new turret installation s in -
corpor.de remote control mechanisms that enable the guns to be
6red electrically from sighting st1tions apart from the turrets
themselves. ( By taking the gunner out of the turret , size and
weight of the turrets can be reduced .) Such installations permit
cleancr acrodynamic features resulting in increased speed and
ranges.
r AERIAL CANNON-A 75 mOl cannon now is standard armament on
some models of the B-25 and AAF armament experts are experi-
menting with the installation of still larger millimeter guns. The
75 mm gun is mounted in the forw<lfd fu selage and nose of the
8 -15 . It is a standard M-4 cannon with a specially constructed
spring that absorbs the recoil shocK. The breech of the gun is
located behind and below the pilot's seat. The barrel extends for-
109
ward under th e cockpit through the tunnel formerly used by the
bombardier in reaching his nose position; the muzzle emerges
from a concave port on the left side of the nose. The complete
rOllnd fired by this cann on weighs 2 0 pOllnds. Each projectile is
26 inches long and weighs 15 pounds. Just above the breech of
the gun is a sh ell rack holding abo ut 2 0 shells. The rapidit}' of
fire depends on th e loading technique of the ca nn oneer USlIflll y
the navigator. Th e cann on has an eff ective range of about 2000
yards but ca n toss a pro jectile several miles.
Th e 37 mm c..1 nnon, alt hough not a rapid-fire we."1pon, does fire
its shells from clips of 5 in much the same manner as an automatic
pistol. A new magazin e employs a h orse-collar cl ip that can feed
30 shells into the gun. T he 2 types of 37 mm cann on in use today
are the M -4 and M -9 guns. Both hurl the same size projectile,
which weighs littlc marc than onc po und, but t he M ·9 has in -
creased veloci ty over th e M -4. Both have a penetrating force th at
will cut through armor plate the thickness of th eir diameter. It is
used on the 1'-39. Smallest cannon in AA F fi gh ting plan es is the
20 mm rapid fi re gUll which uses a projectile 3 times the size and
weight of the .50 caliber. T his ca nnon has a muzzle velocity of
about 2800 feet per second and the projectile can pen etrate an
inch of armor plate. T he P-38 is equipped with a 2 0 mm cannOIl.
Ammunition- Th ree types of ammunition are used in 111a·
chine guns: arm or picrcing, incendiary and tracer. T hey arc
uscd in variolls .combinations on gun belts, th e most common
being 2 each of incendiary and armor piercing to one tracer.
T racer ammun ition contai ns a chemical composition that
burns from the rear forward . giving the illusion of a stream
of fire. TIl ey arc used in observing the direction of fire, for
incend iary purposes, in signalling and for th e psychological
effect upon th e enem y.
Incend iary amm un ition has the primary pu rpose of start·
ing fi res. T he charge is designed fo r conAagration ra th er than
pcnetrati on.
Armor Protection- Protcction aga inst gu nfire in airpla nes
is provided by steel armor plate, aluminu m-alloy deAector
pia te, bullet resistant glass and splash shields (guards bolted
along th e edge of armor platc). The use of ea(;h depcnds
upon how mueh of th e plane structure the bullet must pass
thro ugh before it hits the protective material, the angle at
 ISO OFFICIAL US CUIDE WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 151

which it hits the material, and the necessary requirements as used th e construction of th e target determin ing which is
to vision and movement. empioyed. Frequently high explosive. b?mbs are released
upon a target first, followed b~ lOcendI,anes; th en, more ex-
plosives. The result is th at Rammg debrIS and sparks are ~cat·
tered through out th e devastation caused by th e exploSIves.
Today we arc using many types of specialized bombs: Biggest of th e bombs we are usi ng today are k~own as
. incendiary. fragmentation , annar piercing, semi-annor piere- block busters. These gia nts weigh 4 000 poun ds apIece and
. ing, general purpose, light case blast and chemical. Approxi- are made with a ligh t metal casing; 77.4 % of thClf total
: mate weIghts of some of these bomb types 3fC: weight is a high explo~ive com~osl bon. The :z.ooo-pound
TYfE 80MB WEIGHT bomb has about 56 % hIgh explosIve content and the 1000-
Incendiary 2, 4& 100 Ib,. pound bomb, whose metal. components weigh about 435
Fragmentation 20 & 260 Ib,. po unds, carries a high explosIve charge of about 530 pounds.
Anti-personnel 4 Ib,.
General Purpose 100, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 & 4000 lb•. EXPLOSIVE TRAIN OF GENERAL PURPOSE (DEMOLITION) BOMBS
Armo: Piercing 1600 Ib, . IN GENERAL TilE EXPLOSIVES IN THE SYST[M ARE URAHGED IN ORDER Of SENSITIVITY, FROM A
SMALL QUAMTITY OF A SENSITIVE EXPLOSIVE TO A URtE QUANTITY Of LUS SENSITIV[ EXPLOSIVE

_ARATlVE SIZES OF GENERAL PURPOSE (OEMOLmON) BOMBS ,

_ _ _ PRIMER - PRIMER MIXTURE
PRIMER initiatinl flash
DETONATOR OELlY-COMPRESSEO BLACK POWOER
usually 1/10 $econd
DETDNUDR - MERCURY FULMINATE
first hiah order detonatioll
BODSTER - TETRYl
buitds up detanation to hilber oreer
BURSTING CHARGE
compiete detonation
1.11. _II. .n....
General purpose hom bs are designed for destruction or Des tructive force bombs varies with the size and high
demolition, the effect being produced chiefly by the violence explosive content. A l oo-pound bomb with an instantaneo us
10.£ the dctona tlOn ~ alth ough fragments may ca use addi- fuze, when dropped from a given altitude on sandy. so il~ will
bonal damage, particularly when the detonation occurs above blast a crater approximately 2 fee t deep, and 9 feet III ~lm~le­
gro~nd . Arm~r piercing and semi-armor piercing bombs are ter, displaci ng about 40 cubic fce~ of dirt. A bomb welghll1g
designed to pierce th e deck arm or of battleships, heavy con. a full ton will blast a hole approxImately 7 feet deep and 20
cretc structures, and similar highly resistant targets. feet in diameter, displacing about 1300 cubic feet of dirt.
Incendiary bombs range in size from 2 to 500 lbs. Small On the other hand, a delayed action bomb will c~use greater
types generall y are rel eased in an aim able duster th at dis. destruction. For instan ce, a 10o-pound bomb With delayed
perM.:s after leaving th e aircraft. Va rious chemical fillin gs are action fuze in sandy soil will make a crater 5 feet deep and
 152 OFFICIAL AAF GUIOE

I 20 feet 1Il diameter, di splacing approximately 800 cubic feet

of dirt. A 2ooo-pounder will di splace more than 1600 cubic
feet, resulting in a crater approximately 17 feet in depth and
50 feet in diameter at the surface.
Bomb Racks and Release Mechanism-Internal bomb racks
are designed to carry all sizes of bombs in use except the 4000
1 pounders which are carried on special external racks. Made of
f steel alloys, bomb racks are part of the airplane structure,
: sometimes serve as reinforcements in the plane's fuselage.
1be number of bombs that can be carried on a rack de-
, pends upon the diameter and length of the bomb itself.
I That is, more l oo-pound bombs can be carried than 500-
pounders because the lighter bomb is smaller in diameter;
consequently more of these can he placed one above the
t other in bomb racks.
· Shackles hold the bombs in the racks. Inside the bomber
I the shackle and th e bomb release mechanism are like a nut
and bolt. One is of little use without the oth er; normally
! bombs are hooked onto the shackle in 2. places. The small
hooks, operated electrically or manually, will support several
I thousand pounds and, with the proper pressure, will allow the
bomb to drop. On a mission the release is operated elec·
I trically. Hand mechanisms are for emergency only. Bomb
bay doors are controlled by electricity on B-! 7S and by hy-
draulic systems on other planes. ] n both instances th ey are
· operated by a switch in the bom bardier's compartment. ]t is
mechanically impossible for a bomb to drop from its shackle
wh en th e doors are in closed position, thus safeguarding the
airplane. This safety m easure is made possible by a tiny
J switch which completes the circuit on the bomb release only
when the doors are in open position .
No bom b is considered ali ve when it is inside th e bomber.
I A special anning device arms the bomb fuzes only when th ey
• are free of th e plane. Generally spe.1 king. as th e bomb fall s,
1 a propeller, whirled by the air, unscrews itself to arm the
fuze. Upon impact of th e bomb, fu zed inst.1ntaneol1sly, the
powder train of th e fu ze detonates the explosive charge. A
time fu ze in th e bomb ca n dela y its detonati on for an y desired
t length of tim e. (CHAPTER CONTINUED ON PAGE 110)
 •
.50 CAL GUN-STOWID

LAVATORY

RADIO OPERATOR'S POSITION

LIFE

PILOTS' COMPARTMENT
•

.OADING
DOOR

LOADING DOOR

ENTRANCE TO
FLIGHT DECK

NOSE WHEEL C- 87 (cargo version of 8-24)

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 14 . PDl equip. gen c~' linder 43 . Fuel tank
00C~) mellt indicator.
15 . Bomb doors
pressure.
29 & 30. Mani·
gauge.
44. Fluoresce nt
open. fold pressure, light control.
® CDQ)0 CD ~llIiI'icm@ 16. 130 mb release. left & right en- 45. Ignition mas-
®@
®®® f81?9\®®~:1@:@~(.;!
\V\V 33 1 ~
17 & 18. H ydra u. gilles. ter switch.
46. Switch for
lie pressure 31 & )2. Tacllom-
®®®~ 12 13. i®@ @ wam ing lights. eter, left & fuel, la nding
@@@@ 45 1 111 ~IJ§ _I @® f8 U'g J 9. Vacuum warn- right engines. gear, etc.
ing light. 33. Flap position 47. Auto pilot turn
2 0 . Volt meter. indica tor. control.
-,~
47 21 . Hydrau lic
pressure emer-
34 & 35. Fuel
pressure, left &
48. T urbo-super-
charger regu-
gency system. rigl1t engines. lators.
22 . Hydraulic pres· 36 & 37. Oil pres· 49. Lock for mIx·
sllre system. sure, Jeft & ture controls
J & 3. Carbu- 7. Marker bea- 23. Vacuum rigllt engines. and super-
retor air tem- Call. ga uge. 38 & 39. Oil tern- charger.
pcr<lturegauges. B. Mtirneter. 24 . Air speed perature, left & 50. Mixture con·
2 . A<:<:elerometer. 9. Air speed in· ~O llrce control. right engines. troIs.
4 . Radio compass dicator. 25 & 27. Pilot's& 40 & 41. CyJill- 5J. Lock lor
indicator. JO . Tnrn & bank. copilot's oxy- deT head tem · throttles.
; . Turn indicator. I J . Hate of cli mb . gen flow indi- perature, Jeft & 52 & ;3 . Th rot
6. Artificial hori· 12 & 1 3. Prop ca tor. rigllt engines. tIes.
zon or Right {cather, left & 26 & 28. PiIot's& 42 . "rce air tem- 54. Ca rburetor cur
illdica tor. right engines. copilot's oxy- perat ure. cleaner.
COC KPIT AND INS'l RUMENT PANEL ON S-17 FORTRESS
 no OFFICIAl AAF GUIDE
WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 171
Instruments-Airmen depend upon instruments to get 11 B-25 Mitchel1 bomber contains approximately 12 8 in-
them off the grou nd, to keep them in the air, to keep them Ie ts- thermometcrs, docks, altimeters. etc.; th e B-1 7
st rumen
on the right course, to bomb their target and to return
h s 323 ' the P -3 8 fighter 9 0 . f
them to their base. Consequently the instruments th at go
into the modem fighting plane arc its mechanical brains,
aAuto-Pilot- The automatic pilot which enables some ou~ f
the liaison devices between man and science. Flight instru~ aircraft to maintain straight and level ~ltht, t~~ 37{ot( eisslr~f
ments, navigation instruments and engine instruments 3rc of attitude independent of manual contro y ~ )' d'
great value in ~ akjng a bom,bing run (see page 2 0 an In
equal importance to the Success of a mission. A few fund a.
mental Hight instmments are: bank and turn indicator, air
speed indicator, rate of c1imb indicator, flight indicator or
rcl~v~n~n;l:i~ P\II~~:~r~o~~g 2fl~~~~s;:
h ydraulic, usually adapted
to u 0
transpor t PI nes
pa , and ti,e electri cally controlled, usually

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AUTOPILOT BEGINS CORRECTION
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fF
artificial horizon, and directional gyro. They tell the pilot the
position of his airplane relative to its Own axis, the speed at AUTOPILOT SMOOIHlY RETURNS
which it is being propelled through ti,e air and its rate of SHIP TO SIRAIGHI AND LEVEl fliGHI
climb. (For illustration of instrument panel with explanatory
ley see page 1~.)
Engine instruments indude: temperature gauges, fuel mix-
ture indicators, oil gauges, coolant and press ure gauges; ad;) ted to comba t aircraft. Both contain 2 vacuum -opcrated
vacuum, fuel, manifold tachometers. p 0 es one revolving on a vertical axis, th e other on a
Navigation instruments enable Our AAF fliers to make ra~~:~n~al ~xis. Each of th ese gyroscopes has a series of ~ick-off
long-range fljghts over water and through unfavorable weather. control points which act uate im pulses that ope~lte. ~~k~~ff
lane's controls, ai1crons. elevators and rudder: lC ,P
~oints
With the aid of electronic devices, they also make possible
bombing through the overcast. are opera ted automa tically by th e changmg atlltude of
th e airplane ItSelf.

112 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
I Electronics-The unusual speed and mobility of air opera-
tions have stimulated the development of electrical devices
r which bll within the sphere of e1ectronics_ Such devices are
I used to obtain and transmit information needed to put com-
i bat aircraft in the right place at th e right time; they are play-
i ing an increasingly important part in combat operations and
strategic planning.
These devices are of 2 types: the 6rst includes radio as
we have always known it; the second includes new locating
devices which are considered among the outstanding techni-
cal achievements of the present war.
Science is making great strides in giving eyes to aircraft
operating in darkness and above the overcast. 111cse eyes are
needcd for navigation, for 6nding and hitting the target and
often for landing.
The airplane, depending on the type, may have such elec-
tronic equipment as command radio set (relatively short-
range ) ; liaison radio set (short and long-range ); radio com-
pass: electronic altimeter; devices for precision and autom atic
navigation; devices for locating the target; identification de-
vices to determine wheth er detected aircraft 3rc friendly or
hostile; devices for detecting enemy transmissions; devices for
interfering with enemy transmissions; electronic gear to be
droppe<l or parachuted for special operations.
Fire Extinguishers-Fire extinguishers are standard pre cal1~
tionary equipment on all aircraft because of fire ha za rds from
inftamrnable gasoline and incendiary bullets. The 2 types are
hand-held and built-in extinguishers. Hand-held extinguishers
are located where the danger of fire is greatest in a plane.
Built-in systems are used in various parts of planes but espe-
cially in engine nacelles. The engine fire extinguisher system
consists of high pressure cylinders containing carbon di oxide.
These ~ystem s are controlled from the pilot's or naviga tor's
l compartment, and operated by ca ble controls or electricity.
Parachutes-Three types of personnel parachutes are com-
mon : seat type, back type, and chest or quick attachable type.
In anticipation of war in th e Pacific, th e AAF substituted
, nylon for silk in parachutes before war with Japan had cut
off our supplies from the Far East. Beca use it is plastic, nylon
WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 173
fiber does not disintegrate with age to the extent of silk 6he,
which is an animal matter. Silk chutes were limited to a usc-
ful life of 7 years; nylon chutes apparently last indefinitely.
Into one nylon chute goes enough material to make 1 00
pairs of ladies' hose; 4 times that much goes into the nylon
shroud line, that hang down from the fold s and support the
harness, which is made of a tough cotton ~n yl on fabric.
The parachute used in mos t crew positions is th e flexible
back type. It confomlS to · th e shape of th e back, t1lCrcby
allowing complete freedom of movement. The pack is thin1
has a minimum of metal ribs to hold its shape. It enables
crewmen to climb about in th e small confines of bombers and
gives th e fighter pilot more freedom and comfort.
Some crew positions, such as ' th e ball turret on bombers,
arc too small for th e wearin g of any parachute. Such cr ew~
men use th e quick~a ttach able chute which rolls up in a small
pack and is snappcd onto D-shaped ri ngs that are a part
of the harness worn on the chest. These harn esses are worn
at all times, and th e ch ute is stored nea r th e escape hatch way.
The seat type parach ute folds into a small pack and is
harn essed aro und shoulders and th ighs; it also serves as a
sea t cushion.
Aerial Delivery Para chutes- Cargo parachutes, varying in
diameter from small 2Y2-foot chutes for dropping messages,
to giant 48-foot chutes capable of dropping 30oo-poqnd
loads, are bei ng used by the AAF to supply ground troops
wi th eq uipm ent and materi el. A 12-foot chute is one of th e
latest types used for dropping sea-rescue kits.
The gia nt 4 8~foo t ch utes, th e AAF's largest, are util ized for
droppi ng iron matting for emergency ru nways, land-m ines,
dem olition equipment, mortars and heavy war vehicles.
Parachutes used fo r aerial delivery are made of rayon or
cotton, depending upon the weigh t of the equipment to be
d ropped. Variously colored canopies are used, each color
representin g a specific item of equipment or supply, to enable
ground troops to identify parach utes when they land .
Oxygen Equipment- In addition to oxygen masks and regu~
lators (see page 244 ), th e storage of oxygen in cyli nders has
undergone a major change. Early ty pes of cylinders were
 174
IWFlCrAl. UF GUIDE
made of heavy sted to withstand the high press ure of 2000
pounds per square Inch. When It was discovered that such
cylinders would explode with the force and effect of a small
shrapnd bomb upon being struck by bullets or Oak, new
hght-wught low-pressure cylinders were developed and
s~.ndardized i,n all of our ai!craft. The change-over also fa.
clhtated refillmg of the cyhnders from conventional com-
mercial storage cylinders.
Aerial Photography Equipment-Two of the most com-
monly used high altitude cameras are the K-3B and the
K-IB. Both are electncally operated. The K-3B has 24- in ch
lenses With 3 focal lengths; the K-IB is larger and takes a
9 by I B mch photograph. A telephoto camera is the K- 1 5
type; l~proved versIOns of tillS cam,era are goi~g into usc.
1!te T 3A , and T-S cameras are speCIal map-makmg cameras
With multiple lenses capable of photographing hundreds of
square mIles m one photograph. One. camera of this type is
equipped to record on. one fil.m the time of day, date, serial
number of the negative, aJbt1!d,e, speed, vertical angle of
ca~era and oth~r data pertammg to the mission which
might be of help m working out tactical maneuvers.
~lgh -5peed continuous-strip cameras are installed in fast-
8Ylng planes for low sweeps; these cameras have wide-open
lenses, the speed of shutter and plane being synchronized.
They have been used at low altitudes at speeds above 4 0 0
miles per hour on moving objects such as tanks cars and
oth~r vehicles: One picture taken from 3 50 fe~t head-on
~am st a ~ovmg, automobile on, a hi~hway was so clear that
e gas, rabon sbcker on the wmd shleld was plainly visible.
Spec ..1 stereoscopic processes enable photographs to be
rea~ ~n such a manner that experts Can tell the height of a
bUlldmg or the depth of a trench.
Wright Field- Frequently referred to as the technical nerve
center of the MF, Wright Field is the home of the largest
aeronautical , researcl~ center, in th e world , Seven miles east of
~ayton, OhIO, the mstallatlon was built in 19 26 and named
In ~on?r of the J:>ioneering W righ t brothers who had Hown
then kites, ~nd ghdcrs over thi s same plot of ground .
To a VIsitor, the 7000 acre in sta1Jati on, headquartcrs of
WHAT WE FIGHT WITH 175
the Materiel Command, looks like a gigantic conglomerate
of surrcalist Hollywood movie sets: huge caterpmar-like wind
tunnels, arched hangars that dwarf the B-19, a runway that
leads from the level field almost to the top of
a 200 foot hill, a gaping tren ch excava ted from
the hillside as the practice firing range for ex-
perimental aircraft and a maze of weirdly
shaped steel and concrete structures wh ere
propcllers are whirled until th ey shatter and engines roar day
and night.
If the equipment at the field were put into action at one
time, airplanes would swoop down over th e field and pick
up motorless gliders, and win gless helicopters would hang in
mid -air; captured Gennan and Japanese aircraft would ente r
a traffic pattern filled with heavy bombers and tiny £Odio-
controlled target planes; multi -colored parachutes would fl oat
down with dummies hangin g from them .
In the Materiel Command laboratori es at the field are
th ousands of activities : a civilian behind th e control room
panel of the world's largest high-speed wind tunnel plavs
with 40o-mile-an-hour tornadoes; frost-<::overed men, bundled
up like Eskimos, sit in test chambers th at simulate the thin
air and 50·below-zero temperatures of 40,000 feet altitllde;
volunteers sweat under intense arti ficial heat rays while floa t-
ing in a small rubber raft on th e sti rred-up wa ters of an ind oor
salt water pool; a woodcraftsman carefu ll y puts the fini shing
touches on a delicate model of a secret plane; thousands of
pounds of lead are piled on th e wings of a sleek-looking
combat aircraft until ribs and spars crumple and snap; a tech·
nician adju sts the fine interna l mechanism of a bombsight
with a wa tchmaker's ca re; a 75 mm cannon blasts a warning
note to th e enemy.
Test Pilots- D espite years of expe rt gro und and paper eng i-
neering, only th e test pilot ca n prove wheth er the engin eerin g
th eories behind th e airplane design are ri ght or wrong;
wheth er an airplane wi1l or will no t fl y successfully. Bo th th e
manufacturers and the AAF depend greatly on test pilots.
One of th e most difficult assignments for test pilo ts is
fl yin g radically different plane types duri ng a single day's
II OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
~utine. A B-29 with 8800 horsepower requires a completely
J1~erent fiymg techniq~~ than a sensitive P-51 Mustang or
light 95-horsepower 113lSon plane. Test pilots of the AAF
IY any and every type of airplane. including captured Messer-
~hmltts. Junkers. Focke-Wulfs and Zeros.
: Test pilots. are. r~sp~nsible for obtaining accurate perform- HOW WE KEEP 'EM FLYING
nce data which IS mdlSpensable to the development of mili-
~ry "aircraft and equipment. Since their findings must be as
ehable as engineering fonnu]ae, it is essential that th eir
-aining and their methods be standardized.
: Before each flight test. special project officers and engineers
cescribe the exact speed, altitude and maneuvers to be
~ecuted. Reliability of the test depends on the ability of
Ie test pilot to Oy precIsely accordmg to instructions-not
,. S miJes ,10 hour when the instructions say 355. not at
~,ooo feet when directions call for 26,500.
i Proving Ground- New combat equipment developed and
I>o~atory-tested at Wright Field must be proved for combat. ,
·ovmg IS the lob of the Provmg Ground Command, which
~ts the battle fitness of new equipment and ascertains the
lost efficient ways to use it.
i Main base of the Proving Ground Command is Eglin
.cld, Fla. Covering 600 square miles in the northwestern
The very virtues of our weapon-speed, mobility and range
- also present certain difficulties. Since th e airplane cann ot
~tion of the state. Eglin Field includes 9 airfields. scores of take along sufficient reserve supplies and cann ot adequately
Ireh?uses, laboratories, barracks, vaults, shops, hangars, live off the land, its continuing effectiveness depends upon
!mbmg and gunnery ranges. Under jurisdiction of the an uninterrupted fl ow of supplies to its base. M any of these
Fmand is the cold weather testing station at Ladd Field. supplies-fuel , ammunition, spare parts-are requi red i ~ vast
SlS~~ whe:e equipment 15 proved under frigid temperature quantities and are highly specialized. They m ust be sh ipped
ndltions. principally by surface tra nsportabon to Uni ts that are often
Proving .at Eglin Field answers 2 ques tions about equip- more th an h alfway around the world.
nt: Is It fit for combat use? What's the best way to Logrnties-whieh means g.ettin g w~ a t w~ need, \~I~ere .we
: It? F~tness for c?mbat is determined by a series of rigorous need it when we need it- IS a consideratIOn of cn h cal 1m·
Its w~lch are deSIgned to foresee, as mueh as possible, the portanc'e in all aerial stra tegy. Although a bomber and its
enCles of com~at. The best methods of using equipment crew ca n be fl own fro m th e U . S. to any th eater of opera tions
found by practical demonstrations. in the wo rl d in a few h ours, th e grou nd crews and supplies
necessary to keep the bomber in operation require weeks or
even mon ths to reach the th eater by surface transport. For
this reason, the plannin g of supply and transport must be
ca rried on mon ths in advance of major air operations, and
177

171 OFFICIAL US GUIDE
an error in calculations or a failure in the supply system may
cost a cam paign .
In one way or another almost every man in the AAF par-
ticipate~ in logistical function s. A combat aircrew. although
a tactical unit, must nonetheless check its own limited sup-
plies and even make minor repairs in 8ight. Similarly, ground
crews are concerned with supply and maintenance activities,
while a large proportion of the personnel on every base de-
vote their full time to such duties.
The commands whi ch arc principally respon sible for AAF
supply, transport and maintenance are:
). AIR SERVICE COMMAND (ASC) is the stockroom and garage of
the MF. Operating within the continental U. S., it receives an
our aircraft and aircraft equipment and supplies; maintains neces-
sary' stocks upon which the using units can draw; sees to it that
such itocks are in th e right place at the right time; provides for
ov~rhaul and heavy repair work; salvages damaged or excess rna ·
tenaJ. ASC sched ules the eq uipment and supplies which will be
required by units in this country and by all the overseas air forces
~ th~t they may be ordered, delivered and stocked . ASC is organ-
ized mlo )) subordinate area air service commands, each operat·
ing in a designated area of the U. S.
2. Alit. FORCE ArR SERV ICE COMM ANDS perform within the theaters of
operations supply and maintenance functions similar to those of
the ASC within the continental U. S. While under the command
of the air force commander, each air force air service command
depends upon the :\SC at home for its stocks of supplies and for
technical in s t~u ctions ~nd g~ida n ce as to maintenance. In a large
theater, the aIr force alT service command may be subdivided into
subordinate area air service commands.
; . THE ,UR TRANSPORT COMMAND (ATe ) provides all air tr:m sport
for tile War Department of cargo, personnel and mail -to, from
and between theaters of operations and within the continental
U. S Through its ferrying d ivision it ferries plan es within the
continental U. S. and overseas.
,. . AIR. FORCE :ROO~ CARRI ER CO.MMANDS, OR WINGS, amon g other
dUties, proVide aIr transportation both for air and ground per·
sonnel and for cargo in combat areas.
In aodition, the AAF relies heavily upon th e Anny Service
Forces ,( ASF) , with its 7 supply services (see page 180), for
matcnc, comnlOn to th e entire Army as well as for certain
HOW WE KEEl' 'Ell FLYING 179
special supplies such as bombs. The Army Transportation
Corps, a part of th e ASF, is respon sible for Army land and
water transport and carries the bulk of AAF materiel to
overseas destinations.
SUPPLY
During the ea rly months of the war the AAF supply prob-
lem was principally one of production. As production has
gradually come abreast of requirements, except for certain
critical items, the suprly-d istribution problem has multiplied
many times. Most 0 our supplies are now sent overseas.
Supply levels must be maintained in each theater~nough
for anticipated n eeds plus a reserve, but not so much in any
one theater as to handica p oth ers.
Types of Required Supply-Supplies required by AAF units
may be divided into 4 major groups. First are airplanes th em~
selves. The AAF has received over 1 00,000 planes of morc
th an '40 different types, The supply of aircraft and their aUo-
ca tion to th e different th eaters of war are determined in the
first instance by the strategic and tactical plans for the air waf.
In tum, aircraft al1ocations detennine to a large extent the
supply requirements lor almost aU oth er types 01 AAF supply.
~he second m.ajor category inc1udes aircraft spare parts.
mamtenance eqUIpment and certain special aviation equip.
ment and supplies. An AAF heavy bomber consists of as
many as 12,000 individual parts, any of which may require
replacement due to battle damage or wear. Supply require-
ments demand that Air Service Command have on hand
and located at points around th e world where they \ViII b~
needed, 500,000 different articles, or 1 0 times the number
of items listed in a Sears-Roebuck catalogue. Their variety is
infi~ite: nuts ~nd bolts., flying suits, instrum en ts, propellers,
lubneants, engmes, mamtenance machinery and tools.
T hi rd are th e consumable supplies required by combat
ai rplanes: aviation fuel, bombs and other ammunition. A
single squadron of 12 B -24S may expend morc than 1 6,000
gallons of aviation gasoline, more than 30 tons of bom~)s on
a typical 5-11OUf mission. However, in modern aerial warfare,
we measure our logistical requirem ents not in terms of squad-

I. OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
rons but in terms of 500 and l ooo~plane missions. To equip
1000 hrnvy bombers for a hypothetical mission over Berlin
from Slitish bases might require as much as l'h million
gallons of gasoline, 3000 tons of bombs and 2 million rounds
of . 50 caliber ammunition. If ]000 fighter aircraft were sent
along as escort, th ey would probably require more than a ~
million gaUons of gasoline and l Y2 million rounds of ammu-
nition .
The 4th category of supply required by AAF units con-
sists of materials procured by the Army Service Forces, to
fulfill the everyday needs of life such as food, clothing, blan-
kets, vehicles, as well as certain other special types of supply.
The major types of these supplies fall into 7 categories as
follows:
QUARTERMASTER-subsistence, clothing, personal equipment, general
supplici (beds. blankets, cooking utensils ), fuel and oil for vehicles.
ORDNANCE-bombs (other than chemica l bombs ). and other am-
munition, weapons and general purpose motor vehicles.
SIGNAL CORPs-communication systems (telegraph, telephone, ground
~nd airJorne radio, radar, teletype, pigeons).
MEDICAL cORPs-medical supplies and equipment.
CORPS OF ENGINEER5-COnstruction equipment and supplies (graders,
bulldozers, concrete, lumber, landing mats, brick ), sea rchlights
barrage balloons, ' rapid ly forward, supply UllIts must be prepared to leap-frog
TRANSPORTATION-rail equipment (railroad ca rs), floMin g equipment
( boats ~nd barges ) , pier equipment.
CHEMICAL WARFARE-incendiary bombs, smoke bombs, smoke, gas
m~sJcs, decontamination eq uipment and supplies,
Domestic Supply-Near the center of each of 11 con-
tinental Air Service Command areas is an air de~
pot. An air depot is a large wholcsale house and
warehouse, nonnal1y stocked with 2 months'
supply of th e types of property required in its
area, In addition it perfonns heavy aircraft main~
tenance work ,
Each of the major airbases in the U. S. has a
base supply organization which furnishes air supp1ies to all
units located within its jurisdicti on, Base suppl y is und er th e
base commander, but works closcly with the air depot in the
area. It normally carries a 30-day stock of supplies.
181
HOW WE KEEP 'EM flYING
When a unit stationed at a base requires a p~rt for a plane,
it requisitions base supply. Base supply furnIShes the part
and, when necessary, replenishes its own stock from Its ,alI
depot, or from one of the ASC spe~ialized depots whIch
maintain central stocks of certam speclahzed typ,es ~f e{U1p~
ment. Air depot stocks are maintained by dehvenes, rom
manufacturers and from ASC specialized d~pots. ~onhnuous
stock controls are maintained at all these mstallab ons, mak-
ing it possible at short notice to correct sh ortages that de~
ve10p in one area by calling on depots in another area and
shipping by air. .. ..
Overseas Supply-The AIr Servlc,e Comm~nd o~ tal1ls and I S~
sues initial equipment and supphes to umts, gomg ~verseas,
and maintains supply levels in each th eater With continual re-
plenishments on req,uiSiti?ns from the theaters, 0x: ce suP:
plies have been received 10 ,the thea,ter, how~ver, ~lrect re
sponsibility for them rests With the air force air service com~
mand of that th eater. .
The set~up for supplying combat units i,n a th eater aIr
force is fundamentally comparable to dom esllc supply excep t
that th e need for mobility and flexibility is more, pronounced.
During a tactical campaign ,wh en air combat umts may move
from field to field , Fixed bases with pennanent faCIlItIes are
found only in areas well to the rear, ,
. Each th eater air force includes at least one air force gen-
eral depot which provides a w~ olesa le center for AAF tech~)i­
cal supplies as well as suppltes procured by Army Service
Forces; it also renders h eavy mamtcnance (see page 2 0 1 ).
Operated in connection with the air force general depot, and
also under the command of th e air force air service com~
mander arc a number of branch depots wh ich store and
issue su'pplies that require s'pe~ial meth ods ?f handling and
storage. They include an aV iatIon gas , and Oil d c~~t, an ord-
nance ammunition depot and a chenllcal ammumhon depot.
In addition, th e following branch ,depots, which prov~de s~l?­
plies used by both grou nd and OIr forces, are. cstabllshcd If
suitable ground force dcpots are not convcmcntly located :
quartermaster class I depot (for co nsumable suppli es such
ll1Z OfFICIAL AAF GU1DE
HOW WE KEEP "EM FLYING 183
III Fom sum Y IN THEATEIS OF DPlIATaS
of equipment. Sections may be separated from the service

~
center and assigned to advanced fi elds or may work as a
unit at the service center. A servi ce center may service
as many as 8 combat squadrons. Its supplies arc replenished
PORT OF OESAWliON by deliveries from the air force general depot and branch
(and blse depots) depo ts.

.6 The general pattern of overse.1S supply sys tems is adapted

to the peculiar military and geographic fcatures of each

(~
theater. In England. service center personnel are merged with
the supply and maintcnance sections of combat units; air
AIR FORCE force general depots are not located far to th e rea r and,
BRUCH DEPOTS BRUCHOEPOIS
GENERAL indeed, are sometimes in advance of combat units. Service
• ccnter organizations in th e Pacific have bcen adapted to th e
DEPOT island campaigns by splitting into sections for rapid move-
mcnt to advanced bases.
AAF' supply and maintenance organiza tions contain ele-
ments thoroughly familiar with the equipment and suppli es
procured by th e Arm y Service Forces. The service center
provides for supply and maintenance of materiel originally
procured by Army Service Forces for AAF use as well as AAF-
S£RVICE CENIER procured materiel. Likewise. the AAF furnishes th e rest of
,,--I - -.... - - I 8TO 8 CDMSA.T
SQUADRONS
1--0+ the Army with such aviation supplies as parachutes liaison
airplanes. aeria l del ivery containers and cargo ch;ltes. In
/ ~, ~ ................. advance areas or in th eaters in which no grou nd establish-
/" '#,.,1'$ Sltt\''' ments exi~t. the air force air service command is responsible
~ / \ ~
,
" " lYS
..
.
Slrt\.\~\
k
for all duties normally performed by th e Army Service Forces.
The Supply System- To the maximum possible extent, AAF
supply procedures have been standardized and Simplified . On
the basis of stud y and experience, standard tables have been
lilt: WPW flOll OfPCIts lA' n ·,ASS SOYIC( prepared sh~wing ~hat equipmen~ each man, each airplane
CEImIS AlII 10 Dll£CT TCI COMIAT SQUADlOIIS. and each umt req UIres. Consumption data is constantly ana-
lyzed so that rates of consumption may be used in predic-
as food ). quartermaster class 11 I depot (for motor fuels). ti ons of ,future requ~rem ents. Combat supply tables based
engineer depot (for construction, camouflage materials). upon esttmated req UIrements for units in combat are em-
The retailers of supplies are th e service centers which cor~ ployed in th e initial s~lpply of such units overseas. Through
respond rough ly to the continental base supply organizations. the u~e of perpetual lI1,ven~ory s¥s tems and records. supply
Service centers, located closer to th e front lines than depots, agcnclcs are ablc to mam~all1 then stocks at a safe level.
furnish supplies and provide repair servi ces for al1 types Due to ever-changi ng situations in the theaters and to
improvements in plan, design and tactics. supply tables and
114 OFFICIAL AM GUIDE HDW WE KEEP 'EM FLYING '85

procedures are under constant revision. No table, no matter
:how perfect. will solve the supply problems faced regularly
combat areas. Unlike the ground forces whose supply
lou)ve, forward gradually with the attacking army, air force
advance in a series of jumps. Between such jumps sup-
operations at a base may be reduced to routine, but when
new base is captured from the enemy, movement of supply
forward areas becomes a feverish activity of the highest
Off the Land- As far as possible, supply personnel
materiel available within th eir theater. Such sup-
may take the form of food, clothing, raw materials, fuel
even annament and other equipment. Allied countries
which OUf troops are stationed, such as England and
have provided us millions of doBars' worth of sup-
facilitated by the appJication of reverse lend-lease. In
and China, native labor has been trained to p roduce
of our req uired supplies-even to airplane parts and
115Se1T1 blie~
and coord inated transportation by land and sea for all U. S.
Army troops1 their equipment and supplies; and the AA 17,
through its Air Transport Command, operates the greatcst
world·wide air transportation service ever achieved.
Mediums of Transport-Mediums of transport for the AA F'
and the characteristics which determine their use are essen·
tially similar to those affecting th e civilian traveler carrying
on his norm al business. "Vhen he is in a big hurry, or in
cases where other means of transport do not exis t, he fl ies.
'Vh en he is traveli ng overland for a relatively short distance,
he goes by motor vehicle-automobile or truck. For long
trips ovcrland 1 he travels by rail. To go across an ocean, he
normall y goes by ship.
:Military transportation differs from civilian transportation
principally because of its tremendous mass movements, the
grea ter urgency and speed req uired and the necessity of
operating in littlc·developed areas of the world under natural
obstacles and those imposed by the enemy. "Vater transporta·
tion, though relatively slow1 is economical of manpower and
fuel 1 and essen tia l to move the bulk of our men and 111a·
teriel overseas (see table). Rail and truck are equal1v in·
dispensable for inland transportation 1 though inland water.
ways are preferable for the movement of bulky goods when
speed is not a prerequisite.

In term, of world logistics, the U. S. is an island, serarated TUR NA ROUNDS

eve£)' active war t11 ca ter by th ousa nds of miles 0 water.
effectiveness as a fighting air force has rested from th e Turnaround time is the time required to load a ship, to move it to
~~~:~~~ upon th e ability of the United Nations' transpor- destination. unlond and reload , and return to home port and unload .
~ reS<Xl£ces to ship our personn el and supplies to the com· with an allowance for normnl repa irs. A\'cmge turnaround times be·
areas. An war transportation agencies have joined together tween U. S. ports and maj or theaters, based on AAF experience,
the unprecedented development of transportation facilities are:
in their operation against all obstacles the enemy could TRA NSPORT SHI P CARGO SHIP
~r,es<'nt. The merchant marine and the shipbuilders are over
.
...
hump of early shortages and submarine losses; the AlTIeri. New York· North Africa 49 days 79 days
and British navies have overcome the threa t of the Ger· New York·Engbnd 42
.. 75

....
undcr·water fleet; our railroads and other commercial Snn Francisco·ll nwaii 30 39
p rriers arc satisfying th e heavies t dema nds in their history;
Army, through its Transportation Corps1 has regulated
San Francisco·Australia
West Canst, USA-Ind ia
iO
120
120
210 .
Seattle-Alaska 30 " 45 "

III OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
Fastest of all mediums is air transport. The quantities
I which cm be handl ed by individual airplanes are limited and
air transport is therefore reserved for movements of the high-
est urgency-such as key personnel, emergency supplies and
equipment, rapid evacuation of the sick and wounded, and
mail. H Jwever, air transport is vital out of all proportion to
the mocest capacities of th e ca rgo airplane. It provides access
to regions where surface transportation is blocked by enemy
control, as in Burma; by natural obstac1es, such as the I-lima-
laya moun tains; or where roads and railroads do not exist,
as in New Guinea. By the employment of many cargo air-
craft, 13ige quantities of supplies can be moved over mod-
era te distances with the grea test speed.
AIR TRANSPORT CARGOlS AND OISTAIICES
PAYlOAD
muCE IIIIWS
""I ..... 1
Rough, undeveloped areas call for morc prim itive means
of transport- wagons, beasts of burden, even human car-
riers. In th e Pacific islands, nati ve carriers play an important
part in su pplying advanced and otherwise isolated units.
Moving an AAF Unit-~1oving an AAF unit from one base
to another means picking up an entire comm unity- its in-
habitants. their personal equipment, their industries, their
HOW WE KEEP 'EM flYING 187
mechanical equipment- and transport,ing it intact t~ another
locality hundreds or, th?usands of ",lIles away. ~nhkc most
other military orgam zatlOlls, many alI comba,t umts must b e
split for movement; part of a bon~ber umt, for example,
flies in its own airplanes; the remamder uses other means
of transport.
A heavy bomber group consists of. about 179,0 persons and
4 8 B-1 7 S or B-24S. Its ground eqUIpment weIgh s 830 ton s
of which approximatel y three~four~h s are trucks and oth er
vehicles. The airplanes thcmsel~es Will tran,sp.o rt al1 crew m em~
bers and about 32 tons of eqUlpm ent. If It IS nec~ssary to. fly
the remainder of the air echelon (see page 19 ) whI ch con sists
of 222 persons, 13 cargo airplanes n:tt1 S~ .b e p rovided for
this purpose. 'TIlis leaves about 11 00 mdlvlduals and about
790 tons of ground equipment to b e m oved b y other mea,ns.
If th e distance is not more than a few hun dred miles
and roads are available, th ese probably will travel by motor
transport. TIle group's own vehicles include more than a
dozen 2Y2 ton trucks and a large num ber of small t rucks,
trailers and special vehicles, capable of moving supplies an ?
equipment. To th ese must be added about 30 or more a~dl~
tional 2 112 ton trucks from a motor transport pool, makll1g
a total procession of over 250 vehicles. E~en th,ese will not
take care of 8 tractors ass igned to the umt, whIch must bc
sent by rail, water or special motor carriers , . '
If th e distan ce is too grea t for motor tra nsportatIOn or If
road s are not ava ilable, all of the ground ech elon 's personncl
and equipment may travel by rail. Sucl~ a movement wo uld
require a total of 173 ra ilroad cars of va n ouS types, as follows:
107 40' Hat cars
17 ;0.5' automobile cars
9 40,S' box cars
30 sleeping ca rs (or 22 coaches)
5 baggage aus
5 kitchen cars
If neith er road nor railroad is available, and if it is abso-
lutel y essential to fly th e unit, it will ~eqllire abou~ ;25 cargo
airplane loads in addi tion to th e ca pacity of the umt sown 4 8
 DFFICIAL lAF GUIDE
mbers. (Assuming an average capacity of 6250 pounds,
r 27 pasrengers per cargo airplane.) Even these, however,
",ill not take care of the unit's vehicles, which must be shipped
some other manner or left behind.
Require:nents of AAF non~ flying service units are even
peater than combat units since they have no assigned air-
craft. For example, a depot supply squadron of 137 men
uires 3" railroad cars to move entirely by rail. If it is
I own to its destination, 44 cargo airplanes are required for
rsonnel .nd equipment other than vehicles. Approximately
00 tons of vehicles then have to be handled in some other
yav.
Moving an AAF Unit Overseas--When the training of an
MF unit is completed and it is ready for com bat operations
m one of the theaters, it is processed for movement overseas.
n the case of a bOl;nbardment unit, heavy or medium, the
hews usually By their planes over while the rest of the unit
, shipped by boat. Alter arrival in the theater, ground and
aying personnel reunite at an asJigned airbase. Fighter planes
,nd other planes having limited ranges must normally be
I:h ipped; air and ground echelons both go by water transport.
The volume of shlppmg reqUIred to move an AAF unit
aepends upon whether its equipment is dismantled and
i:1'ated ?~ ~) ship~d uncrated , and this in tum depends upon
the faCilities available at the destination. Shipments are nor-
.,ally crated to save space if destin ed for an establish ed area
u~h as ~ngland, where facilities for uncrating and asscm-
plmg equipment are ampl e. However, equipm ent bound for
, newly captured atoll in the Pacific is generally shipped
rully assembl~ and ready for immediate operation. V ehicles,
r.hlch compnse the bulk of a unit's equipm ent, take up
~bout 3 times as much shippin g space un cra ted as crated .
me. ground equipment . of a heavy bomber group, crated ,
'equlfes betweel~ one-thud and one-haH the usable capaci ty
.f the average liberty ship. In add iti on, the group's person-
lei, other than fl ying crews, requ ire more than haH the
pacity of an av~rage Army t roop t ra nsport.
. Because of their relatively. light weight and bulky shape,
Juplancs prOVide a special shipping problem. A meth od now
HOW WE KEEP 'EII n YING 189
being successfully employed is the constru ction of light sp"'
decks several feet above the decks of oil tankers; 2 0 or m ore
fighters or other small p1anes can be mounted on th ese
decks. Propellers, wing tips and certain other parts are re-
moved and the surface of the rest of the plane is treated to
protect it from moisture. As a res ult, th e long and expensive
process of disassembling, crating and reassembling the air-
plane is avoided, while th e fuel-ca rry ing capacity of the
tanker is not materiall y affected , th anks to th e light weigh t
of the planes.
Procedure for Overseas Movement-For the purpose of h an-
dling, directing and processing th e tremendous volume of
equipment and numbers of troops en ro ute to overseas th ea-
tcrs, the War Department, through its transportation corps,
has es tablished 8 large installations known as ports of em-
barkation which are supplemented by a num ber of sub-ports.
These ports, which are loca ted adj oin ing key harbors such
as N ew York, N ew Orleans and San Francisco, are huge
installations whi ch include staging areas for troops and large
numbers of depots and wareh ouses for storage of suppli es.
All AAF personnel, supplies an d equipmen t not flo wn to
th eir destination pass through one of th ese ports en route
th eir th ea ter destin ati on. Troops are carried by rail or truck
to a staging area nea r a port of embarkation where th ey
are ch ecked and inspected on all such matters as ph ysica'l
conditi on, inoculati ons, pay. personnel records, insurance
and individual equ ipment. Onl y after it is determi ned th at
every man meets all Anny requirements for shipm ent does
th e port command er assign th e uni t to a specific ship.
M ost equi pment sent overseas is shipped direct to th e port
of embarkation by th e procuring service. In th e case of un its
bound for the U nited Kingdom, materiel is p re-s hipped , new
equipm ent b eing assign cd to units after th ey reach the th ea·
ter. Aviation equipment, parts and spares require special
care in handling and packing. Nea r th e major ports of em-
barka ti on th e Ai r Service C ommand opera tes in tra nsit depots,
whi ch ca rry small stocks of AA F technical supplics and
where all such supplies arc processed and chccked before
th cy arc shi pped .
 110 OFFICIAL AAP GUIOE MOVEMENT OF SUPPUES TO THE THEATERS OF OPERAliONS
Procedure for Moving Air Echelons Overseas-The AAF is
: responsible for processing and monitoring al1 air shipments
; to overseas destinations. For this purpose, the Air Transport
Command operates 8 ports of aerial embarkation and a
: number of sub·ports, which perform essentially the same
functions as the water ports but on a very much smaner
: scale. Aircrews passing through these ports 3rc checked,
: processed and then briefed for their overwater hop. At each
: port of aerial " embarkation, the Air Transport Command
: operates an air freight terminal which handIest stores and
. repacks air cargo.
, Debarkation-At the end of their journey overseas, troops
,and supplies leave th eir ships at theater ports of debarkation,
I which may be regarded as ports of embarkation in reverse .
.At a number of such ports of debarkation, air depots, some~ ARMY SERVICE fORCES
: times called extransit depots, are maintained by the theater AIR SERVICE
air force air service commands. @JQig~~
COMMAND DEPOTS
Shipment of Supplies and Replacement Equipment-Once I TRANS. II C.Of Ell CHEM. I
lthe air unit has been moved and established at its theater
I base, it requires immediate and continuous support in the
Ifonn of consumable supplies and replacement equipment.
:As our forces in the theaters grow, these replenishment sup~ INTRANSIT
lplies consume an increasing proportion of total shipping re· DEPOT
;quirements. Except for gasoline and oil, which 3re usually
ishipped direct from refineries, such supplies pass th rough
'ports of embarkation, water or air, and arc handled like
ioriginal shipments.
Nonna] supply requirement for units overseas- other than
.aviation fuel, bombs, ammunition and aircraft-may be
:roughly averaged at one ship ton per man per month. Thus
:to keep an air force of 100,000 men supplied with food,
:clothing, replacement vehicles and their gasoline, parts, and
:similar items for one month requires about 100,000 ship
tons. PORT Of EMBARKATION
I Present consumption of aviation fuel by our th eater air
forces is nearly 150 million gallons per month, or 35 oil
tanker loads (assuming average tanker capacity of 1 00,000
barrels). It is normally shipped by tanker to theater destina-
tions which are equipped with pumping and storage facilities. TO THEATER OF OPERATIONS
 192 OFFICIAL AAF GUIOE HOW WE KEEP ·EM flYING 193

· In the case of newly established bases, however, immed iate
· fuel requirements are met by gasoline shipped in drums 111
cargo vessels.
Transport Within Theaters-As far as possible, existing
transportation lines-railroads and highways-are employed
in the movement of supplies and equipmen t within the
I theater. However, conditions vary so widely in the different
theaters of operations that there is no standard pattern. In
Great Britain, distances arc relatively short and railroads and
highways arc well developed. The North African offensive
I was material1y aided by the existence of the railroads skirting
I the northern and western coasts. The campaigns in the Pa-
· cific islands must rely largely upon air and water transport.
i In India and Bum13, where rail and highway facilities are
--
~i2>-- ... ,
c-..r.... "-
~ port requirement for one B-17 group ~o operate one h ypoth eb·
limited, the movemen t of supply to an advanced ~os t may in·
volve a combinationof ship and barge transport, air transport,
wagon, pack animal and human carr~er. .
To a considerable extent the eXistence of transportation
facilities determin es the location of depots, service centers
and advanced airbases. For a large·scale action it is alm?st es·
sential that rail or highway lines connect the d epot w.th all
its service centers, and that the service centers be located at,
or be within a few hours motor distance of, the bases th ey
support. Where such facilities .are limi ted or. w~ere distances
are great, the imp.ortance of. alI tran spor~ wltlun. the th ea ter
increases. Cargo alIplane umts are s~metImes. assl~ned to ~l e
ai r force air service command to provide fast au frelgh~ service
between depots and service centers and between service ce n·
ters and bases.
,
The amount of transport required to keep combat units in
operation may be gauged by the fact that a heavy bombe r
( group, averaging 10 missions per month, calls for .average dally
deliveries by more than fifty 2Y2 ton trucks. Estimated trans·
cal mission with 1000 pound bombs IS about 130 loads of 2 V2
ton trucks with one·ton trailers. Of th is total, about 40 trucks
and trailers are loaded with bombs, about 10 with oth er am·
munition, and about 80 with aviation gasoline drums.
Ferrying of Aircraft- Princil?al mea~s of t~a nspor~ fo~ our
major item of supply- th e auplane .tself-IS ferrymg .t to
destination under its own power. M on ths before Pea rl H ar-
bor, we began ferrying lend -lease plan.es for th e Bri~ish and
ferrying our own planes from factones to ~omestIc. bases.
Since th en, ferrying operations have grown with the mcrcas-
ing production of aircraft and with the wor1?-wide develol~­
ment of our th ea ter air forces. AAF ferry pdots of the Au
Transport Command pick up new planes at the factory and
deli ver th em to domestic bases, to overseas bases, and, 111 th e
case of lend-lease aircraft, all the way or part way to the using

....... ..
. . . oA6 ...... _ lOAr nation. In a typical mon th , ferry deliveries may be as h igh
... . . . . - TIUCI PORT OF ~ as 8000 planes, total ferrying miles between 10 and 15 million .
O[lUKAT10N ~
- \"-~
In add ition to ATC ferrying operations, many combat planes
are flown to overseas desti nations by their combat crews.
 1M ~ICIAI. AAF GUIDE
.......
u>

..........
· Air Tlansport-The AAF, through its Air Transport Com· e
· mand, is responsible for all transport by air of cargo and per·
sonnel for the \VaT Department. In addition, it provides air
transport services for other governmental agencies and for co
governments of the Vnited Nations. The ATC's principal CI
I transport functions are the operation of air transport services z:
e
• within the V. 5., between the V. 5. and all of the theaters of :=IE
operations. and between different theaters of operations. It op- :=IE
I erates over air routes in the U. S. totaling 35,000 miles and co
Co>
: overseas air routes tota1ing more than 95,000 miles. More
than 1 00 bases along these routes have been established by
....
a:
the AAF as wen as a world-wide communications network ....
co
· and essential weather forecasting units. During December
t 1943, ATe operations totalled more than 35,000,000 ton
' miles of cargo and almost 100,000,000 passenger miles, of
.......
.."
z:
a:
I which more than 9 0 % were on foreign routes.
The development of ATC has been materially assisted by
the use of existing civil air Cc1rriers. \Vith the need for mili~ / -e
0:.:

tary air activity to all parts of the world it was found neces- =
sary to militarize many of the existing commercial airlines -
Co>

=
extending overseas. A number of civil carriers entered into ~
contracts with the Government under which
they operate scheduled transport services with ....>-a:
planes allotted to them by the AAF. L"ge co
numbers of th e flight and ground personnel of
the air carriers have been absorbed into th e
AAF, and th e carriers also have rendered an
.......'"
=>
important service in the training of military co
a:
· pilots for air transport operations.
z:
I ATC operates scheduled flights over AACs routes, but <:>
I much of its unique importance arises from the speed and
mobility with which it can mcet em ergency demands in com ~
....
e
Co>
I bat operations. Air transport can bc L1sed to capitalize on th e
z:
opportunities, avert the threats and minimize the s et~ backs of =>
battle. For example, when Rommel was making his deter- :=IE
mined thrust at Cairo, Allied suppli es of antitank ammuni~ :=IE
co
tion were running short. Tons of it were flown to Cairo from
the V . 5 through bad weath er and deli vered within 3 days,
which helped turn th e tid e in th e battle for Egypt.
......
Co>

e
 191 OFFICIAl. AM GUIDE
An ontstanding operation of the Air Transport Command
is the supply of vital. materials to the armies and air units op-
erabng III Chllla. Smce the closing of the Burma Road in
April 1942. the only link between China and the other
United Nations fighting Japan has been the air route over
the hump of the Himalaya mountains. (See page 29 6 .)
Troop Carrier Operations-Air transport of
~
cargo and personnel by troop carrier units has
~en an ~mportant ,element in combat areas, par-
bcularly In the PaCIfic, Mediterranean and India-
Bum13 theaters. 111csc operations include the
carrying of key personnel and troops and rush
":s;._ •
orders of freight to advanced units, both air and
ground. Wh,crc ot,her means of transport are too slow or afC
bl?Cked, ~n bre umts may be carried and supplied by air. Sup-
pltes, eamed to places before landing fields a TC available are
specIally packed and dropped from a low altitude usually by
parachute. In Me~iterrancan operations, troop ca'rrier planes
; ,
enabled fig~ter ,umts ,to leap forward rapidly to advanced air-
fields by flymg m engmeer and maintcnance units first. It was
their job to prepare the landing field s and service the aircraft.
Evacuation of casualties from the front lines is another im-
portant function of troop carrier aviation. During 194 3 more
than 113 ,.000 wounded and sick were evacuated by air by
troop carner and other AAF units. Air evacuation provides the
greatest possible speed in carrying casualties to hospitals where
they can be properly cared for, and at the sa me time relieves
vehi.cular equipment and hc1ps keep the roads c1car for
tactical movements overland. Troop carrier units 11ave also
80wn hospitals into combat arcas.
Air Priorities-Be~aus~ o~ !im!tations in capacity of air tran s-
port, a sys tem of aJ[ pnonbes IS employcd by which space is
. ~l1oca tcd in accordan~e w!th. ~he de!?ree of urgcncy of each
I Item and passeng~r. Au pnonbes, wh ich apply to dom estic as
wen ~s. ()ver~eas alT transport, both military and commercial,
t are diVided mto 4 c1asses of relative urgency:
j CLASS 1 .. Traffic whose movement is required by an urgency so acufe
: that'~ sJlOuJd I~n.der no circumstances be delayed emoute (or
collecholl of acldJtlollal passengers, mail or cargo.
HOW WE KEEP 'EM FLYING 197
CLASS 2. Traffic whose movement by air is absolutely necessary to ac-
complishment of a missioll necessary to prosecution of the war
(aircrews to combat theaters on scl1edule, bomb fuzes necessary for
combat operations).
CLASS 3. Traffic vital to the war eflort and of urgent nature, but less
so than class .2 (person nel necessary for maintenance of equipment
in an active theater; radio tubes).
CLASS 4. Traffic of sufficient importance to justify air transport, but
not so urgent as classes I, .2 or 3; or overseas, specially needed per-
sonnel or materiel moving to destinations accessible only by air.
Priorities vary with circumstances. Medical supplies rate a
high priority. and parts for grounded airplanes generally re-
, ceive class 2 priority. In early 1944. electrically h ea ted gloves
and boots for aircrcws, essential for high altitude missions,
were assigned class 1 priority to meet a critical shortage in
the United Kingdom . In one theater, a mimeographing ma-
chine, badly needed for preparation of orders, was given
higher priority than ammunition because of greater urgency.
Priorities apply also to return flights from theaters. Serious
casualties, urgently needing special treatment, are flown to
U. S. hospitals. Critical cases from India have reached \ Vash-
ington, D. C., in 5 days. High priorities are assigned to some
crucial raw materials-mica from India, tungsten from China,
platinum from Persia, crude rubber from Brazil.
MAINTENANCE
To keep an airplan e opemting, even und er the best condi-
tions in peacetime, calls for continuous maintenance. In war-
tim e the job is many times multiplied. Few aircmft return
from a major combat mission without som e battle damage
from fl ak or enemy aircraft. One sh ell through the fuselage of
a bomber may damage th e hyd rauli c sys tem, gu n control
mechanism, a number of instrum ents and wiring systems.
As an illustration of th e demands of wartime maintenance.
consider one hypothetical daylight bombing attack against a
 1
1.. OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE HOW WE KEEP 'EM FlYING 199
well-defended target by a force of 150 bombers and 75 escort Echelons of Maintenance
fighters. A fair assumption of losses and damages would be:
FIRST ECHELON-Maintenance performed by the air .~he1on . of the
10 planes lost over enemy territory; 6 forced to land in loca-
combat unit. Responsibilities. consist of servlcmg 3uplanes
tions 3",ay from th eir bases; 2. 5 extensively damaged; 50 mod-
erately c:a magcd; 25 with minor damages; and )09 un scathed.
(fueling) and equipmen.t; prefh8~t ~ V
and daily inspections; mmor repairs ~
The 6 forced landings would require about 7200 man -llOUTS for (tightening of nuts and bolts, hose ::!!A _ : ~ .
maintena nce; the 25 extensively damaged would average about clamps ), adjustments and repla?c-
450 man-hours each, making a total of 11 , 250 man-h ours; ments. All essential tools and eqUlp- !Ii!II1t),
the 50 moderately damaged, at an. average of 300 man -hours, mcnt are transportable by air.
would require 1 5.000 man -ho urs; and the 2. 5 sligh tly damaged , SECOND ECHELON-Mainte nance performed by t~e ground crew of
averagi ng: 15 0 m,m -h ours, would total 3750 man -hours. The the combat unit, and by airbase ~q."~~rons, a~rways det~c~men.ts
total maintenan ce for repairs alone (110t service) would be and airdrome squadrons. Responslblhtl~ co.nslst o~ servlcmg au-
37,200 man -ho urs, or a 48-hour wo rk week for 775 men. lanes and equipment, periodic preventive mspecbons, and .such
~d·ustments, repairs and replacements as may .be accom~hshed
AAF maintenan ce problem s are aggravated by purely geo-
I graphic and climatic conditions in man y of our th ea ters. In
wi~h hand tools and mobile equipment authonzed for thIS pur·
pose. Most repair equipment may
Alaska and the Al eutians maintenance is a continuing fight be transported by air, but certain
I against the cold-against freezing batteries and carburetors, items necessita~e surface transporta-
icing on a plane's surface as well as in the controls and tion . Second echelon maintenance
mechanisms, frost and snow. Abrasive sand is the chief foe of includes checking timing, adjusting
the maintenan ce man in the deserts of North Africa and th e valves, engine changes, etc. .
Ncar East. With out constant vigilance and care, sand will THIRD ECHELON-Maintenance performed by the base ~amtenance
get into evcrything- wi1l ruin valves, cylinder wal1 s, and all orgamza. t·Ion In
. the U . . S and the service
. dcenter1 In overseas
t
moving parts; will clog up filte rs and will pit propell ers. In theaters. Responsibilities consist of repalfS .an rep a~emen s r~
the tropIC areas of th e So uth Pacific, maintenance wages its quiring mobile machinery and equipment wh ich n~essltate groun
tough est battJe agai nst humidity---corrosion of m etal sur- means of transporta tion. It includes field repairs and salvage,
faces, condensation of moisture within instrum ents, leakage removal and replacement of majo.r
unit assemblies. fabrication of 1111-
and shoJt circuiting of wirin g and electronic sys tems. The nor parts and minor repairs to air-
abrasive effect of dust in the Pacific islands and in India is craft structures. Normally, 3rd eche-
another major problem for maintenance men. lon maintenance embraces repa irs
Echelons of Maintenance-The AAF maintenance system which can be completed within a
has 2 main objectives: first, Jetention of maximum mo- limited time.
bility for airplan e and combat unit; second, economy in FOURTH ECHELON-M aintenance perfonned by the air depot. Re-
. the use of specialized personn el and repair equipment. AAF sponsibilities include complete rest~ration of won~ or da~l~a~cd
I maintenance is divided into echelons, or levels, ranging from aircraft, periodic overhaul of assemblies and accessOries, fabrication
. repair work do ne by the aircrcw to complete overhaul by an of such parts as may be required to
air depot. These echelons may be compared roughly to the supplement normal s~l pply, a~o m ­
I maintenance with which th e ordinary automobile owner is
plishment of techmcal Ill()(hfic.a.
tions as directed, and the final (lis-
I familiar. As th e driver, he is abl e to make certain repairs him -
position of recla imed and salvaged
,self on the road slIch as cha ngin g a (Continued on page 200) materials.
 200 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
tire (ISt echelon); to fix the punctured tire he goes to a
service station (2nd echelon); for a major repair job he takes
his car to a garage (3rd echelon); and if the engine needs a
complete overhaul, it is sent back to the factory (4th echelon) .
The maintenance echelon organization is Bexible, espe·
cially under combat conditions on quickly changing battle
fronts. Aircrews sometimes must perform both 1St and 2nd
echelon maintenance. Where bases are stable as in England.
ground crews and service center personnel may be integrated
and perform all echelons of maintenance except 4th echelon.
Aircrews have done vital maintenance work in Hight.
Aboard a B·24 on an overwater flight it was discovered that
the pump would not transfer gas from the bomb bay tanks to
the wing tanks. With only 3 hours of wing tank gas left, the
engineer of the aircrew dismantled the pump, found its
valves corroded, repaired the pump in 2 hours and got gas
into the wing tanks one hour before the plane would have
crashed for lack of fuel.
MobDity in Maintenance- Service squadrons, which are a
part of the service group, may operate at the service center
base, or with the combat squadrons at forward bases in cer~
tain instances. In some cases, service center functions may be
earned out at permanent instaHations with hangars and fixed
machinery, but under a rapidly~moving combat situation such
conditions are the exception. Service center organizations are
I able to move rapidly and to operate in the field, away from
their headquarters sometimes for extended periods. The
service Kluadron includes mobile units which have th e func-
tion of taking 3rd echelon repair to planes which have
crashed or for any other reason can't get back to their base or
which operate in ad vance areas or at dispersed fields. It may
consist of one or more of the fo11awing: a machine shop to
~ake spare parts and an instrum ent repair shop, both hOl1sed
In heavy duty vans; an electric shop; a paint and fabric shop;
a propeller shop; a sheet metal shop; and a cabinet shop for
woodwork. Most af these shops are hOllsed in tents and can
be transported by tru ck and set up qui ckly.
Units devised to increase the mobility of aircraft mainte-
nance include the airdrome squad ron, which performs 2nd
HOW WE KEEP 'EM FLYING 201
echelon repair in lieu of the ground personnel of th e combat
unit. It is used in leap-fragging operations to provide imme-
diate service and repair for combat units without waiting for
the regular ground crews. It is capable of supporting one to
3 combat squadrons for a week or 10 days.
Maintenance Methods-The importance of rapid and effi-
cient maintenance can be demonstrated easily by an analysis
of some hypothetical statistics. Assume that maintenance
keeps each plane of a combat group out of commission an
average of 45 % of the time. If, by imp roved maintenance
methods, this percentage can be reduced to 20%, th e effec t
is equivalent to a 50% increase in the number of effective,
flyable planes.
As far as possible, AAF maintenance is sys tematized ac-
cording to sound industrial practices. In 1st and :m d eche-
lons, ground crews are grouped into specialties so th at maxi-
mum use can be made of specialized training and many can
work on each plane at the same time. Thus in servicing, one
group may check the spark plugs while an other is checking
radios, another landing gears, anoth er fu el. Furth er speciali za-
tion in both men and equipment occ urs in 3rd echelon m ai n te~
nance, and where possible, 4th echelon maintenance is set
up on a production line basis.
In India one air force general depot operates a prod uction
line on C-47S. The airplanes run through th e shop in reverse
of th e way th ey were built; one de-assembly line tears th em
down; th e pieces are reconditioned; and th e plane reassem-
bled . Such meth ods make possible th e simplification of jobs
so that th ey may be easily tau ght to native labor. In th e U. S.
and in the large th ea ters of operations the depots are special-
ized . O ne will handle the overhaul of engines, or of certain
types of el~ gil1 es, while oth ers will overhaul particular parts
or acceSSOrIes.
Under battle conditions, however, maintenance depends
he<1 vily upon the ingenui ty and inventiveness of ground per-
sonnel who ca nnot wa it for overh aul or replacemen ts. In
C hina a service squadron needin g insulators fo un d that carv-
ing th em out of the base of a water buffalo's hom served th e
purpose. In New G uin ea a 2 Y2 ton truck was needed at a new

202 OFFICIAL AM GUIDE
field but it wouldn't go through the door of a C-47- Mainte-
nance men dismantled it and cut the larger pieces with acety-
lene torches, loaded them into the plane, and welded them
together again after they had been fiown to the new field.
Gasoline drums are improvised into washing machines, out~
door showers, etching tanks for propeller blades. In North
Afnca the bomb release on an A-36 would not always free its
bombs. A % th inch spring was needed to provide the nec-
essary extra kick. There were no springs in stock but it was
discovered that the springs under the saddle of a German
motorcycle would do perfectly. Every captured motorcycle
was stripped and springs supplied for the A-36 bomb releases.
Preventive Inspection-The basis of the AAF maintenance
system is ~nspection of. all parts to prev~nt accident, damage
or/art f,t1lur~ ~fore ~t occurs. For ~IS purpose a detailed
an systematic inspection procedure IS prescribed, and defi-
~ite respon sib~lity is fixed for d~fferent phases of each inspec-
tion. The Maintenance Inspection Record is a complete Jog-
book of each airplane's operations and maintenance. It con-
tains the record of fiying time and tells when engine should
be changed, when 011 IS to be changed and similar items. In-
. spections are made before every Bight; daily; after 25, 50 and
100. hours of 8lght; at bme of engme change; 15 hours after
~glDe change, and at special per!ods as required by the par-
ticular ~el of airplane. These mspecbons are progressively
more detaIled and thorough, and by the time a plane has
completed 500 hours ",:ery part and every accessory has been
checked. Upon th ese tnspechons dcpend the lives of the
crews,ttx: success of the missions. A 2,.hour inspection of a
B-1 7 requires about 100 man-hours, and a l oo-hour inspection
! mav take,400 man.h<?urs. . .
. tecb~callnstru~ons:-To di sseminate adequate, autllentic
an~ umform techlllcal mstructions for the operation and
mamtc:nance .of all AAF equipment throughout the world,
the Air SQvice .Command issues a series of publications.
known as Techmcal Orders. These range in size from one
page to a book; a complete set consists of about 190 volumes.
Tech Orders cover .evcry tyl?e of .plane, every part and ac-
cessory. They prOVide detailed, Illustrated instructions of
HOW WE KEEP 'EM FLYING 203
maintenan ce metllOds for all th e various skilIs and trades re-
quired in aircraft maintenan ce. Four T ech Orders are issued
with each plane as it leaves th e manufacturer's assembly line :
1. HAN DBOOK OF OPERATIONS AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTION; 2 .
HANDBOOK O F SERVICE INSTRUCTION; 3. HANDBOOK O F OVER-
HAUL INSTRUCTION; and 4. ILLUSTRATED PARTS LIST. T ech
Or~ ers are constantly revised to keep pace Witll improved
maintenance methods and modifications in aircraft and equip-
ment. Thus, speed is essential in th e distrib ution of Tech
Orders; some are microfilmed and flown to th ei r overseas
destinations. Tech Orders also are known as TOs.
Manufacturers' Representatives-Aircraft, engine and air·
cra ft accessory manufacturers arc under contract to the AAF
to furnish technical personnel in the th eaters of operations to
s up~rvi se and instruct in th e maintenance and operation of
eqUIpment. TIl ese men are responsible to th e air force air
service commander who usually req uests th em, and to whom
th ey are required to make weekly reports.
Manufacturers' representati ves arc subject to military law
and ~ re lawful bel1igerents. They are treated as prisoners of
war If ca ptu red . Their privileges are the same as those of
commissioned officers and th ey wear th e same uniforms wi th-
out insignia of grade, arm or service. At present th ere are over
800 m.mufa:turers· technicians in the thea ters of operations.
. Reclamation all:d Salvag~D~e .to th e value of th e m ilitary
arrplane and all Its p~ rts, It IS Im portant that nothing be
thrown away. In fact, III most theaters, a principal source of
technical. supplies is from planes dam aged in action. \ Vher-
ever p.osslble a. wrec~ed or damag.ed. plane is repaired and put
baek III th e aIr agam. When thiS IS not feasible, the usable
parts are st ripped off and either used immcdiately on oth er
planes or are stocked. l1lis is known as reclamation. What·
ever is left after a plane has been stripped for parts is return ed
to the depot where it may be mel ted down for use in fabrica-
tion or s~l d fo r its basic I~l ate ria] s. 'TIlis is known as salvage.
Recl a lll ~ tiOn and salva~e I.n some theate.rs assume, such la rge
p roportions th at orgalll1. atlons are sometimes detmled for the
purpose. Thcse units follow th e path of war to pick up re-
claimable material and glea n iln y parts lef t.

WHAT WE FIGHT FROM
i manence of landing field, and nature and number of installa-
/ dispersed layout, camouflage, antiaircraft and other defense
f ~~i...
-- -
--~,
J ust as a boxer demands a solid footing to deliver his blows,
I we must have airbascs from which to initiate our attacks.
I Because of its global responsibilities and the geographic posi-
tion of the U. S. in relation to the fighting fronts, th e AAF,
rmore than any other air force, is dependent upon a wor1d~wide
network of bases.
Airbascs are the stepping ston es of our offensive. Full-
Hedged campaigns- involving ground, naval and amphibious
forces-are often waged to establish heavy bomber bases
within range of the enemy's factories and interior com~
munications.
OUT bases at home serve for training and national defense,
for th e development of planes and th e ge neral Sllpport of our
' air estab.lshment. Intermediate bases between home and
front are links in a world-wide chain of airlanes over which
we transport vital supplies and ferry combat planes and air-
Icrews to th e battlc zones. . cilities and con necting taxiways, control and operations
204
WHAT WE FIGHT FIIOM
We had only 200 bases on Dec. 7, 1941. Two yea rs later
our airmen were Bying from 1400 bases, 800 of th em overseas.
Types of Bases-Because an airbase is a military es tablish-
ment designed for the landing and takeoff of airplanes, its
core is necessarily the landing field. This consists of one or
more runways and connecting taxiways. A runway is the
ground over which a plane begins its takeoff or concludes its
landing. A taxiway is the path on the ground which a plane
takes in leaving or approaching a runway. The landing
field is located on ground as nea rly fiat and level as it is possible
to obtain in an area free of obstructions in the directions by
which airborne planes approach or leave.
AAF airbases vary as to purpose, size, strength and pcr-
ti ons. For example, a base within the continental U. S. whose
prime purpose is training, does not ordinarily possess the
installations characteristic of an overseas base, whose prime
purpose usually is combat. Nor does a base built to accom-
modate transient planes have the same aspect as one calling
for the permanent station ing of planes.
Maintenance and repa ir f,]cilities of a permanent heavy
bomber base are far more extensive than those of a stagi ng
field , which is a forward base used for assembling and refuel-
ing an air striking force whose components are regularly based
elsewhere. Again, a base used by F1ying Fortresses or Libera-
tors or B-29 Superfortresses has runways much longer and
stronger than those of a fighter base, because of the greater
• weight and takeoff roll of th e bombers .
Furthennore, the location of some bases is dictated by
th e necessity to meet the contin uing demands of war and th e
eventual commercial requirements of peace. Others, the
product of th e chance geograph y of battlelines, and short-
lived as to usefuln ess, are located in remote places.
Offensive Base-A completely equipped offensive base for
a combat group consists of runways, dispersed parking fa -
buildings, service and maintenance fa cilities, defense and
cmno uflage instal1ati bns, housing, and necessa ry utilities,
 Dl'FICIAL AAF GUIDE _ T WE FIGHT FRO" 207
:such as ...ater, electric 1ights, and roads. However, ~n ad·
vanced landing strip for liaison flights might contain only a
.single runway, and that merely a crudely cleared piece of level
ground.
r In order to avoid presenting an easy bombing target, a
combat base, following the principle of dispersal, scatters its
airplane parking places (commonly designated as hardstands),
its gasoline and bomb storage units, its housing and its
· runways. If there is only one runway, its direction is that
lof the prevailing wind. Additional runways follow th e diree·
· t~ons of the nex~ most frequent winds. 'Depending on the
ISize of planes usmg them, runways are from 2000 to 8000
· feet long at sea level. Sea level lengths are normally increased , ' . ' ~
: by 500 feet for each 1 000 feet of elevation, since the thinn er .-=<'W..........~~ ~~~.J!?
air accompanying increased elevation requires greater speeds ?V-~""'";.::"'*
and consequently longer rolls for a plane to become airborne. IlAIIISTlIIO LOCATION
Standard minimum width of a runway is 150 feet, although a
Width o.f 1 00 feet has been used successfull y in at least one of Dispersed h ardstands are additionally protected by conceal-
the active theaters. The runway proper is surrounded by a ment- under trees, along hedge lines and occasionally bv
I cleared zone of prepared ground.
revebnents. A revebn ent is a breastwork or embankmen't
The surfacing of a runway may he one of 4 kinds or a to protect planes from bomb splinters and strafing. T axiways,
combin~tion.: NATURAL, .which sometimes calls for br~aking ~urfa.ced like runways and hardstands. are at least 30 feet
· up. mOls:enmg ar:d rol~mg the ground for added finnnessj III Width. and are bordered by cleared zones on each side equal
STABILIZED SOlL, m which asphalt or cement is mixed with
to at least half the wingspread of the types of aircraft opera tin g
the ground and compacted and rolled; PAVED, which involves
from them.
a series of earth -moving . and earth-treatment operations, plus
asphalt ()[ concrete pavmg; and LANDING MAT, which is an Mai{1te_" ance and Conhol- ll1e principle of dispersal is
I annor of linked metal plates or grids laid over the ground. als~ followed in. ~aring out ,an overseas base's servicing and
\Vhen not fl ying, planes must be parked off the runways. • mamtenance facJl1beS- repaJr shops, installations for wea th er
In th e U. S., where attack is unlikely, th ey are often parked observation and communica tions, access ro.::, ds. fuel and
111 c~mpaet array on spaces along the hangar line known as bomb storage. Bombs, along with ammunition and ch em i-
r parkmg apro.ns. At. ove~seas combat bases, however, planes cals, are stored in th e open and protec ted by revetm ents
are parked sll1gIy. 11~ pairs, or, at most, in threes, at widely where possible. Incendiarv bombs, however, are stored under
separated spots 111 dispersal areas ad joining the runway arca. sh elters with roofs. Gasoline and oil are usually stored in
!hc ground or hardstand on which an airplane is so parked bulk at permanent and semi-perm anent bases, but limited to
IS surfaced to the same extent as the runway. Single ha rd stands
operating quantities at temporary bases. Drums and ca ns arc
arc at least 450 fect, triple ones at least 600 feet apart. Hard- used for storage of reserve fuel and oil supplies at adva nced
~tand s are placed at least 500 feet di stant from the centerline
or remote airfields or for sup ply du ring in itial stages in a
of a runway. •
comb'lt area.
 201

Bulk storage can. for large tanks, either underground or

partly dug into the ground and partly revetted, spaced at
least 1 00 feet apart and '50 feet from the nearest plane.
Existing buildings 3re used when suitable for maintenance
facilities; sometimes a hillside is dug out. When a new
building is needed in a hurry, the answer is a portable hangar
made of canvas and light steel ribs. Two skilled men and 30
unskilled men can erect a portable shelter 80 by 120 feet in
12 hours. Nose hangars, smaller portable canvas-and-steel
units, afford enough shelter for working on engines. Housin g
may vary from shelter under airplane wings to a community
of buildings and utility installations which, on a base for a
, heavy bomber group, accommodates more than 2300 men
and women.
Nerve center of the base is the operations building where
assistance and control of flying operations are focused. A
necessary adjunct to the operations building is the control
tower through which the operations office controls al1 air
traffic in the vicinity by ground-to-air communications. Since
traffic direction is visual, the control tower must command
a view of the entire landing field.
Access roads are of the utmost importance in keeping a
base supplied with necessi ties. These sometimes run to as-
tonishing proportions. During a peak period, a single heavy
bombardment group in North Africa required 174 tons each
day of fuel, ordnance, spare parts and rations. Inadequate
access routes can cripple an entire base.
A complete base is often surrounded, at varying distances
up to several dozen miles, by a number of less complete bases
toward which it occupies the position of a parent base. O ut-
lying bases, dependent upon th e parent base for advanced
maintenance and repair facilities, in tum provide enhanced
dispe"al and alternate fiying facilities in the area of the parent
base.
IJISPOSD) AJAfIElD Defense-The defense of an airbase begins long before any
oo--©--- attack. The defensive measures fall into 2 ca tegories: active
and passive. Active defense is handled in th e air by intercep-
tion fighter planes and the related aircraft warning system (see
~-@.... - - page 274), and on the ground by ground fighting and such
 10
OFFICIAL IN GUIDE
mstallations as antiaircraft gun emplacements road blocks and
"n positions. The latter command not dnly the key ap·
w,roach<s 10 key mstallations bllt also neighboring areas which
1"'< enemy mIght use for landing airborne troops. Alternate
rand dummy posItions are sometimes prepared. For active
efense, the base commander normally has at his disposal
an l\lP co~pany (aviation); antiaircraft artil1cryj a chemical
rfaTe service detachment; and an aviation engineer mainte-
nance dClachment. A sentry system guards against sabotage
rand sneak attacks and acts as a cOl~trol factor.
WHAT WE FI GHT FROM 211
bases in the sense of this chapter. Others were depots, of
which th ere were more than 300 of various kinds--<:ontrol,
storage, special storage, intransit and subdepots. 111 cre were
more than 15 0 college training detachments, more than 50
war service training detachments and well over 100 technical
schools covering a wide ra nge of subjects from welding to
meteorology.
111ere were 18 modification centers and 8 government-
owned assembly plants. At 23 other AAF stations, air depot and
service group training was carried on. Besides these th ere were
numero us miscellaneous stations, such as bombing and gun-
nery ranges, searchlight stations, rest and redistribution centers.
Beca use of th e grea t variety of th ese stations, some of
which are referred to in other chapters, and because of the
changing status of some of them, due to the requirements of
th e war, a more detailed discussion or listing of AAF Stations
is not possible in this guide.

DEFINITIONS ,

A LANDING STRIP or LANDING for use in case the unit field or

FIELD is a field or strip of
ground specially prepared and
maintained for lan ding and
takeoff of airpancs.
BASE FACILITIES is a collective
limB!
term covering fuel and ord-
nan ce storage and service fa-
cilities; maintenance and re-
1. Measures for passive defense (which do not involve fight. pair facilities over and above
ling) mclude slit trenches, revebnents underground or those provided by airplane
mounded-over splinterproof and g!1sproof' shelters, dispersal, tool kits; and wea ther and
camou8age (see page 221) radio silence, smoke screen bar-
7 communica tions facilities and
rage ball~ns. and such demolition preparations as mi'ning. living accommodations.
Rehabllttation measures at an ai~base include the filling in An AIR8ASE, in its exact sense,
is a fie1d to which a su1xlepot
1of bomb craters, removal of debns, replacement of twisted or service squadron shop has
Ia~ mat and. patchlllg up of landing surfaces in general. been added .
I Installation ....Not all AAF stations are airbases At A SATELLI TE F I ELD is a field
Ithe . peak of expansion there were more than 1200 AAF whose base facil ities are nor-
stallons In the U. S. alone, only about 600 of which were air. mally very limited, intended
airbase has become unfit for
service, or for dispersal and
training.
A SUBBAS E is an alternate field
which has been placed under
the jurisdiction of the com-
manding officer of an airbase.
An AI R BASE AR E A is an area of
responsibility fo r admin istra-
tion, supply, maintenance and
reclamation, charged to the
air base, and possibly includ -
ing a number of alternate
land ing fields.
An AAF AI RWAYS STATION is a
milita ry establishm ent consist·
ing of a landing fi eld and serv-
icing facili ties, used primarily
as a refueling station for tr:.l11 -
sient aircra ft .
 lIZ IIFFICIAL AM GUIDE
. . AllBASE PROGRAM
On A'g. 28, '939, 3 days before Gemlany set off World
War II by invading Poland, the AAF was regularly using
Ii9 airbases. . U. S. rights to air and sea base sites in 8 British possessions i fj
To appreciate the expansion of the AAF airbase system
&om this nucleus to morc than 1400 bases ;0 months later,
it must be realized that figures do not tell the whole story.
For one thing, all kinds of airbases, from a temporary landing
strip in New Guinea to a great permanent base in Hawaii,
count "'lually as one base. For another, today's standards for
airbase construction arc notably more rigorous than those of
1939·
Increase in weights and landing speeds of planes has neces·
sitated longer, stronger runways. The B~ lZ, our largest plane
in tactical use in the 1930'S, weighed 16,500 pounds with
JrulXimum permissible overload and landed at Ii9 mph; today's
Liberator (B-24D) weighs 56,000 pounds loaded and lands at
105 mph. Another factor affecting runways is the develop.
ment of blind fiying by the AAF since '939. This makes it
posSIble for • pilot to land in weather which is nearly zero-
zero, and requires- longer and wider runways by way of com-
pensation.
Expansion for Defense-Defensive bases were acquired in
the lJ. S. and its possessions before Pearl Harbor.
Domestically, the Civil Aeronautics Administration ob-
tained funds from Congress for the general development 01
aviation and in 1940 prepared a civil airport expansion
program caning for the building or improvement of some
4000 public airports in the U. S., its territories and posses-
sio'.lS. Out of this grew 543 airports lor defense purposes, 01
, which the AAF regularly uses approximately 200.
Another contributor to domestic airbase growth was the
Army Curps 01 Engineers which between mid"940 and the
WHAT WE FIGHT FROII 2.:
end of '943 made available some 500 bases to the AAF
Unlike the CAA bases, which were undertaken with an ey<
to eventual commercial use, these were mostly new establish
ments constructed solely for military purposes.
Our defensive airbase network was extended to foreigr
territory in September '940 by the destroyer-base deal witll
England by which 50 over-age U. S. destroyers 01 Worl,
War I vintage were traded to Creat Britain in return fO I
the Western Atlantic, the Caribbean, and South Amerid
The Corps of Engineers at once began construction of air;
bases in these areas.
Another important addition to our airbases consisted 0 ]
commercial airports developed by Pan American Airway~
(PAA) in Latin American countries. Since Pearl Harbor
nearly every South and Central American country in whid
these fields are located has declared war on the A'Xis and h3:
made its bases available to the AAF.
Another PAA·built system 01 delensive airbases came II
us as the result 01 our pre-Pearl Harbor policy 01 sell·delcns.
through aid to Britain. In 1941 negotiations were completec
between the British Government, the ' Var Department an(
PAA for a chain of bases extending across the African in
terior from Accra on the Gold Coast to Kh ar toum in Anglo
Egyptian Sudan, thence north to Cairo, with connections t<
the Middle and Far East. Necessary clearance lor flying acros
French Equatorial Africa was secured by consultation witl
Free French authorities. Britain made available all existinl
facilities along the route. In 1942 these bases wen
militarized.
Offensive- The AAF began to acquire offensive bases iJ
194 2., when the ,British Air Ministry turned over 77 bases il
the United Kingdom to the 8th Bomber Command. Man y 0
these were either complete or in advanced stages of construe
tion. In other cases, sites were released to us and AAF engi
neers did the build ing. On Aug. 7, 1942, the invasion 0
C uada1canal by the Mari nes yielded us our first base capturec
from the enemy-Henderson Field. Since then, many 01
fensive bases have been obtained by force. In this, U. S

114 OFfiCIAL Aif GUIDE
avv, Bri:ish and Australian units, am ong others, h elp os
tablish and construct bases.
inIE BArnE FOR A1RBASES
AAF ofensive combat bases fall into 2 classes, strategic
nd tactical, corresponding to the 2 major ways in which
e AAF uses airpowcr offensively.
Strategi: bombing (see page 256 ) , translated into tenns of
bases, means that the heavy and very heavy bombers used
by the AAF for strategic operations can be effectively based
m areas SO distant and in so many directions from enemy
rwnes of the interior' that the enemy's ability to act offensively
and defensively is impaired by division of his forces and his
~elatively long-and therefore vulnerable-lines of com-
munication.
, In tactical operations (see page 257), where the targcts are
the enemy forces and air and ground installations opposite
our lines, as well as enemy naval installations and sea supply
Iroutes in the vicinity, range does not play the same part as
:in strateg:c operations. And since the enemy, by choice or
I"ecessity, is likely to shift the disposition of the targets with
I~anges in the tactical situation, Bexibility is essential. Since
~the AAF goes in the van of surface offensives, there is a
nstant struggle for forward and Hanking airbases from
fwhich air supremacy can be most confidently sought.
An advantageously located tactical base cuts down the
consumption of gasoline and thus makes for increased fire~
power and bomb loads. However, all sites with similar ad·
'vantages of position are not al ways equally suitable for bases.
Other factors affecting their value in volve such considerations
as prevailing weather, problems of defense and supply, the
amount of work, materials and equipment needed for
lconstruction.
1 Althoud> offensive airbases are often won by ground and
lDaval surface forces, these depend on friendly air forces for
initial ail supremacy. And while supply lines on which air
.and grolDJd and naval forces mutually depend are chieHy
surface lines, no surface force can maintain them without
the protection of friendly air forces. TIlis interdependence,
WHAT WE FIGHT FROM 215
calling for 3·way teamwork, has been a continuing relation-
ship in the Allied conduct of th e war. .
An excellent example of th e battle for airbases is th e
Solomons-New Guinea fighting, which is illustrated on pages
216-17. The Solomons-N ew Guinea principle of struggle for
airbases has been extended to larger areas. Capture of th e
G ilbert and Marshall Islands bases, along with th ose in New
Britain and th e Admiralty Islands, Hanked and isolated the
Japan ese air and naval bastion of Truk in a pincers-like
movement.
The Italian campaign provided us with invaluable airfield.s,
such as Foggia, for a deeper penetration by our strategIC
bombing forces into Nazi indust ry. An airbase built in ead y
1943 by the aviation engineers on th e outer Aleutian island
of Amchitka, 70 miles from Ki ska, during the Japanese oc-
cupation of Kiska, so jeopardized the enemy position by th e
threat of isolation that eventually he evacuated th e island.
HOW WE BUILD AIR BASES
Temporary AAF forward fighter and light bomber bases
in combat theaters often have to be b uilt quickly. In th e
case of an amphibiOUS invasion, for exam ple, airbase con·
struction after a successful landing on a h ostile shore ideally
confonns to th e following sched ule :
vVithin 36 hours of th e establishing of a beachhead, land-
ing strips must be ava ilable for figh ter planes for purposes of
refueling and range extension. During the 3 or 5 days be·
tween capture and consolida tion of th e beachhead, landing
field s must be provided on which to base figh ter and sup-
porting plane units; some of th e original temporary strips
may be converted to this purpose. O nce th e advan ce from
th e beachhead commences, landing grou nds have to be pro-
vided for fighters not more th an 50 to 75 m iles behind the
vanguard .
In charge of th is construction are aviation engineers who
form part of an air task force. There are always heavy de·
mands on beachh ead commun ications ro utes and a h igh
premium on in vasion shipping tonnage, so priorities rarely
penn it an engineering battalion to begin construction with
 ~~ ~ MUVT ,DMBW, u.s.

~ "+' MED. IOMB£JS : u.s, lW,lIIlAf

T nmEls, F!;IITEl·IDMBW: u.s. Wf, IIIlAf

•
!l AWED SURFACE DRIVES
2.. 400
L __ 1 I

•
~'"i N
~

~
MAP OF SOLOMONS 1110 NI. 6UINIA SIIO.IN6 6ROUNORCTION
1110 PR06R(SSIYI CONTROL OF AIR

SOLOMONS-NEW GUINEA BATfLEMAP

!l.t '+- ..t~ Two campaigns are shown up to the end of 1943--ooe from the
...,.....\1. east, advancing up the Solomon Islands, the other from the west,
moving up New Guinea. Captured bases converge like pincers on
Rabaul and Kavieng.
The prime objectives of Allied battle strategy were airbases.
Operating from these, Allied land-based planes:
1. Reduced ground fighting, by isolating enemy occupying forces
through destruction of communication lines, thus preventing
the enemy from accomplishing reinforcement, supply or evacu-
ation.
1, Cut down the scale of surface offensives. since only small areas
needed to be sei7..ed and held for bases from which air opera-
tions could isolate thousands of the enemy.
3· Enabled the Allies to by-pass Japanese positions.
BISMARCK SEA BATfLEMAP
The triumph of the Bismarck Sea Battle, in which a Japanese
convoy of 2.2 ships carrying an entire di"ision with supplies was
virtually destroyed by land-based aircraft, would have been diffi-
cult, if not impossible, without the Allied advanced base at
Dobadura, New Guinea. The battle was fOltf:ht March 1-4. 1943 .
Air strips at Dobadura, seized by the Allies In January and subse-
quently improved, served as a staging field for AAF bombers based
at Port Moresby, thus nullifying the obstacle of the Owen Stanley
fum~t:. Duwuula·J.,;.,.,)cu ligh lcl.) IJlo~iucJ caccli~c v\clhcaJ t:UYCf
which enabled our hombers to carry out operations virtually un:

'T molested. Allied planes shot down SO enemy fighters, lost only
one 8 -17 and 3 P-38s. Aliled eround forces had one less Japanese
division to fiaht.
 WHAT WE FIGHT FROM 219
218 OFFICIAL AAI GUIDE
pany reconnaissa nce party to stak~ out ru~way~ and p.r~pare
full equipment. Thus. aviation engineers must employ key rough plans. Next come intemledlate partl:s With adchtlOnal
equipment resourcefully. Wherever possible captured enemy equipment, and finally the rest of the umt. Because an ad·
fields are used. Steel mat may be used for surfacing runways, vance base is often only temporary, and because of th e speed
but since even the lightest type of metal runway surfacing for with which it has to be built, it devotes a minimum of con·
a fighter strip occupies 800 ship tons of space, it is not gen- struction to storage units for fuel , ~)[dnance and c1~ emicak
erally available. Engineers do their best with existing surfaces, Its access roads and defense installatIOns are neeessanly hasty,
taking every possible advantage of the terrain. Minimum and its camouflage consists largely of a judicious a~oidaDce
standalds are the rule. of the conspicuous. For housing it depc~d s on what IS found
Because of th ese limitations, thorough engineering prepa~ at the site, what can be brought to It and what can be
rations have to be made prior to a landing. The air force improvised on the spot.
engineer. who commands the aviation engineers, and the
air force commander must agree on definite standards for
all est~blishments. The air force engineer must study po- RUNWAY CONSTRUCTION AND DRAINAGE
tential sites, using all available information from maps,
charts, reconnaissance photographs and intelligence reports.
The number of engineering battalions and the essential
equipment needed must be detennined on the basis of the
time it takes one battalion to build one airbase, the number
of advmced fighter bases needed for operations, and the
estimated rate of ground progress.
Once a landing has been made, these factors are recon·
sidered in th e light 01 actual conditions. Final choice of each
site is :he joint responsibility of the air force engineer and
an experienced AAF operations officer whose opinion as to
the be,t available flying .leatures in both site and landing
® ·PAVEMENT COMPOSED OF '"':::~_ 1101 OiJWN 10 StAll

field layout is consulted. Although aerial reconnaissance may
be used to eliminate unsuitable sites, no base is finally ap·
proved until it has been surveyed on the ground.
Actual construction commences only after consultation
with the ground forces commander (corps or division) in
whose orca the projected landing field lies, who determines
whether the tactical situation permits it. This liaison--cal·
culated to avoid conflict or duplication in the use of com·
munications routes, plans for defense, location and scope of
supply dumps-is a continuing lactor at every phase 01 con-
struction.
Once construction of an advance fighter base is to be
started the engineering battalion in charje moves up to the
site in ~everal echelons, beginning with a headquarters com·
® SHOULDER: COMPACTED SELECT MATERIAL
© STABILIZED SUBGRADE IN 9" COURSES
CID FOUNDATION OF NATURAL SOIL. GRADED & COMPACTED
Bomber Bases-Considerably more ex tensive constructi on
is requircd for mcdium or heavy bom.ber bases, some. of
which have been built in such remote regIOns as the Aleutians
and th e jungles of New Guinea. Beca use of th eir range,
bombers can be based some distance behind th e lines. T hey
use the same b~l ses for long periods, so construction is gen·
erally on a permancnt or scmi·permancnt basis. Enginc?rs
working on bomber bases nonn ally have complete eqUip·

DFFlCIAL AlF GUIDE
mcnt. and sometimes access to special materials. 'Vhercver
possible, th.ey hire natives to assist them. Compared to engi·
neers working on fighter bases, they have adequate time.
Runways on bomber bases cannot be makeshift, must be
strong and durable. First step in runway construction consists
of soJ stability tests which detennine the bea ring ratio of
, the ground. This is measured by the weight necessary to
I force a standard plunger a given distance into the soil. It
I dcpct1ds upon the soil's moisture content and compaction-
l the degree to which it is packed. Thus mud and dry sand
I both have low bearing ratios, while sand which has been
moistened and packed has a fairly high bearing ratio. Mud
and dry sand are unstable; moistened, compacted sand is
stable
Soil stability tes ts, taken by sampling material at variolls
depthi on ,and aro und the projected base, enable the engineer
to dctennme what sort of runway he must build. He may
j spmNG ClIP;-I - DETIlL DF BlYONET HOOK IOINT;-C-COIPLHE PlAIIK
h ..'e to strip th~ top soil down to th e best available founda-
tion and build the runway from th ere up. Such a runway
consis~ of a stabilized subgrade and a pavement. The pave.
ment IS a smooth" hard, weather-proof surfacing rigid enough
to support th e wClght of a plane as concentrated in the small
contact areas of its tires. Since importation of select material
even over a short ~istance. involves a treme~dous outlay of
man.h0':lrs and vehicles, SOIl survey plays a vital part in site
reconnaIssa nce.
Landing Mat...The landing mat most widely used by th c
AAF is pierced steel plank or Marston mat (see accompany-
mg dl3wmg) .. ~hough ngld enough to bridge over small
surf~~e mequalltles of the ground, it is used to bes t effect on
stab~hzed subgrade. T his combination providcs an adequ ate
scml·permanent runway, as exemplified by those at Kualoa
and Haleiwa in th e Hawaiia n Islands, which we re laid in
January 1942 and are stiB in use.
. Although transportable in compact bundles, Marston mat
IS ,heavy; enough for a 3000 foot runway 150 feet wide
~elghs. nearly 1200 tons. Jy. runway this size ca n be put down
an 9? nours by 1 <:>0 unskIlled men, As of Jul y 1, 1943, ap-
proximately 1 75,000,000 sq uare fee t of mat had becn
•
WHAT WE FIGHT FUM 221
" ... --..... ®
l•• f l \J•
\ ".........' "
". ~::::::::
WOUIT-51' LIS-I'D st. n.
PlEII1:ED PlAIIK UNOING liT SHOWING: - I - lIllNU OF JOINING WITH LatKING
shipped overseas, and 300,000,000 were on order for 1944.
Resea~ch on magnesium alloy and aluminum mats, designed
to weigh less with out sacrifice of strength and durability, is
currently und er way.
CamouAage-The ob ject of camouflage is to concCc11 and
d~ceive. Since man is not naturally equipped to Oy, his in-
stm cts do not help him to foil aerial observation or attack.
Every vestige of human activity on the ground-trampled or
t racked earth, scars from digging or fires, the regular outlines
or shadows of man-made ob jects--conspires to betray his
presence. Thus a fundam ental requisite of camouOage is
camou flage discipline, which t rains every member of an air-
base complement to cover him self and his traces for th e
safety of the entire es tablishment.
Plans for camouAnge begin with plans for th e airbasc.
The natural outlines of the terrain are left undisturbed or
are imitated as well as possible. Existi ng structures are used
to th e utm ost, as being least subject to suspicion. Since
texture differences are more easily discernible from th e air
th an color differences, violent contrasts in texture of terrain
are avoided or minimized. Every object alien to th e settin g
-airplanes, tenting and supplies-is co ncealed in hillsides,
 Z22 OFFICIAL AU GUID£ ·
... -::
_f_
IOIWIIIEFS SIIMroSTS:
a. CMTOIIS Of .... AiJllIUCUSI
l .... CItSSItADS
·A'
. ~!!II!!III
C. ~
l .....
under trees or beneath garnished nets resembli ng continuation
of foliage, grass, sand or other natural surface features.
Deception includes construction of dummy installations
or simulated destruction after an air attack. Such construe.
tiOD must ~. far enough away for safety but not so far as to
arouse SUspIcion; 3 to ,5 ~iles is about right. Roadways or
paths leadmg to key bUlldmgs are continued beyond them in
a cons:stcnt system known as a track plan.
o Camouflage need not be refined in order to succeed.
Smce other agencies of airbase defense, such as fighter planes
and antiaircraft fire, leave th e enemy only seconds to locate
the target, momentary con fusion or misleading of an enemy
bomber usually is sufficient.
~
~
~mtructiOIl Facts and F igures-A full account of the rna.
tcnals, methods and. native labor used in building AAF bases
all over the world IS beyond the scope of this guide. Here
are a few Sidelights:
IN NEW CUINEA. na.tives under Am~rican en~in eers build landing
fields for ca rg~ airplanes by cleanng the high kunai grass, and
tram p out run ways with their bare feet.
WHAT WE FIGHT FROM 223
IN NORTH AFRICA, where mud and sand constitute a problem. long.
wide strips of sand are moistened and compacted by rollers. French
troops and Arabs have helped out short-handed aviation engineers.
IN THE UNITED KINCDOM . heavy bomber bases, costing an average of
$3,000,000 each and taking sC"eral montlJs to build, have required
the importation of AAF aviation engineers because the thorough
absorption of civilians in the national war effort has not left
enough trained British civilian contractors to do the job.
IN ASSAM, native wom en working for native contractors hired by the
British but supervised by the AAF, mix concrete by hand and
carry it in trays on their heads, passing it from one to the next
)
every few yards until it reaches the forms. Supplies and equipm ent
must travel f~om Galcutta over inadequate railroads of man y
different gauges.
IN CHINA, as many as 1 00,000 natives have worked on a single air-
basco At a word from Generalissimo Chiang Kai -shek and under
the direction of Chinese engineers, who are capable airfield build-
ers, the Chinese will build a huge base in 3 months. Runways arc
)' crushed stone bound by mud and are 2 or morc feet thick. Rock
is quarried by hand pick, crushed by hand hammer and transported
in wheelbarrows and baskets_ Mud cement is mixed with bare
feet. Runways are laid by hom e-mad e concrete rollers weigh ing
3 Yz to 1 0 tons and dragged by 150 Chinese.
OUR AVIATION ENGINEERS
The Aviation Engineers, charged with providing airbases
for the AAF in th eaters of operations, were established in
June 1940. The original unit consisted of some 800 officers
and men. However, aviation engineers' expansion quickly
followed that of th e AAF in general, and by Nov. " '943,
the organization, although still not up to its authorized
strength, totaled about 80, 000 troops, of which more than
65,000 were overseas.
Aviation engineer units include airborne construction bat·
talions and companies whose eq uipment is specially designed
for movement by transport plane and glider. The first of
th ese, th e 871St Airborne Aviation Engineer Battalion, was
activated at Westover Field, Mass., on Sept. 1 , '942. The
Troop Carrier Command promptly furni shed planes and
pilots for th e intensive training which followed. Twelve
weeks later, 2 airborne engineer companies were in N orth
 - IffICIAL AM GUIDI
Africa ride by side and sometimes in advance of the invading
Allied troops. Today, aviation engineers, both regular and air-
borne, are permanently stationed and trained at MF bases and
copstitute an integral part of the MF.
A re~ar battalion's equipment consists of »0 pieces and
146 vehicles. Mostly devoted to landing field construction,
these include many road-building and agricultural-type ma-
chines, ranging in weight up to 32,000 pounds and in ca·
pacity to 8 and ,. yards, which handle earth moving, soil
treatment and paving. All are power-operated, either by their
own engines or by attachment to gasoline or diesel units.
Trailer.mountcd compressors power a ' yariety of pneumatic
tools.
To defend itself and its projects, a regular battalion packs
more fire power than a World War I brigade. Its weapons
mclude multiple M mobile machme guns, .50 caliber anti-
aircraft machine guns, mortars and bazookas, rifles and car-
bines.
~irborne equipment, on the other hand, was desigued to
fit IOto the C-47 cargo plane and CG-4A glider. This limits
the load to 4500 pounds for the plane and 3200 pounds for
the !:lider. The limiting width is 80 inches and the maximum
height 60 inches. An airborne battalion is equipped with track-
laying (caterpillar) and rubber-tired tractors, scrapers, graders,
,heepsfoot rollers, dump trailers, 2 ~ ton trucks, jeeps, air
compressors, electric generating sets, welding sets and a pool
I of organizational items. It takes 79 C-47 ·cargo planes to move
a battalion and its equipment, or a smaller number il gliders
are usc:<'. The CG-4A glider carries 15 men or any major piece
of equIpment; a loaded C-47 can tow 2 loaded CG-4A gliders.
An ~irbome battalion's bantam equipment is too light for
. operations on the scale attainable by a regular battalion',
heavy and more abundant apparatus. Airborne units are used
in special cases only, as. w~pons of opportu nity. Thcy are
approl?nately .employed m SItuations calling lor airbases in
areas maccessl ble except by air.
Here aTe a few notable aviation engineer accomplishm ents
culled from many:
In the Aleutians in September '942, a regular battalion
WHAT WI FIGHT FROM
lagoon on Adak Island in 8 days. The lagoon. bed! whIch be-
came a creek bed at low tide, was dried by dwerbng It at Its
225
built a fightcr strip on the sand-and-marsh bottom 01 a tidal
head and building a gate at the seaward end. A landmg mat lor
the runway, 3000 by 1 00 feet, was put down In 1 days.
...
,
lULU IA!
CO.S11UCTIDI Of 1011 ..l _
In 3 weeks, starting July· 10, '943, an airborne battalion
at Tsili T sili, 40 miles lrom Lae, New Gumea, bUIlt a landmg
field 01 2 runways, one 6000 leet long and ti,e other 45 00
feet, as wen as hardstands. Between August . 17 and 21 th IS
base was used as a staging field for a stnkmg force which
destroyed or totany incapacitated 309 Japanese planes at
Wewak. One fighter group based at T sili Tsili proVIded the
same support for operations agamst Lae as would have re·
quired 3 fighter groups based on Port Moresby, the other
side 01 the Owen Stanley Range.
This same battalion moved in mid-September to Nad zab.
just outside Lae and behind enemy lines, after its capture by
Allied vertical envelopment. It was lomed th ere by another
airborne battalion, flown in from Port Moresby. Togetl~ er
th ese units reh ab ilitated the fonner Japanese base, which
' became a maj or AAF bomber base. .
At Sbeitla, in Tunisia, a regular battahon took only 3 days
 221 OFFICIAL 1M 'UUIf:
to build 5 landing fields requested by an AAF commander
Part of this battalion built a 6cld in no man's land . guns. Squadron arming and servicing crews arm and service
During 10 days of September '943, Baker I sla~d-a tiny
PaCIfic landspot 650 mIles west of Tarawa, which was then
held by the ]al"'nese-was transformed by a regular aviation
~gmeer battalion mto a complete forward bombing base,
WIth • 3700·foot steel mat runway which was subsequently
expanded to 5500 feet.
.At Ben Aro~ba, Tunisia, aviation engineers removed 17 88
!l1 mes from a ~mgle runway of a captured German basc. The
,ob was done In BVz hours. with no casualties.
Two days after the 5th Army landed at Salerno, a fighter
field was ready on that narrow beachhead.
HOW WE lISE OUR COMBAT AlRBASES
The ultimate in AAF combat bases is the heavy bomber
base, . such as a typIcal base of the 8th Air Force in Great
BntalD. It bases 48 to 72 Flying Fortresses or Liberators, each
a hIVe of In.t ncate c!1gincs, delicate instruments, and thousands
of par~ Wh.lCh reqUire constant replacement, repair, adjustment
or cahbrallon because of the wear and tear of flying and the
damage of enemy shells.
The base also houses nearly 1700 officers and men of the
bomber group, a base maintenance detachment a service
group and administrative pcrsonnc1-a total of ~ore than
1.30? men and women. At the base they eat sleep receive
med",. 1 care, get their I)lail and pay, shop at the px, 'carry on
th~r religIOUS, social, athletic and recreational activities and
~elf l1ever-en~ing trainin~. Airplanes are worked on da; and
m~ht fOf fCJ>3lf, overhaul, Improved functioning. Men, besides
bemg lept m the best health and spirits possiblc, arc constantly
Instructed In methods, purposes and results.
I~ ~e .case of a da~n miss jo~ by the 8th Air Force, the
parhClpatJng group will be nohficd of its rolc the previous
evenmg, when h~gher headquarters, having waited 00 the
weather, has decIded to stage the mission . Dctailed field
orde~s Come throug~ around oo~ or two A. M., and during the
remamder of the night the tunlllg IIp. . of engines at dispersal
places by ground crews envelops the base with a heavy
WHAT WE FIGHT FROM 227
drone. Mechanics apply kill-frost to wings, clean and dry
the planes, obtaining their materials from storage units main-
tained by specialists.
Aircrcws are wakened about 4 A.M ., ride to th e base messes
in vehicles fumishcd by the motor pool. Base kitchens hoard
their eggs to give them a good breakfast. Diet is watched to
avoid foods causing distention at high altitudes .
Next they draw their personal fiying equipment from th e
supply room , where a personal equipment officer sees that
their oxygen units, elcctrically hea tcd flying suits, Mae Wests
and flak vests are in top condition . 111is is followed by briefing,
) I which consists of an organized presentation of all infonna-
tion bearing on the successful completion of the mission-
maps, target charts, analysis of target and reason for its selec-
tion, weather infonnation, most recent information on flak
J, and fighter opposition to be expected, procedure ord ers, and
the supplying of communications ciphers on edible rice
paper. This information is the joint product of such installa-
tions as the group intelligence library, th e signal office and
the weather office.
The bombardiers obtain th eir sights from the base bomb-
sight vault. Cameras and film s are installed in one of evel)'
4 to 6 planes by thc photographic officer. Ready in th e planes
are. parachutes, life rafts, flares, an oxygen system, emergency
rations, manual radio equipment and navigation instruments.
Responsible for this equipment is a seri es of base specialist
shops charged with maintenance and replenishnlent.
The grea t planes trundle out of th eir parking area and
marshal along the taxiways and at the runway ends. A flare
from th e control tower signals th e lead ship into its takeoff
and th e rest follow at 30-second in terva ls.
Base area controls now go into effect, implementing plans
for escort rendezvolls and diversionary missions which have
been initiated at sco res of base operations offices through out
th e base area. Aircraft forced to drop out of formation bv
Aak or fighter damage receive high and medium frcquenev
sigl~a ls f~om a series of stati ons all ovcr th e base arcn , each o'f
wh ich gIVes a specified signal during a specified time in ~IC-
 DFFICIAL AM GUIDE
corda"ce with the rice paper schedule of ciphers. Planes
whose radios are knocked out ean get " talked in" on com-
mand radio sets from positions near any British base. Crews
foreed to ditch in the Channel are quickly spotted and picked
up by the British air-sea rescue service.
r Planes returning from a mission are met by ambulances
and fi re trucks waiting at the runways with engines turning
over. Red flares fired from th e incoming planes indicate
wounded personnel and give these planes landing priorities.
Blood plasma has been wa rmed at th e base hospital; th e
operatmg room is ready for immediate surgery.
Motor pool transportation also meets each plane as it fo11s
to a stop. After the removal of injured crew members, th e
rest ale ru shed to th e briefing room for the all-important
interrogation. Red C ross workers supply hot coffee, dough-
nuts and cigarettes. Then all airplanes are taxied to their
dispersed hards tands, 'except those too seri ously damaged,
which are moved aside for later transfer to base hanga rs and
major repair or salvage. At the dispersal point the photo-
graphic officer removes camera and film s from the planes to
th e base photographic laboratory.
At the interroga tion, trai ned intelligence officers get first
hand reports from the ' aircrews. When the interrogation is
over. the film s, still damp from processing, are stud ied in the
photo lab. A period of suspense th en ends, as th ese are th e
unmistakable evidence of the success of th e mission .
Immediately fonowing a mission, maintenance and repair
of the participating planes is resumed. The crews are en-
couraged to rest and relax. Al ready th e facilities of th e base
are concentrated on sending the group on its next mission.
AWARDS AND INSIGNIA
The Military Aviators Badge, recog~izin~ "coura~e
and ability to complete h az~ rdous qua li fica tion tests I~l
military aviation" was authorized on May 27. 1913. ThiS
first decoration for miJitary airmen was awarded to !4
officers then on aviation duty with the Signal Corps, JO.
eluding General (then Lt.) H. H. ArnoJd, now com-
manding General, AAF.
DECORATIONS-Deeds of high valor, wounds received in
action agai nst the enemy, military achievcments 1I1 .actIOn.
honorable service over a period of years-all are recogmzed by
the President of the United States who, through the \Var De-
partment, awards appropriate deco rations. Ribbons, represent-
ing the medal awarded, are worn on the left breast of the
uniform . .
Two awards arc granted specifically for achievement 1~
aerial flight- the Distinguished Flying Cross and the A"
Medal. These are in addition to numerous other War De-
partment awards for which ~Af' pcrsonn~l are eli~ible. The
Medal of Honor, hi ghest mIlitary deco ration of thIS country,
has been awarded to both officers and m en of th e AAf'. .
Units, organi za tions and detachments, .as well. as the 1~­
dividual soldier, may be cited for outst:mdlllg ac1l1evement. m
action, a device bcing iss u€d to all members of .such umts.
This device is worn on th e right breast of th e umform .
229
230 OFFICIAL AAF GUIOE AWARDS AND INSIGNIA 231

None of the decorations authori zed is issued morc than BRONZE STAR· F or heroic or smaller raised bronze st ar. the
once to any one person (except a posthumous award of the meritoriolls achieveme nt not center lines of all ra ys of both
Purple Heart). but for each succeeding achievement suffi~ involving participation in ae- stars coinciding. Reverse: " He·
rial combat (but not warrant- roic or Meritorio us Achieve·
cient to justify an award, a bronze oak leaf cluster m<ly be ment" and space for the re-
awarded . One sil ver oak leaf cluster is authorized for wear in ing the Silver Sta r or the Le·
gioll of Merit), ~nd ~mls t have cipient's nam e to be il1scri be~.
place of 5 bronze oak leaf clusters.

FOR HEROISM
MEDAL OF HONOR · Highest of
our military decorations. Es-
tablisl;ed in 1862, it is
awarded in the name of Con-
gress '0 an officer or enlisted
man who, in ac tual conllict
with the enemy, distinguisl1 es
himse!l conspic uously by gal-
lantry and intrepidity at the
risle of his ljfe above and be-
yond the caJl of duty .
DISTJNGt rJSnED SERVICE CROSS ·
For extraordinary heroism in
conne:::tiol) with military op-
erations against the enemy.
SILVER STAR· For gallantry in
action which does not warrant
the award of the Distinguished
Service Cross.
DISTINGUISHED FLYINC CROSS ·
For lieroism or extraordinary
achie\'ement during aerial
tfight while serving with the
AM.
SOLDIER S MEDAL· For heroism
not involving actual conflic t
with the enemy . The medal :
on a bronze octagon is dis-
played an eagle standing on a
fasces between groups of stars
and above a spray of leaves. A
shield on t he reverse is in-
scribed "U . S." and support-
j been ac11ieved m dIrec t com-
ed by sprays of laurel and oak
leaves. Th e words "Soldier's
M edal, For Valor," and the
recipient's nam e, appear as in-
scriptions.
AIR MEDAL· For meritoriOIlS
achievement while participat-
ing in aerial flight, not war-
ra nting award of the Distin-
guisll ed Flying Cross. May be
a wa rded for single actions or
sustained operational ac tivities.
PURPLE HEART· OriginaJly es-
tablished m J 782 as the
Badge tor Military M erit this
award was not issued for many
ye:lrs. Today it is awarded for
a wound which necessita tes
treatment by a m edical officer
and which is received in ac-
tion with an enemy of the
U. S. The medal : all a pur-
ple enameled heart within a
bronze border is a profile head
of Geneml George \Vasllillg-
tall ill military uniform ; above,
in green enamel is his coat
of arms between 2 sprays of
leaves. On the reverse, below
a shield and leaves, is a ra ised
bronze heart with the inscrip-
tion "For Military M erit ,"
:md th e name of tile recipient.
bat or in support at comba t on
Ribbon is glory red with verh -
cal blue stripe in center . Bl ue
stripe and ribbon ends are
the ground . The medal : ~ronz.e
star in center of whIch IS piped in white.
FOR AC HIEVEME NT
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDA L · outstanding officers and en-
For exceptiona lly m erit orio ~ s listed m en of the arm ed forces
service to the G overnment m of the U . S. for exceptiona 1Jy
a duty of great responsibility. m eritorious conduc t in per-
LEG ION OF MERIT· Like the Pur- tonnance of o utsta nding serv-
ple H eart this decoration ices. It is a lso awa rded, in sev-
stems from the Badge for Mil- eral degrees, to personnel at
itary Merit, America's oldest the arm ed forces of friendly
decoration , and is awarded to foreign nations.
SE RVICE MEDALS
Service awards and current cam- who, on or aft er Dec. 7. 1 94 2 ,
paign medals denoting theater honorably com pleted one year
of service are represented, at at ac tive F edera l military serv-
present, by ribbons only. Ap- ice and who a.re recom men ded
propriate medals for these t or the award by their com-
awards will be ma nufac tured mandi ng officers for exem-
a nd distribu ted after th e war. plary behavior, efficiency and
AMERtCAN DEFENSE MEDAL · Is- fidelity.
sued to military pcrsonnel THEATER CAMPAICN .MEDALS ·
who e ntered on a tour of d uty For 30 davs, co nsccu tive or 60
at J 2 months or longer and days, no~-cotlsecll tive service
who, in discharge of such in th e presen t war in the fol-
service, served at any tim e be- lowing theaters: Eu rope:1l l:
tween Sept. 8, 1939 , and Dec. African-Midd le Eastern; ASI-
7, 1941. atic· Pacific; America n T hea -
COOD CONDUCT MEDAL · Aut hor- ter- for service with in the
ized for award to those e n- Ame rica n th ea ter outside COII-
l isted men of tile U. S. Army tinenta' U. S.
Note: FOR PICTURES Of' Til E ADOVE DI':CO RATIONS AND RTlIlIONS
(UN LESS DESCR IUED IN TEXT ) , SEE CO LOlt PLATE FACING PAGE 23 7·
 SQUADRON INSIGNIA

S qtH!dron . insignia were adopted during the last war by the

first U. S. airmen to fight for the American flag.
Above are the ea rliest of these insignia- th e Indianhcad
of the Lafayette Escadrille, fam ed American volu nteer squad-
ron which fought with the French before our entry into
World War I; and the Hat-in-the-Ring of Capt. Eddie
Rickenbacker's 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron.
Today the tradition is a part of the AAF- a tradition that
is being carried to all our global fighting fronts by you ng m en
like ~he aviation cadet shown on the opposite page saluting
Old Glory at retreat.
Official insignia have been adopted by morc than 800
AAF squadrons. In the U. S. these are widely used on air-
planes and equipment. Overseas, supply and tactical con-
siderations limit th eir use; h ere identifying insignia may be
found on crewmen' s flight jackets and stati onery, and on
plaques hun g in m esshalls and sq uadron huts.
Like th e coa ts-of-amls emblazoned on th e armor and
trappin gs of olden-day knights, AAF squadron insignia shmd
for more than identification; they represen t a mission and a
goa l.
For a few samples of AAF combat unit insignia, turn the
next pag~.
232
 SHOULDER PATCHES OF THE AIR FORCES
TYPICAL
SQUADRON
INSIGNIA
718th Bombardment 532th Bombardment

1st Elstern U. S. 2nd W.st.rn U. S. 3rd S. Eastern U. S. 4th Far Western U. S.

344th Flpte r 338th Bombardment 20th Tlct R.connllnnce

,
•
.~'lst Service 425th Bombardment
,.
5th SW Pacific 6th Canal Zan. 1th C.ntrll Pacific 8th United Kin,dom

9th Unit" Kilt,dom 10th Indla·Burma 11th N. Pacific 12th M.dite"ane.n

114th hmba,..ttt 6th Weather 310th Fllhler

I
l
13th S. Pacific 14th China 15th ltal)' HQ. and Commands

UNITED STATES AIRCRAn MARKING

Th. present Ins 11111. Is vlslbl. at 60 perc,nt ",.ter
4I1t1i rlpt.r 551th; Bomb.rdm.nt 17th Troop Carr!er renp than the previous AAF marklnl. The red dllc
was removed to pr.vent confusion with Japanese ,
marklnc. ,Dates show when chlnles were made.

42. Iombardmaot 25th Ualsoo 528th Iomb. riment

V
I"R i 'D")' a". 1. 1Q" I..... "Q 1"_'
 OUR BATTlEFIELD

The air is our battlefield . It provides not onl y th e field of

action but al so, in itseH. a number of positi ve hazards. To
minimi ze th ese we co ntinuall y enlist th e elements of th e
atm osphere as allies, but th e sa me elements often become
formidabl e enemies.
Our machines are bu ilt to withstand th e trem endo us
stresses of th e air, but we who fly th e machin es are <lCC U S~
tom ed to th e natural forces at th e ea rth 's surface. Our ph ysi-
ology is designt:d to work on th e ground . Airhorn e, we are
di"orced from our natural habitat. Before a m ission Celll be
flown or a bomb d ropped , th e basic pro blem s of air ad apta-
bilitv mu st be mastered .
~rh e act of Hyin g through th e air is a temporary truce with
gf<wity. :M an and phlll c mu st eventuall y C0111 e down . Oreli·
narily th e landin g is dclilx ;rate an d safe, but som etim es it is
unexpec tedly abrupt. T o th e problem of return ing s~lfd y to
C'•.lTth th ere is frequen tly add ed th e problem of survival in
areas unnatural tu us.
237

238 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
WEATHER
The atmosphere, terrain of the air war, is the most fickle
and treacherous of all terrai ns. If a ground commander were
\ confronted daily with mountains changing h eight, rivers
altering their course, ground moving up and down like an
elevator and oceans going dry, his terrain problems would
begin to resemble th ose of an AAF tactician.
I '"Inc atmosphere is like an ocea n extending nearly 2 00
miles above the earth's surfacej through it move deep masses
OUR BATTlEFIELD 239
High -velocity winds .whi ch pu~h a p~an~ off its set cOl~ rse
necessitate cons tant adJustments 111. na\'lgatlo~ . Greatest w ln~
menace is a h eadwind blowing dlfectl y agaIn st the plane s
front. Bucking such headwinds, a p,lane SO~lct~mes cO,n sl~m es
so mu ch fuel that it falls short of Its dcs tmH~lOn . Tal.l wmds,
on th e other hand, push th e plane more qUickly to Its goal
and make it possible to reduce the fuel load. Updrafts and
downdrafts may move at speeds up to 2 00 mil es per ~ ~ll r.
In places wh ere an updraft passes a downdraft, a conchh on
f:~ )~~ ;h
\...l9"" . .1) . JJ I "-

JI/I\~t?/\\~ "'\~
,
'/", »~ ~l _~
ICING
I { / '\ (~
of air, like currents in the ocean, Cold air masses travel from ~
1\HI8UlENC[
th e polar regions, warm air masses from the equatorial belt.
i TIle velocity of air movement va ries from a gen tle breeze to callcd turbul ence res ults. Turbulence ca n toss a plane about
like a cork-even rip its wings off,
Fog lies close to the ground, can reduce visibility to zero,

a heavy wind. ''''hen warm air and cold air meet, clouds are
formed which often result in rain, snow or storm. Within
the air ma sses there is constan t m otiorr as h eated air rises
and cold air drops. Above all this is the intcnse cold of the
upper air.
fOG
make landi ngs and hlkeoffs extremel y dangerous. Snow and
rain can seriou sly curtail visibility in th e air. llail ca n blast
holes in a plane'S wings 3119 fu selage. l ee ~nd ~ros t can sh ca t~
a phmc in a matter of mmutes, reduce Its lift and make It
ll11manageable.
 240 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE DUll BATTlEFIELD 241

mean trouble. They affect visibility and stability of th e air.

- On occasion we must combat th e dark towering cumul onimbus

a•••_LI$
) ,
II IICU.UllS
• in th e arctic and tropics wh ere weather is born. Reports
eLMS . . _ " .
Clouds m ay. be both friend and foe to the Rier, wh o all
through Ill S flight traming is taught h ow to interpret and
make U S~ of them . Fr~m s?mc doud s he ca ~ learn the stability
of th e alT and the dlfcctlOll of approachmg storm s' he can
employ douds for cover in air battlc. Often, howcve~, doud s
( thunderhead ) , most dangerous of clouds, a center of ex-
trem e turbu1cnce.
Such is the dynamic terrain of th e air battlefield.
Communications Network- All over the world radio navi-
gational aids are provided to AAF and Allied airplanes by th e
AAF's Army Airways Communications System, whose stations
are located in al1 48 states and in 52 foreign cou ntri es and
territories. It is now possible for a plane to fly blind all the
way around the world guided entirely by AACS rad io na v iga ~
tional aids. In addition to direction bea ms, AACS sends out
signals warn ing against mountain barriers and enemy aircraft.
\Veather data supplied by th e AAF 'Weath er Service is tran s-
mitted by AACS.
Weather Service- Like AACS stations, wcather service bases
,HC loca tcd in th e far reaches of th e world, in lonely outposts
from these stati ons are transmitted to Headquarters in vVash-
ington, D. C., wh ere wea th er maps are made and forecasts
M:nt out al1 over th e wo rld . To provide on-the~s pot short-range
foreca sts, wea th er servi ce units accompany tacti cal, transport
and t roop carrier un its. ~Vherever there is an AAF base, th ere
<l re wea th er personn el to interpret and forecas t climatic condi-
tions. Often th e wea th er stations <lrc mobile; in the landing
;It Salerno, for instance, a jeep fitted with weather observing
t:quipmcnt was with one of th e first units to make a landing.
\Vc<1ther rcco nnai s~ance airplancs regularly fly long di stances
to ga th er data before fighters. bombers or transports take off.
Foreknowledge of th e weather is more than a protective
meaSlHC. I t is a tactical weapon. A typical instan ce was dlH-
ing an attack on \ Vcwak. New Gui nea. 'T'h e planes which
atta cked were based at Port ~ I ores by . Between the airhase
and the target hly th e 16,ooo-foot Owcn Stanicy Range. Over
the Owcn St;mlcvs th ere ,He I.lsnallv banks of thund erhcads
rising as high as 40,000 feet. T he attack co uld not he carried
Ollt while th e thu nderheads blocked the wav. The weather
'1e n 'ice was asked to predict a cloudless d:1Y. Seven da ys
daps<.:d before th e wCHth cr officer decided that proper condi-
 242 OffiCIAL AM GUIDE
hom. were on the way. He issued a forecast 24 hours in ad-
,anec. pledieting just the type of weather desired. The attack
wa\ timed precisely to the forecast and 309 planes which the
Japs had th ought safe were destroyed.
Sometimes, in combat, had weatller is advantageous. In an
attack on Trondhcim, Norway, for example, bomber aircraft
b:1scd in Britain took advantage of a blanket of overcast that
extended almost to th e edge of the target before it opened.
TI,e bombers flew undetected to Trondheim, dropped their
bombs on the perfectly visible targets and made their journey
home protected by the overcast.
ITHE BODY IN FUGHT
On the ground the human bOdy- with the aid of proper
food, clothing and shelter-is well adjusted to such natural
,forces as air pressure, gravity, temperature and inertia . But
when man goes up in the air 10,000 feet or more, these same
forces may run to extremes far beyo~d the body's breaking
pomt.
Yet every day air operations are being conducted at alti-
tudes far above 10,000 fect. The answer is that aviation medi-
cine has made discoveries that compensate for the strains of
.high altitode-discoveries that adjust earth-accustomed physi-
ology to aerial activity.
~
. Anoxia- The air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21 % oxygen
.nd I % oth~r .ga.ses. Ox~gen is necessary to sustain human
Ifc. When air IS IIlhaled mto the lungs, oxygen is picked up
by the blood stream and delivered to all parts of \he bOdy.
Carbon d iOXide, a waste product, is transported back to the
lungs, exh.1led along with the other unused gases of the air.
: The amount of oxygen which can be absorbed by the
-,1ood-strcam depends on the quantity of air present in the
iungs; this is detennincd by the outside atmospheric pressure.
OUR BATTLfflELD 243
13IIIID' - - I
1 - - - 41Il00'
·111lI0II' - - I ~o 35IlOO'
" oro OXYGEJI----- 0
IlOOO ----- ,
As th e altitude increases, th e pressure falls and the abnosphere
becomes more and more rarefied . As th e air contcnt of the
lungs becomes progressively smaller, so does the oxygen con-
tent. This condition is primarily responsible for th e oxygen
want which develops with increased altitude. Its effects begin
to be felt when an altitude of 1 0,000 feet is exceeded .
The medical name for oxygen-want is anoxia . To combat
anoxia, we rely on the oxygen system, which increases th e
oxygen content of the air that th e fli er breathes at high alti-
tudes. At 18,000 feet, for eX3lnple, th e oxygen content of th e
lungs has fallen to one-half its ground level wlue. At this alti-
tud e th e oxygen system wises the pcrccnhlge of oxygen in th e
Hir breathed by Hiers from 2 1 % to 4 2%, thus raising th e oxy-
gen content of th e Il1ngs to its normal gro und level valuc. At
34,000 feet, 1 00% oxygen Illust be brea th ed; above 3 4 ,000
feet, even 1 00% oxygen does not providc a sufficient quan-
tity of oxygen, although th e defi ciency does nO.t bec.o me criti-
I cal until an altitude of 4 0,000 feet. Above thiS altitude, th e
press ure is so low that even pure oxygen will permit con-
sciousness only for short periods.
J
 OFFICIAL UF GUIDE
All aircrew mem bers are instructed to wear oxygen masks
Iwhen Bying above l O,OOO feet. Masks are fitted to the con-
tours of the 8ier's face and have a small built-in microphone
to facilitate interphone and radio communication . The ~asks
re connected by hose to a central oxygen system . There are
• types of oxygen systems in usc by the AAF; the demand
ystem and the continuous flow sys tem. In the demand type,
n autorr:atic mixer steadily increases the oxygen content
of the ai ~ as the airplane gains altitude in order to main -
tain the quantity of oxygen equal to that present at ground
evel. This sys tem is fuHy automatic, saves oxygen by func-
·tioning only when a man is actually inhaling. and adjusts
litself to the speed of breathing; it supplies all the oxygen
ceded when exertion causes faster breat~ing. The continu-
ous How oxygen system is an old er type and is not regulated
utomatically. The flier himse1f adjusts a valve that governs
the amount of oxygen flowing into the mask. This system
las largcl:t been replaced by the demand type.
In bombers it is often necessary for men to walk around
inside the airplane while performing their duties. In planes
equipped with demand systems, th e flier disconnects his mask
lOse from its fixed oxygen outlet and plugs it into a walk-
rou nd bottle which can be rcfilled from the main lines. A
mall type bottle lasts about 5 minutes under average condi-
tions, while a new and larger type lasts between a half hour
and an hour. With the continuous flow system, the walk-
round bottle contains an hour's supply, is non-refil1able ,
For parachute jumps from high altitudes, bailout bottles
are provided. TIley are usually strapped to the legs, and con-
tain a 10 minutes' supply of oxygen, sufficient to al10w a para-
chutist te descend safely through the upper air. In an older
type bottle, the oxygen is sucked through a pipestem, while
'n a newer type it is delivered into the mask.
I In night operations, fliers do not wa it until they reach
10,000 feet to ut on their oxygen ma sks, They wear th em
from the time t~cy
take off, for the first effect of anoxia, even
Islight anoxia, lessens the ability to sec in the dark.
Aeroerabolism- When a bottle of soda pop is un capped, the
gas which has been imprisoned in th e liquid under pressure
OUR BATTLEfIELO
escapes rapidly in the form of bubbles. The same type a~f
thing can happen wlthm the body flUIds 10 the upp<!r . .
Nitrogen gas (and small quaptities of oxygen, carbon dIOXIde
and water vapor) is normally found dlssol~ed 10 .t he blood
and other body fluids. These gases are kept 10 soiubon by th e
pressure of the atmosphere. At high altitudes the mtrogen
pressure within the body may exceed the 11It,rogen .pressure
in the air outside. The gas in the blood, seekH~g eXI~, form s
bubbles in the joints and fat tissues an~ sometIm ~~ mothe r
parts of the body. The result is a very pamful condlbon called
aeroembolism, known as the bends to deep sea dIVers and
sandhogs.
The occurrence of aeroembolism is infreque~t., It usu~ny
happens at 30,000 feet and above, and th.e maJonty ?f filers
are not susceptible to it even at th ose altitudes. A filer \~ho
has had tro uble can guard against re~urrence by breathmg
pure oxygen for 45 minutes before takmg off and then co~­
bnuing to breathe 1 00% oxygen from th e ground up. Thl,s
method, called denitrogenatIon, reduces the pressure of 111-
trogen in the lungs to zero and allows a la rg~ part ?f th,e gas
in th e body to escape painlessly. When a~ am:nan IS stncken
with aeroembolism, he normally can obtall1 rehef by descend-
ing imm edia tely to ~ 5,000 feet or, low~r.. D escent t? a ,level
'of higher pressure Will prevent senous InJury to ;.t fher In all
cases if it is done in tim e.
Blackouts and Redouts-The symbollC represents the force
which is exerted on an object by the pull of gravity. \ -Vhen
the body is subjected to a prolon~ed pull greater t1, an the
force of gravity, it may not funcbon properly. Such a pro-
longed pun is measured in term s of numbers of GS, such as
. Cs, 3CS, 4CS, depending upon the degree of force exerted.
Centrifugal force, the force that th rows an object outward
when it moves in an arc, may be grea ter than I C, When a
flier loops, or pulls o ut o f a dive or cl~mb. centrifl1g~1 force
affects the body. Inside looping or pulhng out of a dIve (sec
diagram ) forces the blood toward the lower part of the body.
The blood, forced away from the head, ,leaves th: ,bram wl ~h­
out sufficient oxygen. TIle first effect 1S gray \,I s~ on, An 111 ~
crease in force results in a blackout. U sually th e Alcr does no t
 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
become unconscious during blackouts, but he may if the
force continues.
During outside looping or term ination of a climb, the blood
rushes in th e opposite direction- toward th e head . If th e
force is strong enough, th e head ·throbs with pain, th e eyes
feci as though they arc bulging and vision becomes red.
~lackouts and redouts are of sh ort duration, rarely have last-
mg effects and occur only under highly acccle ra ted gravity
puns. To red uce th e danger of blackouts and redouts, Riers
learn to level off gradually from dives and climbs. An oth er
aid is tensing the muscles and yelling to help slow th e fl ow
of blood.
• enable us to see th e general form of objects in va rious sh ades
ClITllflfCAl 'lICE (Cf)
Cold- Normal tempera tures at alti t udes of 2 5,000 to 3 0 .000
feet range from 30 to 50 degrees below zero. Consequently,
I body warmth ran ks nex t to oxygen supply as th e most im-
portant need of the airm an for effiCiency at high altitude. A
hand exposed to 4o-below tempera ture becomes frostbitten
withi~ 1 few minutes, and a severe frostbite of one finger is
suffiCient to ground a gunn er for days and sometim es weeks.
The AAF's fl cece-lincd lea th er fl ying suit and th e im-
proved alpaca type flying suit have bccn designcd to provide
the airman th e maximum pro tecti on from cold with th e
•
minimum restriction of movemcnt. The winter flying suit in-
cludes felt boots and leath er gloves, both of whi ch ca n be
worn o\'er additional layers of wool, Reece or rayon in any
•
OUR BATTLEFIELD 247
desired comb ination. Tight fi ttin g clothing is avoided, b e-
cause adequate ci rcul ation is also essential to keep the hands
and feet warm, H owever, measures wh ich mcrely insulate th e
body against loss of h ea t are insufficient for long cxpo s t~re t~
extreme cold. T h e ideal solu tion is cabin hea ting, which IS
effective in fighter planes and th e closed com partm ents of
bom bers, but not feasible in the exposed porti ons of th e fuse-
lage. E lectrically heated suits, gloves and boots are necessary
to protect tail, waist and turret gunners.
Night Vision- T he retina, an area at .the back of th e eye
wh ich does th e actual "seeing," is made up of tiny cells called
rods and COll't!S. The cones, wh ich distinguish colors and
st ructural detail, are used when bright light is ava ilable. Since
th ey are principally grouped in th e center of the retina, an
object is best seen wh en we look directly at it. H owever, th e
cones are unable to participate in vision at n ight wh en th e
light is very dim . We are th en dependent on th e rods. which
of gray. Since th e rod s are distributed arollnd th e ou~ e r sur-
faces of the reti na. objects are best seen on a dark mgh t by
looking at them a little off cen ter. T o do this accurately re-
qu ires constant practice.
Abil ity to see in th e dark can be lost quickly if th e eyes are
exposed to a b right ligh t. A period of protection from bright
light is required to adjust the eyes to n ight vision . Ad apting
th e eyes to th e dark can be accom plish ed by spend ing 30
minutes in a darkened room before a Right or by wea ring red
goggles for th e same period . Red goggles shut out all colors bu t
red. wh ich least affec ts n ight vision.
Pilots read their instrument boards rapidly during n ight
fligh t, thus exposing th eir eyes to th e lighted panel for th e
sh ortes t period possible. T o further minim ize the period of
ad justm ent back to darkn ess after reading an instrument
board, panel ligh ts are kept as dim as practicable. Fluorescent
ligh ted instruments reduce eye fatigue, h elp nigh t vision .
A norm al supply of Vitamim A. found in all green and
yenow food s, is essen ti al to night vision . \¥h en airmen are
unable to get sufficient V itam in A in th eir diet, a concentrate
IS given .
... OFFICIAL 1M CUIIII
I Diet-The gas in an airman's intestinal tract expands as the
, altitude increase;. Effects may be painful, but ordinarilv may
· be quickly relieved by passage of excess gas. Some men are
, sensitive to foods which produce excessive amounts of gas.
Onions, cucumbers, radishes, cabbage, soda pop, dried. beans,
~ apples. melon, cauHAowcr and fat or rich foods are taboo for
such men while on flying duty.
· Fatigue-Flying fatigue is a double problem: immediate fa·
I tigue is induced by the hard work, extreme cold, possible
accidental anoxia, constant alertness and emotional strain of
a single mission; chronic fatigue, or staleness, is brought on
In· the accumulated nerve-wear of a series of missions.
. For the fatigue of a Single mission a good night's slcep, a
: little diversion and a satisfying meal are tlsually cure enough.
'The intensity of such fatigue is rcduced by comfortable seat·
· ing. proper oxygen and cold weather equipment, adequate rest
Ibetween operations.
Chronic fatigue is mainly a mental condition. When it oc~
'curs, it is best treated by complete rest, frcedom from strain,
: & change of sccne and rdief from arduous duties. AAF sur~
'geons ha\'e been able to reduce the occurrence of chronic fa-
tigue by a program of preventive mcasurcs: 24 hours' rest
I between missions when possible, a period of Icave and alter-
:nate duty after a ccrbin number of hours of flying, and ath·
·letics and recreation.
Aviation Medicine-The peculiar medical problems of
:a\'iation have given rise to the special science of aviation
:mcdicine. Since ''''orld War I the AAV has studicd and ex·
Ipcrimented with the ph ysiological difficulties resulting from
.8ildlt. Today the office of the Air Surgeon supcrviscs all medi·
.caT activities in the AAF. Every mcdical officcr who wears the
'golden wings of a flight surgeon has studied at the AAV's
School of Aviation Medicine, has worked with flying per·
:sonnel, and has had many hours of flying time in which to
bmiliariu himself with the air.
A Right surgeon is assigned to every flying squadron . IIc
watche, over the daily health of the mcn and determincs
when they are 6t to fly. lIe may ground a man with a slight
cold beeause a cold which would cause little trouble on the
OUR BATTLEfiELD 241
ground might have serious consequ ences in the upper. air
where th e ears and sinuses are und er ex tra stresses. The Hight
surgeon prescribes all m edi cation ..Simple. drugs like aspirin
can have undesirable effects at high altitudes. A personal
equipment officer is also assigned to e~ch squa~ron. With the
flight surgeon he checks oxygen e~uipment, IIl st~t1cts cre~s
in its use and conducts an educatIonal program III first aid
in flight. . . ..
All flying personnel are kept In top ph YSical condition at
all times. A healthy body is tlie best safegua rd agamst the
air's physiological hazards.
EMERGENCY LANDING
No matter what we have done in th e way of equipment
and education to reduce the hazards of activity in our battle~
field, there is always the chance that a plane will be forced
out of the sky either by enemy action, mechanical failure or
human failure. Proper precautions must be taken. Our planes
are equipped for all eventualities and every man who Bies is
trained in th e procedures of emergency evacuation and the
techniques of survival anywhere on earth.
Bailing Out- When it becomes necessary to bail out, the
ideal way is to set the plane on a level course and slow its air
speed. In a bomber crew, members use bailout exits located
,- ....
~"
EMERGENCY EXITS-B·25
/ ' ",,>~-
')
ORDER Of BAILING OUT
miNT HATCN IW HATCII
1 NAY1&ATOI
1 CO·PllOt
I. UPPD tuun 'UU[I
tWIO Gf'WToa
1. PIlOt
- OFFICIAL US GUIO(
in easily accessible sections 01 the airplane. Fighter pilots
tum the" planes over il possible, dump the cockpit canopy,
release salety belt and thrust themselves out with their leet.
II there is danger 01 enemy fire, the airman employs a long
nee fall-that is, he opens his parachute only alter he has
fallen well below the level 01 enemy planes. At high altitudes
: the free fall also is advisable because it speeds the airman's
descent through the intense cold and rarity 01 the upper air. .."
A bailoul oxygen bottle (see page 244) is provided lor high
altitude j'lmps. ]n a jump from a medium altitude where th ere 'l i----- I~ /jJ/ '" ~
is no enemy 6re, th e ainnan waits 2 to 6 seconds before
pulling h iS ripcord. The delay minimizes danger ollouling the
parachute with the airplane and serves to slow the para-
. chutisfs downward speed, thus reducing the shock when the
lparachute billows open.
Alter the paracllUte opens, the airman descends leet down,
trelaxed and, if possible, with his face in the direction he is
(lrifting. He lands with Hexed legs and attempts to run lor-
ward with the wind behind him, while pulling the shrouds
o help collapse his parachute. Should the parachutist land in
ta tree, he crosses his arms in front of his head, burying face
-~--~-.::.-.:-~--.:..:.--;...:....-~~
A. PILOT
.. CO·PILOT
F. l1li10 111'• •
'- BAlL TURII£T
~ 4 - _ __ • ~ _~

.-.; --- _ _

i n forearms; feet and knees are held together_ If an airman C. NAVIGATOR H... WAIST
~nds in water, he releases his parachute harness just before O. 8OMBAROIU I. L WAIST
is feet touch the surface and quickly inAates his Mae West L FUGIIT II&. I. TAIL
"Ie vest. Pilots of single-place aircraft are usually equipped
"th one-man life rafts containing emergency rations ' and
uipment. Both life ralts and Mae Wests can be instantly
Hated by attached carbon dioxide cylinders.
Ditching-If a bomber pilot decides his plane must be
itched-landed on water- the crew immediately takes pre-
ratory measures. All loose equipment like guns, aml1luni-
.on (or anything that adds weight) is thrown out. Bombs and
epth cha rges arc jettisoned or disarmed. Emergency equip.
ent (including a radio set) and supplies arc placed near the
pe hatches. Bomb bay doors are closed to prevent an in-
!,sh of water upon landing. The radio operator sends out a
eady distress signal.
The pilot brings the plane down und er power if possible
thcr than in a glide with th e engines off. When th e plane DITCHING PROCEDURE
 OUR BATTLEfiELD 253
252 OFfiCIAL AAF GUIDE
comes to rest, the mcn exit rapidly through their assigned
ditching hatches, carrying equipmcnt with them. There are
different ditching procedures for each type of aircraft, but in
all cases every man has his specific job, a specific exit. Rubber
rafts are released from the fuselage and POP out on to the
wings. The rafts are loaded, the crew boards th em and they
shove off. The rafts are tied together in the water.
As long as the plane stays 3803t, the rafts remain near it,
for a plane on the water can m OTC easily be spotted by rescue
aircraft. When the plane sinks, the crew strikes out in a di-
rection that has been detennincd after calculation by the
navigator. The pilot is in command. H e plans a course of
I rationing for the food and water stores. It is desirable to re-
main clothed to avoid sunburn and excessive exposure.
Rafts are equipped with rations, fishing tackle, first aid kit,
• Very (ftare) pistols, an apparatus for making sea water drink-
able, and a sea markcr-a chemical which forms a large yel-
lowish-green spot on the water making the raft's position
visible to a rescue plane. There are 3 types of rafts in use: CRASH lAIIDINa
2500-pound capacity, loco-pound capacity and one-man raft. The AAF has long studi ed th e p roblems of survival . in
Stories of raft survival have become commonplace. Life on jungle, desert and arcti c. The .results .of t~ e. studies .are IlTI-
a raft in th e open sea is not pleasant, but it is possible to exist parted to aircrew members dunng th el: trammg a~ld 111 com-
if the men use their equipment and provisions as th ey have bat zones. An Arctic, Desert and T ropiC lnf~nnabon ~cn tc~,
been trained to use them. Hope of rescue, probably the great- sct up in the AAF, is cons~antly ac~tuTIulabng ~nd dlsscnll-
est sustaining force for men adrift, need never be given tip. nating new survival informatI on . Ava ilable to all 31rcrew mem-
Emergency rescue units, devoted solely to searching for and bers are concise fully illustrated casy-to-carry manuals
rescuing lost personnd, keep looking for men as long as th erc cramm ed with inf~rmation for emcrgencies. rn lC man uals tell
is even faint hope that they can be found. Boats, long-range how to signal for help, h ow to build sh elter, wh at foods to
amphibian planes and land planes equipped with ftoats are eat and which to avoid, h ow to t.reat ai lments and sa f~guard
sed for sea rescue. In theaters of operations air-sea rescue is health, h ow to deal with natives, ~lOW to travel over d Ifficult
abelted by the work of the Na vy and Allied naval and air terrain and scores of oth er useful Items. .
forces. Search operations are also conducted for men forced Crewmen are equipped with all-purpose emergency ~Its
cown in jungle, desert or arctic. containing sun glasses, jackknife, needle an? thread, fisl~ 1I1g
Forced Landing- 'Vhen in di stress over jungle, desert or ta ckl e, first aid supplies, water and food ratIOns, an d \"an~)U s
arctic, it is usually better to try t!o crash-land an airplane than tools and implements. T he kit is in th e foml of a seat cushIOn
10 bail out. The advantages are that the outline of a grounded and is wrapped in a zipper-fast~n ed .canvas cov~r. A .smaller
lane can be spotted from th e air and th e airplane itself pro- kit fits snugly aroun d th e body h ke a Jackct. A qUIlt, ohve dm b
·ides shelter, fud and material for fashioning improvised on one side and blue on th e oth er may serve as a slccp1l1g bag,
·capons and signaling devices. a hamm ock, a rai ncoat, a pu p tent or a signaling device.
 OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 255

OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 'tt '<t
. te t 0 st r~ te gy , so is technique
ust as tactics are s ubordm~ ,
J
subordinate to tacti cs. T echmque consists of the manner In
which tactics are perform ed ,
STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL OPERATIONS
. force , em Ploys strategy', a form ation
An aIr '0 of aircraft exe-
bat
cutes tactics; individual aircraft l1,se techlll q ~e, ur c,?m _
operations fall into 2 major ca tegones-strateglc ant tachc~~ h
l oth of which can be iden tified wi,th th e terms rom W IC
:he wcre derived . Strategic operati ons, based on 10ng-~al:ge
y .
plannmg are d·eSlgned to prevent th e enemy fromd obtammg I '
he wea 'ons he must h ave to make war, ~n d to es~roy liS
:m to K ht. :N[ain objecti ves of AAF tactical operatJol~s are
to achiev~ and maintain air sup~ema~y, to dest roy or ~I~ruft
enem su ly and communica tIOn lmcs, and to partl clpa e
.
ma y bl'Ped effort of th e air " ground and sea forces tontthe
comm '
immediate battlefront or adj acent to It. However, s ra eglc

lASH: ~ MATERIALS f'I

I.ISIC lJ fABRICATION

·Combat operations bring into concerted action the various

. AAF eJements-personnel and equipment, organiza ti on and
I training. supply, maintena nce and bases. All are welded to-
gether in a united eftort aga inst th e enemy. Beca use our
. weapon can be empl oyed effectively in many ways, our com bat
operation) arc fairly complex. 'The foHowing basic definiti ons
:may lead to a better und ers tanding of how we fight.
Strategy involves long~ra nge planning, dctennincs th e
manner in which a war is to be fought. All our .acti ons are
:condition ed by the strategy governing our nati on's conduct
of the war.
Tactics arc the meth ods we employ in our operations
against the enemy; th ey constitute th e mea ns by which we
Implement existing strategy and apply it locally to achieve
ietory in a battle. Strategy may bes t be th ought of in terms
f a war, tac tics in tcrm s of a battle. STRATEGIC OPERATlOIIS TACTICAl OPERATlOHS
254

OFFICIAL IAF GUIDE
opcrations may entail the destruction or neutraliza ti on of the
enemy's airpower as a first prerequisite to th e primary strategic
objective.
Strategic Targets-Th e targets of stra tegic operations are
th e sou;ccs of prod uction and maintenance of the enemy's
I»K 1[101£
, and th e cmployment of specific types of aircraft for stnkl1lg
wa r 1IIachine. TIley incl ude rea r bascs ;md supply lines out of
reach of tactical air units; key indust ries engaged in producing
aircraft, other machines of war, amm llnitiol\ and critical raw
materials. electr ic power, transportati on and fuel systcms.
They arc selectcd only after careful, expe rt analysis which
takes every conceivable factor into considerati on . For ex-
ample: How vitall y will th e destruction of a given plant affec t
the enemy's fron t line figh ti ng abi lity? Wh ich plants should
be selected as in volving, ill th e event of their dcstructio n, th e
l i hortest time-lag in maki ng their destruction fd t?
OUR All FOICU IN ACTIDII 251
Another important considerati on i ii th e selection of. targcb
most likely to be disrupted by bomb da ma~e . Factories pro-
ducing material for which no ready substitute can be de-
velopcd serve as an exa mple. Stratcgy may ?all fo r concen.tra-
ti on on onc phase of cnem y ma nufa~turc-al ~cra ft p roduction.
for instan ce. But sometimes cffccb ve bombmg dlfccted at a
singlc vital item, stich as ball bearin gs,. docs morc ~arm to
cnemy aircraft produ cti on th an destructl on of factones mak-
ing th e planes themselves. .'
Tactical Ta rgets-Tacti cal ta rge ts .co nsl.st m,a1l11y of enemy
forces and supplics. Rapidly changll1g Situations may ca~se
th ese targets to change from da y to day. On land, th cy 111 -
elude communica ti ons, aircraft and alfficlds, troops, t~an ..,­
portation and ba ttl e emplacements. If th e battle area IS ~t
sca they include shi pping and naval surfa ce craft. In th e air
-~vcr land and sea- th c targets are enemy aircraft . B~t tl~e
prerequisite of tactical operations is to establish and mam ta lll
air superi ority. ..'
Basic Weapons-Bcca use stra tc~l c au opera tions are cha.r-
acte ri zed by long~ra n ge and sustained mass attack, th.e basIc
weapon is th e hea vy and very heavy b~ln bardmcn t aIrplane.
Such opera tions, however, also usuall y Ill volve l?ng-rang~ re-
conn aissance aircraft and esco rt fightcrs. St rategic operatIOns
place great emphasis on complete intelligcnce. of the activities
of an enemy nation; they are furth er charactenzed .by the nced
for long-range wea th cr forccastin g, and by relative freedom
from enem y at tack on ib. bases of operation. ..
Tactical air operations demand a h igh ~egree of mO~l l.1 ty
at th e enemy's front line strength, such as supply and ~om ­
mlln ications, and for actua l contact on th e ba ttlefield . 1 hese
opera tions may in volve th e following corllpon~n ts: med ium
bombardmen t aircra ft, ligh t bombardm ent aircra ft, figh t~r
and fi gh ter-bomber aircraft, rccon~l:1 i %ancc al~d phot?graphlc
aircra ft , an tia ircraft artillery and aIrcraft wanl Jll g SCrvlC~S .
Most types of aircraft can pe rform ?oth . strategic ~nd
tactical operations; and, a'i mi lita ry ncccsslt~ d ictates, tactlc:11
and stra tegic air units may be operated aga lllst the same ob-
jecti ves. Stratcgic air forces arc combat components of th e
 GUll all FUIICES IN aCTIOII 257
Another important consideration is the selection of targets
most likely to be disrupted by bomb damage. Factories pro-
ducing material for which no ready substitute can be de-
veloped serve as an exa mple. Strategy may call for concentra-
tion on one phase of enemy manufacture- aircraft production,
I for instance. But sometimes effective bombing directed at a
single vital item, such as ball bearings, docs more haml to
enemy aircraft production than destruction of factories mak-
ing th e planes themselves.
Tactical Targets-Tactica l targets consist mainly of enemy
forces and supplies. Rapidly changing situations may cause
r these targets to change from day to day. On land, they in-
clude communications, aircraft and airfields, troops, tran s-
portation and b.lttle emplacements. If the battle area is at
sea, they include shipping and naval surface craft. In th e air
I -over land and sea- the targets are elle!TIY aircraft. But the
prerequisite of tactical operations is to establish and maintain
[ air supefiority.
Basic Weapons-Beca use strategic air operations are ch a r~
acterized by long,ra nge and sustain ed mass attack, the basic
weapon is the heavy and very heavy bombardment airplane.
Such operations, however, also usually involve long~ran ge re-
connaissance aircraft and e~co rt fighters. Strategic operations
place grcat emphasis on complete intelligence of th e ac ti vi ti es
of an enemy nation; they are further characterized by the need
for long.range weather forecas ting, and by relative freedom
I from enemy attack on its bases of operation.
Tactical air opera tions demand a high degree of mobility
and the employment of specific types of aircraft for striking
. at the enemy's front line strength, such as suppl y and com-
munications, and for actual contact on the battlefield . These
operations may invol ve the following components: medium
bombardment aircraft, light bombardment aircraft, fighter
and fighter~bombcr aircra ft, reconnaissa nce and photographic
; aircraft, antiaircraft artillery and aircraft warning services.
~ Most types of aircraft can perform both strategic and
: tactical operations; and, as military necessity dictates, tactical
, and strategic air units ma y be operated against the same ob-
i jectives. Strategic air forces are combat components of th e
OUR aiR FORCES IN ACTION 259
type of bomb in regard to its weight, fuzing and eont~nt.
(See page 150.) Attacks ca nnot follow an~ set formula, smee
they may be delivered at high or low altItudes, dunng day-
light or at night, by means of preCISIOn or area bombmg, and
may be opposed or unopposed by the enemy.
BOMBING ALTITUDES
MINIMUM.... ... . . .. ... ................ . . up1000 to 1000 leet
to 7500
LOW . . . • • • ••••••••••••••• •••••• •••• •••• ·· 7500 to 15 000
MEDIUM .•••• - • •••• •••• •••••••••••••••••. i 5 000 and ' u .
HI C H . . . . . . . • • . . . • . . . . . . • •. ••. . .• .. •• .. •. , P
Bombing Problem- A target which in.eludes many str~ctur~s
may sometimes be di vided . an~ so aSSigned to atta ckmg ~Ir­
craft that if each structure IS hIt by one. bomb of proper size
the entire target will be destr.oyed. StIll other targets may
require a uniform pattern of hits over 3. glv~n area:
An important consideration in bombmg IS th e size of th e
force which a mission must employ to assure a .rcasona~le
chance of obtaining the required number o~ hits. vVln Ie
economy dictates the use of th e smallest p~acbcabl e ~umber
of planes and crews, th e chance of success m cr~ses W ith the
size of th e force. These 2 factors plus th e csb~ated enemy
opposition to any particular mission must be weighed for final
detennination of th e number of planes to be u~ed. .
Day and Night Bombing Operations-DaylIgh t bombmg
constitutes the core of AAF combat operatIons. Its effective-
ness lies in th e ability to sight the target, and thus employ
th e synchronous bombsight. Th IS pennlts hIgh al tItude pre-
cision bombing; also, dayhght operations all?w u~ to t~ke
adva ntage of fonn ation ~ H yin g. Night ope rab ons, In 'yh~ ch
AAF men also arc trained, involve such problems as l oc~tmg
the target, morc compli.catc.d. na vigation, .grcate: operatIOnal
haza rd s and the impractI ca bIlity of formation flymg. .
Formations-Flying in a prescribed pattern , or formatIon,
increases offensive and defen sive strength . Arra~ge~e.nt of a
form ation is usually based upon th e s trengt~ , dISpOSItion and
employment of th e indi~idl1al combat UllIt. As a rul e, all
planes in a given formation .a r~ o~ the same typ~ o~ have
similar performan ce cha racten stI cs 111 ~rder to mallltalll the
formati on pattern . There arc no prcscnbed types of bomber
 281

I
210 OFFICIAL AM GUIDE
formations which must be rigidly followed . Each formation
-.
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION
~ -
ill

must meet the requirements of the specific situation pre-

sented. must be sufficiently flexible to adapt itself during
8ight to changing situa tions. The possible types of forma- SQUADRON STAGGER FORMA11ON
tions 3fC many.
COMPONENTS OF FORMATIONS ~~~

~~~~
ELEMENT • ••.• • • • • . . . . . • • • • • • . . . . . • . . . . . . . . 2 to ... aircraft
FLIGHT •..•.•. . . . . . • • . ...•• •••• ••• ••••• 2 or more elements
COMBAT BOX (OR CROUP) •••••••••••••••••• 2 or more flights
COMBAT wINe ..............•.•• ........•. 2 or more .groups

Bombardment Attack-Targets generally are classified as

SIDE VIEW ____
fixed, transient, or fleeting. Fixed targets are immobile- ~

factories, dams, dock installations. Transient targets are those

capable of being moved- supplies, ammunition dumps, con-
I centratio:1s of motor equipment. Fleeting targets 3rc those in

motion- shipping, navy craft, tanks, motor transport.

Heavy Bomber- The ability of heavy bombers to drop ••
bombs with accuracy from altitudes in excess of 30,000 feet
is directly attributable to precision bombsights and Auto- ~ 1-
matic Flight Control Equipmcnt-a device which actually
Bies the plane during the bombing run (see page 171). To- SQUADRON JAVELIN DOWN
gether they solve extremely difficult and complex bombing
problems in a matter of seconds. The bombardier, who is a
specialist doing his calculations in split seconds, must deal
,with such problems as the speed of the plane. correct altitude.
airection of the wind in relation to the aircraft, identification
of the taIget at extreme altitudes, the inevitable di scomfort
~ue to cold and the use of oxygen. and the fact that the
mber may he under enemy attack.
I Although low-level bombing is seldom performed by AAF
cavy bombers, they have been used on occasion in low level
ttacks when 1ittle ground opposition was expected, or in the
nterest of complete surprise. Because of their size and relative FID"T VIEW
ack of maneuverability and speed, heavy bombers arc ex·
dingly vulnerable at low levels.
Bombsight-As new models of our bombers have attained
ighcr altitudes and greater speeds, the problems of precise
mbing have become more complex. Improvements in
 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
All is BOMBING RUN. B is
•~~~~--------~
•
-------<.,
the point of bomb release. C is
the posi tion of the airplane at
- the time the bomb strikes the
t,eget . RANGE ANGLE which
--<~ determines proper relea~ point
is established by altitude and dis~
-- "'" '-
'-'- ,,- tance from target. In calculating
for bombing, wind, which affects
the path of the plane and there-
fore the trajectory of the bomb
must he taken in to consideration :
SOLVING THE BOMBING PROBLEM
bombing eq~ipmcnt. and, accesso ries ha\re been necessary to
keep' pace ~lth engmeermg achievements which have mad e
plsslbl~ altitudes of more than 7 miles, speeds greater than
300 mIles per hour, bomb loads of over 8000 pounds.
The synchronous bombsight, an instrument not much
larger t.han a typew;iter, makes possible the placement of
bombs m th.e. most vItal areas of a target. As a result, difficult
targets requmng a concentration of hits in a small arca ca n
be !>omhed eifcctivcJy. In general, the tactics cmploycd in
honz~:mtal bo".'lbardment rely on the increasingly efficient use
of thIS bombSIght.
The bombsight, with data computed by the bombardi er
set mt.o the mechanism, dctcnni nes the correct point in space
at which a specific type of bomb must be released to st;ikc
3. scle~ted target. The fundamental data set into the bomb-
sight I!. determined by th e altitude of the plane above the
target, Its rate of speed ~c1ative .t o th e grou nd, and the typc
of bomb to be used. This data IS figured by the bombardier
bcfo~e the plane reaches t~e . target ~rea. Once ~l C bombing
run IS beglln, the b?mbardler s technique dctermlllcs whether
or not the bc:>mb Will reach its objective.
. Through Its telescopic mechanism th e bombsight estab-
lIshes .m ~ngle bctwee~ the . position of th e plane and th e
t~rgct. This angle, varymg with the altitude, determines the
distance fro~ the tar~ct at which the bomb must be rel eased .
The computing of thiS distance is caJl ed muge. Errors in s~lch
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION
computation will calise the bomb to faB short of, or go be-
yond, the target.
TI,e second problem solved by th e bombsight is deflection.
An error in calculating deflection wi ll cause the bomb to fall
to the right or left of the target. The bombardier, looking
th rough th e telescope of the bombsight, can detect the direc-
tion that the plane is drifting. The aircraft is lined up with
th e target by mea ns of Automatic Flight Control Equipment,
or by a device which enables the pilot to fly by directions
received from the bombardier. \Vhen th ese 2 operations are
performed, that is, when th e correct range has been esta b-
lished, and deflection error h as been eliminated, th e bomb
sight is said to be synchronized. TIle bombs will then be
released automatically when th e ai rcraft reaches th e bomb
release point as calculated by the bombsight.
Automatic release of the bombs, indivi dually or in an y
number, is don e by th e intervalometer. This device, when set
by the bombardier, releases th e bombs as desired. Bombs may
be released to fall every 25 feet, 50 feet, or at whatever interval
the targe t may require. In an emergency, either th e bombar-
dier or pilot can release all the bombs manually. This operation
is caned the salvo. Bombs ca n also be released "safe:' (so they
will not explode on impact) in case they have to be jettiso ned
over friendly territory or in non-combatan t areas.
Target. is sighted.
Bombardier observes aircraft
is drifting as indicated by
target " moving " across ver-
tical cross-hair.
C(1Urse ~o' target is established.
Bombsight telescope begins
TRACK ING target. This is
DEFLECTIO N.
----~==t-- The horizontal cross-hair is
placed on the target and
prope r RATE of telescope
movement is established to
determi ne RANGE .
When the target remains in
the intersection of the ver-
ti ca l and horizontal cross-hair , the bombsight is SYNCHRONIZED .
When the aircraft reaches the release point , the bombs will automati-
ca lly be released.
BOMBSIGHT TElESCOPE

2M OFFICIAl. AM CUIIIE
Area Bombing-Area bombing is employed when the ob-
it-ctive is large and contains a multiplicity of targets. The
attacking formation remains intact, forming the p~ttcm de-
sired for bomb coverage. Usually the lead plane wIll usc the
~ynchronous bombsight, in which case the bombardiers of
the other planes will release their bombs upon visual observa-
tion th.t the lead pl.ne has dropped its bombs.
Overcast Bombing-A special method of hombing is em-
ployed to overcome complete cloud coverage when no visi-
bility of the ground exists. Bombs arc dropped on the target
bv mClns of electronic ' devices which locate both the main
objective .nd the specific target. Accurate high level bombing
has been accomplished by this means through morc than
25 ,OOC feet of overcast.
Defensive Action- Enemy opposition to our bombing oper-
ations is concentrated chiefly in fighter aircraft and anti~
aircraft fire. The AAF continually develops tactics to le!'l sen
the etlcctiveness of such encmy defenses. The great concen~
tration of fire power on our heavy bom bers has been de~ ..
vcloped solely for their protection during the performance of
their mission. A bomber never initiates an attack in the air,
and wIll avoid an engagement with enemy fighters if possible.
Enemy 6ghters are attacked by a bomber only as a b y~product
of the bomber's defense of itself.
lbe best bomber defense against attack from enemy
fighters is close formation Rying. By remaining in formation
the fire power of a]] the planes may be concentrated to m eet
attackers from any direction . If, during an attack on a target,
the enemy fighters disengage and antiaircraft fire begins,
the bombers may loosen up their formation . Should the
fighters attack again, the bombers must return to close their
fonnation.
Use by th e enemy of rocket projectiles and air-to~air bOll1b~
ing calls for evasive tactics-varying altitude and speed, weaves,
turns and dives. Rocket tubes instalkd on the wings of
enem~ fighters permit them to remain out of range of the
rn.nnber's guns but by the same token make it diffi cult for
the: fighter!! to fire accuratel y. Rocket projec til es Illust cx plodc
dOM! to :I bomber to be effec ti ve. Similarly, air~ to-air bombing
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION
from above a fonnation of bombers requires a precision diffic.ult
to obtain in view of the high speeds of both the attackong
enemy fighters and the bombers. . ' .
High altitude flying is our baSIC defensive measure ~gamst
antiaircraft fire; the greater the altitude, th e less effectIve th e
ground defenses. Most antiaircraft fire (commonly called
flak) is controlled on the ground by a predictor system . It
consists of devices which determme the altItude and .spe~d
of attacking bombers and a ttemp~ to predict the pomt III
space where projectile and p~ane w~ll meet.
AAF aircraft employ evaSive action to con~~se the ~a1cula.­
lions of antiaircraft g,.unners. The most en tIcal penod for
bombers during an attack is during the bomb run, when the
aircraft must be Rown straight, level and ~t constant .speed.
In attempting to stop a large attackong form atop n of
bombers enemy antiaircraft batte.nes ~ay fire flak barrages,
forming a concentration of fire Ju~t In front of ~he bomb
,If release line. This method of fire IS much more . mac~urate
than predicted fire but is used as an attempt t~ Im pau the
accuracy of bombing, as wen as destroy th e a~tackm g b?mbers.
Medium Bomber- The medium bomber IS th e m311l com-
ponent of tactical ?p~rations . .Highly flcxible, it operates from
medium, low or mlmmum alti tud es and can releas~ torpedoes
as well as bombs. It is well armed for defense ~gam st e:,en~y
fighters. Its speed and maneuve rabili 9-' add to ItS ~ec~n ty 111
flight . Because of th e variety of tactocs employed on Its use,
modifications and developments add mg to Its effectiveness
have been frequent. .'
Medium Altitude Attack- In medi um altitude attack, for
the most part, th e medium bomber uses the same tactics ~s
th e heavy bomber. During th e release of bombs th ~ plane 1.S
vulnerable to fire from automatic weapons and .1.lgh t an tI~
aircraft gun s. T he grea ter. spced . a n ~ maneuverabilI ty of the
medium bomber govern Its tactI cs m ~ tta~k .
Low Level Bombing- Low level bomb1l1g IS one of the most
effective uses of th e mcdium bomber. T he el em ~n t of sur-
prise is very great. Using the cover of trees and 11Ill.s, attack~
ing planes often reach the target and release th eir. bombs
before th ey are detec ted by th e enemy. Even clcct rot11c wa rn-
 - OFFICIAL AAF CUlDE
ing devices are fallible in trying to pick lip planes flying at
low altitudes. During the bombing TUn the heavy annament
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION

b ecause drift can cause

the b omb to miss its ma rk. The
hich th e bom b is released is a
261

of the medium bomber is used both to damage the target distance from th e target .at IV t f th e required distance
and to prevent enemy ground defenses from going into . f t Accurate IU dgmen 0 ..
prnne ac or. . < 1 after much practice an d t rall1lng.
can be accomplIshed on y ft
As a variation, bombs are °. cd so as to skip on th e
en aim
surface and thus into th e target.
------_
-- --------- --
,.·PATH Of PLANE

VESSEl NOT HEAVilY. ARMORED

---- -- ----- --
.... PATH OF PlANE

VESSEl NOT HEAYllY ARMORED

action. 1110ugh very effective, low level bombing requires
tactical precision in operations, because th e planes are ex.
trernely vulnerable to ground defen ses if StIch defenses are
able to open fire. Generally, bombers mllst fly through a ®
cross·6re set up by the enemy. However, antiaircraft guns in
most cases cannot be directed effectively against bombers
flying .t extremely low altitudes.
Minimum Altitude Attack-Employed both on land and
sea, the attack is usuaJly made from as Iowa level as possible,
with a pull up to the necessary bombing altitude as the
rI--
- - - - 2 1 I 5 O F T. ---~,
b b release fro m 50 feet at a moderate
target IS reached . Delayed action bombs enable the airpbne Example A shows a om . I le is traveling at a higher speed;
to escape the danger area of bomb bursts. ~/(inimllm altitude speed. In Example B tl~e aIr) a~ed fart her from the ship . Ex-
attack requires a high degree of skill and technique in aiming
the bombs and in flying. TI,e planes used for this type of
here the bomb must t re ~~ackin~ a hewily armored vessel,
ample C shows how, w lel~ ~ .' Iftude s~ the bomb will sub-
the aircra ft must be at a lI g le T a I
attack usuaBy have a great concentration of forward fire merge an d detonate. beneath the water. .
power to destroy targets and minimize ground defenses.
·1 r 1 t b mbcr supplements the mcdlUm
Sine< the bomb is released so close to th e target, great Light Bombcr-l. le 1 11' tarOets as enemy perso nnel, cncI.n y
accuracy results. The bomb ass umes the flight path of the bombcr, and attacks su~ tank~ railway equipm en t and roll Ing
plane and therefore the direction of th e wind is important aircra t· S r~quiring precisio n attack and
stock,ft,and
mo tor
othter
ransPb?r 1
0 Jee 1\ e
 - OFFICIAl. AM GUIDI OUR IIR FORCES IN ACTION

aircraft ca n ca rry bombs; some are capable of carrying a

bOlnb load of 2000 pounds or morc. The size and weight
269

of the bombs ca rri ed va ry with the type of aircraft. \Vhen

.
carrying bombs, the fighter is less maneuverable and for pro-
~
r tection may be escorted by other figh ters_

FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
Fighter aircraft are today an important component of AAF
offensive power. D evelopments in both armament and per-
form ance have enabled fighters to perform added duties.
High speed , superior rate of climb and man euverability
are essential factors; the flexibility of fighter aviation is per-
~- haps grea ter than in any other type of air combat.
_ .....u. AlIITIII( ....., -3$..- The unit possessing superior airplanes and equipment can,
wh,cedh athfe su.sccptihJe to destruction by slllall bombs II · ·1 within limits, choose the time and place for initiating a fight
ann e light bo be f - eav, y - 3 distinct advantage. The relative maneuverability of air-
bo b-' In r ca n stra e the enemy as it makes "t
b·o'n" bomg bTun. Usual)]y parafrag~ and delayed ac tion demo'l,' craft materially influences the tactics employed in air fight-
m s are emp oyed to bt · . - ing. In fighter planes, equipped only with fixed guns, ma-
allows the aircraft 0 am ~ sca tter.lOg of fire which
tactic has been hi t~l escape ~oncusslO.n. 11l1s strafe-bombing neuverabi lity is of ex treme importance as it governs th e case
th e Southwest Pac&c.Y successful against enemy airfields in and speed with whi ch th e guns can be aligned and held on
th e target; it also makes evasive tactics possible.
Fighter-Bomber_-I11C fighter-bombe r f Accuracy of fire is dependent primarily on th e following:
gen<.:raJ fun ction as th e light b
b l pehT Orms the same ( 1 ) The sh orter the range, the more nea rly will th e projec-
om er. n t c AAF all fighter
tiles co nform to their mea n trajectory and hit at th e point
indicated by direct sighting. ( 2) The shorter the range the
greater th e accuracy of fire, since if the target is man euve rin g
it may move out of the cone of fire while th e projectiles are
in fligh t. (» The greater the individual skill the more suc-
cessful th e ai r figh ting, since co rrect estimati on of range,
accurate aiming, and, for fixed gun installation, skillful pilot.
ing are essential.
Tactics-Tactics employed by fighter aircraft vary with the
combat theater in which th e fighters are opera ting. with the
design and characteristics of the particular aircraft used, and
with th e tactics of the enemy. Beca use the tac tical situation
and th e geographical location of our forces vary, different de·
mand s arc imposed on our fighter aircraft. Basically, the fighter
is exceedingly adaptable, and with a min imum amount of
modifica tion C'1I1 be adapted for use in a specific locality.
 270 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
. Unlike combat aviation in World War I, the glory of indio
Yldual combat has little place in today's air war. No longer does
a SIngle plane go out seekmg to engage an opponent. Fighter
planes are organzzed into units trained to fight as teams. TIlcre
may be ~, 4. 6, 8 or any number, but always more than one
(except in night fighting).
i . By renaining in formations, or by flying in pairs, the en-
tire compODe~t can train its. combined fire power on the
I enemy. Also, It ~an ~or~ easl~Y maneuver the enemy into
effectiv~ range. Flghtmg In UOits rather than singly enables
each pilot to cover the other, and provides more eyes to
search the sky for enemy fighters.
I
I Weather conditions and the presence and location of the
: 5U11 have consi?crable influence on air fighting, both as ad-
'yantages and dISadvantages .. Small units of fighters approach-
. m~ an obiecbve from t,he direction of, th,e sun arc sometimes
a~ e to launch a surpnse attack. [n tImmg an attack imme-
[dzately after sunset ,or immediately before sunrise, th e ad-
vantage of approacl1Jn~ a silhouetted target is gained.
The fact~r of VISI~llity plays contrasting roles in offensive
~nd defensIve operations. High visibility favors fighter pilots
on I~tlllg targets for attack. Low visibility aids defensive
~onnatJom, or small units, in evading fighter interception.
, <?Iouds afford an excellent place for concealment from
!WhIch su~pnse att~cks may be bunched against enemy planes
~nd ,proVide effect!ve cov.er enroute to and from an objective.
: Fighter Fonnations-Flghter formations call for a sufficient
de~ee of ftexi~ility to J?<:nnit sudden rearrangement to meet
.~pldly changlIlg condi tions. Maneuverability is important
~n order that the planes of a formation may retain th e ad van-
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 271
tage of position in offensive air fi ghting, and at the same tim e
be able to interpose elements b~tween an attacker .and the
formation itself. Fighter formations must b~ readIly con-
trollable. This requirement is effected by mdoctnnation,
visual signals, or radio. . .
There are 2 types of baSIC fighter formations: close or
nonnal forma tion, and search or extended formation. In close
fonTIation , aircraft are spaced only far enough apart to all?w
freedom of maneuver while remaining within close supportlOg
di stance of each other. This fonnation is used in combat.
In the extended formation, the sub-units are beyond sup-
port of each other but are still undcr tacti cal control. Adja-
cent units maintain visual contact at all tnnes. 11llS type of
formati on is used for patrols and sea rch missions.
A FlGHnR fORMATION
Combat Operations-Fighter combat operations have 3
phases: approach to combat, the combat, and , withdrawal.
The approach to combat phase h as a greater mH~ence on
the result than any oth er phase of fighter operations. Ap-
proach toward the most vulnerable or blind sector of the
hostile formation confuses the enemy and delays p rol,er
counter action. Fighter pilots must be thoroughly famlhar
with the characteristics and the most vulnerable sectors of
 272 OFFICIAL UF GUIDE
enemy aircraft and fonn ations. \Vhen the enemy is sighted .
the attack or maneuver-for-attack position should be initiated
without delay.
The first blow is very important. Sustained fire begins as
soon as th e . en~my planes are within range. Every effort is
made to mam ta In th e pa ttern of the attacking force and pre-
vent a m~Jee of indiv id ua.l engagements.
The withdrawa l phase In volves a determined effort to take
ad\'a ntag~ of any confusion and dispersion of th e enemy
force which may result from th e initial attack. If th e attack
h3~. ~eell indecisive or unfavorable, a withdrawal is effec ted
utillzmg . speed and evasive tactics to minimize losses. An
attcl.npt IS th en made to ~cga in ad vant~g~ by regrouping.
t IIJ
Fighter Escort- Range IS the de tennmmg factor in the em-
ployment o~ fighter planes as escort for bombers or fighter-
bombers. Fighters. lT~ay escor~ ~omber formations through
all or part of a mission, furmshmg a screen against enelny
attack and augmenting defensive firepower.
T o be most effecti ve, fighter escort must be able to con-
centra~~ ~r.e in any. ~ irection . ~ela tive speeds, escort strengtll
and vIsibili ty conditions predicate th e dista nce from whi ch
fighters nonnally cover bombc~ fonn ati ons. Escorting aircraft
counter-atta~k only when hostile fighters make direct attacks
on a {onnatlon.
Rum !SCOII
273
OUR AIR FORCU IN ACT IOR
In escorting bombers on long-range missions over h eavi.ly
defended territory, as many as 6 or 8 separa te figh ter mIS-
sions may be employed , in volving a complex system of pr~­
cision timing. Air speeds, fuel .consumpt lOn, wea ther c~~d l­
tions (especially cloud formations) and enemy oppoSI tion
must be taken into conSide ration. .
An attack on a target 500 miles away normally reqUires at
least 4 separa te fighter esco r.t missions. Figl~ter es~orts
rendezvous with bombcr formations at predetennmed pOlll tS.
Since fighters ca nnot h old down th eir speed to th at of
bombers, they must weave ba~k and forth or Circle, th us
using fuel and cutting down th etr range. O ne relay of ~ghters
escorts th e bomb ers fo r th e first leg. an oth er replaces It, and
finally the lon gest range figh ters furnish escort to th e tar~et
and for th e first leg of the return trip. If figh ter fuel supplies
are dwindling on th e way back, th e long-range fighte.rs may
be relieved by an oth er long-ra l~ ge fighter escort wh ich ac-
companies the bombers to ~ POIn t where sh ort~range fighters
meet th e formation, escort It back to h ome tern tory.
Fighter Sweeps-Fighter diversionary swe~ps fr~q~ently are
flown over enemy airbases prior to a bombmg m iSSion to act
as decoys. This action brings up enem y .fighte~s and exhaust.s
th ei r fuel, enabling th e bom bers to st~lke With less OppOSI-
ti on . In this type of mission fighter aircraft ha ve co~ pl e te
freedom of action and normally engage any enem~ aircraft
enco untered. The effectiveness of figh ter sweeps h as Increased
th rough the use of fighter-bombers. Even th ough th e enemy
knows th at th e sweep is d~ ve rs ionary, h e c~nn ot Ignore th c
threat of fighters armed With bombs. H e IS therefore co.m-
pelled to in tercept. 'n lese missions are generally flOWI.l at high
altitudes. Figh ter sweeps also arc fl own at oth er altitudes ~o
clear th e air of enem y aircraft and to cover ground fo rces 111
battle.
Intruder Raids- In truder raids usuall y are fl own at n igh t b y
individual n igh t ai rcraft to harass th c enem y. T h e in trud er
may join an enemy fonn ation . an~, u.ndc~ected, By to an
enemy airfield , strafin g or bombmg It. 111c mtrud er also may
penetrate deep into enemy territory un detected, and bomb or
stra fe targets of opportuni ty.
 OUR AIR F1IRCU IN ACTIQII
In escorting bombers on long· range missions over heavily
defended territory, as many as 6 or 8 separa te fighter mis-
sions may be employed, involving a complex system of pre-
cision timing. Air speeds, fuel consumption, weather condi-
tions (especially cloud formation s) and enemy opposition
must be taken into consideration.
An attack on a target 500 miles away normally requires at
least 4 separate fighter escort missions. Fighter escorts
rendezvous with bomber formations at predetermined points.
Since fighters cannot hold down their speed to that of
bombers, they must weave back and forth or circle, thus
using fuel and cutting down their range. One relay of fighters
escorts the bombers for the first leg. anoth er replaces it, and
finallv the longes t range fighters furnish escort to th e target
and for th e first leg of the return trip. If fighter fuel supplies
are dwindling on the way back, th e lon g-range fighters may
be relieved by another long-range fighter escort which ac-
companies the bombers to a point where short-range fighters
meet the fannation, escort it back to home territory.
Fighter Sweeps-Fighter diversionary sweeps frequently are
flown over enemy airbases prior to a bombing mission to act
as decoys. This action brings up enemy fighters and exhausts
their fuel, enabling the bombers to strike with less opposi-
tion. In this type of mission fighter aircraft have complete
freedom of action and normally engage any enemy aircraft
encountered. The effectiveness of fighter sweeps h as increased
through the use of fighter-bombers. Even th ough the enemy
knows that the sweep is di versionary, he cannot ignore th e
threat of fighters armed with bombs. He is therefore com-
pel.led to in~crcept. These missions are generally Hown at high
albtudes. FIghter sweeps also are flown at other altitud es to
clear the air of enemy aircraft and to cover ground forces in
battle.
. I~truder Raids-Intruder raids usually are flown at night b y
mdlVldual mght aircraft to harass the enemy. The intruder
may join an enemy form ation and, undetected, fiy to an
enemy airfield, strafing or bombing it. 111e intruder also may
penetrate deep into enemy territory undetected, and bomb or
strafe targets of opportunity.
273
GUll AIR FORCU IN ACTIOII 275
- Fighter Control in Tactical Operations-Each tactical air
d~vision has a tactical cont rol center which in a given area
d.lrects the fighter, fighter-bomber, and reconnaissance opera-
bons by direct radio communications. Such centcrs are hubs of
wire and radio netw.orks.connected to airbases, military ground
?bse~ers, radars, dIrcctJ~n -finding stations, air-parties operat-
mg With gro~l~d trooP.s, hlghcr headquarters and other milita ry,
n~ va l and CIVI] agenclcs. The centers are furnished with map
I
dlsp!ays which sl1m~ari ze th ~ air picture minl1te-by-minute.
Fighter Co.ntr<:>] In StrategIc Operations-Aircraft warning
and .com.mulll~~tlOn e~ ements serve to warn AAF pilots of
hostile aIr acttvlty which our bombers may encounter while
proceeding to a target.
Ground control of fighter escorts is anoth er factor. For ex-
31:np] e, 2.bombing missions, both escorted by fighters, head for
different targets. One mission reports no aerial interceptions'
the other that it has run into more enem y fighters th an ex:
pected. TIle fighter controller, acting from th e ground di verts
som ~ of the fighte.rs from onc flight to th e other. '
Air Defense-Air defense constitutes those meaS ures neces-
sary to prevent, to interfere with , or to reduce the effec tive-
ness of hostile air action after hos tile aircra ft have left their
own airfields or carriers.
---'~
INTERCEPTOR ATTACK ON BOMBERS
 %71 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
. TIle most effective measure is to send fighter aircraft ~ to
Intercept enemy planes and knock them down or drive them
off before they rcach their target. Antiaircraft artillery, auto-
mat!c weapons, barrage baBoons and an aircraft warning
service arc other weapons used to defend AAF instalIations
against air attack.
Active air defense comprises all measures which aim to
destroy, or threaten destruction of, hostile aircraft and their
crews in the air.
Passive air defense comprises other defense measures un.
dertakcl1 to make our surface objectives less susceptible to
o?serv~tion and bombing- air raid precautionary measures,
d ispersIOn, blackouts, suppression of aids to the enemy. camou-
flage and concealment.
Air defense situations are never exactly alike. The ob ject to
~ defended may be a recently captured airfield in enemy ter-
ntory, a harbor where our supplies arc bei ng unloaded, im-
J1:Ortant battle positions, communications lines, an island
aubase. the Panama Canal, or one of a score of other vital areas
or installations.
Two systems of defense, with many variations within each,
have been developed to meet the requirements of different
militaf) situations, These systems are known as fixed or mobile
characterizing respectively the type of aircraft warning and
control equipment used .
A fixed air defense system is one used for the strategic ai r
defe!lse of a s~eci fic area; it is custom-built to defend one
parbc.ular locality and no oUler. The warning equipment
use~ IS ~ more or less pennanent type and cannot be moved
easlly_ F,xed defense systems are used for defcnding tI,e United
States, Panama Canal, Iceland and Alaska, and areas removed
from the actual front line fighting.
Mobile and air transpo rtable defense systcms are established
and operated by a tactical air force and used in forward battle
area~. Both of these are extremely Rexible and can be sent illl-
medl~tely to any forward areas into which our troops and
sU~les may be moved.
. hichever type is used, the mission of air defense systems
IS the same-: to deny the enemy the usc of the ai r.
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 277
AIRBORNE WARFARE-Airborne Forces are Army Ground
Force units specially organized, trained and equipped t.o utilize
air transportation for en try into combat. Included 10 these
units are parachute and glider-borne ?lement~. .
Troop carrier forces are AAF ~Oits specially orgamz~d,
trained and equipped to transport aIrborne troops and eqlllp-
ment into combat. Troop carrier units should not be confused
with the Air Transport Command whose primary mission is
transporting personnel, supplies and mail between theaters.
Employment- Airborne troops ordina,rily are employed . as
part of a combined effort undertaken 10 ,close coordm.atlOn
with oth er military and naval forces. Tramed and eql1lpped
to accomplish specific missions, they arc employed only on
missions that cannot be performed more expeditiously and
economically by other forces. The geographical inaccessibility
of an object to a ground force is a major fa ctor in considering
the employment of airborne forces. These troops nonnally
are not employed unless th ey can be supported in a very
short time or unless th ey can be withdrawn after their mis-
sion has been accomplished.
Airborne troops are employed in mass and landed rapidly
in as smal1 an area as practicable. Since air superiority is a
prerequisite for successful airborn e operati on s, th e degree of
air superiority and th e amount of small arms fire to be ex-
pected arc factors in determining wheth er airborne operations
should be initiated during daylight or at night.
Instead of avoiding antiaircraft fire by altitude or evasive
action, routes are selected which avoid it entirely. Pathfinder
aircraft with highly trained crews are employed to precede the
leading troop carrier Hight to th e dropping or landing area _
In order to prevent early detection, th e initial approach to
hostile positions is made at low altitude. In th e selec tion of
landing areas, usually one close to th e objecti ve is ch osen to
insure surprise. C over near the landing area is important.
Suitable terrain for defense is required .
All land, sea and air forces in th e areas involved must bt:
inform ed of scheduled airborn e opera ti ons. C omplete coor·
dination and mutual understanding are imperative; airborn<
troops must be advised of the identification means used b}
 amC11L 1M GUIDE
the grOlmd troops with whom they may operate. The objec-
tives of airborne forces are: to seize, bold or otherwise exploit
important tactical localities such as airdromes, bridges, high
ground and crossroads, in conjunction with or pending ar-
rival of other military or naval forces; and to seize areas which
the enemy cannot readily hold or reinforce.
AUXILIARY OPERATIONS
Reconnaissance Aviation-The mission of reconnaissance
aviation is the securing of enemy information from the air.
Both photographic and visual means are used. Two types of
reconnai,sance arc employed for the procurement of such in-
formation. One is photographic reconnaissance which operates
nomlally at high altitude and at long-range in cooperation with
organizations operating strategical1y. The second is tactical re-
connaissance which normally operates at medium or extremely
Jow altitude in cooperation with organizations operating tacti-
cally. Reconnaissance should precede operations of striking
units to recure infonnation necessary for planning the employ-
ment of iI striking force, thus supplementing other intelligence
agencies.
Navigation-Air navigation is the art of determining geo-
graphical position and maintaining desired direction of air-
craft relative to the earth 's surface by mcans of pilotage, dead
reckoning, celestial observations or radi o aids,
Pilotage is the method of conducting aircraft from onc
point to another by observation of landmarks either previ-
ously known or recogni zed from a map, This form of naviga-
tion is used when the pilot or na vigator has good visibility
and the terrain ft-atures are such that recognition of objects
can be made from the altitude flown .
I?c:ad recko.n ing is th e m et~ od of determining geog raphi cal
poSItion of aircraft by applymg rate of speed to the Hight
path of th e aircraft as esti matcd or calculated ovcr a ce rtain
period of tim e from point of departure, or from last known
position It is employed when flyi ng overwater in the daytime,
or when poor visibility makes pilotage impossible.
Celestial navigation makes use of th e sun , stars, planets
and moon to determine geographi cal position, Cc1csti al navi-
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 219
gation is not an independent form of ail naviga tion but is
employed to veri fy or correct th e other form s.
Radi o navigation makcs usc of the dircction from which
radio wavcs arc received to determine, by means of a loop an-
tcnna, tl~e direction of th e transmitting station . The loop
antenna IS so constructed that when coupled with a suitable
rccci ~e r, beari ngs may be taken on a distant radio stati on by
rotatll~g th,e loo p until th e signal is of minimum strength .
At thiS POll1t th e pl311e of th e loop is perpendicular to th c
dIrect IOn of th e transmitting stati on. Knowing the location of
the tran~mitting station, the aerial navigator is enabled to cal-
culate h~s position in relation to that stati on. The plane may
also fly m on the beam direct t.o the station.
.Intelli~ence-Com ba t intelligence provides material for
bne fi l~g alrcre\~s-a n action in which the airercws receive perti-
nent l~format~on from officers in charge of many phases of
opera ttons. Bnefing takes place immediately prior to an air-
crcw's takeo~ ~or a mission. It deals with target infoml atio n,
enemy opposItion th at may be encountered both in th e air and
from ground defenses, what to do in th e event of ca pture, im.
portan ce of the target to th e enem y, and any informa ti on that
may apply to th e successful accomplishm ent of the mission.
, Upon return from th e mission the interrogation of the
aucrcws takes place. From this is lea rn ed what tactics th e
enemy cmp~oyed , ~ ow many cnemy fi.~hters we re destroyed,
ex ten ~ of direct luts on target and estUllate of damage, ob-
servatIOns made of troop movcments or conce ntrations in
encmy territory, location of enemy ground defenses and
strcngth, and ,a ~y otl~ er inf~r11lat~on co ncernin g the cnemy.
Pho.tographlc mtelhgence IS den ved from th e interpreta tion
of aen al ph otographs taken primarily DY reco nn aissance ai r-
craft, .a nd s~eo.nd a rily ,by cam e.ras on bombing aircraft during
bomblllg miSSIOns, Highly tram cd photO-interpreters analyze
th e ph ~ tograph s to prepare factual rcports on damage assess-
ment, mdustry, transportation, airfield activi ty, ground an d
coa,s t defenses, ca mouflage, dllllllllyS and decoys, communi-
cations! ground f,orce aet~vity,. shipp!ng and ship building.
Most Im portant lI1fo~m a tIo n .IS ob talll e~1 by comparison of
recent photographs With preVIOusly obtamed photographs of
- OFFICIAl. UF GUIDE
the same area. Great advances have been made in the field
of aerial photography in its military application through the
developmen~ of va~lOus types of .cameras for specialized jobs
Inclu~mg hIgh albtude, low alt,tude, high -speed, infra-red,
Ol~ppmg, color and night photography. Photographic recon-
lal~sance .~ontnbut~s. the larges t portion 6f intenigence upon
IVh1c.h mlbtary decIsions ca n be based. InteJ1igence is also
Jbtamed from captured enemy personnel, equipment and
'ocuments taken from enemy ai rcraft. •
Commlmications-The vario us communica tion devices and
ystems developed by the AAF have contributed greatly to
ts effectiveness. Without communications, coordination
...ould be impossible.
J Interph one communica tions enable each crew member to be
() constant contact with others in the same aircraft. It is
r sen.tial during an ~ ttack that . t?C pilot be inform ed of th e
F hon of. enemy ~I rcra ft,. anhaucraft fire, and th e position
if other fnendly ancraft In the formation, so th at he can
lan~uver th e p.lan~ for more effec ti ve fire power.
I Au .commumcahons enable p!anes in flight to communi.
~te WIth each other. The formation leader can talk wi th oth er
rcraft, and they in turn with each oth er. However, en route
~ the target radio silence is th e rul e.
I Air·groulld communications are essential to all types of
'anes. By mea ns of th is system planes are cleared for takeoff
!Id instructed in l~nding, wea.t her infonnation is given to
ots, and fighter ancra ft arc duected to areas where enemy
tackers are operating.
Gunnery-The success of a mission and the lives of a crew
te in a large measure depend ent on th e accuracy and effec-
:veness of :he gunner.
.Downing one airplane by another with gunfire is COrn -
"cated by th e problem of keeping a fast-moving target in
ge. In one sense the quality of th e equipment provided
t aenal gunner ca n be co nsidered a potential of his fire
.wer. The ballistic beha vior induced wh en a projectile is
td from a~ .airplane, the human element, and the specd and
neu.verab:hty of th e airplane target make aerial gu nn ery a
phcated procedure.
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 281
3 O'ClOCI( AIOYE
I
•
7 O'ClOCK BElOW
Clock system used to fi x direction of attacks by enemy fighters.
12 o'clock is nose of bomber, 6 o'clock tail.
Gunfire from an airplane differs from ground fi re prin-
cipally in relatjon to the speed of th e plane and its altitJlde.
The trajectory of a bullet is affected by ti, e speed of an air-
plane. Altitude increases the speed of a bullet beca use thm
air offers less resistance to a projectile on its course. T h cse
facto rs have brought about a new set of gun sighting rules.
Neverth eless, th e gunsight doesn' t do it all . T racki ng and
ranging, the 2 main factors in aerial gunn ery th at detennin e
th e accuracy of gunfire after computation, must be calc ulated
by the gunner himself. Unless h e tracks smoothly and ra nges
precisely, the computing' gun s.ight will a~sor~ inaccurate d~ta
on wh ich to base its calculatIons. Trackmg Involves keeping
th e gunsight precisely on th e targe t. Ranging involves m anip-
ulation of th e sight's range·m easurin g mech anism to keep th e
correct range constantly in the computer.
Just as gun s on th e ground must be elevated to co mp ~n sat e
for th e trajectoral curve of th e projec til e, so guns on airc raft
also must be tilted upward- since after th e pro jectile leaves
the mu zzle of th e gun th e bullet follows th e sam e rela t ive
curve at an elevation of 4 0,000 fcet as it does at 1 000 fee t. •
 OfFICiAl AAF GUIDE OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 283

iThis explains the slight elevation of fixed forward firing guns

; on both fighters and bombers. Conversely, attack planes, de- •
signed specifically for ground strafing, have their fixed guns d- '~ ' .~
' aimed slightly downward. viZ - - +
~
THE COMBAT AIR FORCES •
lOUT strategy, tactics and techniques are translated into rc-
sults through the operations of strategically located combat
air forces which blanket the battle areas of the world.
The accomp1ishments of these organizations must be ex-
amined i:J. perspective. Military necessity gives priority to
:certain enemy objectives at the exp.cnse of others; our air
Estrength bas been apportioned accordingly. Its achievements
tmllst be j:.tdgcd on the basis of planes and men available in a
19iven area at a given time. ESTAn LISHED : Jan. 28, 194 2 •
In the early months of the war it was a taxing feat for th e AREA OF OPERATIONS: Germany and occupied Europe.
fAAF's lone heavy bombardment unit in the Southwest Pacific . COMMAND: Lt. Gen. Carl Spaatz, May 2, 1942, to Nov. 1.8,
.to Oy a mission with the Hrength of half a squadron. Today, 1942; Lt. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, Dec. 1, 1942, to Jan. 1~ 1944;
'11 at least one theater of operations. squadrons tend to lose Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle, Jan . " '944, to date,
their identity, become swallowed up in groups; groups are SUMMARY OF OPERATlONS-Augu s t 1942 to March 1, 1944 t
massed in wings and wings in air divisions. The Aleutian TONS OF BOMBS _PLANES L O ST I N AERIAL eO MBAT_
SORTIES
.island of Kiska was retaken from the Japanese only after the DROPPED ENEMY AAF
FLOWN
J 1 th Air Force, in several thousand so rties flown over a period 92,468 5304 1509
107,00 1
Iof '4 months, had dropped some 3000 tons of bombs on th e t Includes 9th A ir F o rce, beginning Oct ober , 19 4 3.
rget. Gleat as this accomplishment was, the same tonnage PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS: The 8th Air Force is the daylight
",f bombs is dropped today in a single 8-hour mission over strategic bombing force of a combine~ Briti~h -based air . of-
Europe. In turn, a fun-fledged military campaign elsewhere fensive against Genna ny. In coope.rabon wlt.h the Itah al~­
'n the world might not equal in strategic importance a sing1c based 15th Air Force, and th e mght-bomblll g Roya l Au
assed ail attack on Germany. Force, its objective is the de~truction of th e G ennan war
AAF SUMMARY OF TOTAL OPERATIONS-ALL THEATERS machine and of the G erm an win to fight.
December 1941 to March 1, 1944 In its first mission against th e enemy in Occu~ied France
SORTIES l ·ONS OF BOMBS _PI.ANE S LOST IN AERIAL COMBAT_
on Aug. 17, 1942, the 8th 's str.ikin ~ fo~c~.cons l s ted of .11.
PWWN DROPPED ENEMY
B- 1 7S . By early spring of 1944, ItS au ~hv ISlOn s, hamm cnng
AAF
525.954 285,350 12,656 • 4217 decp into Gcnnany, represented an Increase of n early a
• AAF plane. have a lso destroyed a ve r ified total of 1873 enemy planes 011 hundredfold ,
around. In the intervenin g month s, th e 8th. ~1ad achi~ved th e size
Following arc brief introductions to th e combat air forces demanded for its task; acquired th e al)lhty to deh ver repea ted
nd to a few signifi ca nt complementary organi zations. • Military rank s throug hou t t his St'c t ion a s of Ma y 1. 1940\ .
 OFFICIAL AM GUIDE
ass attOCKS; surmounted the most formidable aerial and
ntiaircraft opposition encountered in any theater; with the
heT of the 9th Air Force built up the 6ghter escort required;
n perfected Its tactical employment for continued deep
penetrations against priority targets.
The time required to mount these massive attacks was
subject to military necessi.ty. The experimental phase of
operabom against targets In Occupied France was hardly
begun before the demands of the African invasion gave the
latter first priority to the products of our aircraft factories.
Moreover, the heavy loss of shipping to submarine attack
made V-boat manufactu~ing an? docking and repair facilities,
lather than the German mdustnal system, the primary 8th Air
Force objective through late '94' and early '943.
WhIle the Casablanca directive of January '943, assigned
that mdustnal system as the objective for the strategic air
offensive, months were to elapse before means would be
available for the required deep daylight penetrations. Mean-·
while, . m '943, the July attacks on the Heroya magnesium
plant m :-Iorway and the mid-August attacks on Regensburg
and. Schwemfurt, Germany, established the destructive po-
tential of daylight precision bombing. Virtually each attack
became a maJor a.lf. battle. Early in August, 8th Air Force
B-2.4S and crews lomed those of the 9th Air Force in an
attack from the l\liddle East on Axis oil refineries at Ploesti
Rumania.
Lat~ September saw the first use of instruments permitting
bombm.g through . cloud covcr. Soon a significant change ap-
peared In the chOIce of targets: after the Oct. 4, '943 assault
on Frankfurt, targets in Germany proper became the rule
lather than the exception . At the same time, the bombing
pace was stepped up : planes dispatched on mi ssions in No-
vember showed a 58 % increase over October; December
~ed November by another 53 % ; and in January, de-
Iplte normal bad weather, the December gain was not only
maintained but exceeded by 7 % .
By Iare January '944, the combined 8th Air Force-RAJ?
bombing offensive was in full swing. On the night of Jan . • 8
the RAF attacked Berhn; the next day the 8th Air Force hit
OUR AIR FORCES II ACTIOI Z85
Frankfurt with 806 bombers escorted by 634 fighters. On
Jan. 30, Brunswick and Hanover were attacked in strength .
These operations heralded a plan of attack, on a scale long
projected but hitherto beyond our capaCIty, dlfected toward
the No. 1 objective-the German air force and Its mdustnal
means of survival. Between Feb. 20- 25, while the RAF struck
German factories and defen ses with night assaults, the 8th
Air Force de1ivert:d major blows against more than a dozen
airplane factories in Germany. Simultaneously, anoth er arm
of the AAF aerial pincers reach ed up from Italy for th e first
time as the 15th Air Force sent bombers against Regen sburg.
Clear warning of things to come was g~ve n to Gen:na ~y
early in March when the 8th Air Force 1I1vad ed Berhn m
I repeated daylight attacks. All throu~h M arch th e assaul t on
Gennany continued, day and mght, 111 good weather and bad .
Even greater assaults were in the making.
(
'
15TH AIR FORCE
ESTABLISHED: N ov. 1, 194 3.
AREA OF OPERATIONS: Germ any and Aust ria, th e Balkans,
N orth ern Italy and th e M editerranea n Coast of France.
COM MAND: Lt. G en . Jam es H . D oolittle, N ov. " '94 3 to Jan .
1, 1944; M aj. G en . Nath an F . Twi ning, Jan. l , 1944 to date.
SUMl\:fARY O F OPERATIONs-Novem ber 1943 to March 1944
(Opcrn tions are incl uded in total for 12th Air Force.)
PR IN CIP AL OPERAT IONS: Wi th th e occupation of th e south ern
porti on of th e Italian peninsula and especially the airbase at
Foggia, th e 15th Air Force was activa ted as th e strategic
 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
el~ment. ~f th e Mediterranean Allied Air Forces to Cooperate
With, BntJsh .base~ air units. Its place in th e overall strate
of al~ attack agams~ Germ~ny finaJl y became integrated YI;
late February ~hen It took Its turn with the 8th Air Force in
attacks on 3ITcraft factories in Regcnsburg, Steyr and
O~c~traublu~g. The program began with the 15th's maiden
~Isslon aga m s~ the Messcrschmitt factory at \ Vicncr
eustadt, Austria on Nov ' 2. 1943 •' subseq"u ent mi"SSIOns were
d ' t"'d ' .
uee w agaltl~t 3lfcraft . fac~ories in Augsburg and KIa enfurt
~~d b l: bcanng factones m Turin and Villa Pcrosf Italy'
ost 0 th e 15th 's efforts during the winter of l' .< •
?07 c \:er, Tweec .devotc~ to facilitating the ground ca~~;a~;;
n ta.y. 0 thiS end It made repeated attacks on marshalin
y~rds thr~ugh ou t the peninsula and on th e bases of Genna~
air operatIOns. For special missions it also ra"gcd to To I
and 1\1 "II F ' U On
. fi ld a r~el fS, rance, to Sofia, Bulgaria, and repeated ly to
al~ ~ s m t le Athens area. On March 15, in the effor't to
Ch~l~~e ~enna~ .ground resistance in Cassino, pianes of the
~5 d f' orce ,omcd by those of the 12th, dropped hun-
re S 0 tons of bombs In that area. In th e ea rly months of
'944, the 15th was the fastcst growing air force in the MF.
12TH AIR FORCI~~
ESTABUSJJED: Aug. 20, 194 2.
AR E A 0M0dP~RATIONS: Italy; formerly North Africa the \"'est-
F
ern e Iterranea n and Sicily.
j '
COMMAND: Lt. Gen. Jamcs H . Doolittle, Scpt. 23, 1 2 to
Feb. 23, '94 3; Lt. Gen. Carl Spaatz Feb. 18 ' 943
I , ' 944; Ma, . Gcn . John K. Ca nn on' Jan 26 "94 t
J i:
, . , 4 0 (aatne..
I battle zones.
OUR AIR FORCES I. ACTION 287
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONs-November 1942 to March 1, 1944 •
SORTIES TONS OF BOMBS _PLA NES LOST IN AERIAL COM8AT_
FLOWN DROPPED ENEMY AAF
199,179 106,567 2959 1473
• Includes operations of 15th Air Force s ince November, 19<43.
PRI NC IPAL OPERATIONS: Ever since the first landing of Ameri-
can troops on North African soil, the lz th Air Force has
coordinated its primary activities with th e movement of
Allied ground forces in North Africa, Sicily and more recently
in Italy.
In its initial encounters with the Gennan air force over
Tunisia in late 194 Z, fighters and bombc!rs of the lzth re-
pea tedly achieved destruction many tim es that of their own
10sses on th e gro.und and in the air. In a 3-month period th e
lZth accounted for more th an 400 enem y planes. On Feb .
18, 1943, to achieve the maximum utility of air strength, th e
12th merged with oth er Allied air units to fonn th e No rth -
west Africa n Air Forces (see page 24 ). Four days later it
contributed to a heavy concentration of airpower that re-
lieved a dan gerous situation at Kasserine Pass for ground
units moving toward the coast . M ounting concentrations of
air strength were utilized for the March 1943, break-th rough
at the :Mareth Line and for the final assaults on Tunis and
Bizerte.
The striking power built up for th e African campaign was
used to reduce resistance on the Italian island of Pantelleri a,
which surrend ered after 1Z days of relentless attack by air-
craft of the lzth and 9th Air Forces and th e RAF. \"'hen our
armies moved across th e Mediterranean to in vade SiCily, and
throughout the ensuing campaign, the 1 zth maintained al-
most unchallenged air superiority. In early September, when
a 1arge gro und force was in jeopardy on th e Salerno beach-
head, aircraft of th e 12th were instTlllnenhll in th e air action
that made the beachhead secure for continued ground move-
ment northward in Haly. TIle lzth has maintained air su-
, premacy over most of th e Italian peninsula and has attacked
th e enemy's supplies, communications and troops in th e
- OFFICIAL AAf GUIDE
OUR AIR FOReU II aCTIOI
.
Battle of E1 Alamem, w r e I rO 'r t
h ·l ·t t 0 carrier unit transported
the forward battle arca.
amm unition, gasohn~ an~ s~;~~;~n 0 of enemy resis~ance in
In the cours.e. of t e . ~s . arc of the 9th Au Force
Tripoli, TUOIsla an~ SIcily, l~:~ian oints such as Naples,
attack widened to. mclCde dil; ated ~ttacks by th e 9th and
Palermo and M essma . oor urrender of Pan tellena.

-
S
'2th Air Forces brought abouttt thle d to the 9 th Air Force
B-24S a ac Ie . R
On JU Iy 19, 1943 I' f tl ' r on military targets m ome
~~
made th e first assau t O le. Wf,1 ceel I,y B-24S of thc 8th Air
_~ _: S~~~_-sz;:e... . " t 0", Aug 1 rem or
and VICIIll y. I ~ . , the Ploesti attack, and on. Aug. 13,
April S, 1942 as Middle East Air Force; Nov. 12 ,
ESTABL1S II ED: Force, th e 9 exe~uted struck at the strategically Important
th
'942 as 9th Air Force. slITIllarly rem force • It W· Neustadt Austria
I 'tt I nt at lener ' , " f
AR EA or OPERATIONS: The occupied countries of France, H ol- M essersc. H~ll pal d with the successful concluSIOn ?
Its mISSion coml~ etc tl Air Force was relocated 1O
land and Belgium; formerl y the Middle East.
COMMAND: Lt. Gen. Lewis H . Brereton, June 2 8, 1 9 42 , to 1
the Afric~n . C~lInpatgl.1 · fthe f~r its present tactical duties.
Great Bntalll and rem orce

-----
date.
SUM>fARY OF OPERATlONS-Nov. 1942 to Oct. 1, 1943 •
SORTIZS TONS OF 8 0 MBS _PLANE S LOST IN AERIAL CO MBAT_
FLOWN DROPPED ENEMY AAF
27,000 20, 127 610 227
• Later operations are included w it h those of t he 8th Air Force.
PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS: As the tactical force of the AAF
based in England, th e 9th Air Force by early '944 was engaged
in a ca:npaign agai nst enemy fortifications 0 11 the Channel
coast and against airbases and other military instal1ations in th e
occupied areas. Fpr most of these operations it employs me-
dium bombardment. The 9th also provides fighter aircraft lor 5TH AIR FORCE .
1 as Philippine D epartment Au
long escort missions with th e 8th Air Force. ESTABLiSHED : Sept. 20, 19 4 E t A·r Force· Feb . 5 1942 as
In th e preceding Mediterran ean phase of its activities, Force; Oct. 28, 1941 as F' ar as I , ,

from June '942, to the Fall of '943, th e 9th prevented 5th Air Force. I' 'fi
supplies and reinforcements from reaching the Africa n ai r F OPERATIONS : South west aCI c. t
O
and ground forces of the Axis by attacks on docks, ports and
AREA o LtGcn L eWIS . 1-1· Brereton , Dec. 7' 1941\ 0
COMMAN : . ·C C H Brett Feb . 23 to hug.
shipping. For 4 months prior to the brea k-through at EI 8 ' 94 2' Lt en eorge., I t
Alamein, when it rarely had more than 25 planes in the ai r J4.<In1942;
. 1 , ' · C · C Kenn ey Sept. 3. 194 2 to (a e.
Lt. Cen . corge. ,
together, the 9th attacked targets in the harbors of Tobruk ERATIONs- December 1941 to March 1, 1944
and Benghazi, Navarrino Bay (Creece), and on the Mediter- SUMMARY OF. OP _1'LANF.S LOST IN AERIAL COl'.'II\AT-
ranean; it destroyed some 60% of th e fuel, food and am- SORTIES TONS 0 1' BOMBS
ENEMY
AAF

munition sen t to th e Axis forces. In th e same period, its FLOWN DROI' !'E!)
34,249 21 7Z 524
medium bombers and fighters supported th e 8th Army in the 11 7,076
•
 291
OUR alA FllllCU 1M lCTIOII
OFFICIAL AAF GUIOE
·n a and New Britain has enabled Allied ground
PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS: ~nl e 5th Air Foree ' wa s form ed by N ow G Ul e I th th's stnkmg
offieus and men who had been forced to retreat from the forces to advance northward . By ear y 1944 e f5 h ·b ·
wcr had been instrumental in ~le success 0 . amp. I 10US
Phili?pines and the East I ndies and by the first U. S. air
6ndings and the resulting occupatIOn of strategIc [01l1\S non
rcinforccmenh to arrive in the Southwest Pacific. Its initial
Ca Gloucester and in the AdmIralty Islands. Is P a os
operations were from Australian bases.
hafalso struck far overwater to Java, Borneo and Truk.
\Vhen the defense of Au stralia was assurcd, the 5th ini-
tiatec a struggle for air superiority against Jap units based to
the north. In Augu st 1942, it supported surface forces in the
initia: landings 011 Guadalcanal. Dcspite lack of aircraft and
su ppl y problems, it gradually widened its arc of operations,
served as a spearhead for surface offensivcs northward, helped
prevcnt the supply and reinforcement of enemy bases.
Tactical achievements include a refinement of low-level ,
strafe·bombing attacks, and the employment-overwater-<)f
mast-head and skip-born bing. In the destruction of parked
aircraft and airba se installations, the 5th has specialized in
the p:nning down of ground defenses with massed forward
fire followed by delayed-action and parachute bombs.
On Nov. 4, 1942, the 5th began sustained action agains· ESTABLISHED: Jan. 13, 1943· . k A h· I
Jap invaders in the Papuan tcrritory of New Guinea. Units AREA OF OPERATIONS: Solomons, and Blsmarc' rc Ipe ago .
of the 5th transported an Allied ground fo rce by air from COMMAND: Maj . Gen. Nathan F. Twining. Jan. 13, 1943 to
Australia to the battle area in New Guinea, subsequently Dec. 2B, 1943; Maj. Gen. Hubert R . H armon, Jan. 7, 1944
combining with the ground forces to drive back the Japanese. to date.
On repeated hazardous hops 'over the 14,ooo-foot Owen SUMMARY OF OPERATIONs- January 1943 to March I, 1944'
Stanley Range, the 5th transported to forward areas 2 U. S.
OMBS _PLA NES LOST 'Ii AERIAL COMBAT-
regiments and an Au stralian company along with their equip- SORTIES TONS OF B AA"
ment. It protected these with fighter cover, kept them com- FLOWN DROPP ED ENEMY

pletely supplied from the air, eventually evacuated their
wounded. Thanks to coordinatcd air-ground action, 14,000
enemy troops wcre annihilated.
In early March 1943, clements of the 5th sighted a » -ship
enemy. convoy cnroute from Rabaul to reinforce Japanese
troops III the Lae-Salamaua area of New Guinea. After some
·20 missions employing '74 planes the 5th, with some RAAF
support, virtually wiped out the convoy with its 15,000
troops and many ton s of equipment at the cost of only one
B-17 aod 3 P-3BS. Throughout 1942-43 th e 5th Air Force
continually blasted the enemy's supply base at Rabau\.
Heavy pressure maintaincd by th e 5th on Jap bases on
33 085 11 ,638 739 198
.I:cludes operations of AAF units ill S. Pacific prior to January 1943 ..
PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS: Throughout 1942 several AAF lI111tS
o crated in guerrilla fashion from islands nort~ca~t of Aus-
tralia . Alth ough numerically weak and funch onmg under
separate base commanders, th eir B- 1 7~ were on CO~lst~ nt
atrol guarding Am erica n supply ro utes ~n thc South I aClfic:
p Satisfying the obvious need for ccntrahzcd comm?nd, th~se
separate umts . were com b me
· d III
· Jan l lary 1943 'WIth
.
actJva -
tion of th e 13th Air Forcc. H eadquarters was es~abl1sh ed on
Espiritu Santo and reinforcements were broUg~lt 111 . So.o n .th ~
13th moved its hcadquarters to New CalcdonIa. By thiS t1lll C
 OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION
212 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
shipping lanes were secure from attack, and a large part of
Guadalcanal was in Allied hands.
Initial objectives of the 13th were to gain air superiority ............... - -- --....-:-
-,...
-
and to support land and sea offensives in the Central Solo- t~ ..
mons, destroy enemy supply lines in the Northern Solomons.
'nlOUgh organized resistance to ground forces on Guadalcanal
ended in early February, the Japanese continued to operate ~~
offensively against it from the air. A decisive blow to end this
threat was struck in June when in a single day airmen of the
..... ~-""-~~
13th, together with Navy and Marine fliers, intercepted an 7TH AIR FORCE
enemy striking force of 1 2 0 planes, shot down about 75 . ESTABLISHED: Nov. 1, 1940 as Hawaiian Air Force; Feb. 5,
In Jnly the 13th moved its headquarters to Henderson 1942 as 7th Air Force.
Field, Guadalcanal. With the combined Allied ollensive AREA OF OPERATIONS: C entral Pacific, no~th ~f the Equator.
COMMAND: Maj. Gen. Frederick L. M artm, ~o~. 2, 194 ~o
0
gaining strength, th e 13th began to neutralize enemy airfields
and adler installations on Bougainville; support and protect Dec 18 1941; Maj . G en. Clarence L . Tmker, De~. 1 •
amphibious operations in the Northern Solomons. ]n Decem- . t 'J 7 1942. Mal·· G en . H owa rd C. D aVidson,
1941 0 une, , W ·ll · H H I
ber the entire campaign was intensified. June 7. 1942 to Jun e 20, 1942; M,a j. Gen. I IS . a e,
Early 1944 found the 13th part of an ollensive force com- June 20, 1942 to date.
bining aircraft of the Army, Navy, Marine and Royal New
Zealand Air Force. The main objective was Rabaul, the SUMMARY OF OPERATIONs- D ecember 1941 to March 1, 1944
enemy's supply depot for reinforcing Jap bases in the Bis- _ P LANES LOST IN AER l AL COMBAT-
SORTIES TO NS O F BO MBS
marckand Solomon Island groups. Rabaullonghad been a target DROPPED ENEM Y AA F
FLOWN
of the AAF. Planes of the 01\1 19th Bombardment Group at· 3326 11 0 60
4142
tacked It as early as Jan. 25, 1942; throughout 1942-43 it had
been hit continually by bombers of the 5th Air Force. By the PRIN CIPAL OPERATIONS: The aerial .striking force across t~e
cnd of 1943, bases were established close enough to Rabaul Central Pacific to Japan is the 7th Air Force. Its trans~o~eamc
to permit fighter escort; the 5th had transferred its operations search missions keep th e enem y under constant ~Ig~lance;
to the west; Rabaul was left to the 13th. long-range heavy bomber attacks soften up strategIc ISlands
The 13th concentrated on this target, meanwhile serving for amphibious in vasion; med IUm bombers .and figh ters mov~
as a spearhead for surface forces which took islands and parts up to bring greater weight ag~in st th e pernneter defens~s 0_
of . isl~nds, built airfi~]d s on them, movcd up planes and th e Japanese; ga ins are consolidated, a~d th~ pr~cedure IS ~e
shipping, took more Islands, moved up again, cut off the ea ted from newly won bases. T h e au action mvolves. PIl1-
Japs hom supplies and support. When Green Island was ~oint targets and some of th e longest overwa tcr operational
taken, the first half of the flanking movement on Rabaul was flights in th e AAF. b
The 7 th felt the first blow of th e Japanese at Pearl Bar or,
accomplished. In March, occupation of principal airbases
in th e A~miralty lslands, northeast of Rabaul, und er cover
o! 5th Au Force planes, completed the encirclement. Stra-
suffered several hundred casualties and th e loss of many.
craft. The remaining fighters and b~mbers were qUick y
alt
tegjcal~y, ~baul ceased to exist as an enemy base. Rabaul and marshaled for the air defense of H awa ll.
Jap umts III the Solomons were left to suffer milita ry starvation.
 IIffICIAI. UF CUIDE OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 295

Its fir~t off~nsive opportunity came in June 1942, when an
enemy invasIOn Aeet ventured within land-based bomber
range of Midway Island. B-17S of the 7th attacked the con-
voy and aided Marine and Navy aircraft in routing it with
heavy losses. .
Bombers of the 7th attacked W'ake Island in uly and r ca ps of supply and difficult flying during the monsoon season .
again in December of 1942 .. In earl~ '943 they struck Jap
bases at Nauru and Tarawa In the Gilbert Island chain but
it was not Wltil Fall of that year, with the constructi~n of
advan~e bases ~ar out in t~e Central Pacific, that sys tematic
operabons agamst the GIlberts could be undertaken and '
their invasion accomplished . After h eavy aerial attacks on
the Marshall Islands from late November, '943, through
January 1944, surface actIOn agamst these positions was
beg~n. ~hus furnishing more advanced bases for deeper pene-
tration mto the system of Japanese island defenses.
PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS: Offensive operations against Japa-
nese supply ports and transportation facilities in Burma have
been the ehief concern of the 10th Air Force. As part of the
larger strategy to defend India and maintain the aerial supply
route to C hina, this program has been pushed despite handi -
Targets of th e loth h ave included dock and shipping fa·
cilities at Rangoon, lVfoulmcin and Akyab; storage facilities
at Lashio and Henzada; rail junctions at Rangoon, Mandalay
and Sagaing. It h as attacked nearly 150 enemy targets, has
prevented th e enemy's use of much of the rail facilities in
Burma, and has sun k an appreciable amount of shipping. The
air route of supply over th e Himalayas to China was first flown
under direction of th e loth Air Force. When this operation
was taken over by the Air Transport Command, the loth and
14th Air Forces shared responsibiJity for protecting the route.
Other achievemen ts of the l oth include extremely long-
range attacks on objectives in Thailand .
By early sprin g of 1944 the 10th was cooperating closely
with allied ground forces in the combined operations against
th e Japanese in Burma.

10TH NIl FORCE

ESTABLISHED: Feb. 12, 1942.
AREA OF OPERATIONS: India, Burma, Thailand and th e Bay of
Bengal.
COMMAND: Lt. Gen .. Lewis H. Brereton, Feb. 25. J 942 to
June 23 , 1942; MaJ. Gen. C lay ton L. Bissel, Au g. 18, ' 94 2,
to Aug. ' 9, '943; MaJ . Gen. Howa rd C. Davidson, Aug. ' 9, ESTABLISHED: March 10, 1943.
'943 to date. AREA OF OPERATIONS; Southeast and Central China, the
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONs-AprjJ 1942 to rvlarch 1, 1944 South China Sea, H ainan, Formosa, North Bunna and
SORTIES TONS OF 80M8S -P LANES LOST IN !aERIAL COM8AT_ T hailand.
FLOWN DR OP PED COMMAND: Maj. Gen. C laire L. Chennault, March 10, 1943
AAF
21,233 11 ,407 75 to date.
 211 OFFICIAL U F GUIDE OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 217
511MMARY OF OPERAT IONs- February 1913 to March 1, 1944
SORTIES TONS OF BOMBS _ PLANES LOST IN AERIAL COMR"'r _
FLOWN DROPPED ENt;MY AAF
10,:86 2026 477 126
PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS : Our China·based air force which
wears the insignia of the Flying Tiger grew out of th e C hina
Air Task Force which in turn originated in the Flying Tigers
of th e American Volunteer Group. Th e latter, made up of

fanne r AAF, Navy and Marine pilots, had been at war
against the Japan ese for some 5 months before the atta ck on
Pcarl Harbor.
In presen,ing Chinese territory as a base for Our future at.
lacks on Japan itself, th e 14th Air Force has worked closely
with the Chinese army, has engaged the Japanese air force
for cO;ltrol of the air in central C hi na and ha s devoted itself
to a steady campaign of attriti on against Jap shipping. Its
activities have persisted despite its meager stren gth and despite
th e fact that everything it utilizes-men, materials, fuel and
ammunition- has to be brought into China by air transpor t
over th e Himalayas (see page 19 6 ).
Long composed almost entirely of fighter aircraft, th e 14th
gradually added medium and heavy bombers. These have
attacked lIankow airdrome, th e H ong Kong harbor area and
Jap bases on the island of H ainan and Fonnosa. TIle initial
attack on stron gly-defend ed Form osa, trans-shipm ent base
for the enemy's Burma and Pacific bases, was an example of
perfect timing and execution . With a force of only 14 B-2 5S
and 1; escorting fighters, the 14th destroyed 42 enemy air-
craft and probably dCShoyed or seriously damaged 12 mOre.
The atlack was conducted without loss to thc 14th. As a
result of its steady attrition of Jap shipping off thc South
China Coast (274,939 tons in a yea r ), traffic has been
forced away from the coastal waters to regions wh ere it is
much more accessible to Our subma rin es. An innova tion of
the 14th Air Force is its C h inese-Am erican Composite Vving
composed of Chinese airmen train ed in th e U. S. who Ay our
8 -2 5S and P-40S. In its early actions th e wing successfu lly
bomtx'<f and strafed enemy grOlfnd troops, supp ly installations
and shipping.
AIR~F~OR~C~E~:§~~~~~
11TH
ESTA~LISHED: Jan. 15, 1942 as Alaskan Air Force; Feb. 5. 1942
as 11 th Air Force. .
AREA OF OPERATIONS: North Pacific from the Aleutians to
th e Kurile Islands.
COMMAND : Col. Lionel H . Dunlap, Feb. 17, 1942 to l\'larch
8, 1942; Maj . Gen . William O. Butler, March 8, 1942 to
T
Sept. 6, '943; Maj. Gen . Davenport Johnson, Sept. 6, 194 3
to date.
SUMMARY OF OPERATIONs-December 1941 to March 1, 1944
SO RTIES TONS OF BOMB S -..... . LOST IN AERIAL COMO .... T_
P • 'NES
FLOWN DROPPED ENEMY AAF
5971 3542 75 35
PRINCIPAL OPERAT IONS: \ V'hen a Japa nese in~ading forc,e
struck at Dutch H arbor in ea rly Jun e. 1.942, I ~ the war S
first threat to the No rth America n c0':ltmcnt. It ~xpectcd
little or no opposition from land-based 'lIfcraft. The mvadcrs
were turn ed back after continu ous attacks by fi g l~ ters and
medium bombers of the 11 th Air Force operatmg from
secret adva nce bases.
WI; en the enemy had es tablish ed positions ?ut on ~hc
Al eutian l slalld chain th e 11 th moved aft~r hll11, makmg
its first atta ck on the enemy's ma in base at K, s~a on June 1.1.
The last attack ca m e 14 m onths later, after ~ tnkes and sortlCS
conducted in some of th e worst weather 111 th e world. So
cffec tively did the I I th persist in its attack on Jap bases that
th e enemy rarclr had a score of planes ope ratave at o~e hme.
Construction 0 advance bases 011 Adak and Amchltka pcr-
 2M OFFICiAl W GUID£
mittcd action at closer range and made possible air assistance
to our surface forces when they occupied Attu in May 1943.
After feeling the effects of 3000 tons of bombs, dropped by
the 11th In 3609 sorties up to July '9, 1943, and after their
supply hnes had been cut by th e occupation of Attu the
enc~y ~va~uated Kiska without a struggle. ' Command. The 6th is responsible for protecting the southern
E hmlnatlon of th e enemy from th e Aleutians enabled the
] 1th to consolidate Its hard-won gai ns, build up new bases,
st~en~then others and improve its supply lines. Operating
r.nnclpllly from Attu, heavy bombers of the 11 th bega n
ong-range attacks Ol~ the enemy's bases in the Kurile Islands.
By early 1 94~, desp,ltc ~Il~avorable wea ther conditio ns, th ese
attacks were l1l crcaslIlg 111 In tensity.
£STABUSIIED: Oct. l O, 1940 as Panama Canal Air Force' Aug
~or'c:,:1 as Caribbean Air Force; Feb. 5, 1942 as 6th Ai;
A.~A OF OPEIlATIONS: Panama Canal Zone, Caribbean ad-
,"cent areas of Central and South America ' from th e 6th Air Force although its obiectives are largely th e
COMM4ND: Mai· Cen . Davenport Johnson, Sept. 19, 1941 to
Nov. 23, 1942; Mal · C en. Hubert R. Harmon Nov 23
194' to Oct. 27, 1943; Brig. Cen. Ralph H. W~oten 'Oct'
31, 1943 to date. ' .
PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS : Responsibility for defense of th e
~namil Canal •. Our most strategic military possession in th e
estern HemISphere, has kept the planes of th e 6th Air
force on a round-the-clock alert since th e war started, and
or months before. Thousands of operational hours and
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 299
hun dreds of th ousa nds of patrol miles have been Bown by
6th Air Force fli ers in their wa tch over the Canal. During
th e cru cial period of the U-boat th reat they participated in
antisubmarine search and attack missions in cooperation
with the Antisubmarine Command and the Antilles Air
air transport route, wh ich is in itself a year-round task. Hun-
dreds of reconnaissance and photographic missions have been
fl own by the 6th incidental to the establishment of our chain
of new bases in Central Ameri ca and through the Caribbean
islands. More than a score of bases, and a number of auxiliary
ai rfields are utilized by the 6th Air Force. In a typi cal month,
February 1 944 , nea r1y 1000 sorties were flown as part of
their operational program. A number of squadrons now
serving in overseas thea ters have had operational training as
part of th e 6th Air Force.
ANTILLES AIR COMMAND
ESTABLISHED~ June 1 , 1943.
AREA OF OPERAT IONS: Caribbean Sea and Antilles Island
chain from Florida to th e South American Coast.
COMMAND: Brig. Cen. Edwin B. Lyon, May 13, 1943 to May
31, 1943; Brig. Cen. W. P. I-Iayes, May 31 , 194 3 to date.
PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS: Aerial protec tion to th e arc of islands
known as the Antilles, wh ich form th e outward defense to
the Panama Canal, has been provided by the Antilles Air Com-
mand . O perating under the Antilles Departm ent, which is a
component of th e Caribbean D efense Command, it is separa te
same. Operations of the Antilles Air Command have involved
2 areas: th e Trinidad Sector, which covers Trinidad, Aruba,
Cura~ao and Santa Lucia Islands; and th e Puerto Rico Sector,
covering Puerto Ri co, Jamaica and Antigua. Most impor tan t
function of th e Antilles Air Command has been its anti-
submarine acti vity. Although th e U-boat no longer is a
serious threat in th e area, for th e fi rs t 18 months of wa r it
was an ever-present mena ce to shipping th roughout th e Ca rib-
bean . Squadrons of the command, usually using obsolete B-18
aircraft, flew continuous missions aga inst U-boats.
300 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE

ANTISUBMARINE COMMAND
ESTABLISH E D: Oct. 1 5. 1942; inactivated Aug. 24 . 1943 .
AR EA O F O PERATIONS : North and Middle Atlantic O cean,
from Newfound land to Trinidad; Bay of Biscay and the ap-
proach es to N orth Africa.
CO.M \ fAN D : Maj. Gen. Westside T . Larson. Oct. 15. 1942 to
Aug. 24, 1943· .
SU M M ARY O F OPE RATION S-OCt. 15, 1942, to Aug. 24, 1943
SUB MA RINES
HOU RS SU BMA RI NES DEST ROYE D SUBMA RINES
FLOWN ATTAC KED ( Inc. Proba bles) DAM AGE D
14 2,842 52 10 13
PRI NC IP AL OP E RATIO NS: The only unit of th e AAF based
within th e contin en ta l U. S. to have a major operational
mission h as been th e An tisubmarine Command . In th e 1 0
mon ths of its existence it opera ted from 4 continents in an ex-
pansion of functions form erly perform ed by th e 1 St Bomber
C omm and .
, .vhen the Antisubmarine Command was activated, th e
curve of Allied shipping losses by U ~ boa t action was rising
dangerously; it reach ed a high level 01 700,000 tons 01 sh ip-
ping in December' 1942. By th e Ian 01 ' 94 3 U-boa t losses
were down to a tenth of th at tonnage; the comm and had
contnbuted ma terially to th e decrease.
During th e period of its operations, th e percentage of
U ~boa ts sunk by air acti on rose from 10% to 50 % of all
U-boats sunk in that tim e.
'TIle Antisubm arin e Command used B ~ 1 7 and B ~24 heavy
bom bers, B-25, B-18 and B-3 4 medium bom bers, and A~ 20
and A~ 29 light bombers. Its principal wea pon was th e B~ 2 4 ,
specially eq uipped with de tection instrum ents, capable of
seeking ou t an d attacking submarin es ] 000 miles at sea. TIle
ted ious patrol work, cond ucted for long h ours, wi th occa~
sion'II short bursts of action, called for special traini ng and
the development of special techn iq ues of air wa rfare. 1n
Au gust) 943, with th e main U-bO'lt th reat over, furth er AAF
anti-su bmarine act ivities were ret urned to the 1 st Bomber
C ommand, and th e N avy increased its operati ons agai nst th e
U-boat.
 .'

• .•
•
•

I
I·
III III
,~'
r
 OUR AIR FORCES IN ACT ION 317

BATTLE HONORS
Our combat air forces are no stronger than their component
parts. Their effectiveness against th e enem y can be mC"Jsurcd
in temlS of unit strength, unit pride, unit solidarity. TIle result
is greater battle efficiency, greater daring, greater success in
th e accomplishm ent of their missions.
Battle honors, or ullit citations, are awarded "in the name
of the President as public evidence of deserved honor and
distinction." You ca n distinguish members of cited units b)
the blue ribbons framed in gold over their right breast pockets:
a bronze oak leaf cluster is awarded for each citation in addi·
tion to the first. (See color plate facing page 237. )
As of March " '944, World War Il battIe honors had
been awarded to ) 5 different AAF units and to 3 other mili·
tary organizations in which AAF units were included ..!\
report on AAF unit citations foll ows:
THE ; Tn INTER CEPTOR COMMAND, part of the Far East Air Force
wh ich had been heavily damaged by the Japanese surprise air at-
tacks on Clark and Nichols Fields in December 1941, helped pro-
long the defensc of Bataan and Correg idor against an cnem;.r
superior in numbers and resources. The 5th withdrew to Bat:mn
for a stand wi th other U. S. and Philippine forces in early Jan-
uary 1942. There, beyond reinforcement and supply, it operated
from inadequately defended airfields, between Jan . 6 and March 8,
1942. repeated ly carrying ont perilolls reconn:lissa llce missions.
Tim e and again it executed surprise attacks against the enemy's
ground, air and naval elements.
T il E 1 9 TH BOMBARDMENT CROUP (heavy) has been
twice cited, once for its performance from January I
to March I , 1942, and again for the period August
7. 1 2, 19 4 2 .
During the hrst period the 19th opposed the nu·
mcric.'ll1y superior Ja panese during thc enemy drive through th e
Philippines and Netherlands East Indies to Java, cmployed all
availablc aircraft to strike wh erever the enemy co uld be found .
Despite ad verse wea ther and lack of adequate maintenance per-
sonn el. the 19th dail y inflicted grea t damage upon the enemy.
The second citation recognizes th e accomplishm en t of rcpc:tted
long-rangc hom bing attacks on heavily defend ed Jap:lIlcse ground,
311 OfFICIAL 1M GUIM
air and naval elements near Raooul, New Britain. In the fa ce of
ha7.ardous wCo:'1ther. interception by superior n umbers of enemy
fighters, and intense antiaircraft fire on practically every mission ,
damage to enemy targets was extensive. ( Also cited twice as a
unit of 2 organiza tion s engaged in defense of the Philippines, and
again as a unit of U. S. Papuan Forces.)
Til E 1 7 TII P U RSUIT SQ U ADRON (provisional ) in the
defense of Ja\'a and other South Pacific islands from
Jan. 14 to f\1nrch 1 , 19 4 2, took part in combin ed
operations that checked th e Japanese and saved the
Allied Reet at Soercbaja . While escorting A-24 dive
bombers, the li th repeated ly entered into combat again st a nu-
merically stronger enemy. In less than one month the squadron ,
undef great difficulties, destroyed 38 enemy planes. (The 17th also
was cited twice as a unit of 2 organizations which saw action dur-
ing -he defense of the Philippines.)
THE 7TH BOM B.... RDMENT CROUP (heavy) from Jan . 14
to March 1, 19 42 , threw all ava ilable aircraft against
outnumbering Jap forces, hit the enemy wherever and
whenever possible during his drive through the Phil.
..... ippin es and the Netherlands East Indies to Java. Out·
stand ing performance was ach ieved despite unfavorable weather,
hazardous landing field conditions and persistent fatigue on the
part of combat crews exhausted by unremitting operations. Handi-
capped by shortages of manpower and supplies, ground units,
work:ing under enemy fire, successfu lly ha ndled an excessive main·
tenance and repair burden .
TH E 49TH FICHTER CROUP defended the area of Darwin, in north ·
western Australia, during the time of grea test threat to t hat vital
port. In Ma rch 1942, Darwin lay directly in the path of the Japa-
nese as they swept down the Netherlands East Indies . From
Malch 14 to Aug. 25 th e 49 th intercepted the enemy on everya t·
tempted attack. Although greatly outnum bered by the att:ld ers,
the 49th exacted a toll from the foe fa r out of proportion to its
own losses. Its combat record and the numbcr of airplanes it
kept in action under difficult field conditions were major fa ctors
in the successful defense of Darwin . (Also cited as a unit of U. S.
Papuan Forces.)
Til E 435'1'11 BOMB .... RD M I~ N'r SQU .... ORON (heavy ) , a unit
O of the 19 th Bomba rdment C roup ( heavy ). between
Sept. 10 and Oct. 10, 19 42, fulfill cd frequent recon·
na issance and photograpllic missions with ull cscorted
Flying Fortresses, inRicted sevcre damage on th e
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 319
en emy over a wide are.1 including New Guinea , New Britain ,
New ' Ireland and the Solomo n Isl:m<1s. lIampered by ad\'erse
weather which necessitated low fl~'in g for observation, and by
host ile antiaircraft fire and fighter attacks, the 43 5th sec ured
and tran smitted accurate information on enemy shipp ing, made
valuable photographs of im portant en emy-held bases and areas,
and damaged enem y aircraft, gro und installations and shippin g.
Notwithst:mding man y ho urs of Right and repe.1 ted combat d:Ull ·
age. th e ground echelon main ta in ed 80% of the aircraft in combat
cond ition at all tim es. (TIle 435th was also cited as a un it of the
19th Gro up for action Aug. 7-12, 1942, and as a unit of the U. S.
a",
Papuan Forces.)
" ...
Til E 11'1' 11 BOMBA RDM ENT CROUP ( hea\'y) from July
3 1 to N ov, 30, 194 2, continually attacked super ior Jap·
an ese ai r units during the enemy attempt to gnin a
stronger foothold in the Solomon Islands. It inflicted
heavy damage upon enemy airfield s, storage and Slip-
ply areas, seaplane bases, troop positions and other installation s:
5.1nk 4 Japanese sh ips, damaged 15 mo re and probably da m:lged
9 others. Thro ughout these operations, the I I th fnced and solved
extremely difficult problems of logistics and made long, ha7. .1fdous
overwater flig hts to reach enemy objectives wh ich frequently were
located at th e extrem e fl ying ra nge of its airplan es.
T HE 374TH TROO P CA RRIE R GROUP, taking part in the Papuan ca m-
pnign , New G uinea , from Sept. 19 to Dec. 22, 194 2, flew an avcr-
age of 1 00 tons of supplies dail y to troops in forward areas :md
da ily evacuated casua lties. Using vario us types of IIna nned aircm ft ,
th e 374th succcssfull y accom plished its assigned mission in the
face of ntt;lck by Japanese warplanes, incl uding the transport to
ba ttl e areas of several thou5.1nd t roops. (Also cited as a unit of
U . S. Papuan Forces.)
Til E 44TH, 93 RD , 98'1'11 , 3i6TlI .... ND 389'1' 11 8 0 MB .... RDlo.·IENT CROUPS
(he:l\'Y) carried Ollt th e mass low-level ;lttad on the Axis oil re-
fi neries ;lt Ploesti, Rumanin, on Aug. 1, 1943 .
f;"lying from Midd le East T he lter bases witho ut fighter escort,
th ey cO\'ered a ro und .trip dista ll ce of more than 2400 miles over
th e Mediterranean and defended enemy territory, Th e planes were
prep:u ed by the ground echelons of the 5 groups, inc1 uding 3
which arrivcd in tIle theater with insuffic ient service and mainte·
nan ce personn el . Confronted with an in novat ion in aerial combat,
the air echelons trained un tirin gly for this ha:r..1r<1o us and ex-
perimental m ission, committing to memory details as to tnrgcts,
exp<:cted cn<:my defenses and land mnrl.:s along th ei r long Right .

320 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
THE 4 80TH AN TISUBM AR I NE CROU P, pioneer AAF organ ization for
oifensi,'c antisubmarine operations in the Eastern Il cmisphere,
from Nov. 10, 1942 to Oct . 28, 19 4 3. played a significa nt part
in winDing the battle of the Atlantic and in United Nations' op-
erations in N orth Africa, Sicily and Italy. Operating from bases
in the European and North Africa n theaters, it covered Atlan t ic
shipping lanes with m issions extending as far as 12 $0 mil es from
base and last ing as long as 17 h ours. Flying alone, airplanes of
the 480t h attacked and defea ted Ju-88s and FW' 200S. and al -
though outnum bered in an average ra tio of 1 to 3, destroyed 2
enemy lirplanes for everyone lost. T he unit's killed and m issing
( n umbered 10 1 offi cers and men , nea rly 50% of its strength of 2 4 0.
TOE IN DIA·CIII NA W ING, Air T ransport Command, d uring D ecem ber,
J94 3. S'Jbstant ially exceeded the tonnage quota set for tra nspor-
tation ()f vital suppJies to C hina by air, a quota which itself ex-
ceeded the tonnage of lend-lease cargo moved in a mon th over
t he Bunna Road before its dosing by the Japanese in April 194 2 .
The wiDg made t his record by fl ying contin uously at altitud es of
from J 8,000 to 22 ,000 feet, under trc.1ch crous weather cond itions,
through territory patrolled by en emy fig h ter aircraft .
MEDAL OF HONOR
he massed power of our· ai r forces and the figh ting strength
f their units are built upon the accomplishmcnts of indi-
'dual AAF crewmen. Although virtually every move in com-
t is related to th e operation of a machi ne, our mach incs arc
less without men to ru n them-men who arc willing to
ut their lives on the line when th e situation demands.
lIeroism cannot be measured solely in terms of official
ognition. Such phrases as "conspicuous gal1antry," " Ull -
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 321
daunted bravery," and "com~lct~ contempt fo r personal
da nger," all common to the clta ho~s, arc not wholly a~e­
quate. Each heroi c deed sp~aks for Itself; sooner or later Its
impact is fel t by every Amenean. .
The nation's highest military deeorabon, the Medal of
H onor, is bestowed by the President of the United States m
the name of Congress for deeds of surpassing valor, of devotion
far above the call of duty.
Up to I'vlareh " '944, th e following AAF officers and Illen
had received the M cdal of H onor In thiS war:
LT . GEN. lAMES H. DOOLITTLE
APRIL 1 8, 1942: For 3 months before they
took off from the deck of the aircraft ca rrier,
Lt. Gen . ( then Lt. Col. ) Tam es H . Doolitt~e
trained his 16 volunteer aircrews at domestIc
bases. Day after day th~y had lift~d their
B-2;S from n m wa}'s the size of a ca rner deck ,
had bombed dumm y Jap cities. By th ~ time
they were on the carrier H ornet ste.1 mmg to-
ward Japan , they knew their targets as well as CEN. DOOLITTLE
t he palms of their h ands.
The plan was to take off about 4 00 miles from Tokyo. A!><>,ut 800
miles away the Hornet encountered a Jap trawler. TIle carner s gu~ s
sank the 'boat but there was no way of knowing whether a radiO
signal had b~n Aashed to th e mainland. An il~stant dec.ision was
made: Gen . Dool ittle and h is raid ers left the ca rner 4 00 11lIles ahead
of schedule_
They came in over Japan by da)'light at a few hundred feet . TIle
Japs were caught Aat-footed. TIley scurried wildly through the s tre~ ts
as the B-2;S laid th e first bombs of the war on the J ~pnncse I1lnl~l '
land . Gen. Doolittle's pain staking orgnnizntion and danng leadersillp
had pn id off.
On 1c.1ving the targets, th e planes ran into strong h eadwinds and
storms which exhausted their gas supply. All were forced to make
crash or par:lchute Inndings. Although most o~ the crews came down
in friend ly territory and eventuall), made their way to 5.1 fety, a few
of th e crewmen were forced down behind enem y lines. Among these
latter were th e AAF airmen wh o were executed by the Japanese .
322 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
CAPT. Il ARL PEASE, JR.
( reported mis<;ing in this action)
AUC. 6-7. 1942: There were good reasons why
Capt. HarI Pease, Jr., might not have par-
ticipated in the Rabnul mission : he was not
scheduled to go; he had just returned from
a grueling att.1ck on a Jap New Guinea base;
his own plane was not fit to fly and the best
replacement he could find for it had been de·
c1ared unserviceable for combat.
CAPt'. PEASE
Capt. Pease took off from AustraJia and
joined his group at Port Moresby, New Guinea, starting point of the
Rabaul miss ion. He had been fl ying continuously for almost a full
day. Before they left , he snatched 3 hours' sleep.
Near Rabaul about 30 Zeros hopped his formation. For 2; min-
utes a '1iolent battle was fought. Capt. Pease's airplane-the same
that had been called un serviceable for combat the day before-was
one of those which bore the brunt of Jap attack. Capt. Pease got
through to the target (Ius gunners knocked down several Japs ) and
dropped his bombs.
On the way home his crippled airplane fell behind. Zeros were
waiting for stragglers. \Vh en last seen, Capt. Pease's plane was
droppin~ a flaming ga s tank ; the Japs werc closing in.
BRI C CEN . KEN N ETH N . WALKER
(reported mlss mg in this action )
SEPT . 5. lQ42 · JAN . 5, 1943 : During th e
months he was did of the 5th Bomber Com-
mand. Brig. Cen. Kenneth N . \Valker habit-
uall y accompanied his fhers on missions deep
into en emy temtory . vrom personal combat
expenence he developed a highly efficient
tec hnique of bombing in the face of enemy
CEN. WALKER fighters and antiaircraft fire.
On January 5, 1943. Cen. Walker led a da ylight bombing att:lck
on Rabaul. In spite of swarms of Jap interceptors which rose over
the harbor to meet them. Cen. Walker's bombers should ered their
way through to the target. planted their bombs squarely on 9 en emy
ships. The Japs turned the full force of their attack on Cen . Walker's
airplane. They were too man y. His plane went crasll in g down.
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION 323
COL. DEMAS T. CRAW
(posthumous: killed in this action)
COL. PIERPO T M. HAl'"IlLTON
NOV. 8, 1942: The troopship stood offshore
at Port Lyautey, French M orocco. Col.
Demas T. Craw asked permission to land with
the first assault boats. He wanted to try to
penetrate the French lines, reach the French
commander and persuade him to cease hos·
tilities. Col. Craw was told that it was too COL. CRAW
dangerous, but he insisted he could do it.
Permission was finall y granted .
Col. (then Major ) Pierpont M . Hami lton "ohmteered to accom.
pany Col. Craw . TIley neared the shore in the first wave of aS5..1ult
boats. French batteries bracketed their land-
ing craft with shells. The boat was forced
to withdraw, attempt a landing at another
beach . Here they made shore in spite of un-
broken strafing by 3 enemy airplanes.
Col. Craw and Col. Hamil ton got into a
bantam truck and proceeded toward Port Ly-
autey. As th ey approached, a concc.11ed ma-
chine gun nest opened fire at them from
point blank range.
Col. Craw was hit and instantly killed. Col. COL. H AMILTON
Hamilton was taken prisoner but managed to complete the hazmdous
mission success full y.
LT. JAC K W . MATHIS
( posth umous: killed in this action )
MAR C il 18, 19 43 : The bombi ng accuracy of
the en tire squadron depended on Lt. Jack W .
Mathis. As bombard ier of th e lead plane in
an attack on Vegesack, Germnny, his job was
to ma ke the calc ulations for th e first run over
I:he target . The rcst of th e planes in tIle s'l uad-
ron would bomb according to his sighting.
As Lt. Mnthis was begin ning to make his
run , he was hit by a German ack·ack shell. LT. MA'f I1lS
His r.ight. a r ~n was shnttered above the elbow, a Inrge wou nd wa s
t? rn III IllS Side and abdomen, :lIl d he was kn ocked from his homh
Sight to the rear of th e bombard ier's compartment.

324 OFFICIAL AAF GUIOE
, Although Lt. Mathis was mortally wounded, he crawled ba ck to
!he b?mbsight. He relea sed the bombs directly on the target. Follow-
109 Ills lead. other bombardiers scored hits. Lt. Mathis died slumped
over his bombsight.
S/ SGT. MAYNARD H. SMITH
MAY I, 1943 : On the way home from Sgt .
Ma ynard H. Smith's 6rst mission over Europe
his B-17 ran into a hotbox of German Aak
and fighter planes. Antiaircraft and fi ghter
cannon s hel1~ ripped through the FortreSs.
Two crew members were badly wounded, the
oxygen system was shot out, several vital
SGT. SMIT H
control cableo; were severed and fires broke
out sImultaneously in the waist section and
radio compartment. Three crewmen bailed out
" .
into the comparative safety of the sea.
Sgt. Smith went into, a~tion. He .rushed from his waist guns to
fight th e flame~, to admlOls.ter fir st aid to the wounded tail gunner,
tI.-en back to h~ s guns to dnve off enemy fighters zooming in for the
I kill. T~e e!lcaplOg oxygen fanned the fire to such intense heat that
the radIO, gun mount and camera melted. Ammunition stored in the
fuselage ~gan to explode.
Sgt. Sm.itlt .threw ammunition overboard, fought the fires until
all fire . eI~lOgUis hing ~lId() were exhausted . He gave further first aid
to the t,ul gunner. J-f~ manned the workahle guns until the N azi
fighters &ave up purSUit. Then he wrapped himself in a protecting
cloth and batted out the fire with his hands.
The pLlne go t home .
MAJ . JAY ZEAMER , JR.;
LT. JOSEPH R. SARN OSKI
( pm thumous: killed in this actio n )
JI }~ E 16, 19 4 3: Every crewman in the bomber
Whi Ch , flew the photographic mission over
B~lIka m the Solomon Islands had volunteered .
1 hey wcre told it was go ing to be tough .
The bombers fl ew back and forth over the
Jap base tak ing pictures. \Vh ell th ey were al·
M~J . ZEAME_~ . lIlost fini shed, 20 enem y airplanes took off to
a~tac:kd- th.c11ll I J he PI~ot, M aj. ( th en Capt.) Jay Zcmner, Jr. , can-
tmue \''It 1 t l C lIIappmg run.
N the fir!lt Jap!l closed in, Lt . Joseph R . Sa rn oski, the bom ba rd ier,
OUA AlA FOACES IN ACTION 325
fought them off with bursts from his nose guns, making it pos'iihlc
for the mapping to be completed . 11lCn a coordinated fr ontal a~·
tack by the Japs blasted holes in the bomber, wounded Lt . Sarnosl.. I,
Maj . Zeamer and 5 crew members.
Lt. Sarnoski continued fi rin g. T wo Jap
plan es fell to his guns. A 20 mm sh ell ex-
ploded in the bombardier's com partmen t. Lt .
Sarnoski was hurled out on to the cat walk
below the cockpit. M ortally wounded , he
crawled back to his guns and fi red un til h e
was dcad .
The- battle blazed on . M aj. leamer was
sh ot in both arms and legs. O ne leg was bro·
ken. But he stayed at th e controls, stead fastly
refusing medical aid . H e maneuvered the
plane to help his crewmen sh oot down at
LT. SARNOSKI
least 4 enemy fi ghters. M aj. Zeamer got onc h imself .
Not until the Japs broke combat did M a j. Zc..1mer relin quish the
controls, Even then he con t inued to exercise comman d . The 580-
mile journey home was made un der his direction .
2ND. LT . JO H N C. M O RG AN
J ULY 28. 19 4 3: Contin en t boun d , a B-1 7
formation was nea ring the German coast.
The Fortress in wh ich 2nd Lt. ( th en Fl ight
O ffi cer) John C. M organ was fl ying as co·
pilot was beset by a swarm of Nazi fighters.
Germ an guns knocked out the oxygen sys·
tem that supplied the tail , waist and radio
gun posit ions. Cann on sh ells smashed into
the cockpit. The pilot's skull was split open .
LT . MORGAN
He fell over h is steering wheel, grasped it
tigh tly. The plane began to waver.
Lt . M organ seized the controls on h is side and b y sheer st rength
pull ed the plan e back in to format ion , T he pilot , not conscious of
wh at h e was doing. t ri ed to wres t the controls away from Lt. M or-
gan . A sha ttered interphonc made it im poss ible to call for hclp.
M ean whilc the top turret gunner, severely wounded , fell fro m his
position. The waist , tail and radio gunners were unconscio us from
lack of oxygen ,
Lt . M organ had to dec ide whether to turn back im med iately and
risk get ting th rough the en cm y fi gh ters alone or to try to fl y all the
 3211 OFFICIAL Ai' GUIDE
way to the target and back within the protection of the formation .
In spite d the wild efforts of the (atan), wounded pilot to take over
the controls, Lt. Morgan chose to make the long flight with the
formation.
For 2 hours he held his position-flying the big bomber with one
hand, fighting off the pilot with the other. At length the navigator
entered the compartment and relic\"cd the situation. Lt. Morgan 's
airplane got through to the target, dropped its bombs and flew safely
back to home base.
BRIG. GEN. LEON W. JOHNSON; COL.
JOHN R. KANE; MAl. JOHN j. jER-
STAD (reported missing in th is action );
,NO. LT. LLOYD H. HUGHES (posthu-
mous: killed in this action); LT. COL. AD·
DISON E. BAKER (reported missing in this
action)
AUC. 1, 1943: Every man and every group that
participated in th e mission to Ploesti , Ru-
mania , was cited for gallantry. Of all the feats
of valor that day. 5 merited awarding of the
nation's highest award:
I Brig. Gen. (then Col.) Leon \V. Johnson and Col. John R. Kane
both led 8'24 formations that were delayed by weather on the way
to Ploesti; both arrived late and found that
their objectives had already been hit by other
airplanes; both were denied the element of
surprise that is vital to a low-level unescorted
attack..
Nazi flak was ready and Nazi fighters
were in the air when Gen. Johnson and Col.
Kane re..1ched their respective targets. TIl e
refineries and tanks which they were to
bomb from minimum altitude were blazing
COL. ICANE
and exploding from previolls attacks. De-
layed action bombs, likely to explode at any
l moment , lay scattered through the burning rubble. Over all hung a
pall of dense black smoke.
I <:;en. Johns?n and Col. K.1n~ attacked . Down they led their flights
unhl flames hck~d at the bellies of their airplan es. Flak and fighter
. plane ~unts wlustled around them , their planes were rocked by oil
. explodmg close below. TIley dropped th eir bombs into the inferno.
l11eir mi~ion 'i were completed as planned.
OUR AIR FORCES IN ACTION
Maj. John 1. Jerstad was due for a leave
327
after completing more than his share of mis-
sions and he was no longer connected with
the group scheduled to make the attack. But
he believed that his long experience would be
helpful. vVhen the crews were being picked
for the Ploesti mission , he volunteered.
A burst of 8ak caught his plane 3 miles
from the target. It began to bum immedi-
ately. Rather than jeopardize the formation :MAJ. JERSTAD
he was leading by dropping out, Maj. Jerstad ignored the level land-
ing ground below, stayed on his course. The flames in his plane
spread but he managed to get his bombs away accurately. Then his
plane plummeted, blazing, into the target area.
Second Lt. Uoyd H . Hugh es was in the last
formation to hit the target. By the tim e he
was ready to make his run, the Nazis had
all their antiaircraft in action and the target
was a seething mass of flames . Lt. Ii ughes
came in low, dodged skillfully through bar-
rage ba11oons. Then ack-ack hit his plane.
Sheets of gasoline streamed from the bomb
bay and left wing.
Between Lt. Hughes' airplane and the
target lay acres of table-top meadow. He had LT. HUCHES
plenty of room and ample time to land safely. But he chose to make
the bombing run.
Into the 8ames he piloted his Liberator, gasolin e washing from its
sides. When the plane came out, the left wing
was ablaze. Only then did he make an at-
tempt to land; it was too late.
The airplane crashed and burned.
Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker's B-24 was set
afire by antiaircraft bursts 3 miles away from
his objective. He could have dropped out
of the formation he led and have landed in
the flat coun try below, but he refused to
place the other planes in danger by breaking
COL. BAKER
formation.
""ith the wind-fanned flamcs spreading rapidly o,'er his plane. Col.
Baker led his flight expertly into the target . lIis bombs hit true .
\Vhen he tried to gain sufficient alti tude so Ihat his crew could bail
328 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
out, the fire ra,"aged plane would not respond. Skillful1v, with what
was left of the controls. he maneuvered his plane Ollt' of the path
of the rest of the fomlation .
Then the plane crashed in flames .
MAJ. R,\LPH CHELl
(reported missing in this action )
Aue . 18, 1943: \ Vith Maj. Ra lph Chcli in
the lead plane, the formation of 8 -25S nosed
down and began their dive on the Japanese
airbase at \Vewak, New Guinea. Enemv fight.
ers swooped in, centered their fire onMaj.
CheJi 's plane, which burst into flames.
The target was sti11 2 miles away. Maj.
Che1i could have pulled out of the formation
MA ,. CHELl and gained enough altitude to parachute to
safety. But he knew a broken formation would give the Japs a great
advantase. He stayed .
\Vitll flames streaming from his airplane, he led the low·level
bombing and strafing attack. ""hen the mi ssion was completed, he
told his wing man to take over as formation leader. Th en he cra shed
into tht: sea.
COL. " EEL E. KEARBY
OCT . 11 , 1943: Col. Nee! E . Kearby's mis·
sion was completed . He had led a Hight of
4 P ' 4 7S to reconnoiter the heavily defended
Jap base at Wewak , New Guinea. Fuel was
running low, and they were on their way
home. Suddenly Col. Kearby sa w an enemy
fighter below him . He dived. TIle Jap went
down burning.
Then the 4-pl:me formation sighted 12
COL. DARBY enemy bombers escorted by 36 fi ghters. Col.
Kearby ordered an attack. Leading the way, he dove into th e midst
of the Japs, shot down 3 in quick succession . He knocked down an-
other 2. who were on the tail of one of his comrades.
The Japs broke form al-jon to make a multipl e attack on Col.
Kearby's airplane. i Ie made one more pass before seeking cloud pro-
tection , Back in the c1e.1r, he called his fligllt together and led th em
to a friendl y base.
WAR CALENDAR
A Chronological Report on the AAF Since Pearl Harbor
(For a chronologi cal report on mi litary aeronautics f rom April 19.
186 1, to Dec. 7, 1941 , see H istorical Hi gh lights, page 339.)
II)·H ; DE C. 7. Japanese attack
Pearl Harbor with about 10 5
carrier· based planes , strike
Hi ckam and Wheeler Fields,
Hawaii, destroy 97 U . S . pla nes
including 23 AAF bombers and
66 fi ghters ; 226 officers and en·
listed men are killed or later
d ie of wounds ; 39 6 more a re
wounded. AAF fi ghter pilots
s hoot down more t ha n 20 J ap
planes.
DEC. 7·8. Japanese land and car-
rier-based pla nes in heavy force
attack Army installations and
aircraft at Clark and Nichols
Fields, P . I., and the P·40 base
at lba, P . I. , destroying a ll but
72 of t he possible 293 planes in
the Islands .
DEC. 8. First duel of war bet ween
U . S.·ma nned heavy bomber and
enemy fighte r reported during
Jap attack on Clark F ield, P. J.
DEC. 9. First U. S . bombing mis·
sion of war is flown when B-17S
of 19th Gp attack on enemy ships
off th e east coast of Vigan , Lu·
zon, P. 1. Several hits are
scored ; one sh ip believed sunk.
DEC. 9. A B· 17 of the 19th Cp
scores hits on a 29,000-ton J ap-
a nese battleship of H aru na class;
pilot, Capt. Coli n P. Kelly.
DEC. 10. 16 B- 17S of 19th Cp con-
stitute entire bombardment strik-
ing force of AAF in the Far
East. About 30 fighters remain
in t he Philippines.
D.:C. 11. Western Defense Com-
mand designated a Theater of
Ope rations and assigned the 2nd
and 4th Ai r Forces.
DEC. I S. AAF submits "A n Esti-
mate of the Situation and Rec-
ommendations for the Conduct
of the War" to the War De-
I)artment.
329
OEC. 17. Lt. Gen. D. C. Emmon:-
replaces L t. Gen. \Val ter G
Short as commander of Hawai ian
Department.
DEC. 18. Maj. Gen. C. L. Tinker
assumes command of the H awa i ~
ian Air Force.
DEC. 20. At least 4 Japanese bomb·
ers are downed near Kunming,
Ch ina. in first action of Ameri -
can Volunteer G roup (AVG).
DEC. 22. First U. S. bombing mis-
sion f rom Australia flown by
B·17S a ttack ing ships in Linga·
yen Bay and off Davao, P . I.
Distance: 4000 miles.
DEC. 24. 4th Air Force bomber re-
ports sinking of U-boat off Cali -
fornia .
DEC. 24. Eastern Theater of Oper-
ations created and assigned the
1st and 3rd Air Forces.
DEC. 31. AAF casualties in Philip-
pines for month of December:
122 officers and men dead. 16 2
wounded. Enemy air losses: 40
planes destroyed.
1942: JAN. I. AAF strength :
360 ,2 16 officers and men.
JAN. 13. Sikorsky XR-4, si ngle
rotary wing, 2-man helicopter,
makes first s uccessful flight.
JAN. IS. H q and H q Sq, Alaskan
Air Force. aClivated at Elmen-
dorf Field , Alaska.
JAN. 23. Flying Training Com-
llIand establ ished under the Olief
of A ir Corps,
JAN . 23- 25. AA F B- 17! and ot her
Allied bombers join with U. S.

OFFICiAl AJ.1 GUIDE
naval ttrils to sink 8 to 12: ships
in Battle of Macassar Strait.
\ J"N . 28. Hq and Hg Sq. 8th Air
Force. activated at Savannah. Ga.
n •. J. First operation of P-40S in
Netherlands East Indies: I lap
f bomber and I fighter downed.
"n. S. Alaskan Air Force redesig-
nated 11th Air F orce; Caribbean
Air For.:e redes ignated 6th Air
Force; !iawaiian Air FOl"ce rc-
de5ignattd 7th Air Fol"t':e; Far
East Ai. Force r edesignated 5th
Ai r Force.
rita. 9. IOlst aerial victor y re-
ported b! A VGs.
rEII. u. About this date tail guns
(.so caLI first used by B-liS in
SW Pacific.
,.~ •. u. loth Ai r Force activated
at Patterson Field , Ohio.
PY.II. 23 • .'\ ir Corps Officer Can-
dida te School established at Mi-
ami Beach . Fla.
rEB. 25. Maj. Gen. L. H . Brere-
ton assumes command of newly
formed loth Air Force at N~w
D~lhi, I ndia.
........ First 4-~ngin~ C-S4 ( Doug-
las) troo? a nd cargo transport is
d~liv~red to the AAF.
".u. lotI: Air Forc~ begins to
cooperate with AIIi~s in evacua-
tion of Eurma.
"oU. 8. Col. W. O. Butle r assumes
eommand of 11th Air Forc~,
Alaska.
" All. 9. In a reorganizati on of the
War D~llartment, the A rm y Ai r
Forces, Army Ground Forces and
the Services of Supply are estab-
lished or a coordinate footing.
The reorlanized G~neral Staff is
composed of approximately so%
Air COTPl officers. Functions of
the Commanding General, Air
Fnrce Combat Command and
Chief of Ai r Corps a re vested in
Lt. Gen. H. H . Arnold, Com-
manding General, AAF.
)fllR. 20. Eastern T heater of Op-
erations redesignated Eastern
D~fense Command.
ANt. 2. Andaman I slands attacked
by 8- 17S in fi rst mission o f 7th
Bomb Gp from India.
.... PR. 4. New plan permits college
Illen to enlist in the Air Corps
Enlisted Reser ve on deferred
basis and continue college course
until graduation unless previ-
ously call~d by Secretary of War.
APR. 8. loth Air Force begins fly -
ing suppl i~s over the Himalayas
t o Yunnan Province, China.
APR. IJ -14 . 3 Australian-based
B-17S and 10 B-25S, Brig. Gen .
R. Royce commanding, attack
Japan~se installations and ship-
ping off Phi lippines. ·
APR. 18. Tokyo. Nagoya, K obe and
Yokohama attacked by 16 B-2Ss
from USN Carrier HOR NET, Lt.
Col. ]. H. D oolittle commanding.
APR. 23. Brig. Gen. I. C. Eaker ap-
pointed Ch i ~f, U. S. Army
Bomber Command in Europe.
APR. 24. Operations of the 1st Fer-
rying Gp, known as the Trans-
India and the Assam-Burma-
China F~rrying Commands re-
ported under way.
APR. 28. 22 J ap planes reported
downed over Lashio by A VGs .
)fAY 2. Maj. Gen. C. Spaatz
assigned command of 8th Ai r
Force.
WAY 4-9. Allied air units in Aus-
tralia mcluding U . S. planes par-
ticipate in Battle of Coral Sea.
WAY u. Units of 8th Air Force
arrive in England.
MAY 26. Gulf Task Force, 1St
Bomber Command, ~g in s active
antis ubmarine warfare.
JUNE 3. Flight trai ning fo r West
Point cadets begins, fi rst Major
elective in his tory of the acad-
emy. Training is given at
Stewart Field, 12 miles north
of West Point, with first class
numbering more than 200.
J UNE 3 & s· Bombers, torpedo
WAR CALENDAR- I942
planes and fighters of the 11th
Air Force help turn back Japa-
nese task force from Dutch
Harbor in l ap assault on A leu-
tians.
J UN E J-7. Seventh A ir Force
B-17S and torpedo-armed B-26s
aid in repuls ing Jap in vasion
fleet during battle of Midway .
JUNE I I. E leventh Air Force
bombers make first attack on
K iska, main Jap Aleutian base.
J UNE 12. Twelve AAF B -24S at-
tack oil fields at Ploesti, Ru-
mania.
J UNE 20. Ferrying Command is
reconstituted and redesignated
Air Transport Command with 2
divisions: Ferrying and Air
Transportation. Original
Transport Command is redesig-
nated Troop Carrier Command.
JUNE 28. Maj. Gen. L. H . Brere-
ton a rrives in Cairo from I ndia
and assumes command of U. S.
Army Middle East Air Force.
JULY I. Hq AAF Foreign Service
Concentration Command estab-
lished.
JULY t. Brig. Gen. Claire L .
Chennault assumes com mand of
newly formed China Air Task
Force which makes its fir st op-
eration on thi s date.
J ULY 4. First U. S.-shared attack
is made on German occupied ter-
ritory in Europe; 12 RAF Bos-
t ons, 6 manned by AAF airmen,
dro p bombs on airdromes in H ol-
land.
J ULY 4. 2Jrd Fighter Gp, lot h Air
Force. takes over AVG (F lying
Tigers).
J ULY 8. Flight Officer Act au-
thorizes title of flight office r.
JULY 10. First plane of ATC lands
at Ascension Island on new S .
Atl antic route .
JULY 10. Maj. Gen. C. Spaat z ap-
pointed Chief, U . S. Army Ai r
Forces in E u rope.
JULY 12. Activation of followi ng
ATC wings : North At lantic ,
South Atlantic, Pacific. Africa -
Middl e East . Carib1.x:an .
331
JULY 2J. First 8-245 of the 98th
Gp arrive in Middle East Theater
under comma nd of U. S. Middle
East A ir Force.
AUG. 3. In their first combat action
11th Air Force P-38s down 2
Jap fly ing boats.
AUG. 4. l\-[aj. Gen. G. C. Kenne y
succeeds Lt. Gen. G. H. BreH as
commander, Allied Ai r Forces.
S W Pacific area.
AUG. 14. First German airc ra ft de-
stroyed in combat in Iceland area
by the AA F is a FW -Kurie r s hot
down by a P-39.
AUG. 14. Foreign Service Concen-
tration Command becomes the
AAF 1St Concentration Com-
mand (ceases ope rations D ec. 5.
Air 1942).
AUG. 17. Railway yards and s hops
at Rouen, France, attacked in
fi rs t mission flown by 8 th Air
Force in their own aircraft ; 18
planes participated, 12 over the
target, 6 in a diversionary sweep
along French coast.
AUG. 18. Brig. Gen. Clayton Bis-
seH assumes command of 10UI
Air Force.
AUG. 19. Fi rst German aircraft t o
be shot down over E urope by a
U. S . fi ghter pilot is des troyed
ove r Dieppe.
AUG. 20. Hq and Hq Sq. 12th Air
F orce activated at Bolling Field ,
D.C.
AUG. 2S _ AAF Cold Weather T est-
ing Detachmcnt activat ed at
Ladd F ield. Alas ka.
SEl'T. I. Joint A A F - RAF fi ghter
sweep ove r N orth French ca., St
marks firs t operational flight fo r
P -J8s in European th eater.
SEPT. I. First airborne engineer-
ing unit activated at \Ves tover
reidd , Mas s.
 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
SEPT. 3. U. S. un it s of Allied Air
Forces in Australia become 5th
Air Force. Lt. Gen. G. C. Ken~
Dey assumes command.
SEPT. 12. First u se of parafrags
(parachute fragmentation bombs)
by 5th Air Force against Buna
airbase; force of heavy, medium
and attack bombers w ith fight er
I escort destroys I ' lap planes on
I ground.
SEPT. 20. About this date B.175
are fitted with external wing
bomb racks.
SEPT. 23. Brig. Gen. J. H . Doo·
little assumes command of the
aewly fonned 12th Air Force in
England.
OCT. 2. DSM awarded Lt. Gen. H .
H . Arnold, Commanding Gen-
eral , AAF, for conspicuous dem-
onstratior. of leadership upon
completio::l of flight from Bris-
bane. Australia to Bolling Field,
D. C.
OCT. 9. tn heaviest U. S. d aylight
attack to date, industrial plants
at Lille. France, attacked by 8th
r Air Force heavy bombers.
I OCT. IS . Anti subma rine Command
activated at Mitchel Field . N.
Y .. with Brig. Gen. W . T . Larson
commandIng.
OCT. I'. Alaskan Wing of ATC
mh·ated.
",OY. 1. North African campaign
Gpl!ns. For landing operations of
U. S. troops in North Africa ,
paratroopers are Bown to scene
In 47 AAF transports on 1400-
mile trip from bases in England.
NOY. 8. Maj . Gen. ]. H . Doolittle
announced as Commander, 12th
Air Forct in Nort h Africa ; Lt.
Cren. Fruk M. Andrews, as Com-
mander, U. S, Army Forces,
Middle East; Maj. Gen. L. H.
Breretoa commanding Middle
East Air Force. Lt. Gen . G. H .
Brett replaces Lt . Gen. Andrews
as Olief of Caribbean Defense
Command.
NOY. 12, Middle East Air Force,
redesignated 9th Air Force.
NOV. 17, AAF School of Appl ied
Tactics established at Orlando,
Fla.
NOV. 22 . Japanese-held rail center
at Mandalay , Burma . attacked by
largest formation of U. S, bomb-
ers to operate from airbases in
India.
:Sov. 26. Attack on Japa nese-held
Thailand made by nine loth Ai r
Force B-24S. Distance: more
Ihan 2000 miles to Bangkok and
retu rn .
NOV. 30. About this date Lt. Gen.
C. Spaatz arrives in North Af-
rica from . London to reorga nize
All ied Air Forces.
Df·:C. I. Maj, Gen. 1. C. Eaker as-
sumes command of the 8th Air
Force in England.
DEC. I , Air Transport Command
takes over operati on of ferrying
and supply to China.
DEC. 4, In first U . S. attack on
Ita lian mainland, twenty-four 9th
Air Force B-24S attack Naples
and harbor.
DE C. 7. P-40S go into action for
the first time in Tunisia.
DE C. 22. In longest offensive
massed Right made to date . 26
B-24S of the 1th Air Force stage
midnight surpri se attack on
\Vake Island. Distance: 4300
nautical miles. wi th onl y stopping
point being Midway.
DE C. 25. F irst Air Evacuation
Transport Sq leaves for North
Africa.
UE C. 28. P -38s make debut in New
Guin ea.
IH; C. 30, U -boa t pens at Lorient,
France, attacked by 8th A ir
Force bombers; 29 enemy fight -
e rs downed,
1943: JAN, 13. Brig, Gen. N. F.
T wining assumes com mand of
!he newly formed 13t h Air Force
In South Pacific area.
WAR CALENDAR-I943
JAM. 14. European Wing of ATC
activated.
JAN. 21. In first U. S. bomber at-
tack on Germany, 53 B-11S of
8th Ai r Force strike Wilhelms-
haven: 2 B-17S hit Emden, and
23 B-24S bomb area near Zuider
Zee.
FEB. 4. Lt. Gen. Frank M. An-
) drews becomes Commanding
General , European Theater of
Ope rations.
n :B. 18. 12th Air Force and RAF
units in North Afri ca merge as
North west African Air Forces
(NWAAF), Lt. Gen. C. Spaatz
commanding-Maj. Gen. ]. H .
Dooli ttle commands Strategic A ir
Force; Air Vice Marshal Sir
Arthur Coningham, RAF , com-
mands Tactical A ir Force.
MA R. I. First group of students be-
gins pre-aviation cadet training
under the AAF College Training
P r ogram,
MAli. . 1-4, In Bismarck Sea action,
174 planes of 5th Air Force and
RAA F drop 213 tons of bombs,
wiping out virtually an enti re
con voy and its supplies as well as
nearly a divison of troops, pro-
ceeding from Rabaul to L..'le,
MAR. 10. P-47S of 8th Air Force,
in their initial combat employ-
meln, engage in a sweep off
Walche ren Islands, Netherlands.
M AR . 10. H q and Htt Sq of 14th
Air Force acti vated at Kunm ing,
China, replacing the Chilla Ai r
Task Force operating under loth
A ir Force; Brig. Gen. Claire L .
Olenllault cont.inues in cOll1llland.
MAR. 18. Au tomatic flight COlltrol
C<lu ipment linked to Norden
bombsight proves combat me rit
in 8th Air Force operation by 73
333
B - 17S a nd 24 B-24S over Vege-
sack, Germany. One submarine
capsized, 6 damaged; 52 enemy
planes s hot down, 20 probables,
23 damaged.
MAR, 19. Lt. Gen. H. H. Arnold ,
Commanding General, AAF,
nominated by Pres. Roosevelt for
promotion to full general; he be-
comes first airman to win thi s
ra nk,
loIAR. 26. Test of first B-25 armed
with 15 mm ca nnon is completed
by AAF Proving Ground Com-
mand.
M AR, 29. In AAF reorganization ,
Hq directorates aboli shed. their
functions being assigned to Com-
mands and Assistant Chiefs of
Air Staff.
MAR. 29. Flight Control Command
establ is hed,
APR . 4. Renault Works at Billan-
cOllrt, France , attacked by 85
B- I 7S of 8th Air Force.
APR , 17. Focke-Wulf airc raft
works near Bremen attacked by
over 100 B ~ 1 1S of 8th Air
Force droppi ng 265 tons of
bombs; 63 enemy planes shot
down . IS probablt:s, 11 damaged .
APR. 18. Catania Harbor in Sicil y
bombed by t 2 B-24S and by 48
P-40S of 9th Air Force ; 74
German trans ports and escorting
fighte rs des troyed. 21 enelllY
planes damaged,
APR . 29 . Civ il Air Patrol made a n
auxiliary of the AAF.
M AY I. B-24S, B-25S , P-38s and
P -40S make 104 sorties to Ki ska
and Attn.
M AY 3. Lt . Gen. Frank M. A II-
drews killed in plane c rash , Ice-
land .
MAY 7, With aid of heavy support-
ing aerial barra~e. Allied troops
ente r Tuni s a nd Bizerle.
M AY 14. A ht:avy bl ow st ruck by 4
s imultan eous mi ssions of U , S.
bombers attacking military ob-
jectives at Kid . Germa ny ; Ant -
werp and COllrlrai . Belgium ; and
I jllluiden . H olland .
J U N £ 2. Chinese forces, aided hy

334 OFFICiAl AAF GUIDE
14th Air Force. check lap ad-
vance inte Yangtze River Valley
and dislodge laps from part of
Hunan .
fJUME 6. Pantelleria, Mediterra-
nean islaad stronghold of Italy,
bombed by AAF since cady May.
receives :lcavy attack by 12th
Air Fora.
J UNE II. Heavy and mediulll bom-
buclment by 12th and 9th Air
Forces. 1Vith fighters partici-
pating, compels surrender of
Pantelleria. ; 1 0,000 prisoners
are taken by occupation forces.
JUNE 16. Japanese air task force
over Guadalcanal area inter-
cepted and rOllted; 32 enemy
bombers and 45 Zeroes dest Toyed
I or damaged.
JUNE 22. AAF awarded National
Safety Council Medal for distin-
guished services.
.JUNE 28. Messina, Sicily, attacked
in beavieJt single operation of
I Mediterranean waT to date by
over 100 B-17S of 12th Air
Force.
J UNE 30. AAF strength: 2,186,-
603 officers and enlisted men.
J ULY I. jac<lueline Cochran ap-
· pointed Director of AA F women
pilots' pr~ram.
J UL V 7. A.\F Training Command
established. combining function s
of Flying Training Command and
Technical Training Command;
Hq, Ft. Worth, Tex.; Maj. Gen.
B. K. Ycunt, commanding.
JULY 9. ,A.meri can-built Is-place
Rliden (CG-4) fint employed in
Sicily aboot this date.
}UI.Y 10. Eight 11th Air Force
B-25S from bases on Atttl bomb
· Paramushiru, Kurile Is lands, in
· Japanese home waten.
l JULY 19 . Military targets in Rome
attacked l:y 122 B-248 of 9th A ir
Force.
: JULY 22. Longest bombing miss ion
i in SW Pacific to date flown by 6
8-24' of 5th Air Force to
Soerebaja, lava . Distance flown:
2400 miles.
!Jl'LY 24. Heroya and Trondheim,
Norway, attacked by 208 8-17S
of 8th Air Force fl ying without
escort.
J ULY 28. Auxiliary fuel tanks for
increased range employed by sup-
porting P-47S on mission of 95
8th Air Force B-17S against Kas-
sel, Germany.
AUG. I. Ploesti, Rumania, oil reo
fineries, most important source
for Axis petroleum products, at-
tacked at low-level by 162 Lib-
yan-based B-24S of 9th Air
Force, reinforced by 8th Air
Force aircraft and crews. Di s-
tance: 2400 miles.
A UG. 7. Hq, AAF Redistribution
Center, established at Atlantic
City, N. J., with stations at At-
lantic City and Miami Beach,
Fla., and rest camps at Lake
Lure. N. C., Camp Mystic, Tex.,
and Castle Hot Springs, Ariz.;
redi stribution program will clas-
sify and assign AAF personnel
returned from overseas.
A UG. 13.61 B'24S of 9th Air Force
attack Wiener Neustadt in Ger .
man-held Austria in 1200-mile
flight.
AUG. 15. U. S. and Canadian troops
complete occupation of Kiska,
abandoned by laps after long
aerial campaign by t Ith Air
Force.
AUG. 17. Attack on Regen5burg,
South Bavaria, by 126 B-175 of
8th Air Force with P-47 escort
is first notable example by AAF
of shuttle bombing, with planes
crossing Europe and landmR at
N. African bases.
AUG, 17. Schweinfurt attacked by
over 180 B' 17S of 8th Air Force .
which drop 485 tons of high ex·
Jllosives and 88 tons of in cendi -
WAR CALENOAR- I943
aries on German ball-bearing
plants.
AUG. 24. Of 85 B-T7S dis patched
from among those participating
in the Regensburg. South Ba-
varia, shuttle attack of Aug. 17,
57 bomb Focke · Wulf plant at
Bordeaux, France, on return
from N. Africa to England.
A UG. 24. Antisubmarine COllimand
redesignated 1st Bomber Com-
mand and assigned to 1st A ir
Force.
SEPT. 5. 1laj. Gen. D. J ohnson ap-
pointed Conuuanding General.
11th A ir Force.
SEPT. 5-8. Heavy and medium
bombers of Northwest African
Air Forces bomb Italian airhascs
and other targets south of N aples.
SE PT. 9. P -38s and A-3 6s cover
landing of American units at Sa-
lerno, Italy.
SEI'T. 10. 1st and 4th Air Forces
separated from Eastern and West-
ern Defense Commands respec-
tively and placed di rectly under
Commanding General. AAF.
SEPT. It. 11th Air Force B-24S
and B-25S from Aleutian bases
attack Paranll1shiru and Sh imu-
shu Islands.
SE PT. 12. Air Transport Command
C·87 begins round trip Right
from Patterson Field, Ohio. to
India, establishing emergency
shipment air freight line. Dis·
lance: 28.000 miles. Elapsed
time: 12 days.
SF- PT. 14-15. Troop C1.rrier Com-
mand of Northwest Afr ican Air
Forces moves 2500 paratroopers
into battle area in 17 2 sorties.
SUT. 13- 16. All resources of AAF
in Medite rranean concentrated on
battle area as Germans counter-
attack st rongly arou nd Sa lerno.
335
P - ]8s and A-36s stra fe and bomb
str'ong points; B-17S , B-24S, B-
:25S and B-26s destroy road junc-
tions and supply depots to halt
reinforcements; P -40S, P-47S
and P-51 s also participated. On
Sept. 14, AAF Ries 1294 sorties
in Salerno area.
SEPT. I S. 8th Air Force stages
large scale night attack against
Romilly-Sur-Seine. Caudron and
Citroen Works. Paris. Renault
Motor Veh icle Works at Billan-
court, and Chartres A irfield ..
SEPT. 18-19. More than 200 sortIes
ca rried out during night of the
18th and throughout a good part
of day on the 19th, by 7th Ai r
Force and Navy bombers on Ta-
ra wa, Makin. Apamama and
Nauru Islands.
SEI'T . 22. Large force of North-
west Afr ican Air Forces B- 25S
and B-26s sh ift attack to Ger-
ma n positions east of Naples
after Salerno beachhead is made
secure.
SF-PT. 27. 8th Air Force o"ercast
bombing attack on Emden marks
deepest penetration into Germany
of P-47S equipped with long-
range tanks.
OCT. 9. 8th Air Force B-17S and
B-24S attack Arado air-frame
plant , Anklam; Focke-Wulf 190
plant. Marienburg, Germany;
Danzig, and entrance harbor,
Gdynia. Poland.
OCT. 12. Various units of 5th Air
Force strike Rabaul. Rapopo and
Tobera.
.oCT. 14. Schweinfurt attacked by
228 B- 17S of 8th Air Foree.
OCT. 24. Bombing of Wiener Neu-
stadt factory by 12th Ai r Force
B- 17S and B- 24S marks fir st at-
tack 011 German-held A ustria
fr om Italia n bases.
OCT. 28. AA F Tactical Center es-
tablished at Orlando. Fla.
NOV. I: H q and Hq Sq, 15th Ai r
Force, activated in Medit~rranean
area.
NOV . I. Maj. Gen. J. H. Doolittle
relie\'ed of duty as Commanding

OFFICIAL AAF GUID£
General, 12th B om~f' Command,
I and assirned as Commanding
Gen~al of newly formed I sth
Air Force in Mediterranean
area.
· "ov. 2. Attack on aircraft assem-
bly center at Wiener Neustadt
markll initial operation of 15th
Air Forc~
I "OV. z. In attack on enemy ship-
I ping in Simpson Harbor , Rab."lul,
is medium bombers of 5th Air
FOTce sin( 3 destroyers, 6 mer-
chant ves~Js, :I freighters, 4 lug-
I ..era; seriously damage 2 heavy
cruisers. :I destroyers, 7 merchant
I vessels. :I tankers; 20 enemy air-
craft destroyed on IJ'round. Of in-
tercepting enemy airc raft , 67 de-
stroyed.
'XOV. 8. Turin, haly. ball -~arillg
I plant attacked by 8 , B-17S of
15th Air Force.
KOV. 14. Attack on Sofia by 9 I
· B-255 of 12th Air Force marks
first air attack on Bulgaria from
this theater.
MOV. IS. NiH and Makin Atolls
· are attacked by 8 B·24S of 7th
Air Force
.ov. IS. I\ation·wide network of
, flight control centers completed,
using com~unication facilities of
CAA, to pl"ovide Anlly fliers
with pilou ' advisol"Y sel"vice .
"0". 16. Announcement made that
I assembly line for P · 39S has been
set up near Persian Gulf to ex·
I pedite delivel"Y to USSR.
I"ov . • 6. Rjukan and Knaben ,Nor·
I way, attacked by 306 heavies of
8th Air F ) rce.
I"OV. 24. Toulon, France , and So·
I fia, Bulgaria, attacked by bomb·
, ers of the. sth Air FOl"ce.
NOV . 29. Bremen attacked by I S4
B·175 of ~th Air Force.
p.c . I). In a record single day's
bombE" ,
drop
161:1 tons of bombs
on Bremen , Kid and
Ham ul"g by more than 600 bomb·
f en of 8th Air Force.
E.C . IS. N. African Wing of Ail"
Transport Command acti vated.
p.c. 17. Collier Trophy for '942
awarded Gen. H. H. Arnold .
Commanding Geneml, AAF.
DEC. 24. German military installa·
tions on French coast attacked
by over 650 heavy bombers with
fighter escort-record number of
aircraft dispatched by 8th Air
Force to date.
- ... A. ~ :
=o~
.--".J_~ § at Brunswick , and F ocke- WuH
--...- -
~~~~~
~~ --~~
.....- ---'--"""
-"'"
DEC. 30. 1393 tons of bombs
dl"opped on Ludwigshaven through
overcast by heavy hombers of 8th
Air Force with fightel" escort of
more than 600, largest number of
fighters dispatched in single day
to date.
DEC . 3 1. 14th Air Force Hq an-
nounces 125,000 tons of Jap ship.
ping slink since September.
JH:C. 31. More than 1200 tons of
bembs dropped on BOl"deaux and
Paris areas by over 450 heavy
bomben of 8th Ail" Force.
DEC. 31. Announcement made that
during December British-based
AAF planes have fl own appmxi-
mately 13,876 sOl"ties h om Bl"it·
ain and dmpped 14,118 tons o f
bombs.
1944: JAN. 1. Lt. Gen. C. Spaatz
ass umes command of U. S. Stra-
tcgic Air FOl"ces in Eu ro~ with
H(I in U. K.
JAN. I. Maj. Gen. J. H . Doolittle
assigned to command 8th .Air
. Force , replacing Lt. Gen. 1. C.
Eaker who is announced as com·
mnnder of Allied air forccs in
Mediterranean.
JAN . 4. AAF pel"sonnel stl"ength :
2,385 ,000 officers and mell.
JAN. 7. 1000 tons of bombs
dropped on Ludwigsha vcll through
overcast by heavy bombers of
8th Air FOl"ce.
JAN . 7- '3. About 665 Ions of
bomb!! dropped on lap in stalla·
tion'S and com munication s at M a-
dang , Alexishafen and Bogadjilll
WAR CAWIDAR- I944
area. New Guinea, by bombel"S of
5th Air Force.
JAN. JO. Largest 0-17 mission yet
Rown from Italian bases dis·
patched to attack Sofia, Bulgal"ia:
heavy bombers drop 418 tons of
bombs on I"ail -yards.
J A N. II. 1258 tons of bombs
dropped on }U-88 factory at Hal-
berstadt. ME- Ilo assembly plants
factory at Oschersleben , Ger-
many , by heavy bombers o f the
8th Air Force.
-~ -::.-- -
--
--
JAN. 21. II 42 tons of bombs
dl"opped over the Calais al"e:t by
mOl"e than :150 hea vy ho mbel"s of
8th Ail" FOl"ce.
JAN. 28. Reports I"el ea sed o f Japa-
nese atrocities against AA F a nd
othel" U . S. milital"Y pcl"sonnel
captul"cd at Bataan and COH egi-
dar as l"c1ated by the late Lt. Col.
W. E. Dyess. Air COl"ps. a nd
other escaped prisoners of war .
JAN. 29. In lal"gesl U.S. operati on
to date, 1886 tons of bombs
dropped tlnollgh overcast on
Fmnkfurt, German y. by over
800 bombers of 8th Air F orce.
JAN. 30. 1748 Ions of bombs
dropped through overcast on
Brun swick and Hanove r , Ge r-
many . by AAF bombers of 8th
Air F orce.
JAN. 30-J I. More t han 400 hea vy
hombe rs with 24 6 fig- hte r escort s
drop 90S tons of bombs on encmy
airbases in Villaod ):t uca, Ital y.
f>y.n . J. Approxima tely 1190 t OilS
of bombs dropped all W ilh el ms-
haven , Germany, through over-
cas t by over 500 hea vy bombers
I) f 8th Air F orce.
,',"L 4. 9:19 tOilS of bombs dropped
on Frankflll"t . Ge rmany. through
overcast by ovel" 3S0 heavy bomb-
ers of 8th Ail" FOl"ce.
331
PEn . 10. 350 tons of bombs dropped
on Brunswick, Germany, by over
J 30 B- 17s of 8th Air FOl"ce with
P-38, P -47 and P-SI escort.
PEII . 10. 140 tons of bombs dropped
on Boram Airfield , New Gumea,
by n · 24S of 5th Ail" Force.
FU . I I. 388 tons of bombs dropped
on Frankfurt, Gel"many, area by
over 150 heavy bombers of 8th
Ail" Force with escol"ting P -J8s,
P -47S and P -SIS.
FEB . 18. Announcement made of
tmnsfer of 9th Ail" F Ol"ce h OIll
Afdca to England, which
strengthens AA F tactical com-
ponent of the Allied Com mand
in Europe. Briti sh -based 8th and
I talian-based 15th now form s tm-
tegic ann. British-based 9th
(AAF) a nd 2nd (RAF ) Ai r
F Ol"ces fomt tactical ann.
F En. 20. 1n a si ngle daylight oper-
at ion AAF bombers drop 2218
tOilS of bombs on ind ustl"ial cen·
tel"s at Leipzig , Gotha, Bm nswick,
Tutow, Osche l"sieben , Rostock
and Bernbul"g, Ge n nany.
FEB. 22. 8th Ai r FOl"ce units based
in Bdtain and 15th Ai r F orce
units based in Ital y make co·
ordinated attacks on Halberstadt .
Oschersleben , Bernbll l"g, Regens·
burg . and other German targets
of opportunity.
n :n. 24. Appmx imately 1750 tons
of bombs dropped by 747 heavy
bombers of 8t h Air Force on air·
craft pl"oduct ioll center at Gotha.
Schweinfurt, Rostock and E ise·
nach , Gl! rmany.
PEn . 25. 1667 t ons of bombs
dropped by more t han 650 hea vy
bombers of 8th Air Force on a i1""-
cra ft asse mbl y, component and
ail"craft engine centers at R egens-
burg. Stuttgart, Augsburg and
Furth, Germany , a nd 560 tons
droppcd by Illore th an 350 heavy
bombers of 15t h Air Force in co.
ordi nated attack s.
FF.. H . 29. 4S0 tons of bombs dropped
on Brunswick. Germany . through
overcast by a l>proximaleiy 200
B - 17S of 8th Air Force.
331 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
liAR. 2. "Battle Honors" awarded
India-China Wing, Air Trans -
• port Command, for outstand ing
performan:e of duty.
lMAIl. 2. Over 750 tons of bombs
dropped OD Frankfurt, Ludwigs-
haven, Offenbach , and other Ger-
man targets by heavy bombers of
• 8th Air Force.
All. 3. n;8 escorted 15th Air
Force healY bombers attack air-
dromes an1 rail yards in Rome
area, dropping over 350 tons of
bombs.
WAR. 3. First U. S. fighter mission
over Berlin accomplished when 2
groups of P- J8s Ay to a rendez-
vous point south of Berlin, then
sweep over outskirts.
All. 4. First AAF bomber attack
on Berlin made by 30 B- 17S of
8th Air F orce with Allied escort.
Attacks also made on Dussel-
dorf, Colcgne and Frankfurt,
Germany.
All. 6. H e,,;)' hombers of 8th Air
Force attack Berlin in strength ,
67.2 B-17S dropping more than
1600 tons (,f bombs.
if All. 6. Over 60 tons of bombs
dropped on Kavieng- Panapai,
ew Irelaad , by 12 B-24S of
fl3th Air Force.
AR. ,. H zrbor and s ubmarine
,base at Toul on, France , attacked
~y 48 esccrted B- J 7S dropping
ver 140 tens of bombs.
~AR. 8. More than 1000 tons of
~mbs drop:>ed on Berlin area by
639 hea"ily escorted bombers of
I th Air Force.
ote: Infonnation in tIle WAR CALENDAR was derivcd from tll C
best source material available at the time of preparation. \Vhere
original records were not ava ilable for verification , it is subject to
revision oosed on further research. For a report on military aero·
nautics from June, 1861, to Dec. 7, 1941, see next chapter.
YAR. 9. Over 1200 tons of bombs
dropped on Berlin , Hanover,
Brullswick and Nauen by 489 8th
Air Force heavy bombers.
MAR. I I . Over 250 tons of bombs
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS \I
~
dropped on Toulon, France, in-
stallations and shipping by 122
escorted B-Z4S of 15th Air Force.
MAR. II. Northwest marshaling
yards, Florence , Italy, attacked
by 35 B-26s of 15th Air Force
in first attack on the city during
this war.
MAR. I I. Over 350 tons of bombs
dropped on Munster, Germany.
~
and on enemy installations of
Pas-de-Calais, France, by co-
ordinated missions of 155 es-
corted heavy bombers of 8th Air
Force.
On Aug. 1907.
1, an Aeronautical Division " to study th e
YAR . I I . Wake Island attacked by flying machine and th e possibility of adapting it to milita ry
22 heavy bombers of 7th Air purposes" was established in the Office of the C hief Signal
Force dropping approximately
50 tons of bombs. Officer, U. S. Army. One officer and 2 enlisted men werc
MAR. 11-15. Targets in New Gui- assigned to the division . There were no airplanes.
nea area are attacked by 300
heavy and medium bombers drop- Late in 1907 th e Army asked for bids for an airplanc
ping 571 tons of bombs, during capable of fl ying for 60 minutes and of attaining a speed of
the week ending Mar. 15. In
these operations, 5th Air Force 40 miles per hour while carrying 2 men whose combined
destroyed 59 enemy aircraft; 24 weight did not exceed 350 pounds. On Feb. 10. 1908. th e
probably destroyed. contract was sign cd for th e Wright brothers' plane.
MAR. T2. Announcement made of
special trans- Atlantic aerial The first airplane delivered by th e \ Vrights crashed dur-
freight line inaugurated by 8th ing trial flights at Fort Myer. Va .• in Sept. 1908, injuring
Air Force Service Command in
England to s upplement regular Orville \Vright and killing Lt. TIlOmas E. Selfridge, his
Air Transport Command ship- passenger. Until th e accident, however. th e plane had per-
ments.
MAR . 15. Over IZOO t ons of bombs
fonn ed weIl, and the Wrights were given a second chance.
dropped on Cassino, Italy, during In June, 1909, they returned to Fort Myer with a new bi-
attack by both AAF strategic and plane. It had approximately a 4o·foot wing spre.;ld and a wing
tacti cal air force units in Medi -
terranean. area of ; 00 square feet. It weighed 800 pounds emp ty. Two
M AR . 15. 8th Air Force renews at- propellers. mounted in th e rear, were chain-driven by a small
tacks on Germany; 185 B-1 is
and f43 B-24S drop over 700 gasoline engine. The landing gear consisted of a pair of
ton s of bombs on Brunswick. runn ers. Orville \ Vright piloted the plane with Lt. (later
Maj. Gen.) Frank P. Lahm riding as passenger. Wright kept
th e plane aloft for 1 hour, 2 0 minutes and 40 seconds. TI1C
Ann y accepted it- th e world 's first military airplane.
Und er th e terms of th e contract th e \\fright brothers ha d
to tea ch 2 Army officers to pilot th e airplane. Lts. J. . .lhm
339
 340 DFFICIAL AAF GUID£ HISTDRICAL HIGHLIGHTS
and F. E . Humphreys were the first students. Lt. (latcr Army artillery fire by telegraph
1\Iaj. Gen.) Benjamin Foulois was th e next pilot train ed . from a balloon at Ft. Corcoran,
Washington, D. c., all'ai!'~t Con-
\ Vh en Lts. Lahm and Humphreys were called back to th cir fed er ate tar gets in Virginia.
respective posts in th e C avalry and Engineers, Lt. Foul ois 1862 ·1863: Continuous tacti.cal
observations made f rom U ni on
became the only officer ava ilable for Hying du ty. In th e fol- Army ballool)s until discontinu-
lowing months a few more pilots were trained- among th em ance of service in June, 1863;
Lt. Henry H . Arnold, now Commanding G eneral of th e AAF. similar obser vations also made by
Con federates. . (Signal Corps): 3 officers, 10
' Vhen we went to war on April 6, 191 7. the Aviation 1892: First military aeronaut.lc or-
Section had 6 5 officers (35 of th em Biers) and 1087 cn- ganization in thi s country IS ~­
tablished 't,y U . S. Army. With
listed men. The total of our airplanes was 55, all of which attachment of balloon sect.lon to
were obsolete compa red to th e planes being used over th e Signal Cor ps telegraph Units.
\Vestcm Front. H owever, $640,OOo,Qoo--Iargcst sum ever 1893 · 97 : Aer ial photography and
air-to· ground teleph ony prac~
approp,iated for a singlc purpose to that date- was voted by t j c~d. A balloon park establish ed
Congress on July '4, '9' 7, for the development of military at ""'Ft. L ogan, Colo.
aviation. 1898 : $50,000 allotted for Army
aviation for 1899 ~ to S. ~.
In the closing month s of th e war our air squad rons chalked L angley for expenments In
up an impressive record in aerial comba t (sec summary page aerodynamics ) .
JUliE 30. Ar my ~all oo n o~s erva­
34 ;·) Observa ti on, th e original concept of an airplane's mili- tions reveal Spani sh Reet m San~
tary usefuln ess, became a secondary function. The airplane tiago H ar bor .
NOV. 9. Construc.tion of man-
was recogni zed as a weapon in itse1f. carrying powc r airplane author-
The 23 years between wars, in spite of th e sman number of ized with all otment o f $25,000 by
U. S. Army to S. P. Langley. .
person nel and lim ited appropriations, was a period of progress 1902 : MAY 6. Army balloon Uott
for the Army's air arm. New techniques, tactics and equipment organized at Fort Myer, Va.
were tC.)ted. From peacetime research came almost all of our 1903 : DEC. 17 . First controlled
power airplane. flights mfide by
present-day combat planes. High level precision bombing Orville and Wtlbur W n ght at
was developed . Aerial fo rm ati ons and tactics were evolved. Kitty Hawk, N. C.
1906: SE PT. 30. First Gordon Ben-
Perh aps most im portant was th e formation of a small body of nett balloon race, Paris , won by
devoted and highly skilled men who knew avia tion from top to Lt. F. P . L ah m, U. S ..Army ...
1907: AUG. I. Aeronautical DIYI-
bottom . T hey were th e men who organ ized th e progra m fo r sion established in Office of Cillef
training the hundreds of thousands recruited for air duty wh en Signal Officer to have charJ:fe of
war came aga in. all matters pertaining to mihtary
ballooning, air machi nes and all
Below is a ch ronological reco rd tracing th e growth of ]a nd ~ k ind red subjects.
based mil itary aviati on in the U. S. up to th e attack on Pea rl OE C. 16. Chi e f Signal Offtc~r ,~a} l s
for bi ds on lighter-than·au air-
Harbor. (For an AA F wa r calend ar, sec pagc 329.) shi p." . .
DEC. 23. Bids on hC:'tVler · tha n·;;ur
188 1: APIIL 19. Inaugurating ai r
aer vice with the Army, civilian T . C. Lowe and Army office rs "flying machine" called for by
aeronau t James Allen, 1St Rhode make fir st mil itary reconnais. Chief S ignal Officer. .
Island State Militia, makes bal ~ sance ascents at Arlington and 11)08 : $30 ,000 approprlatcd for
loon ase~nt in Washington , D. C. Fall s Church, Va. ; telegrapll Army aviation for 1909.
used fr om balloon. l"v.n . 10. Fornm! contract fo r
JU!U: 2:1-24. Civ ilian aeronaut SEI' T . 24. Lowe directs U nion Army's fir st flying macillne
341
signed by Signal Corps and the
Wright brot he rs.
MAY 19 . Lt. T. E. Selfridge. U. S.
Army, fir st mi.litary m?n to ~y a
heavier-than ·alT machine, pilots
the aircraft "White Wing" ~f
Dr. Alexander Graham. B~JI s
Aerial Experiment ASSOCiation.
J UNI': 30. Air strcngth, U. S. Army
men, all in balloon troops.
SE PT. 3. F irst test flight of fl ying
mach ine made at Ft. Myer , Va .•
by O r ville Wright.
SE I' T. 9. First Army passeng~r car·
ried in "W right Flyer" IS Lt.
F . P. Lahm, during t rials at Ft.
Myer, Va. '11_"
SEPT. 17 . Lt. T. E. Selfridge kl eu
and O r ville Wright i.njured d~r­
ing trial Ri ghts of flYlng.machme
at Ft. Myer, Va. Delivery of
machine postponed.
1909 : AUG. 2. Wright airplane ac-
cepted by Army after new test s
at Ft. Myer. Va.
OCT. 26. First Army man t? solo
the Army's first airplane IS Lt.
F. E . Humphreys; second, Lt.
F. P. Lahm, both after about. J
hours' pil ot instruction by \VII ·
bur Wright at College Park. Md .
19t O: JAN . 10-20. Weight dr~p­
ping experiments fr om an alr~
plane conducted by Lt. P. W.
Beck at Los Angeles.
JUNE 30. Air s trcng!h, U. S.
Army: I officer. 9 enhsted lI1e l~ ;
I \\fright airplane, I BaldwlII
airship, 3 captive balloo':!s.
AUG . 10. Tr icycle landmg gear
fitted to Army airplane by Lt .
B. D. F oulois and civilian me-
chanic O. G. Simmons. .
A UC. 20. Firing of rifle from alr-
pl:lIle demonst rated at Sheeps
 342 OfFICIAL W
head Bc.y, N. Y., by Lt. J. E.
Fickel.
1,lh JAN. ;-25. Live bombing
(use of ~eal bombs) demonstrated
at San Francisco, Calif. by Lt.
M. S. Crissy. Radio messages
transmitted from airplane by Lt.
P. W. Beck.
M.A •. 3. Appropriation for air op-
erations $125,000, authorized for
Anny for fiscal year 1912.
MA.•. J. lo6-mile non -stop Hight
from Laredo to Eagle Pass , Tex.,
made b), Lt. B. D. Foulois and
civilian pilot P . W. Parmalee in
Wright airplane.
MAY 20. Army's first pilot train-
ing school opens at College Park,
Md.; bids opened for airplane
hangars.
SEPT. 26. Official J-man world
flight endurance record set by Lt.
T. DeW. Milling in Wright air-
p!ane at !'lassau Bouleva rd, L L,
N. Y. Time: 1 :54 :42.
I OCT. 10. Riley E. Scott bombsight
and dTcpping device tested at
College Park , Md. from Wright
airplane flown by Lt. Milling.
OCT. 14. Air strength, U. S. Army
(Signal Corps): 6 officers with
civil FAl (Federation Aeronau~
lique Internationale) airplane
certificates; 5 airplanes; 3 cap~
live balloons.
DEC. JI. 15 airplanes purchased by
the Army in 1911.
lltll MI.R. II. Army air school
opens in the Philippines.
JUMP.: I. 6540 ft. altitude record
set by Lt. H . H . Arnold (Bur-
less ~ Wri ght airplane).
JUNE 7~8. Aerial firing wilh ma-
chine gm demonstrated by Capt.
e. deF. Chandler at College
Park, Md. from Wright airplane
flown by Lt. Milling.
Aue. 24. '100,000 appropriated for
Army air operations fo r fiscal
year 191 J.
OCT. 9. First competition for
Mackay Trophy; won by Lt.
H . H. Arnold.
.llls FEI. 2'8. Air-ground coop~
eration practiced at Te xas City,
GUIDE
Tex ., in 2nd Division maneuvers.
MA •. 2. $1Z5,000 appropriated for
air for fiscal year 1914; Hying
pay authorized, 3S % over base
pay.
MAIL 28. Official American 2-man
c ross-country dura.tion and dis ~
tance records established by Lts.
Milling a nd W. C. Sherman .
Route: Texas City to San An-
tonio, Tex. Distance: 220 miles.
Flying time: 4 :22 :o ~.
1914: FEB. 14. American non-stop
duration and distance closed cir-
cuit records set at San Diego.
Ca lif.. by Lt. T. F. Dodd and
Sgt. H. Marcus (Burgess-Re-
nault 70). Distance: 244.r 8
miles. Flying time: 4 :43 :00.
YEB. 23. Automatic attached back-
pack type parachute demonstrated
by Charles Broadwick.
JULY 18. Aviation Section (Signal
Corps) is created by Congress.
Strength limited to 60 officers,
260 men. Ratings authorized:
Military Aviator ( MA ), Junior
Military Aviator (JMA), Avia-
tion Mechanician (AM). Flight
pay; 25%, 50% and 75% in-
crease over base pay to students
JMAs and MAs respectively.
SEPT . I. First Aero Squadron is
organized at San Diego, Calif.,
with t6 officers, n enlisted men'
8 airplanes.
OCT. 8. 16,798 ft. official Ameri -
can one·man alt itude record set
by Capt. H. LeR. Muller (Cur-
ti ss 90).
DEC. 1-16. "First radio message'
ever received in an airplane" at
Manila, P. I. from Corre~idor
station. credited to pilot Lt. H. A.
Dargue a nd Lt. J . O. Mauborgne
desi gner of the set.
DEC. :23. Mackay Trophy for re-
connai ssance competition won by
Capt. T. F. Dodd and Lt. S. W.
FitzGerald.
191G: JAN. IS. New official Amer-
ica n one-man duration record is
set at San Die~o, Calif. by L t.
B. Q. Jones ( Burge ss~ Renault
70). Flying time: 8 :5 J :00.
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
MAR. 3. National Advisory Com-
mittee for Aeronautics created to
supervise and direct the scientific
study of Aight problems, with a
view to their practical solution .
MAR. 4. $200,000 appropriated for
air for fiscal year 1915.
MAR. 12. Official world 3-man du-
ration record set by Lt. B. Q.
Jones, San Diego. Flying time:
7 ;05 :00. Mackay Trophy
awarded for record flight s.
]01(1: JAN. 17. Strength, Aviation
Sect ion ( Signal Corps) : 23 MAs
a nd J MAs, :25 aviation students,
1 non-flying officer; 25 airplanes.
MAR. 13·AUG. 15. Air operations
conducted with General Per-
shing's punitive expedition by
First Aero Squadron , Major
Foulois commanding; 540 flights
made in Mexico for carrying mail
and messages; reconnaissance;
ph otographic work covering over
19,000 miles.
' by late s ummer , 1918.
• J ULY 24. $640,000 ,000 appropri-
MAR. 21. Organi zation of E sca-
drille Americaine, or Nieuport
' 124, is authorized by Freoc.h Air
Department; popularly known as
Lafa yette E scadrille.
MAR. 31. $500,000 allocated to Avi-
ation Section ( S ignal Corps) , un-
der 1916- 17 Emergency Act.
AUG. 29. $18,681,666 appropriated
for air for fiscal year 1917.
OCT. 27. For fiscal yea r 1918 the
Chief Signal Officcr asks for e n-
listed strength of 3320 for 10
'
aero squadrons, 6 obser vation
balloon companies, a proving
ground and necessary schools.
1917: MAR. 29. Ai r program calls
for 1850 aviators and 300 bal-
loonists for an Air Ser vice of 16
aero squadrons , 16 balloons, 9
schools. Estimated cost: $54,-
250,000.
343
APR. 6. Declaration of war. Avia-
ti on Section (S igna l Corps) COIl1-
prises 35 pilots, 1087 enlisted
men, S5 traming airplanes, 7 tac-
tical squadrons, organized or in
process. Flying schools in opera-
tion at J\·tineola, N. Y., San
Diego, Calif., Memphi s, Tenn.
(winter 1916-t7), and Essington,
Pa., with a balloon school at Fort
Omaha, Neb.
AfA Y 12. $8,300,000 appropriated
for Army aeronautics.
MAY 16. Flying fields approved
for San Antonio, Tex.; Fairfield,
Ohio; Mt. Clemens, 1'lich.;
Belleville, Ill.
lolA Y 29. Li berty engine project
initiated to produce standard
engine in 8 and 12 cylinder mod-
els (the 8 was discontinued
early).
JUNf: 15. $3 2,000,000 allocated to
Signal Corps for air operations
under Emergency Act.
J UNE 28. Langley Field, Va., au-
thorized as experimental station.
J UN f: 30. Lt. Col. Wm. Mitchell
becomes Aviation Officer , AEF.
J UL Y I I . Gen. Pershing calls for
69 balloon companies in France
ated for air. Aviation Section is
authorized to expand to 9989
officers, 87,083 enlisted men.
Acrollalltical ratings and fl ying
pay revi sed.
J ULY z 8. First American Aero
Sq to reach A EF, the 29th Pre-
v is ional (later 400th Construc-
tion) Sq, docks at Liverpool.
AUG. 22. Air-to-ground radiophone
sets go into producti on stage.
AUG. 25. Liber ty 12 e ngine ends
50 hr. test. delivering 320 hp.
Sl:: I'T . 1. First Aero Sq co m~
~ande:d by Ma; . R. Roy'ce , a r-
ri ves 1O France, and assigned to
First Divi sion.
SE.I'T. 2. First American detach-
ment for Aying training arrives
in England.
$ F. I'T . 20. Balloon Sect ion A EF
c reated under Ma; . ]. W '. East.
 - OFFICIAL UF GUID£
SI:PT • .a8. Initial flying training in
AEF begins at Foggia , Italy,
OCT. 18. McCook Field, Dayton,
Obio, established as experimen-
tal laboratory pmding prepara-
tion of Langley Field. Va.
1818: FE3. 18. IOJrd Pursuit Sq,
AEF, fDrmed with membe:rs of
Lafayette Escadrille. begins op-
erations at front under tactical
control of the French.
If"R , 19. First operations across
t he lines made by 94th Sq of
Pint Pursuit Gp.
A.a . 6. ~ ight aerial photos by
magnesi.m fl a res made by Lts.
] . C. McKinney a nd Norbert
CaTolin.
APR. 14. 94th Sq of t he First Pur-
suit Gp. brings down first 2 en-
emy aifllianes by AEF.
MAY 9. Flight su rgeons organized
and assigned to U. S. fiyin g
fields.
J "AY I I. First American-made air-
plane (DH4-Liberty ) is received
by AEF
KAV IS-.~ UG. 12. Government's
first permanent ai n nail route
(Washington to New York ) is
ft own by Army pilots until taken
over by the Post Office Depart-
ment.
MAV 20. Army ae ronautics severed
from the: Signal Corps and 2 air
~artmtn t s created: Bureau of
Military Aeronautics and Bureau
of Aircraft Production.
M AY 29. Brig. Gen. M . M. Patrick
aPPOinted Chief of Air Service,
AEF; Brig. Gen. B. D. Foulois,
Chief of Air Ser vice. 1St Army;
Col . Wrn. Mitchell , Chid of Air
Service. 1St Corps.
J UN2 12. First AEF day bombing
done b,. 96th Aero Sq on Dom-
mary-Baroncourt yards.
J UNE 20 First detachment of
bombing pilots arrives at Italian
front, Capt. F. H. LaGuardia
eommanding.
J ULY 8. $124.304 ,758 appropri-
ated for Army aviation.
JULY IS-AUe. 7. In battle of Cha-
teau-Thierry , AEF !lies 3790
hours ; 3 balloon companies par-
ticipate.
AUG. 10. First U . S . Army AEF
organized, including First Army
Air Service to which are a ssigned
3 fighter groups; the 96th Bomb-
ing Sq; 2 Army and 9 corps ob-
servation squadrons; 15 baUoon
companies.
AUG . 2S. A Director of Air Service
appointed to administer the 2 new
bureaus of Mi litary Aeronautics
and Aircraft Production.
SEPT. 12-15. Greatest air armada
to date--14S1 planes-partici-
pates in St. Mihiel drive; A EF
flies 3593 hours in artillery di-
rection, observation, day and
night bombing, ground strafing
and air combat.
SEPT . ,S. World altitude record
(u nofficial) of 2S,S99 ft. set by
Maj . R. W. Schroeder ( Bristol -
300 Hi spano) at Day ton, Ohio.
SEPT. 26-N OV. II. Meuse-A rgonne
offensive. AEF operations in -
clude day and night observation
and bombardment, strafi ng , day
bombing in format ion by groups
and air combat. Americans fly
IS,5 05 hrs.
OCT. 9. Meuse- Argonne offensi ve.
32 tons of bombs dropped on
cantonment district between La
Wavri lle and Damvil lers, In
highest concentration of air
forces to date, with more than
250 bombers and 100 pursuit
pla nes participating.
OCT'. 12. Oxygen tanks ordered
car ried on all American flights
over lines. Ameri can Air Serv-
ice engage!! in its first night fight -
ing of the war.
NOV. 4. $60 ,000,000 appropriated
for Air Service.
NOV. 11 . Arm istice.
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
SUMMARY-WOR LD WAR 1; Upon cessation of ho~tiIities. as-
signed to armies were 45 American squadron s as follows: 2 0
fighter, 6 day bomb::rdment, 1 night bombardment, 1 8 Army or
345
corps observation ; these comprised 767. pilots, 4 8 1 observers, 23
aerial gunners and 23 balloon companies. These squadrons were
equipped with 740 airplanes; 12 squadrons were equipped with
American-made airplan es powered with Liberty engines. In the
Zone of Advance the American Army had received a total of
2698 airplan es, of which 668 were American ·made. Air Service
pilots shot down 755 officially confirmcd enemy ai rplan es, 7 1
enem y balloons. Our losses were 357 airplanes and 43 balloons.
U. S. Aces credited with 1 0 enemy aircraft or over:
LAST Alil- BAL· TO-
NAME RANK ORC. PLA NE S LOONS TAL
Rickenbacker. Edward V .. Col umbus, Ohio Capt. 94 21 4 25
- Luke, Frank, PllOenix, Ariz. 2Tld L t. 27 4 14 IS
Vaughn, George A., Brooklyn. N. Y. 1st L t . Ii 12 1 13
Kindley, Field E. , Gravelle, Ark . Capt. 148 12 12
Springs, Ell iott W., Lan ca~terl S . C. Capt. 148 12 12
Landis. Reed G., Chicago. I I. Capt. 25 9 1 10
-Putnam. David E .. Brookline. Mass. lstLt. 139 10 10
Swaab, J acques M., P hiladelphia. Pa. Cap t. 22 10 10
.. Killed in combat.
Army Air Service units, participating in 21 5 bombing raids.
dropped over 255 ,000 lbs. of explosives; flew 35 ,000 hrs. over
the lin es; took nearly 18,000 photographs of enemy positions.
from whid 585 ,000 prints were made by photographic sections.
They regula ted artillery fire, supported ground attack, strafed an d
bombed enemy batteries, con voys and troops.
Of 35 balloon compan ies in Fran ce with 466 officers and
636 5 men , 23 compa nies served with armies at the front. made
1642 ascensions with 3111 Ius. in the air. They made 316
artillery adjustmen ts, reported 1 2.0 1 8 shell bursts, sighted 1 t. ·
856 enem y airplanes, reported enemy balloon ascensions 2649
tim es, enemy batteries 4 00 tim es, enemy traffic on roads and
railroads 1 113 times, explosions and destructions 597 times.
Outstanding techn ical developments during the war period
were: Liberty engi ne, oxygen mask eq uipped with telephone
connections, cotton airplane and balloon fabric, electrically
heated clothing, wireless telephone for air-ground comm un ica-
tions, automatic camera , hel ium gas, armored pilot scat, 8-
machine gun ground-strafing airplane, aero-medical research.
NOV. 14. Brig. Gen. Will. Mitchell 1919: JAN. IS. Monoplane altitude
appointed Chief of Air Service. record of 19.500 ft . established
3rd Army. by I\'raj. R. W. Schroeder (Loen ~
DEC. 23. Maj. Gen. C. T . Menoher ing- Hi spano 300).
made Di rector of Air Ser vice. ),f AR.. 10. Brig. Ge n. Wm. Mitchell

OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
succeeds Maj. Gen. W. L. Kenly
as Director of Military Aeronau-
tics .nder the Director of Air
Service.
MAR. IS. Civil Operations Branch,
Office of the Director of Military
Aeronautics, created to supervise
civil activities of the Air Service.
APR . 19. American distance cross-
country record set in non-stop
flight, Chicago-New York, by
Capt. E. F. White and mechanic
H. M. Schaefer (DH4-Liberty
~~o). Distance: 738.6 miles.
Time: 6 :50 :00.
APR. 23. First jump from airplane
with free type backpack para-
chute (later adopted as standard)
made at McCook Field. Dayton,
Ohio by Leslie Irving from
plane Rown by Floyd Smith, de-
signer of the parachute.
WAY ;-15. 5 plane formation di-
rected by radiophone with inter-
plane radiophone communication
at Southeastern Air Congress,
Macen, Ga.
JUHE I. Aerial forest fire patrol
initiated in California.
J ULY [ I . $25,000,000 appropriated
for Air Service for fiscal year
'920.
JULY 24-NOV. 9. Coastal and bor-
der-circuit flight of U. S. accom-
plished by Lt. Col. R. S. Hartz
and Lt. E. E. H al'"mon and c rew.
(Martin Bomber-2 Liberty 400.)
Distance: 9B23 miles. Flying
time : 114 :25 :00.
SEPT. Dive bombi ng demonstrated
by Lt. L. B. Sweeley ( DH4B -
Liberty) at Aberdeen Proving
Gromds, Md.
SEPT. 6. New unofficial world alti-
tude 2-man record of 2B ,250 ft.
set by Maj. R. W. Schroeder
and Lt. G. E. Elfrey ( Lepere-
8EPT. I'.
Liberty 400) at Dayton , Ohio.
Provision made by Act
of Congress for 1200 eme rgency
officers for the Air Service, B5%
of them to be Biers.
OCT. 4. Official world 2-man alti-
tude record of 3' ,821 ft. set
by Naj. R. W . 'Schroeder a nd
Lt. G. E. Elfrey (Lepere-Liberty
400 supercharged) at Dayton,
Ohio.
DEC. 31. Notable technical devel-
opments of the year as reviewed
by McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio,
are leakproof tanks; free para-
chute pack; development of the
DH9A; the Martin bomber; 3
SS fighters and XB I A observa-
tion planes; reversible and vari-
able pitch propeller; super-
charge r ; s iphon gasoline pump;
fins and fl oat s for emergency
water landing; and a 37 mm
camlon in Martin bomber, "the
first canllon mounted and fired
in an American-built airplane ."
1920: JAN. 20. Record radio re-
ception, 175 miles from airplane,
achieved dllrillJ{ 37th Infantry
maneU\'ers, Ft. Mclntosh. Tex.
FEB. 27. Official world altitude
record of 33.1 I J ft. set by Maj .
R. W. Sch roede r (Lepe re-Lib-
erty 400) at McCook Field, Day-
ton . Ohio.
APR . 12. 8 machine guns fitted in
tests to remodeled DH4S: 2 fixed
synchronized. 2 fixed through pi-
lot's floor , 2 Bexibl e on upper
mount, 2 mOUlited in rudimentary
floor turret.
APR. Initial tes ts made of gyro-
scopic compass.
MAY lB. Antitank bombs (from
DH4) and J7 mill cannon (fr om
Martin ) tested against L."tnks
from 100 ft. altitude by Lts. H.
R. Harris and O. G. Kelly.
MAY 2 1. $1 ,5..19,300 appropriated
for the Air :)er vice for seacoast
defenses.
MAY 26. GAX (twin- Liberty en-
gine armored Iriplane) armed
with 8 machine gUlls and J7 mill
cannon tested at McCook Field,
Dayton, Ohio.
J UN E 4. Army Reorganization Bill
creating an Air Service with
1514 officers and 16,000 enl isted
Illen is approved. New rating of
"Airplane Pilot" s upersedes for-
Ille r ratings. F lyi ng pay 50%
above base pay authorized .
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
JUNE 5. $33A~ 5,000 apl~ropriat<:d
for Air Service; act 11I11I tS Alf
Service to land bases.
JUNE 8. Parachute jump of a.bout
' 9,800 ft. by Lt. J .. H. W.llson
ini tiates senes of Ingh altitude
jumps. . " h
JULY 1. "Cannon cngme, s oot-
ing 37 mm shells through pro-
peller shaft, produced by W n ght
Acronautical Corp. . Field. Calif. to Pablo Beach,
I UI.Y 17-20. Flight of 9329 miles,
. with Capt. St. Clair ~t r eett com-
manding ( 4 D.H4B-Ll.berty 4 00 ),
made from MItchel F ield, N. Y.,
to Nome Alaska and return to
gain kno~vledge in ac~ial .naviga-
tion air route orgamzatlOn and
mov'e ment of aircraft over great
di stances.
SEPT . 3. New Martin li ght bomber
MB- 2 ( 2 supercharg~d Liberty
400 engines) tested With 1000-lb.
torpedo a nd 4 aboard.
'\
~~~~<
~4:p·L
SF- I'T. 1 J. 3 airships fly formati on
undcr radio direction, Langley
Field, Va.
SE PT. 24. A ir Service strength this
date: 896 flying .officers, 275
nOll-flying, 7846 enlisted men.
NOV. 25. pulitzer race won b y Lt.
C. C. Moseley (Verville.Packa.rd
600) at MitC!lel Field, N. Y. D ls-
lance: 132 11111es. Speed: 178 mph .
I)EC. 3 1. Ma jor accompli;;;hme!lts
listed by A ir Service engllleermg
divi sion are: the GAX armored
attack pl ane; the Vervipe- Pack-
a rc! raceT' Packard engmes 160,
300 and 600; , 700 hp "W" en-
gine; the new Martm bombe,r;
the miniature Me~scnge r air-
plane; and aerial fi ri ng of 37 mm
cannon.
1921: Studies of strategic employ-
lIlent of aviati on rcveal the need
fo r 2 classifications of military
a irpower, "Air Service" <I nd
347
"Air Force'" Tables of Organi-
zation for th~ A ir Service base.d
011 enlisted strength of 16,000 IS
approved by War Departll~ent .
FEB. 12. First section of Amencan
"model" Airways route from
Washington, D. C . to Dayton.
Ohio, inaugurated.
YEB. 21 -24. Eastbound transconti-
nental flight from R ockwell
Jacksonville, Fla. made by Lt .
W. D. Coney. Di stance: 21 Bo
miles. Flying time: 22 :27 :00:
MAR. 15. Indicated altitude fh/-t ht
to 30,000 ft. made by Lt. J. A.
Macready a nd R. F. Langham
( Lepere-Liberty 400 super-
charged). . .
MA Y 6. First Provisional Alf ~rt­
gade organized at Langley FIeld,
Va, ft' I'
J UNE 10-17. Series of 14 Igl t 5
in and a bout Grand Canyon, de-
scending 4500 feet bel~w the
rim , leads to reconunendatlons
, on
aerial reconnaissance. .
J UNE 30. $19,200,000 appropn-
ated for Ai r Service for fiscal
year 1922. Air s trength: 975 offi -
cers' 2820 airplanes; 38 free
ballo'ons ; 250 o~serv.atio~l bal -
loons' 12 non- rigid alrslllps.
JULY ; 3-21. In a scries of Arm),-
Navy bombing tests captured
German destroyer G~102 , lig ht
cr uiser FRANKFURT and battle-
ship OSTFRIESLAND 'are sunk .
SEI'T. 23. 26. Day and night bol!l-
• bardment t est Rights T~s ult III
sinking of the battleship ALA-
BAM A by 2000· lb. bomb.
SEPT . 28. Official world altitude
r ecord of 34.508 ft. set b.}' Lt.
J. A. ~'Iacr ea dy ( Lepere-Liberty
400 supercharged) ; Mackay Tro-
phy awarded.
SE I'·r. 28. A 4 300-lb. bomb
dropped from 4000 ft. br Capt.
N. Carolin a nd bombardier Sgt.
S. Smink (Handley-Page 0-400
- 2 Liberty 400'5) in t ests at
Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md .
NOV. IS. Initial flight of ROM A,
largest American semi- ri g id air-

Ihip in existence, made at Lang-
ley Field. Va., with Capt. D.
Mabry commanding.
OF-C. 31. Notable teehnical devel-
opments reported by McCook
Field, Dayton, Ohio: so-hr. test
of the 700 hp "W" engine of
19Z0 the 300 hp cannon Wright
plane lland test; model test of
.:ISo ~p Wright-engined Loeni ng
fighter: the 700 hp "W" cngined
Gallaudet day bomber test; de-
velopment of 4ooo-lb. bomb racks
and leIectrical synchronizer.
1m: ),fAY 31. National Ball oon
Race won by Maj. O. West-
over, Lt . C. F. Bone!. aide. Dis-
tance 866.5 miles from starting
point al Milwaukee, Wis.
~~~~
~'$~ <.~
-
:::"..~..
~
~ .....
=';;;.
-.. - - 0 ; :
~. -
....... <":'-,;.~-~.
.-.~:-"'"
<C'"..- _ -.....-=--
JU"E 12. 24.206 ft. parachute
jump made by Capt. A. W. Ste-
vens from a Martin bomber pi-
loted by Lt. L. Wade, at Dayton,
Ohio.
JUNI!. 16. Series of night eroS!-
country flights , Bolling Field,
D. C. to Langley Field , Va., and
return, are initiated by Lt. C. L.
Bissell.
JUNE 16. Berliner helicopter dem-
ontitratw at Washington , D . C.
JUNY. 20. Border to border flight ,
Kell)' Field. San Antonio. Tex. '
10 Selfridge Field , Mich .. ac-
complished by Lt. D . Dunlon
(DH4B-Liberty 400). Distance:
1J50 -niles: Elapsed time : 40:
25 :00. FlYing time: 16: 10 :00.
Averare speed, 84 .5 mph.
JUNI!! 30. $12,89 5,000 appropriated
for A' r Service for fiscal year
192J. "'ir strength: 95 3 officers;
168. 'lerviceable a irplanes ; 55
free balloons and 448 ohservation
balloon; IJ non- rigid airships.
AUt;. I. The First Pursuit Gp
ft1I\OVffl complement of 21 air-
planes (rom Ellington Field,
OFFICIAL AAf GUIDE
Houston, Tex. to Selfridge
Field. Mich. Flying time: 16:
10 :00.
AUG. I. 87 ai r planes engaged in
fire patrol over national forests.
AUG. 2. Unofficia l J-lIIan altitude
record of 2J,350 ft. iet at Mc-
Cook Field, Dayton, Ohio by
Lt. L. Wade. Capt. A. W. Ste-
vens and Sgt. Langham in super-
charged bomber.
S ~: PT. 4. First transcontinental
crossing within 24 hrs. made by
Lt. J. H. Doolittle ( r ebuilt
DH4B-Liber ty 400), Pablo
Beach, Fla. to Rockwe ll Field.
San Diego. Calif. Distance: 216J
miles. Elapsed time: :22: 35 :00.
Flying time : 21 :20 :00.
SE I'T. 14. Fi rst t r ial of the LWF
'--~--"...,.
Owl , largest American bomber
to date, made at A-litchel Field ,
.....--.-. N. Y.
, SEPT. 14-2.3. First tran scontinental
:..i'$ airship flight is made by the
non-rigid C2, Lo ngley Field. Va.
to Ross Field, Arcadia. Calif.,
with Capt. G. W. McEntire com-
manding.
OCT. 1, During a 2-month mapping
project in Tennessee. Capt. A. W.
Stevens and Lt. G. W . Polk, Jr.,
photog raph 5000 square miles.
OCT. 6. Unofficial world durati on
record set by Lt s. J. A. Macready
and O. G. Kell y (Fokker T2-
Liberty J75) at .Rock well Field,
San Diel{o. Time: 35: 18 :30.
OCT. 13. Liberty Engine Trophy
Race won by Lt. T. J . Koenig
(Lepere~Li berty 400). Speed:
128.8 mph over 257.7 mile course.
OCT . '4 . Pulitzer Trophy Race
won by Lt. R. L . Maughan
(Army Curtiss racer- Dl2 Cur-
tiss 37 5). Speed: 20 5.8 mph over
250 km course.
OCT. '4. John L . Mitchell Trophy
won by Lt. Donald F. S tace
(Thomas-Morse M BJ -Wright
300 ) . Speed: 147.8 mph over 200
kill cou rse.
OCT . 18. World's speed record of
222.Q6 IJIph for 1 kill 'let by
Brig . Gen. Will . Mit c hell (Cur.
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
tiss Racer used by Lt. Maughan
in Pulitzer Race).
HOV . 14. Unofficial Amer ican dis-
tance record set by Lts. O . G.
Kell y and J. A. Macready (Fok-
ker T2- Liberty 375), in non-stop
flight, San Diego, Calif. to Ft.
Benjamin Harrison, Ind. Dis-
tance: 2060 miles.
nEe. 18. DeBothezat helicopter
test -flown I min. 42 sec. by Maj .
T. H . Bain, McCook Field , Day-
ton , Ohio.
] 923 : JAri. 31. Armored GAX tri-
plane flown to 6000 ft. altitude at
Kelly Field, San Antonio, Tex. ,
by Lt. D. V. Gaffney.
FEB. 6. New 12-place airship D2
(190,000 cu. (t.-2 Wright
180's) test-flown at Scott Field,
111., by Lts. H. H . Holland, A.
Thomas and D. L. Hutchins.
Time : 1 :04 :00.
),fAit. I. TCI, largest American
non-rigid airsh ip, delivered.
MAR. 2. $12,626,000 appropriated
for Air Service for 1924.
),fAR. J-APR. Approximately 6000-
mile San Antonio-Puerto Rico-
Washington flight made by 6
DH4Bs , Capt. T. G. Lanphier
commanding.
MAR . 5. Auxiliary jetti sonable
belly tank, fitted to bomb r ack of
MB3A at Selfridge Field, Mich.,
increases flying radius to about
400 miles.
MAR. 29. 167.769 mph speed rec-
ord for 500 km set at McCook
Field, Dayton, Ohio. by Lt. A.
Pea rson (Verville Sperry R3-
Wright 350).
MAR . 29. 236.587 mph world max-
imum speed r ecord set by Lt.
R. L. Maughan (Curti ss 465) at
McCook Field, Dayton , O hio;
127 .42 mph world speed record
for 1000 km is set by Lts.
H. R. Harris and R. Lockwood
(DH4L Liberty 400) at s.1.llle
time.
" I'JI. . 16- 17. Non-rcflle1ed world
duratio n and dis tance records set
by Lu. ). A. Macready amI O.
G. Kelly (Fokker T2- Libert y
349
375) at Dayton , Ohio. Duration:
36 :04 :34. Distance: 25 16 .55
miles.
A1'2. 17. World's speed records of
114.35 mph for 1500 km and
114.22 mph for 2000 kill set by
Lt. H. R. Harris (DH4L-Lib-
erty 375) .
),lAY 2-J. First non-stop transcon-
tinental flight, New York to San
Diego, Calif. , accomplisheo by
Lts. O. G. Kelly and J. A. Mac-
ready (Fokker T2-Libe:rty 375).
Di stance: 2520 miles. Flying
time: 26 :50 :00. DFC and
Mackay Trophy awarded.
),IAV 26. Non-stop transcontinen-
tal south-north Hight. ElIinJ{ton
Field, Houston , Tex. to Gordon,
Ontario, made by Lt. H . G.
Crocker (DH4B-Liberty 400).
Flying l illie: 11:55 :00.
J UNE 20. First Right of first all-
metal plane (Gallaudet COt-
Liberty 400), designed by engi-
neering division , made at Mc-
Cook Field, Dayton. Ohio.
J UNE 28-29. New r efueled world's
speed records of 85 . tO mph for
2500 km and 8 4.49 mph for 3000
km set by Lts. L. H . Smitll and
] . P. Richter ( DH4BJ-Libert)'
400 ).
J UNE JO. Cited among engineer-
ing developments of the fiscal
year 1923 are: Curtiss and Elias
2-engined night bombers: in -
verted, and air--cooled Liberty
engines; Douglas world crl1i se
planes; Curtiss rW8. Boeing
PW9 planes , Curtiss 0.2 lan-
dem, 375 ·11p engine.
JULY I. Ai r Service st r ength: 867
officers. 9578 e nli sted men; 1364
airplanes.
JULY 4-5. National Balloon Race
at Indianapolis, Ind . won by LIS.
R. S. Olmstead and ]. W . Shop-
t.aw. Distance: 449.5 miles.
JULY 10. Night motio n pictures
made from grDllOd of senr ch-
light -illuminated planes fl ying at
3000 (I. at Ft. Totten. N. Y.
AUG. 22. Initial flight of Barling
bomber ( 6 Liberty 400 engines).
 •
350 OFFICIAL AAF GUIDE
largest, airpia.ne made in U . S.,
at, Wright Field, D ayton, O hi o.
P d ot, Lt. H . R. H a rri s.
AUG. 27-:8. New world's refu eled
durattor, and distance record of
37: IS; 14.8 for .l293.z6 miles set
b>: L15. L. H . Smi th a nd J. P.
Richter (OH4 B-Libe rty 400) at
Rockwell Field, Sa n Di ego
Calif.
SEPT. S. D estruction by bombi ng
of condcm n~ naval vessel s NEW
JERSE Y and V I RGINIA is accom-
plished during Army bombing
tests, Cape H atteras, Va.
SEPT" IJ-DEC. 14 . D ouble t rans-
contlDental tOUf , anticipating !la-
tional ai r,ways, is made by Lts.
]. F. Wh iteley and H. D. Sm ith
and crew (Marti n-2 Liberty
400), Ltngler F ield, Va. to San
Diego, Calif., a nd return. Dis-
tance; 8 0 00 miles.
OCT. 3-6. At Nationa l Air Races
a t S1. Louis, Mo.; L iberty En-
gine B u i ld~rs Trophy won by
Lt . C. McMu ll ~n ( C04 - L i b~rty
400) ; s'le~d: 1.19.03 mph . Gen-
~ral William Mitch~1l T rophy
event w:m by Capt. B. E. Skeel
( MB 3- H 3 W right 300). Spe~d:
~ 46.44 . Iph.
1921:. M~Il. .2. F light
on fr om
Field, Ohio
eJ F ield
Lt. E. H .
gator B. ] on~s
400}. Distanc~:
i J UNF. 26. New B e rlin ~ r heli copte r
APR. 6-s~PT. 28. round-th~_
w.orld au t our, trans- Pacific
~Ight a~ first w~stboun d Atlan-
tic c;r o88lng a r~ mad~ by Air
S~ r v l ce offic~rs ( D ouglas-Lib_
, erty 4()0 bombe rs ) . Di stanc~
from s~rt at S eattle: 26,345
rout e mi les. E lapsed t i m ~: 175
daYI. F lying t ime: 36J hrs. For
thi s flight t he Coll ier Trophy
awa r ded to th e Ai r Se r vice '
Mackay Trophy and DSM
awar ds made to Capt. L. H .
Sm ith and Lts. L. Wade, L. P.
!\rnold, E. H. Nelson, ). H ard-
IIIg and H . H . Ogden.
J UNE 7· $ 12,798,576 appropriated
for t he A ir Service.
'
J UN E 23. Daylight tra nscontine n-
ta l Aight, New York to San
F rancisco, accomplis hed by Lt.
R. L. Maughan (Cur tiss PW8-
012 Curtiss 4S0). Distance:
26iO miles. T i m~: 2 1 :48 :30.
J ULY 6. New s peed record set
be.tween Rockw~lI F ield, Sa n
Diego, ~nd San Francisco, Calif..
by Ma}. H . H . Arnold. Dis-
tance: 500 mi les. T ime: 4 :25 :
00.
AUG. 6-14. 6765 - m il ~ c r oss-coun-
t ry circuit , Dayton- San Diego
and ,retu rn , made by Lt. J. H.
Doohttle (J? H 4L-Li ber ty 400 ) .
OCT. 2-4. Air race winn~ rs at
Wright Field, Dayton Ohio in-
c1ud~: Liberty Engin~ Bu ilde rs
T ,rophy, Lt. D. G. Duke ( DH4 B-
L ibe rty 400) , speed 130.34 mph
over 180-mlle cours~' John L
M i t ch~ 11 Trophy, Lt.' C. Bett i ~
(Curti ss PW8--DI 2HC Curt iss
4 6 0) , s peed 175.4 1 mph over 200
k m course; Pu litzer T r oph y
Race, Lt. H. H . Mills (Ver ville
Sperry-D 12AHC Curtiss 520)
sp~ed 2 16.5 5 mph ov~ r 200 km'
cou rse.
192ii : n :8. 8. Test s made o f glider
ta r ge!s for aer ial machine gun
practIce, Langley Field , Va.
Aown at Was hington , D. C. by
Lt. H . R . H a rris.
AUG. I. F i rs t of new series the
Cu rti ss Condor' night bom ~r is
Rown at Mitchel Field . N. V.'
s F.:.p~. IS.. RS I , first great semi -
ngld helium ai rship to be con-
struct ed ir,t Amc ri ca, completed
a t Scott F ield, I II .
O CT . 8- 10. National A ir Races
M itc hel F ield, N . Y . : 200 km'
P u litz~ r Ra c~ won by Lt. C.
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Bettis (Curtis s R 3C t-V1400
Cu r tiss 6 19) ; speed : 248.9 mph.
New world speed records of
249. 34 2 mph fo r roo k m, and
248.975 mph fo r 200 k m a r~
set. Mackay Trophy a warded.
J ohn L. Mit chell Trophy Race
won by Lt. T. K . Matthews
(Curti ss PW S--D '2 Cu rtiss
400); s peed: 161.47 mph ove r
120 mile cou rse.
OCT. 26. Schneide r S eaplan~ T ro-
phy Race, Baltimore, Md. , won
by Lt. ] . H. Doolittle ( Cur ti ss
R 3C2- VJ400 Curtiss 6 19 ).
Speed: 232 .57 mph over 35 0
km cou r s~. Macka y Trophy
awarded.
NOV. 20. N ight photograph s from
Martin bomber taken by Lt. G.
W . Goddard , Roches ter, N. Y.,
us ing so-lb. magnesium bombs.
DE C. 3 1. Developments of the year
include: Cu r tiss P W I and Boe-
ing PW9 fighte rs to sll persede
the PWS; the Huff'- Dal a nd light
bombe r XLB I with 5 machine
guns; t h~ Curtiss obs~rv a ti on
XOI; the T homas- Morse all
metal observation plane; the
Consolidated P T J and Huff-D a-
land ATI for t raining ; and the
D ouglas CI transpor t (Liber ty
400 ). E ngine developments in
th ~ 600 hp Cur tiss, t he 500 Pack-
ard, th e geared P ack ard 800, the
air-cooled L iberty, and t h ~ 1200
hp "X" en gines. 6 to 10 machine
glln S mounted on gr ound-strafi ng
pla nes. sta nda rdized ai r way light
beacons, the radio beacon, th ~
s-Icns camera, oleo-pneumati c
shock a bsorbers and bra k~s a r~
addit ional devel opm~nt s.
1926: JAN. 29. American alt it ude
record of 38,704 ft . set by Lt.
] . A. Macready (XC05A-L ib-
er ty 400). D ayton, Oh io.
F E8 . I I. Ski p-bombing tests r~­
portcd at Kelly F ield, San A n-
ton io, T~x., where Lt. R. G.
Z~tte l has conducted p racti c~ at
20 to 25 ft. to determine rolling
and bou ndi ng characteri stics of
bombs.
351
APR. I S. $ 15,256,964 appr opri at~d
f or t he Ai r Servicc for fi scal
year 1927.
JUNE 30. St r~ngth o f Air Servi ce:
91 9 offi cers, 8583 enl isted me n,
142 flying cade ts. I t8 n ~w pla nes
delive red durin g fi scal yea r 1926.
JULY 2. Air Corps A ct becomes
law. The Air Se rv i c~ is r edesig-
na ted Air Cor ps. A 5-year ex-
pansion progra m initiated fo r
15 14 officers, 16,00'0 e nlisted
me n ; 1800 ser viceable planes.
SE P T.4-1 1. National A ir Races,
Philadelphi a, Pa. : L iberty En-
gi ne B ui lders T rophy won by Lt.
O. S . Ste phens (O I - DI2 Cur tiss
400). Speed : 14 2.26 mph.
DEC. 2I - MAY 2, 1()27: P an-Ameri -
can Goodwill fl ight from San
A ntonio, Tex. a round South
A mer ica t o Wash ington, D . C.
with Maj. H . A. Dar gue com-
ma ndi ng 4 L oenin g a m phibi.ans
(Liberty 400). Distan ce: 22 ,065
miles. Mackay Trophy and DFC
award~d.
1927 : FE B . 23. $20,602.594 appro-
priated f or Ai r Corps for fiscal
year 1925.
MAR. 9. 2 world alt itude records
a nd 3 American records broken
in 28,510 ft. ascension by Capt.
H . C. Gray at Scott F ield , III.
MAY 4. 42,470 ft. 11II0fficiai alti-
t ude in fr ee balloon rcached by
Capt. H . C. Gray.
MAY 25. O utside loop accom-
plished by Lt. J. H . Dooli tt le.
JUNE 28-29. F irst non-stop Ha -
waii fli ght, Oak land, Cali£. to
\Vheele r Field, Honolu itl, madt:
by Lts. L. J. Mait land a nd
A. F. H egenber gcr (Fokker C2 -3
W right 220). Distance: 2407
miles. Flying t ime : 25 :50 :00 .
Navigation is accomplish ~d by
 OFFICIAL AU GUIDI!
d!rectiomJ beacons at San Fran-
and ~aui. Mackay Trophy
CiSCO
awarded In 1!J29. DFe also
awarded for thiS flight.
]UIU: lO. Strength of the Air
Corps: 060 officers, BSS? enlisted
men, '23 flying cadets.
1ULY 5-8. Transcontinental flight
from Bo1li~g Field, D. C. to
Roc:kwell Field. Cali!., made by
MaJ~. C. Spa.atz. R. Royce and
J. H. Jouet,.
'E~. '9-24. ~ati onal Air Derby:
Liberty Engtne Builders Trophy
~on by Lt. H. A'Johnson (Cur-
tluXO' ,lA):Spee ; 17o. ls6mph.
OCT" u. Wright Field, Dayton,
, OhiO, fonnally dedicated and the
, Materiel I?ivision mov~ s from
McCook Field to the new site
The Joh'1 L. Mitchell Trophy
, Race won ~4::t. I. A. Woodring,
, ut Pur~ l t Group, during the
ceremOnies. Speed: 158"968 mph
DEC. 14. Maj" Gen. 1. E. Fechet
.~cceeds ¥aJ . Gen. M. M. Pat-
nck as Ole£ of A,ir Corps ; Bri .
Gen. B. D. FouIOlS, Asst. Chief.
I~I '1':8. IS. $~,S82,975 aUlhor~
Ized (or new primary flying cen~
tcr at San. Antoni o, Tex ., out o(
an authOrized appropriation of
nearly $7.000,000.
liAR. J ~9. Amphibian transconti_
nental flight, New York City to
Rockwell Field, Calif., made by
Lt. B. R .. Dall.U and Beckwith
Havens .fLoenlhg~amphihian~in ~
verted Ltl)ertr 400 ). Dis tance :
about 3300 mIles. Elapsed time'
J2 :45 :00.
IIAI . 10 .. $)00,000 authori zed for
eompletl~ o( Wr!ght Field , Day~
ton, OhiO, experimental la bora-
tory.
A.t~· $25,4 28,564 appropriated
f••·
or Ir Corps for '9 29
P'. 26. Receiven, radio' beacon
.I-way telephone between air and
.,ound, A'1d other radi o equill-
ment t~ted in a radio labora-
~1 airplane (C2 trans l>ort).
pt· O'.P. Echols and Lt. L. M:
W o1fe. Pllotll.
MAY 12- 16. Rec:ord cros i-country
flight for single-seater planes
~rom J;rance F ield, C. Z. to Boi -
ling F,eld, D. C. made by Lts.
R. ~. Dou.glas and J. E. Parker
(Boeing PW9-D,2 Curtiss)
)lAY 30-31. National Balloon Race
(rom Pittsburgh, Pa. won by
Capt. W. E. Kepner and Lt. W .
0: Eareckson. Distance: 261.5
miles.
JUNE 16. Successful tests made
at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio.
of superchargers designed to give
sea level pressure at 30 000 (t
a nd of a .new 1i9uid oxygen sys::'
tem for high altttude flying.
JUNE 30-JULY I. Internationa l
Gordon Bennett Balloon Race
D~troit, Mich., won by U. S. fo;
t hi rd s uccessive time, insuring
permanent po!'!session o( trophy'
pilot, Capt. W. E. Kepner; aide:
Lt. W. p. Eareckson. Distance :
460.9 mtles.
SEPT. 12. Nationa l Air Races'
John L. Mitchell Trophy WOII by
Lt. B .. H. Lawson. Distance :
120 nll ics. Speed: 154.74 mph .
OCT. 19. G-man machine gun team
par~chutes from 6· airplane for-
matIOn over. Brooks Field , Tex. ;
]9 ts • up eqUIpment in 3 minutes.
29. JAN. 1- 7. Unofficial record
f?r refueled endurance airplanc
flight set by Maj. C. Spa at? and
Capt. I. C. Eaker in U UEST IO N
MARK ( F okker C2- 3 Wright 220)
o.ver Los Angeles Airport. F lying
time : 150 :40 : , 5.
JAN . 9-.16. C-2 Army transpo rt .
.
fi~s t airplane ferri ed br Army
Af Ir Corp! to foreign s tatI on fli es
r o!n Wright Field, D;Ylon .
Ohi O to France Fi eld C Z
a bout 3 130 miles ; Maj . P. -t:
Bec k commanding.
PEB. 2i' S peci al goggles , e l ec lri ~
~ally eat~d gloves and a device
or wa rmmg OXygen before use
ann!'u nced. by Materiel Di vi"ioll
Wrtght rl C;ld , Dayton, Ohio. . fligh ts from March Fi eld , Cali f.
KW R.; . 3· N ight photogra phs r')f
Ite H ouse a nd Capitol de-
veloPl?d in air, a re ta ke;1 to
Amert ca n T elegraph & Tele phone
Co., then wired to principal
U. S. eities; ai r men , Capt. A. W .
Stevens a nd Lt. ]. D. Corki lle
(02-obser vation plane equipped
wi th K-3 camera) .
APR. ,S-21. F light f rom Bolli ng
Field, D. C. to Havana. Cuba,
and return made by Capt. W. F.
K raus and Lt. J . E. Upston.
Flying t ime: south-bound. J 3 :
25 :00; return. I I :00 :00.
AUG. 2. Formation flight delivery
made from fac tory to (oreign
service: 4 LB-6 bombers , Key-
stone factory, Bristol , Pa., to
France Field , C. Z. Distance:
about 4250 miles.
AUG. t 2. Colored motion pictures
from the air reported made by
Capt. A. W. Stevens.
1930 : J UNE 20 - 21. Randolph
Field, San Antonio, Tex. dedi -
cated.
NOV. 6. Medal of H onor presented
Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker
for World War I service.
198 1: AUG. 31. Air Corps Tactical
School trans ferred from La n g~
ley Field , Va., to Maxwell Field,
Montgomery, Ala.
NOV. 3. Cross -country flight at 20,-
000 ft. , from Selfridge Field,
Mich. to Was hington, O . C. ,
completed by 94th Pursuit
Squadron, all pilots using liquid
oxygen . Flyi ng time : 2 :05 :00.
DEC. IS. Lt. W . A. Cocke, in Ha-
waii , makes world dura t ion rec-
ord for gliders . Time : 21 :34 : 15.
DEC. 22. Ma j . G en. B. D . F oulois
take!! oa.th as alief of Air Corps.
1932: MAY 9. First blind Ai ght
without a check pilot aboard and
solely on instruments made by
Lt. A. F . H egenberger, Dayton ,
Ohio. Awarded Colli e r Trophy.
SEI'T. 2 1. Intens ity o f cosmic rays
at vari ous altit udes test ed by per-
sonnel of I I th Bomba rdment
Squ adron (Condor bomber ) in
D~:C. 17. Frank Luke Troph y, pre-
~ nt ed hy A ri zona Ame r ica n le-
gion , accepted for W a r Dept. by
Lt. Col. H . 1-1 . A rnold.
] 9381 Fornla l design proposals
made for the Boeing B-17 heavy
bomber.
pu. I.,. Mackay T rophy awarded
Maj. Gen . B. D. Fouloi! for
flight leadership during Air
Corps exercis es and maneuvers
during 1931.
:WAY 29. First class of " ins trument
landing" Aie rs demons trat e e x-
pertness at Wright Field , Day-
ton , Ohio.
] 9:1<1: Ft.:B . 19. A rmy A ir Cor ps
starts flying domesti c a irmail by
Pres idential Orde r .
MAY 22 . Mackay Troph y for 1933
is awarded Capt. W . T . Larson
(or development of procedures
of aeri al fr ontier defe nse: in volv-
ing ins trument ta keoffs a nd land-
ings on land and sea , and ins tru-
me nt flyin g over waler.
J UNE I. A rmy Ai r Cor ps termi-
nates airmail operations.
J UNE IS. Contract made with
Boeing Aircra ft Co. fo r design
data, mock -up a nd wind tunn el
t est of B- 17.
J ULY ' 9-AUC. 20. Fli ght f rom
Boll ing Field, O . C. to Fai r-
b;'[nks, A laska a nd retu rn ac-
complished by 10 Ma r lin bom b-
ers (B-lO), Lt . Col. H . H .
A rnold comma ndi ng. Di stance :
8290 miles. Flying time : north-
bound, 25 :30 :00 ; sOllt hbou nd.
26 :00 :00. Mackay T rophy and
DFC awarded to Lt. Col. H . H.
Arnold.
J ULY 2S. 60 ,6 13 fl. a ltitude
reached in Air Corps-National
Geograph ic Societ y StralO-
sphe re Balloon Fligh t by Maj.
W . E. K elln er a nd Capl s. A.
W. Stevens and O . A. Ander -
son ; all receive DFC.
l Bar;: MAR. I. General H ead-
Qua r ters Ai r Force is organized
unde r cOlllmand of Bri g. Gen.
F ra nk 1-1. And rews.
MAY 21. H ic kam Field, near
Fort Kalllehameha, H awaii.
dedic:ued.
AUG. 24. 3 ne w world seapla ne
reco rds a re est abli shed in
 OFFICIAL AM GUIDE HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS 355

Bights from Langley Field, Va.
to Benrett Field. N. Y. and
return. by Brig. Gen. F . M.
Andrewl (Martin B-1 2 W
bomber, with pontoon flotation
rear replacing landing wheels).
AUG, 38. Automatic radio navi·
gation equipment comprising
Sperry automatic pilot mecban-
ically linked t o standard radio
compau is tested by equipment
branch, Wright Field. Dayton,
Ohio.
MO\'. II. 72,394.795 ft. world
record balloon ascent made by
Capts. A. W. Stevens and 0, A.
Anderson, Rapid City, S. D. ,
in cooperation with National
Geogra~ie SocietY; Hubbard
raid medal awarded.
DEC. 1- 2. Mass flight of 29
bombardment planes of 7th Bom-
bardment Group made from Ham-
ilton Field, Calif. to Vero Beach,
Fla. Elapsed time: 21 :50 :00.
DEC. 24. Brig. Gen. Oscar West-
over ap})?inted Chief of Air
Corps with rank of major gen-
eral.
bEC. 2, . Aerial bombardment di-
verts Mauna Loa lava flow
from waterworks at Hilo, Ha-
waii.
bEC. 28. Brig. Gen. H. H. Arnold
becomes Asst. Chief of Air
Corps.
bEC. 31. Device insurin ~ auto-
matic fuel transfer in airplanes
with reserve fuel tanks devel-
ofH:d by Air Corps Materiel Di-
VISion .
1838: J UX E 24 . Amendment to
Air Corp' Act of Jul y 2, 1926
increases serviceable planes
from 1800 to 2320.
JUNE 29. W orld's airline dis-
tance record fo r amphibians
act by Maj . Gen. Frank M.
Andrews and Maj . John White-
ley and crew (Douglas YOA
5-2 Wright 800) in flight from
San Juan . Pue rto Rico to
Lanlle), Field, Va. Distance:
10429.685 miles.
DEC. 1,,-18 Goodwill flight made
to Bogota, Colombia by 5
B-loBs, 7th Observation
Squadron, France Field, C. Z.
1837: FEB. 4-11. Longest over-
water Right of land planes to
date made by 96th Bombard-
ment Sguadron, 2nd Bombard-
ment Grouf-' during a trip
from Lang cy Field, Va. to
A lbrook Field, C. Z.
MAR. J. First YIB-17A (Flying
Fortress) delivered to 2nd
Bombardment Group, Langley
Field, Va.
JULY I. Air Corps assumes re-
sponsibility for weather service
activities of aerial arm and for
providing weather forecasts reo
quired by divisions and higher
headquarters; First, Second
and Third Weather Squadrons
established.
DEC. 2. XB-IS, largest bombard-
ment plane to date, leaves Boe-
ing plant at Seattle, Wash. for
Wright Ficld, Dayton, Ohio for
tes t.
1938: FEB. 2,. Goodwill flight,
Langley Field , Va. to Buenos
Aires, Argentina, completed by 6
B-I,s. Flying time: southbou nd ,
33 :30 :00; return, 33 :45 :00.
AFIL 13. Expansion of Air Corps
to 2092 commissioned officer s au-
thorized by Congress.
AFR. 20. First class in Air Corps
school for autogiro training and
maintenance opens at Patte rson
Field, Ohio.
J UNE I J. Expansion of A ir Corps
t o 21,500 enli sted men author·
ized.
JULY 28. 278 mph average speed
in transcontinental flight achieved
by Lt. H. L. Neely (Seversky
P -3 S). Elapsed time: It :29 :00.
Flying time: 9 :54 :00.
AUG. 3-12. Goodwill mission from
Langley Field, Va. to Bogota,
Colombia, made by 3 B- 17S of
2nd Bombardment Group.
AUG. 6. Deli very made of B- 15
bombardment airplane (wing
spread I so ft.; four 1000 hi) e n-
gines) to 2nd Bombardment Gp.
AUG. 19. First transcontinental
non-stop flight by B- 18 bomber
made from Hamilton Field, Calif.
to Mitchel Field, N. Y. Fiying
time: 15 :38 :00,
S EPT. IS. Announcement made of
Collier Trophy award to Army
Air Corps for development of
pressurized cabin substratosphere
plane.
SE PT. 21. Daedalian and Colom -
bian Trophies awarded 19th
Bombardment Gp., March Field,
Cali £. for record of 10,942 flying
hrs. with only one accident.
s nT. 22. Maj. Ge.n. H. H. Arnold
appointed Chief of the Air Corps.
OCT. 14. Mackay Trophy for 193'
awarded Capts. G. J. Crane and
G. V. Holloman for devel opment
of automatic landing system.
OCT. 26. 350 mph average speed
achieved by new Army pursuit
plane during flight from Day-
ton, Ohio t o Buffalo, N. Y. ; pilot ,
Lt. B. S. Kelsey.
1939: JAN. 12. President Roose-
velt asks Congress for revision
of authorization for Army air-
planes, an appropriation of $300,-
000,000 for plane purchases and
for authorization to train 20,000
civilian pilots a year.
MAR . I. To insure coordination of
expansion activities and immedi-
ate availability of an operating
staff in the event of war, the
GHQ Air Force placed under the
Chief of the Air Corps ; com-
mand dut ies of the Commanding
General , GH Q A ir Force are not
affected.
AI'R. 3. Expansion bill s igned by
President , Authorizes 6000 air-
planes for Air Corps and appro-
priat ion of $300 ,000,000. Bill
contains provis ions for ca lling
Air Corps Reserve officers t o
active duty. Peacetime strength
of Air Corps, Regular Army, in-
creased to 3203 officers and 45,-
000 enlisted men.
MAY-First 4-blade controllable
pitch propeller known t o be built
In U. S. is installed on a P - j6A
at Wright Field, Ohio.
JUNE l. 72 civilian instructors
from 9 civilian elementary flying
schools report for 2-week s' course
at Randol ph Field, Texas , pre-
paratory to the inauguration 011
July I, 1939 of the plan to util-
Ize civilian flying schools for the
primary training of Air Corps
flying cadets.
J UN E 27. Civilian Pilot Training
Act authorizes Civil Aeronautics
Authority to train civilian pilots.
JUNE 30. War Department an-
nounces Ai r Corps enlisted
s trcngth to be increased by 25,-
794 during fiscal year 1940:
about 19,000 to be trained as
tcchnical specia li sts.
JULY I. Air Corps Primary Pilot
T rainin g in Civil Contract
Schools begins.
JULY 30. U . S. regains world rec-
ord for payload-carrying when
Maj. C. V. H aynes and Cwt.
W. D. Old fiy Army Boeing B- 15
to 8200 ft. with payload of 15 ~
tons at W right Field, Ohio.
AUG. I. The YIB-I,A, flown by
Capts. C. S. Irvine and Pearl
Robey over a closed course of
1000 km (621 miles ) and ca r-
r ying a payload of 5000 kilo-
grams (5~ tons), averages 259
mph, new international record.
AUG. 7. War Departme nt an-
nounces award of contracts to-
taling $J66.386.80 to 7 civilian
schools; program calls {or train-
ing of 1000 airplane and engine
mechanics.
NOV. 7. Mackay Trophy for 1938
is awarded znd Bombardment
Group for 10,000-mile flight fr om
Langley F ield , Va. to Buenos
Aires. Argentina .
NOV. 20-21. Total of '1,133 nliles
.. OFFICIAl. U1 GUIDE
of niKht 8ying reported by the
Air Corps Advanced Flying
School, Kent Field, Tex.
1.D: JA'f. 23_ In the fir st Ameri-
can test of the practicability of
moving a complete troop Unit by
air, a batta1ion of 65th Coast
Artillery is tran sported 500 miles
~r the 7th Bombardment Group,
Hamilton Field . Calif.
PEa. 2. Initial tests announced for
XB-a.4. 4-engine bomber, at
Lindberih Field, San Diego,
Calif.
PE •. 12. Plans announced for Air
Corps ~lIations at Fairbanks and
Anchorage, Alaska.
MAil. 25. Sales of modern types of
Army combat airplanes to anti-
Axis governments by Air Corps
contractors authorized under a
"liberalilcd release policy," as a
means f"r expanding future Air
Corps p~oduction facilities.
AP•. '4. First Air Corps detach-
ment as~igned to Alaskan station
arrives at Fairbanks.
MAY 2J·2) . First demonstration of
complete military maneuvers sim·
ulatlng European combat opera-
tions are held at Barksdale Field,
La., by 320 Army aircraft during
Third Ar my maneuvers.
JUNE. WU Department announces
plans for training 7000 pilots and
3600 bombardiers and navigators
annually.
JUNE 21. KeU{ Field, Tex. grad·
uates el3!lS 0 236, largest in its
history.
J UNY. 29. Program of 12,835 air-
planes (54 combat groups) by
April I, 1942 approved as the
"Army's first aVIation objective
f or training, organization and
procurement."
JULY. $7,500,000 building program
nears completion at Scott Field,
111. i $9,364,000 is allotted Mof-
fet Field, Calif., for conversion
to West Coast Air Corps Train -
ing Cent(r.
'JULY 2. All exi sting limitations
susvended during fi scal year '94'
on the number oC flying cadets
in the Air Corps, the number and
rank of Reserve Air Corps of-
fice rs who may be ordered to ex·
tended active duty, and on the
number of ser viceable airplanes,
airships, and free and captive
balloons that may be equipped
and maintained.
JULY 8. 3 Air Corps Training
Centers established; Ai r Corps
Tra ining Center at Randolph
Field. Tex. redesignated Gulf
Coast Training Center , and
Southeast a nd West Coast Train-
ing Centers established with
headquarters at Maxwell Field,
Ala. and Moffet Field, Calif. re·
specti vely.
JULY 16. First bombar dier train-
ing in Air Corps Schools begins
at Lowry Field, Colo., with the
entrance of t he first class of
bombardier instr uctors.
AUG. 10. War Department an-
nounces opening of navigator's
course conducted by Pan·Ameri-
can Airways at Miami, Fla. with
initial enrollment of 50.
Auc. 2 I. Contracts announced
amounting to $10,893,248.94
awarded to civilian schools, put-
ting into effect the program for
the training of 7000 pilots and
3448 mechanics annually.
OCT. 23. Announcement made that
several Boeing B-17CS are de·
livered to Wright Field, Ohio for
flight tests.
OCT. 24. Northeast, Southeast,
Northwest and Sou thwest Air
Di stricts cons tituted for the pur·
poses of decentralizing training
and tactical control.
OCT. 25. Maj. Gen. H , H. Arnold
des ignated Acting Deputy Chief
of Staff for Air.
NOV. Firs t navigato r training in
Air Corps school s begins at
Ba rksdale Field, La .
s ov. J . Hq and Hq Sq, Hawaiian
A ir Force activated.
NOV. '9 . GHQ Air Force removed
from j uri sdic tion of the Chief of
the Air Corps an d as a n element
of the field forces, is placed un-
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
der the command of the general
commanding the field forces.
NOV. 20. Hq and Hq ~« , Panama
Canal Air Force, activated.
NOV. 21 -23. Announcement of
flight tests of B-25 and B -26
made. H 5 d SEPT. 2. Hq and Hq Sq. 5th Air
]941: JAN . 16. Hq and q qua-
rons Northeast, North~est, .So~th.
east and Southwest Au Dlstncts
activated. . d '
MAR. 26. Air Distncts re eSlg-
nated as A ir Forces: Northeast
as 1St, Northwest as 2nd, South-
east as 3rd and So'-!-thwest .as
4th' Air Corps Technical T ram·
ing 'Command establish ed. . Command.
)o(AY 6. Philippine ~Department Air
F orce activated and placed under
Brig. Gen. Henry B. Cl~g~elt.
MAY 15. Air Corps. Spe~ ,ahzed
Flying School at Eghn F ield .re·
designated Air Corps Provmg
Ground. . C
MAY 29. Air Corps Ferrymg om-
mand established.
JUNE 3. Grade of aviation cadet
created. .' d t
JUNE 4. Grade of aVI3t1on stu en
created. . F . fir st tactical plan~s pilot ed t o
JUNE 20. The Army AIr 'orces.ls
created to coordinate the acti v-
ities of the Air Force Comb~t
Command (formerly GHQ An
Force) and the Office of th~
alief of the Air Corps; Maj.
Gen. H. H. Arnold IS name~
Chief Army Air Forces; Maj.
Gen. 'G. H. Brett, Chief of the
Air Corps; and Lt .. Gen. D . C.
Emmon s, Commanding General,
A ir Force Combat C.9ml~land.
J UN E 27. The B'19, fi ymg labo-
rator y" of the AAF, makes first
test fli ght. .
J ULY 1 N orth AtlantIC Transport
Serv i~e, for ae rial t;anspo~t of
passengers a nd f~elght, mall-
gurate<i in a B·24 pilot ed by Col.
C. V. 1-laynes, in fli ght from
Bolling Field , D.c.. .
AUG. 12. AAF sl1blnt ts A ir \ Var
Note: \oVhere original records ,~'cre. not ava ibblc for \'cnfica tJon, the
information in Historica l l-'lghhghts is subject to rcyision .
Plan No. 1 to War D~partment
in answer to request from the
President.
SE I'T. In the first mov~ment of
heavy bombers by :1Ir across
357
western Pacific, Q B-17S fl y from
Hawaii to the Phi1ippin~s. .
SU1,port Command , activated.
SEPT. I I. First lise of paratrc;>Opers
in large·scale maneuvers IS an·
nounced. .'
SEI'T. 29. First class begills tram-
ing in heavy bombardment c rew
school. .
OCT. '7. Air Corps M?-llltenaT!ce
Command becomes Air ServIce
OCT. 23. Increase in A A F expan-
sion program from 54 to 84 com-
bat groupS announced by \Va.r
Department. .
OCT. 30. Reco;d-makm g wor.ld.
circling flight III a B'24 ,,:ar;y11l.g
members of Harriman MI SSion IS
completed at Bolling Field. D. C.
Pilot : Maj. A. V. ~ar vey.
Elapsed time: 17 days. Distance:
24 ,;00 miles.
NOV. 21. First of 16 "8:-245, the
overseas destin ation by Ar my
A ir Forces personnel, leaves
Bolling Field , D. C. for the
British at Cairo.
NOV. 22. 35 heavy ~m~rs. all
B- 17S, now in the PhlhpPlOes.
DEC. 7. ] ap. .mese attack J?carl Har·
bor. (For a chronological report
of events from Dcc. 7, 194 1, to
Ma rch IS , 1944 , se~ W ar Calt",-
dar, page 3 29.
) . .
 APPENDIX 359

HAPPY LA ND I NGS. Boston, Prin ceton, N. J., Princeton

University. 1943. $2.75
APPENDIX Houghton, 1942. $2.50
Johnston, S. Paul. FL.YIN G SQUAD-
RO NS , A GRAI'HIC HI STORY OF
Miller Franci s T. WOUD IN Tit !':
AIR 'THE STORY OF FLYING IN
Hn; U. S . ARM V AIR F ORCES. PI C~URF.S. N. Y., Putnam, 1930.
ASELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF AVIATION, N. Y ., Duell, Sloan & Pearce,
1942. $3 .50
2 vols. $10.00
Puffe r , C laude. E. AI!l TRAN.S-
The following Jist is quite deliberately a sc1cction focu s-
J ohnston, S. Paul. HOR IZONS
UrnIMITED. N. Y., Due ll, S loan
PORTATION. PhiladelphIa, BJaklS-
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Ricken backe r, Edward V. FIGHT-
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Ley son , Burr W. AM:EIUCAN I NG THE FLYING CIRCUS. N. Y.,
field : new American publications which present in readable WINGS_ N. Y., Dutto n, 1943. Stokes, 1919. $2.00
fashion impOfL1nt information on the various aspects of the $2.00 Smith, H e nry L. AIRWAY S ; TH E
Arm}' Air Forces and th e aviation scene today. Tbe purpose of McCoy, John T. PICTORIAL Hi STORY OF CO MMEIlClAL AVIA-
HI STORV OF THE ARMY AIR. TION IN TilE UN lT k:U ST ....TES.
this ) jbJiography is to serve as a guide to important recent FOR CES. N _ Y., Duell, Sloan & N. Y., Knopf, 1942. h.50
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NAUTICAL RF.FERENCE LIBRARY. ington, Government Printing ell, 1942. $2.00 NEER ' OF AIR POWER. N. Y.,
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358
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Co., '.'3.
$ .••
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I. C Auav FLYn, N. Y.,
Harper. 1942. $2 .50
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Harper. !94 1. h.oo
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IHC BO ... ER. N. Y., Scribner 's,
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WHAT
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FOllcn. N. Y., Norton, 1942.
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Caldwell, Cyril C . A liI; POWF.III.
AND TOTAL WAil . N. Y., Coward-
McCann, '943. $41.50
De Sevenky, A lexancler P . VIC-
Toav THROUGn AlII. Pown.
N. Y .. Sinlon &: ScbU8ler, 1942.
$2·50
Knox, John. WINGS 01' WAR, THY.
STORY 0,. AIR TRANSPORT.
N. Y. , Macmillan, 1944. h.oo
Lent, Henry B. BOW .... RDIU,
TOM DIXON WINS HIS WINGS
WITH THE BO".E& COW .. ... ND.
N. Y., Macmillan, 19 43. $2.00
Leyson, Burr W. WIN GS FOR OF-
FENSE. N. Y., Dutton, 1942.
h.50
LOOK (magazine). AIRPOWER.
N. Y .. Duell, Sloan &. Pearce.
1943· $41.75
Miksche, Ferdinand O. PARA-
T.OOPS. N. Y., Random H ouse,
1943· $2.50
Rathbone, Alfred D . HE'S IN THE
PARATROOPS Now. N. Y ., Mc-
Bride, 1943. $2.50
Ryan. Richard N. SPIN IN,
D UMBWHACKS. P hil adelphia,
Lippincott, 1943· $1.75
Sagendorph , Kent. T HUNDER
ALOFT, U . S. AIR POWER TODAY
-TO .. ORROW. Chicago, Reilly &
Lee, 1942. $2.50
Sears, Hugh. \VHAT'S NEW I N
THE AIR CORPS? N. Y., Gros!';et
& Dunlap, 1941. $.50
Steinh«k, John. BowBs AWAY,
THE STORY OF A BOMBER TEAM .
N. Y., Viking, 1942. $2.50
Winter, William. ARM yAIR
COMW",NDS. N . Y., Crowell,
1944. h.oo
W riters' Program, Texas. RAN-
DOLPH FIELD, A HISTORY ANI)
GUIDE. N. Y., Devin-Adair.
1942. $2.00
Douhet, Giu lio. COM M... ND OF
THE AIR. N. Y., Coward~Mc ­
Cann, 1942. $4.00
Drake, Francis V. VERT ICAl.
W ... RF", Re. N. Y. , Doubleda y,
1943· $].00
Hers hey, Burnet. AIR FUTUItE,
... P lUMER OF AEItOI'OLITICS .
N. Y., Duell , S loan &. Pearce,
1943· $2.7~
H uie, W illiam n. FIGHT 'OR
AlII. POWER. N. Y., L. 8 .
Fi scher, 19 42. h.50
Lee, J ohn G. FIGHTER FACTS
AND F ... LLACIES. N. Y., Morrow,
1942. $1. 2 5
Michie, Allan A. AIR OFFENSIVE
APPENDIX
AGAINST GERMANY. N. Y., Holt,
1943. $2 .00
Miksche, Ferdinand O. ATTA>CiC,
... STUDY OF BLlTZJ(REIG TAC-
TICS. N. Y., Random House,
194 2. $2.5 0 . .
.Mitchell, Wilham. WINGED D E-
6. MILIT ... RY AIRPLANES
Booth , Harold H. BOOK OF MOD*
ERN WARPLANES, ... COLLeCT la,s
OF P ... I NTINGS OF THE WORLD S
LATEST FIGHTING PL ... Nt:S.
N. Y., Garden City, 1942. $ 1.00
Guthman, L. C. AERONAUT ICS
AIRCRAFT SPOTTER S' HANOB O~ K .
N. Y., National Aeronauttcs
Council , 1943. $1.00
Kinert, Reed C. AME ln CA S
FI GHTI NG PL ... NES IN ACTtoN.
N. Y., Macmillan , 19 43 · $2.50
Law Bemard A. FIGHTING
PL~I'H:S OF THE WORLD. N. Y.,
Random H ouse, 1942. $1.00
7. AIR NARRATIV":S OF WORLD W... R 11
Balchen , Bernt, and other s. \VAR
BELOW ZERO_ Boston , H oughton ,
1944. $2.5 0 La wson, Ted \V. TlIlRTY SEC-
Childers, J ames S. W AR EAGLES,
THE STORY OF Til E EAGLE
SQUADRON. N. Y ., Appleton ,
1943. $3·7 5
Donahue, Arthur G. TALLV - H o I
YANKEE I N ... SPIrt' IKE. N. Y .,
Macm illan , 1941. $2_5 0
Ford, Corey. S HORT CUT TO
T OKYO, THE BATTLE FO.R TI: E
A U :UTI ANS. N. Y ., Scnbner 5,
1943. $ 1.7 5
Green law , Olga S. L AD V AND TlIl':
T IGEK S. N. Y., D utton, 1943·
I.~;~dison , priscilla, and Worm - RiBver
ser, An ne. Suz v-Q. Boston ,
,H ollghton, 1 943~ $2.00
H otz, R obe rt B., and others.
\¥ IT II GENERA.L CII~: N~"'UI,T,
Til E STORY OF TilE l'I.VINe
TI GI'. RS. N. Y., Coward*McCann,
1943. $3.00
PEN SE , TilE DEVELOPM ENT AND
POSS IIULITI I':S OF MOOERS A I R
POWEll_ECONOM IC AND MILI -
TARY. N. Y., Putnam, 19 2 5.
361
$2.50
Williams, Alford J. AIRPOWER .
N. Y., Coward-McCann, 19 4 0 .
$3.5 0William B. COM 1SG 8 "TTLE
Ziff
OF' GEIUIANY. N. Y., Duell ,
Sloan & Pearce, 1942 . $ 2.5 0
Leyson , Burr \V. \VARPLASE ANI)
H ow IT \VORK S. N . Y., Dutton,
1943. $2.5 0
Ott, Lester. AIRCRAFT S POTTER.
N. Y., Dodd , M ead , 19~3· $1.00
Pitkin Walte r B. Wu ... r S THAT
PL AN'E? Washington, Infantry
J ournal , 1942. $.25
Saville-Sneath , R. A. AIRCRAFT
, RECOGN ITI ON. \Vashington, In-
fant r y Journal, 194 3· $.25
Winter. William J. WAR PLAS ES
OF ALL NATIOSS. N. Y .,
Crowell, 1943. $2.50
Kenne rly, Byron. THE EAGLES
R OAR I N . Y. , H a r per, 1942 .
$3.00
ONDS OVER TOKYO. N. Y., Ran*
dom H ouse, 1943. $2.00
M illiS, Sam. CHENNAUL.T OF T I!E
FLYING TI GERS. Plnladelphta.
Macrae-Smith, 1943. $2.00
R edding, Jolm M., and Leys holl,
Harold I, SKYWA VS TO BERLIS ,
WITH THE AMERI CAN FLYEKS
IN ENG LAN D. Indianapoli s ,
Bobbs- Merrill 1943· $2.75
Rickcnbacker , Edwa rd V. SEVEN
CAM1~ TH ROUGH. N. Y., DOllble*
day, 11)43. $ 1. 5 0
Walter L. :M ALTA STORY ,
AS~ J) ON Till'. DIARY AN I)
EX I '~: K I Y.NCF.S OF LU:UTENANT
H OWAKI) r-.-1, COYF I N. N. Y.,
Dutton, 1943. $2.50
Scott. Robert L .. Jr . Goo .IS ~~Y
CO-PILOT. N. Y., Scnbner fl.
1943. $2.5 0

OFFICIAL AM GUIDE
Taggart, William C., and Cross
Christopher. My F I GHTING CON:
GREGAriOK. N . Y., Doubleday,
1943· h.75
TARCF.'1: GERWANY, THE A.MY
Au: FORCES' OFFICIAL STORY
OF TlU. VIII 8 0 M 8E. CoM-
WAND S F I RST YEAR OVER Eu-
kOI'£, N. y" Simon &: Schuster ,
1943. $1.00 &: h.oo
8. TlI EORY OF FLlCIiT AND PILOT TRA INI NG
Barringer, Lewin B. FLIGHT
WiTH OUT POWER, Till!; ART OF
N. Y.,
GLIDING AND SOARING.
Pitman, 194 2. $3.00
tBJack Archi bald. STORY OF
FLYJI'. (;. N. Y., W hittlesey,
1 94~. $Z·50
Chaptn , Mary K. W H Y MEN CAN
FL\'. N. Y. , Reynal & Hitchcock
~43· h.50 ' Drake, 1940. $3·00
tCleveDger , Cloyd P. MODERN
FLI(a.T. N. Y. , Noble, 1941.
$2·95
Columbia University. Teacher s
College. Aviation Education Re-
Karch Group. SCIENCE OF PRE-
FLlGH.T AERONAUTI CS. N. Y.,
Macnullan, 1942. $1.32. (Air-
Aif~ ~ducation Seri~s, includes
a bIbliography of thiS series)
·Flohe~t)' , John J . AVIATION
FROIf SHOP TO SKY. Philadel-
phia, Lippincott, 194 I. $2.00
tGann, Ernest K . GETT I NG THEM
I NTO tHE BLUE, N, y" Crowell,
~942 . $2.00
tHall , Char les G , How A PLANE
FL IES, Au. You SURE You
KNOW? N. Y., Funk & Wag-
nall s, 1942. $2,00
H artn~, Harold E, CONI'LET!!:
~LYI"(; MANUAL. N. Y., Na-
t ional Aer onautics Council, 1940,
$1. 2 5
tHun t, J ack , and Fahri nger , Ray.
STUDENT P ILOT H AN I)lIOOK.
9. TEC H N ICAL HANDBOOKS
AVI.\TION TRAIN I NG SER IES
Flight Pr~paration T r aining Se-
ries, S. Y .. McGr aw- Hili , 194 3.
AItROLO(;Y ,.OR P ILOTS. $1.25.
Whelan , Russell . FLYING T IGERS.
N. Y. , Viking, 194J. $2·50
White, William L. QUEENS On:
PROUDLY . N . Y., Harcou rt, 1943.
$2·5°
Whittaker, James C. WE
THO UGHT WE HEARD TilE
AN GE LS Suw. N. Y., Dutton,
1943. $1.5 0
N. Y. , Books, 1943, $2·50
tJor danoff, Assen. YOUR W I NGS.
N. Y., Funk & Wagnall s, 1942.
$,.00
tKnerr, H ugh J. STUDENT PI-
LOT'S TRAINING P RIME". N. y"
Van Nostr a nd, 194 1. $ 1. 75
Man ley , Ga rdene r B, AVIAT ION
FROM THE. GROUND UP. Ch icago ,
Niles, Alfred S, and Newell
J. S, AIRPLANE STRUCTURE.S:
N, y" Wiley, 1943 . .2 vols. $9.00
Page, Victor W. A. B. C, OF
AV IATION. N. Y. , Henley, 1942.
$2.50
Peck, James L. H . So YOu 'RE
GOING TO FLY , N, Y., Dodd
Mead. 1941. $2.50
Robinson , Pearle T., and others.
SU'ORt'; You FLY, E SSE NTIAI.S
01' ..h :RONAUTI CS. N. Y., H olt,
1943. $2.00
Shields, Bert. AIR PILOT TRAIN-
IN G. N. Y., M cGraw-Hili, 194 3.
$3.5 0
tStieri, Emanuele. GLID ..:RS AND
G,.WER TRA I NING. N. Y., Duell,
Sloan & Pearce, 194 3. Sa.OO
Stout, William B., and Reck
F, M. TOMORROW W E FLV:
N. y" Crowell, 1943. $2,00
Turner, Roscoe, a nd Dubuque,
j, H . . W I N YOUll. W I NGS. Chi -
cago, Drake, 1943 . .2 vols. $6.00
AIR NAV IGATION. Parts 1-3 , 5,
$4.25. EFFECTS OF FLIGHT,
PIIYSICAL ANI) MENTAL A s -
PECTS, $.60, MATIH:MATI CS 1'0)(
363
APPENDIX
MATICS FOR AVIATION. Boston,
PILOT S. $.75. OPERATION OF H oughton, 19~ 3. $3. 00
AIRCRAFT ENGINES. $.90. PHYS-
ICS MANUAL FOR P ILOTS. $.9 0 . MEDICAL ASI'ECTS OF AVIATION
PRINCIPLES Of' FLYING, $1.5 0 .
Barr, Eugene O. FLYING MEN
Wright, Bailey A" and others. AND MEDICINE: THE EFFECTS
FLIGHT, GENE.RAL SURV":Y OF OF FLYING UPON THE H UMA!'i
FUNDAMENTALS OF AVIATION.
BODY. N. Y., Funk & Wagnal\s,
Qlicago, American Technical 50-
ciety, 1941-1942. AIRCRAFT EN- 1943. $2.5 0
Grow, Malcolm C. FIT TO FLY , A
GlNJo:S. $3.25. CON ST RUCTION AND MEDICAL HA NDBOOK. N. V.,
MAINTENANCE. $2.50. FIRST
Appleton, 194 1. $2.5 0
PRINCIPLES. $2.50, MEn:OROL-
OGY, AIRCRAFT I NSTRUMENTS ,
Kafka , r..L Martyn. FLYING
HEAI.Til, Harri sburg, Pa., Mili -
AND NAVIGATION, $3. 2 5, tary Service, 1942. $2.00
AERlAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND tZim, Herbert 5. MAN IN THE
MAP REAOING AIR, THE EFFECTS OF FLYING
ON TilE HUMAN BODY. N . Y.,
Earley, A rmand J. AER IAL PHO-
TOGRAP HS, THEIR US .. AND I N- H a r court, 1943, $3. 00
1'ERI' R ~: T AT!ON. N. Y. , H arper, MSTEOROI.OGY
1942, $2.75 Eaton , Elbert L. WEATHER
Field, Richard M" and Stetson ,
GUIDE FOR AIR PII.OTS. N. Y. ,
H . T. MAl' READING AN D AVIGA-
TlON, AN INTRODUCT ION. N. Y.,Ronald, 1943. $2.00
Van Nostrand , 1942. $2.5 0
Harri son, Louis P. METEOK-
OLOG Y. N . Y., National Aero-
t H eavy, William F. MAP AND
At:K IAL PHOTO RE ADI NG SIM:-nautics Council, 1942. $2.00
tJordanofi, Assen. THRO UG H THE
1'1.1 1'1 £0. H a rri sburg, Pa ., Mili-
OV ..:RCAST. N. Y., Funk & Wag-
tary Service, 1943. $1.00
S harp, H oward O. PHOTOGRAM- nalls, 1943. $3,00
tSloane, Eric. CLOUDS, A IR AND
METRY. N. Y., Wiley. 1943· WIND. N, Y., Devin-Adair ,
$3.5 0 1941. $3. 00
' Wenstro m , William H. WEATHEK
AVI AT IO N ENGINES AND
MECHANICS AND T HE OCEAN OF Alit. Boston,
Colvin, Fred H. AIRCRAFT H AND- H o ughton, 1942. $4,5 0
BOOK. N. Y., McGraw-Hili, MODEL AtlU'LANES
1942. $5.00
Sticri, Emanuele. B UILDING
tHylander , Clarence J. FLYING MODEL WAR PLANES FOR THE
POWER. N. y" Macmillan , 1943·
ARMY AND NAVY. N. Y., Duell,
$2.00 S loan & Pearce, 1943, $2.5 0
tJordanoff, Assen . MAN BElliNO
Stieri , Emanuele. SUI'PLEMENT
TilE FLIGHT, A GROUlm COUKS£
TO B UILDING MODEL \V AR
FOR AV IAT ION MECHANICS A!,<D
PLANES FOR THt: ARMY ,\:-1))
A IRMEN . N, Y. , Harper, 194 2 .
NAVY. (60 full s ize construction
$3·50 patterns.) N, y" Duell , Sloan
r. .fanl ey, Gardener B. A IR CRAFT
& Pearce, 1943. $1. 2 5
POWEKI'LANT MA NUAL. Chicago,
NAV IGATION AND IN STRUM~: NT
Drake, 1942. $4.00
Nor cr oss, Carl, and Quinn , J. D. FLYI NG
AVIATION M EC HAN IC, N, Y.,
Hurt, Haworth W., and Wolf,
McG raw -Hili, 194 1, $3,5 0 C, A, FLI GII T I NST RUMt: NT S.
AVIATION MAT HEMAT ICS N. Y., Nation ... 1 Aer o nautics
Ayres, Frank. BASIC M AT HE- COl1ncil. 1942. $1.00
..
L7011. Thobum C.
GATIO',
AERIAL
N. Y., National Aero--
OFFICIAL Uf CUIDE
NAYI-
nautio Council, 1~4.2 . $ 1.50
Smith, Frederick H. FLYING n
INSTRUMENTS. N. Y., National
Aeronautics Council, 1942. $1.50
Weems Philip V. H . Ala NAVI-
GATtO •• N . Y .• McGraw- Hill ,
1943· h.50
tZim, Herbert S. AIR N AVI GA-
TION. N. Y., Harcourt, 1943.
$3.00
PARA eH U TES
Fechet . James E., and others.
1 0. LlTER.\.TURE OF FLiCHT
Benet. William R. WITH WUICS
.s EAGLES, POE .. S AND
LADa 01" THE A, •. N. Y., Dodd,
Mead, 1 ~40 . $2.00
Collison Thomas. THIS WINGED
WOaLD; AN ANTHOLOGY OF
N. Y. , Cow-
AV1ATIDIf FICT10ff.
ard-McCann, 1943. h·50
Hart. Mou. WIN GEO V ICTORY,
THE AI. FO.CE PI,AY . N. Y.,
RaDdcm House, 1943. $2.00
Uaclberrb Anne M . LI STEN I THE
WIND. N. Y., Harcourt, 1938.
' •• 50
11 . YEA RBOOKS AND DICTIONARIES
VE..... OO KS
A U08PHERE. N. Y.,
Aircraft
Publications, 1939-1944. Vol. 4,
'94+ $15.00
AIK. ." YE.....OOIC. N. Y .,
Aeronamcal Cham~r of Com-
merce of America, 1919- 1943.
Vol. 25 19-43. $5.00 ( Vol. 26 t o
be pubished June, 194-4)
AMr..I CAN AVIATION DtRECTORV .
Wuhinrton. American Aviation
Auoc:iales, 19-40- 1943. Vol. 7.
'943· $5 .00
ADdrew., Phillip. AI. NEWS
Yuaaoox. N . Y., Duell , Sloan
• Pea.ru, 1942. $3 .75. ( V ol. .2
10 be ....n. hed Jun., '944>
Oenland, Reginald M., and
Graham, Frederick P . AV I ... TIOH
ANNUAL OF ' 944. N. Y.,
Doubleday, 1943. $J·So
P".... C HUTU. N. Y .• National
Aeronautics Council, 1942. $1.00
SP ... NI SII. N. Y ., Frederic k
U ngar , 1943. $5.00
Baughman, Harold E. AV IATION
_ENDII
ARY. San Francisco, Aviati on
365
TURE FOR AP.:RO N... UTI CS, A M oo-
ERN AERON"'UTICA L DI CTION-
fZim , Herbert S. PARACHUTES. DI CTIONARY AND R EFER P.NCE Press, 1942 . $2 .00
N. Y., Harcourt , 1942 . $2.50 GUlDE. Glendale, California, U. S. Army Air Force" Director
Aero Publishers, 1942. $6 ·50 of Intelligence Service. Dl c-
RADIO I N AVIATION
Jordanoff, Assen. jORO ... NOFF'S TION ... RY OF AERON"'UTI CAL
Fechet, James E., and othen. . It. LUSTR ... TED AVI ... TIO N D IC- T EWM S' ENGL ISH, j ... "ANt:SE.
RA DIO IN A IR MANSH IP. N. Y., TION ... RY . N. Y., Harper, 1942. FREN C'; , GERM AN. Washington.
National Aeronautics Council , $J.50 Government Printing Office ,
1943. $1.00 Thorpe, Leslie A. S IMPLI FIED 1942. $.35
Morgan , Howard K . AIRCRAFT D EFINIT ION'S ... ND KOMENCI. ...-
RADIO AND ELECTRI CAL EQUIP-
12 . MAC... Z INES
MENT. N. Y .• Pitman, 1941.
$4·50 AERO DI GEST. N. Y., Aeronauti- AV I ... TION NE WS. N. Y., ~I c ­
cal Diges t Publishing Cor pora- Graw-Hill. \yeekly, 19.4J-dat~ .
tion . Semi-monthly, 192 I-date. FL\' I NG. Chicago. Zlff- Dan s.
AERON ... UT IC... L ENG I NEERI NG RE- Monthly, 19 27-date.
Lind~rgh , A nne M. NORTH TO VIEW. N. Y., In stitute of the J OURN ... L OF THE AERONAUTIC ...L
BAL- TH£ ORIENT. N. Y., Harcourt, Aeronautical Sciences. Monthly. SCIENCES. N. Y., Institute of
1935· h.50 194 2-date. the Aeronautical Sciences. Quar·
Rodman , Selden. POETRY OF AIR F"'CTS. N. Y., Ai r Facts Inc. terly, 1934-<late.
FLIGHT , AN ANTHOLOGY. N. Y., Monthly, I9 38-date. J OU RN... L OF AV I ...TION M EDIC I NE .
Duell , Sloan & Pearce, 1941. AIR NEWS. N. Y., Phillip A.n- St. Paul, Minn ., Bruce Publish -
$2.50 drews. Monthly, 1941 -date. in g Co., Bi -monthly , I 930·date.
Saint Exupery, Antoine de. A IR- A UI PILOT ... ND T~:C HN IC 1"' N M OD¥.L AIR I'L"'NE NE WS. Moullt
)(A!,; 'S OOY SS EY. N. Y. , Reynal ( formerly Sportsman Pilot). Morri s, Ill., Air Age Inc.
&: Hitchcock, 1943. h.oo. ( In - N. Y .. F. A. Tiche nor. Monthly, l\Ionthly, I 929-dale.
cludes Wnw , S"'ND ... ND ST ... RS, 1929-date. N ... TION ... I, AERON ... UT ICS. \-Vas h·
N IGHT FLIGHT, and FLIGHT TO AIR TECH. N. Y., Phillip _An- inl,rton, National Ae ronautic As-
ARR ... S) drews. Monthly, 1942-date. sociation . Monthly , 1923-date.
AI R TR ... ILS. N. Y. , St reet & SKYW ... YS. N. Y .. Henry Publish -
Smith. Month ly , 19 I s -date. ing Co. Monthl y, 1942-date.
AIR T R... NSPORT. N. Y., McGraw- SOUTJlERN FLIGHT. Dallas.
Hill. Monthly, I943-dat e. Texas, Air Review Publishing
Cooke, David C. AIRCRAFT AN- A Mt:RI C... N AV I ... TION. \ Vashing- Corp. Monthly, 1934-date.
NU"'L ' 944. N. Y., McBride, ton , American Aviation Asso- U. S. A IR SERV ICES . Washing-
1943. $3.00 ciates. Semi-monthly, 1937-date. Ion . A ir Sen·ice Publis hing Co.
Cooke . David C. , a nd Dav idson, AUTOMOTIVE ... ND AV IATION IN- Mont hly, 1919-da te.
Jesse. MOO~: L PL"'NE ANNU ... L. ~USTR I ES. Philadelphia. Qlillon \Vt:STERN FLYING. Los A n geles.
N. Y. , McBride, 1941 - 1943. Co. Semi-monthly , 1899-date. Occidental Publish ing Co.
Vol. 2, 1943. h'50 AV I... TION. N. Y. , McGraw- Hill. Monthly . 1926-date.
Cooke, David C. ( formerly Monthly, 19 I 6-dat e.
edi ted by Frederick P. Graham
and Regi nald M. Oeve land.) THE OF FICI ...L SERVICE JOURNAL-AAF personnel, both commi s-
YOUNG AMERI CA ' S AVIATION' s ioned and enl isted, each mont h are furnished copies of A lii. FOK C ~: .
ANNU ... L. N. Y., Mc Bride, 1940- the Official Ser vice Journal of the U. S. A r my Air Forces. Popularl y
194~. Vol. 4 , 1943· h.50 st yled for general interest, A IR FORCE keeps personnel in formed on
J ... Nf: S ALI. THP. \VOkLO'S AIR- tacti cal technical and organizational d evelopments within the AA F
CR ... FT. N. Y ., Macm illan , 1909- and on ~ther perti nent informat ion regarding the air war. Its articles
1943· Vol. 32, 1943. $19 ·00
Me contributed by AA F offi cers and me n , and it serves as a !'lediulll
DI CTION ... RI ES for the exchange of ideas a nd information among both Ayll\l( anti
.... hre ns. Lothar. D ICTION ... RY 0 ' ground pe rsonnel. A lii FO RCE: is di stributed without charw:e on a
AERON ... UTI CS; EN GLI S II , prorate(\ basis through station a nd field c hannels.
FREN CH, GERM ... N, I T... ', .... N,

ABBREVIATIONS
B elow are listed abbreviations found
others commonly used in the AAF :
AA-4nli.ircra!t
AACS-Army A irways Communi-
cations Sy stem
AAF- Anny Ai,. Forces
AAFA5-Army Air Force.t Aid
Society
AAFSAT-Army Ai,. Forces
School rJI Applied T actics
AAFTAC- A r my A i,. Fo rces Tac-
tical Center
AAFTAD-A rmy Air Forces
T rainin, Aids Division
AAFTC-Army Air F orces Train-
inl1 C"""mand
AC-Ai,. Corps
A / C-ovU;ti(m cadet
ACER-Air Corps Enlisted Re-
I,,",e
AEAF-Allied Expeditionary Air
Forces (Europe )
AFCE-ANlomatic Flight Control
EqHipnun'
AFSWA- Assistan' Secretar y of
lVar 1M Ai,.
A G F- A " fty Cround Forces
AGO-Ad;utont General's Office
AlA-Air Judge A dv ocate
AM- Air M edal , airplaJle me-
cM" ;c
ANC-A,.lnY Nurse Corps
ANSCOL-Army-Nav y S taff Col-
lege
A PO- Anny Post 0 Dice
AR-A rmy R egulat ion
A Se-A ir Service Command
AS F- ArIllY Se rvice Forces
A SN-Ar1'lY senal "lim ber
ATC-Air Transpor t Command
A T S-Ar1llY Tran sport Se rvice
AUS-ArMY of the United S ta tes
AVe.-American V olu nteer Group
(Flying T igers)
I AWC-Arm y War College, A ir-
craft W.rning Corps
A \V O L-o~.re nt wit hout official
leave
368
In this book and a few
A \V S-A ircra f t If ' arm·ng Service
AWVS- Americall rVom ell 's Vo l-
untary Se rvices
BOQ-bacllelor officers' quarters
BPR- B llreall of Pllblic Relations
BTC- Basic Training Center
CAA-Civil Aeronautics Adminis-
tration
CAP-Civ il Air Patrol
CAV U-ceiUn O alld visibiWy un-
lim ited
CBI -Chilla-Burma-India Theat er
of OPera tiolls
CC R C-Combat Crew R eplace-
men t Center
CFE-co1ttractor furnish ed equip-
fft<.ont
CG-Commanding General
CO-Commanding Officer
CW S-Chemica/ Warfare S erv ice
DFC- Distingrlished Flying Cross
D/ R- dead reck o"in g
DSC-Distinguished Service Cross
D S M-Distingltislted Service
M edal
EM-enlisted man
ET A-esti fmJt ed time of arrival
ETO-Eu ropean Th eater of
Operations
FlO- flight officer
F M-jicld rnalillal
FTC-Flying T raining Command
GC r-urolflld controlled intercep-
tion
GCT- Ot!llcral classification test ·
Greenwich Civil Time '
GF E-oovernment furnish ed
eqllipment
G H Q- General H eadq lwrtcrs
G.l.-Govern ment issue
ABBREVIATIONS
GOC- Ground Observer Corps
Gp-Grollp
eSC-General S taff CorPS
HE- high explo siv e
hp-horsepower
Hq_ headfJuarters
lA S-indicated airspeed
JAC- Joint A ircraft Committee
LM-Legion of M erit
MH - M edal of H onor
MO S- military occupat ional
s pecial ty . Forces (E urope)
MP_ Military PolIce
mph- m iles per hOllr
MT U-mobile trailling unit
N A A F-Northwest African Air
Forces . .
NAAFW-Natiollal ASSOCtat loll of
A ir F orces Wo men
N ACA-National Advisor), Com-
~Ii ttee for A crolla rdics
N CO_II Ollcomm issioned officer
NS Ll-National Serv ice Life In-
srtra'lce
OC (S)-Officer Catldidate
( S cltool )
OO-officer of the day .. oUve
drab
o R C-Officers' Reserve Cor ps
oSW-Office Secretary of W ar
OTS-O ffice r Traill j'lg Sc hool
OT U_Operational Tra-i ll ing
U nit
P D- Port of Debarka tion
POI- pilot direc/ioll indicator
P CC-Proving Grolm d COlll malld
PH-Purple H eart . Wac-a mem ber of the WAC
POE-Port of E mbarkatIon
PO M-Preparation for Overseas
M at/em ellt
POW- prisoller of war
PRO_ Pu blic Relatioll s O fficer
------------
QM(C)_Qlforter",aster (Corps)
361
RA- R eo ular A rm y .
RA A F-Roy/JI Au stralian Air
Force
RAF-Royal Air Force (Great
B ritain) .
R eA F-Rol'al Ca,lodion Ai r Force
RNZA F-Royal New Zea/Dlld
Air Force
rpm-revo/ll tiotls pcr mi!lII.te
RTC-Replacemellt TraIning
Cen ter . . .
RTU_Rc placement Trarllul g Utili
SAAF-Sollth A frican A ir Force
S H AEF-Supreme He adll.".arters
of the A llied Expedl iiollary
S M-Soldier' s M edal .
SOP-stan dard operatUig pro-
cedllre
Sq-SqrwdrOf'l
T Ce- Troo p Carrier Co-mmalld
T I E-table of eq rlipmcnt
TM-tcchtlical m a nltal
TO-technical order
T I O-table of organj:;.at.ion
TT C-Tech llical T rallltng Com-
mand
T V-te rminal velocity
UR-lIflsa tisfactory report
US A AF-U. S. A rmy Air Forces
USM A-U. S. Military .Acat!cmv
USSTAF-V. S. StrategIc AI'
F orces (Europe)
V H F-very high freqltellcy
VOCO-verbal onlers comma II d-
illg officer
VOQ-visiting office r~ qUarters
VP_variable pitch
\VAC- H"o me,,'s A n n).! Corps
·W A S P-Women's Airforce Serv-
ice Pilots
Wasp-A member 0/ the IV ASP
\"ID_ IVar Department
WO-tuorrant officrr
Z I-:;olle of interior
 U1 VERNACULAR 369

Mae West-inflatable life vest. compJishment of trans- occ~II!C

Messerschmitt May tag- light, low flight . Many concepts of on!!.",
horsepowcr liaison type air- lind eligibility to membersh,p.
craft.. elaeck ship in washout Members erell/m ge $i'guaturcs on
paper m Olley atta<;hed t ogclh~r .
AAF VERNACULAR flight.
milk-run-routine ,,,,iss;o" flOWfl, luually from ",a"'ous countn es
repeatedly. in w hiel, they have served.
mustard cluster-mythical award socked in-ceiling :;ero~
I T he language 01 the AAF has been expanded by th e addition for poor bombing. solid bundle of blitz-large for -
of words and phrases peculiar to aircraft and aerial combat. on the beam-actiug effectively or mation of Il't/emy aircro/t .
satisfactorily. sp!nning your wheels-'ttlOstino
The expressions given below are only a few examples chosen on the deck- minimu.n altit/lde; t,me or energy alld accomplish -
I from those most common and most widely used. Some of them lIear the ground or water. ing nothing.
will undoubtedly se rve only lor the duratIon; others may find a overcoat-parach/~te. static-bender- radio operator.
POI chaser- pilot. stooge-copilot.
perm~nent place in our language. Many of them have other peashooter-fighter pilot of fighter stratosphere Joe-a tall man .
meanmgs. plane. stuff-dO /Ids or weatller.
peel-olI-to h,rn a corller. or sweat it out-to wait expectantly.
baksheesh-easy mission; no flying coffi n-dilapidated plal.c. leave a group of friC1lds. tail-end (or low-hole) Charlie-
ellcm)' encountercd. gaggle-group of aircralt in for - pencil pusher- navigator. willY man i n formation.
bandits-er.cmy planes. mation. photo Joe-pilot of sillgle scat Tokyo tanks-auxi/iary gas tanks.
bathtub-bllll turret. geese-bombers ill formalion. photographic aircraft. t ruck dri ver-transport pilot.
I belly landing-landing withOltl get cracking-sho'tv action; h ltrry picklebarrel-shack or target '" Tojo-soldicr who is readino
wheels. up. bombardier trailling. technical orders (tech ordcr
big friends-bombers. glory wagon-Flying Fortress. prop wash-gossip. Joe).
big jeep-klrgc bomber. greenhouse-gJass elicloSltre, IIS'~­ Purple H eart corner-olltside- togg1ier-bom ba rd ier.
I biscuit gun-imaginary applipllcc ally bombardier compartment. plane in lowest fl)'i ng elemellt washout-one w ho has beet! elimi-
for shoO/ing food to pilols who ground-g ripper-tlotl-/lying per- of bomber fo rma tion. nated tram /lying training.
ore having difficulty i,l lal/ding. so"tlcI. rainmaker-meteorologist. washing machine-flight com-
bogie-unidentified aircraft. hangar fiying-conversatioll about raunchy-sloppy /lying Icchlliq'l e. ",allder's airpla'lf! for aviation
bomb-up--loadino with bombs. /lying and killdred subjects. ribbon happy-airman 1vitIJ e.r- cadet qualification flights; a
buzz-dive low over- on arca. hangar pilot-olle who docs his t reme interest in his decora- platle in which an fUloSllcccssful
cadd wid;)ws-girls wllo date best " flying" in cOllversalioll. liolls or in collecting t/l em. cadet is "'Washed out."
many coicts. hanging 011 props-near Poillt of Roger-all rigllt. (O K ); "] IIIlder- willcQ-'I'en'lI comply.. will do;
chairborne troops-lIoll·/lying stall. stalld"; "[ have received all of "your last message (or message
· AAF personnel. hang out the laundry-dropping your last ( radio ) tra'lSmission." indicatcd) has been received,
I chauffeur-pilot. paratroops. short-snorter-member of ulloffi- utldl'rSIOod, alld ( whcre appli-
Chinese I.. nding-londing with hedge-hop-/lyitlg belo'w level of cial Iraternity reiating to ac- cable) ten'lf be complied with ."
one wing low. obstacles atld /lopping over
ciocks-ins;ruments on panel in them.
cockpit. hemp st retcher-member of bal-
coffee grinder-aircraft enolne. 100 ' 1 outfit.
conk-s lfddc!tt stopping of eng ine hit the silk-bail out.
during !liU/11. hot pilot-fighter pilot whose abil-
cra1r-apponmt sid,"wise motiOIl of ily is rccogw·:;/.·d as superlative,
I an airplane with respect to fiflll/I!r Pilot slio1l'-o/J or brag-
· urolOld 'WllelJ flyill {1 with a gart.
side 'Wind. hot- plane- aircraft nceding careful
: dodo-aviation cadet who has IIOt halldling 'Un'tll IIigh takcoff or
yet soloed. landillg speed.
· dry run-,ractice, or dress re- in the drink-Iorceli ll01.lm at sea.
I h(!arsal for operlltions. junior prom-hot mission.
eggs-bombs. jun ior birdman- rccipielll of Air
· £an'!+-propcllcrs, Medal .
. flak happy-condition resllltinU kiwi-a non-jlyj"f) officer.
from combat fatigu(· . m,lIlhou.se~QlltrQl tower.
368
 "Air Force," &enice journal air ol!'enslY! 2. S, 6, 23, INDEX 371

; boldfaee t'\curt9 Indicate

INDEX
pb.-photograpb. fr,-frontisplece
air foree
36'
17, 20. 283
air service c:ommand 22-4,
257. 283. 284
massaUae!I. 1,3.282,285
airplane, see . aircraft, also
by types and by names
alnrays. Set also Arm1 Alr-
,mrs Com_ System 350
tlrst
detachmenl!J
341
199
178, 181. 183, 190, 193
prlndpal I'!ferences c:b. ---chart. eut,---Cllta\\'ay basiC unit ot 17 alrpol\·er. strategic 1, 2, 25. station ph.77,114,211
I U.-Wustrattons (drawlnp) mp,-map QU.---quoted bomber command 22, 23 34, U.255, 282-300, 34 7 Alabam.a, test bombing 347
\ Note: A1t B'lrees arc listed under Air Foreell, Continental, and Air Fortes, Overseas command 20-26. eb.29, tactical 2,25.11.255, Alaskan Air Force 297.329

AU Board
ebaUenge'"
• 1
2
turnover
use of
218
226
use of native labor In 37.t.
operational ceiling ch.130
oxsgen equipment 134,
173, 174
derense command
englnee\"9
218
23
30. 218
with surface rorces
282-300
25. 2n, 286, 287-289,
2,
Aleutians campaign 297, 331
Alexlshllfen
Allied Expeditionary Air
336

combat llUama" 282 ph.84. 220, 222-~ pay-loads m186.355 ,fighter command 22. 23. 290,295 ,342 lI'orces 63
dDrtrine 2. 16 varieties defined 211 P1!rtonnance 129, cl1.130 fiJght 17.26.27.260 air program, 1039 6, 354-5 all-I\'eatber operations 11 2,
&rowtb 3,4,37,38, airborne power plant 135, 143 group 20,21,26.260 1940 3T , 355, 356 12.
ch.39. 42, 96, 357 intercept eQuipment 214 pressurized eabln ch.131, parts of IT 1941 3, 4, 5 Amchltka I sland 215, 2 9T
bilItoll' 9 troops 15,35,112. 2n. l..38, 355 squadron 17. HI, 21, 26 air routes. ATe 1 5, 118, American Ited Crosg 98,
orpnizatlm 9, 356 290.356 procurement 15, 124, 125 strategic 20, 24, 25, 26, 193,194, mp.1D5 99, 228
place in Wu Department Air Brigade. 1stl Provisional production 5.35, 123. 258, 284-286. 333, 337 air·sea rescue 24, 118, ammunition, Set bombs 115
9, elLIa, 34. 330 341 cl1.124,11.153 supporting units 22 119, 228, 252 small-arms ph. 73,14 7, 149
reorpnUalion 3;$8 AlrCommunieatiof13 OftIcer propeller 135. 143. tactical 20.24-26. AIr Service, U. So Army ampblblous operations 215.
A-I, A-2. A·a, A-4 12 n.144,11.145 258. 287.288.333, 33T 340,343,346 290-294
27.28, ch.29 Afr'Corps. see Army Air Corps range, Ofer years ch.134 troop carrier command Alr ServIce Command 14. Anchorage. Alaska 356
access road 209.219 aircraft 32. 123-150, rotary wing 134, 329 23.24, 178 15, 103, 178, n .180 Andaman Islands 330
aee1deD1. 122 phs.154-l68 sabage or 7. 22, 28. ~g 20, 260 189, 351 Anderson, Maj. Gen. F . L.,
Acera 195, 2la aeceptances. 1943-44 178. 199, 203 Air Foree Combat Command air depot 14.180· 1, 199 Jr. ph.6S
AdU bland 195. 291 eh.124 sem~ celliiii'. ch.132 9. 330, 357 base suppl y 114,180.1 81 Anderson, Brig. Gen. O. A.
aIrbue at U.225 airframe cb,124, 135-6 shipment 188-189 Air Foree.q. Continental 10, branch depot 181. ch.1 82 353.354
I adJutaDt lene:a1 30, 46 all-metal, 1st 349 speelotaUong ch.130· 14, 15. 16. 103, 122 etvlllan employees 96 Andrews. Lt. Gen. F. M.
, Admlralt, lslmds 215. 291-2 allocatton 179 131. 133 lst 14.16,59. U.235 , general depot 181, 332,333.3 53,354
aerial qll'Ittr 18. 43. appropriations 123. 341 BIlCed. over years ch.133 300, 32Q. 33 1,335. 357 ch.182.201 Anklam 335
46, 112, 200 armament 18. 109, supereharger 136, 138. 2nd 14.16,60.11.235, service centers ph.75, anoxia 242.243.248
I aerial gunner 18.42,44,52, cb,131.146.147 141. n.142 329, :Ja7 181. ch.182 antialreraft 46.4 1.21 0,
63,ph. 73.eh 102,101,111 armor cb.131. 149. 150 tactical rsdlUS' ch.131 3rd 14.16.60,11.235, Tech. Orden! 202-203 264,27 5, 277.284
aeroembolism 244., 245 bomb loads eh.130 test ftlghts 15.175 329.351 In theaten! 22,17 8. 181 Antiaircraft, Special Asst.
AeronautJcl. Bureau of camouHage 128 tires 131) 4th 14,16, 60. 11.235, airship 341.348 for 12
MWury 340. 344 cbaracteristlcs 129, types 126, ch.130 329.335.357 semi-rigid 34 8 Antilles Air Command 299
Ael'OftaUtieal Chart plant 16 eh.130 weights ch.124, ch.132 AlrForces,Ove\"9eas 282-300 D2 349 Antisubmarine Command
air, eharaeterllUt:8 231 crul~tng speed ch,132 wing 135, 137 5th 65.11.235, 289. RSI 350 35, 299, .300, 332, 835
'pressure 245 design 32. 126. 133, 174 See also individual type9, 292,322,330.332-33 7 'l'C1 349 Antwerp 333
Afra(:obro (P-39) ph. 163 desigrultion of 125. 126 and by name 6th 67 , 1l.235. 298, 330 Air Starr 10, cb.13. 34 Apamama 335
allbase 6. 14, 115. 204-228 dimensions ch.130 alreraft control 274 7th 66,11.235.293.330, Assistant Chiefs 10, 11. Applied Tactles, School of
advanee H.ll4, 218. 294 electrical system 145. 146 Aircraft Production. Bureau 331,332,335, 336, 338 333 117, 332
batUe for 214,211 engine ch.130. ch,132, of 340.344 8th 23. 62, 116.226. Chief 10, ch.lS, 58 Appropriations 123, eh.128
bomber 205,209,219. 135,136. 139.11.140 alreraft warning 46, 47. U.235, 283-285, 289, Deputy Chief's 10, 11 AAF ch.128
220,222, 226 ftre extinguisher 172 103, 209. 274, 276 330-338 Air 8urgeon 11. 122. 248 Air Corps eb.1 28,35 1-2
eaaouftace 219. 2Zl, 222 flaps 136,11.138, 146 Aircraft Warning. Corps
9tb 62, D.235. 284, 287, alrtask force 215 Air Service ch.128, 344
eonttructioo 24,28.34, fuel 136, 142, 143 91.114 air trans\'Kltt 3!i. ph.S 1, 346-35 1
pb.84, 1:4, 215. 11.219, guns ch.131, 136, 146, alrcrew 288.332.333.334.337 ph. S4, 185, ch.186 . 193 Aviation Section, Signal
8. 2T. 43, 47. 10tl1 64.11.235.294.
220-225 147,149 cb.131,226 combat un lLS. 193-4,31Q Corps ch. 128.340-344
control tonr 16,11.208, gunslght 141 295,330,331 ArcUc. Uesert and Tropic
member 43.n.50, 52. 11th (l6. n.235, 282. emergency 35, 185. 194
defense 23.114,209, hydraulle.9}'stem 146 53. 107 priorities In 196. 191 lnfo rm:lUon Center 253
210, 222 inspection 31, 125 297.330. 331,334.335 Air 'l'ransport Command armament omcers 19. 44,
dralnace 11.219 jet propelled ch,132.14 1 air ru!rense 4,209. 275-6 12th 24.63, U.235 , 15. 35 , 61, 103. 112, 46,108
,,"""'on
facUlties
3, 205. 212-3
207.211
land-based 2, 124. 258.
294, 297
acUI'e
passll'e
209. 210•. 276
209.2.10,216 13th
286,331-334
6tt. 213, U.235 .
11 8. 184-5. ] 90. 193,
tLI04, 295. 320. 331,
arming devices
annorers
152
1 8, 44
fl&bter 218 landlnuear 136, 139. 146 air discipline 112 291.333.336 ,338 332. 333, 336 armor-piercing bombs 150
in innslon 211:i,21 8 load 129. ch,186 All"'f)lstrlcts 14.16,356-7 14th 64, 120, U.235, Arm y Airways Communica-
rebabllltat~oD 114 maintenance 15.28, air dh'lslon 2. 295, 296 . 333. 336
air freight terminals
emergency route
1 88
335 tions System (AACS)
Itrate&le 214,226 pb,74, ph.75, 96, 109. strategiC 283 15th 23.62,11.235 . 16. 35, ph.71, 194,
tactical 110. 275 ferl'}'lng dMslon 15,95 ,
taetieal 214 114. 1U:i, 178. 197-200 283,2 85,335-338 178. 19.3 11.195,241
1D tbeatell 28.34, maintenance omcer 44,46 airdrome squadron 114, shoulder patches 11.235 Indla-Cblna wi ng 295, Army Air Corps 9
205.223-4 markings, AAF 11.235 199,200 Air Forces Aid Soetety 100 .320, 332,338 Act 351.35 4
~ 223 materials 123, 135-6 air evacuation 24, ph.81. Air Forces Women. Nat. pilot ratlng~ ] t 2. 113 Chler of S30, 354-357
CIdna 223 moelc-up 13:1 94, 112, 196, 290, ~n9. Asso. of 97 . cb.n8, 09 ports of aerial embntka- Enlis ted Reserve 3Q,
Nortb Afrlta ph.H. modJncation 125,134. 199 330,332 alrfmmes eb.124. ] 35 Hon 190 S30, SM
213.223.225 names and numbers 126-1 Air Evacuation, School of Air Wac. see Women's Army exp.1llSlon 351. S54-356
Unlted Kln&dom 3. 4. ilormal range ch. 132 94, lUI Air lnspedor 12,3 1
213.223,226 obsolescence 125. 134 alrton Air Judge Advocate ]2 Corps rcorRlnlzntlon 9. 356
131 alrma.lI 3U, 353 Air War Plan .3, 4, 351 Ann y Air h~On:e9 , Set A.AF
370
 .NDU 373
8-29 103, 106, 109- DordeauJ: 335·g36 ChIef of statr for Air 356
command, air force 20-24
372 ••DElI balloon 340.341,348·50 Borum In Cblefs of 8tatr, Combined
A,.,- Air F~rees Aid 8odet,. Balloon 8eetlon (AEF) 344 111, ch.130, 11.157 10, 33,34 command.ltytls of 20, ch.29
blUlk and tum indicator X8-1fi l~. 354, 355
Bougalnvllle ch216,292 Chiefsof Stair, Joint 10. 33-4 command, principle 26. ch..29
100 pt1.188 8arllnl 349-3i'i0 Branshaw,Maj.Gen.C.E.. 15 China Command, 5th Interceptor
Ana)' Foree, U. 8. Bt'!men 333. 336 Air Task Force 296.
Barksdale. Lt. E. H. 350 Curtiss CondO'/' 350,353 331, 333 317
iD Middle East 66, 882 Brereton, Lt. Gen. L. H.
LWF 348 Commands, AAF 12
in South A.t1antic 61 Barksdale Field
base, see alrbast
355. Sri1
Martin 346, 341 ph.62, 288-9, 29:4.3SD-2 Chlna-Burm64. a~India theater
191, 29~ -2 96 see also Individual titles,
1D Soutb Paellk 65 Bt'!tt. Lt.. Gen. G. H. as Alr SefTl ce Com.
Ann, General CtusifteaUoD basic tratninc 15. 43, bomber command 22, 23 Chinese-American Composite
1030 1D4. 108 bomber crew (beaf)') 17, ph.61, 289, 332, 357 Wing 120, 296 Commander-In-Cb!ef fr. , S3
Tnt (OC'T) 4S (b,18, n . pb.B8-B9. briefing 28, ph."81, 221, 219
Army Grourd Forces 9. 15, Battle Honors 311,331
Britain, as base 3.4,6.283 chow call ph.8S Commanding Gtll~ r&l. AAF
16. M. 110, 21'1, 330 bearlne ratio 220 110,851 Christmas Islands 195 10, ch. 13, 14, 3 1, 34,
Beck, Lt. P. W. 341-2.352 homber Iroup (buf)') 21, Brisbane 1 95 cited units 317 56, 229, 330, 335
Arm), Institute 89 Broadwlck, C. 342
Arm), Reorpntzatlon Blll BeU, Dr. A. G. 341 226
Bnmswlcll 285, 336-338 Ciphers 221, 228 Com mando (C-46) ph. 165
3<6 ~~I 288 moftment of 186-18S CiYUAeronautics Adminlstca- Commando-type t ralnlng 106
RerUn 284. plL31e. 331 ilansport required 181, Bud&;et Flscal.mOl 12, 32 tlon 36, 212, 336, 35ri commu nlcaUons 22, 28.
AfIII,. 8emce For'UII 9, 22, 193,209 Bu];:a mp.216,324 civil air
I 34. 35, 103, 115, 178, Bt mbul'l 331 carriers 5, 193. 32. 41.109.11 5
bomblQl:, altitude Buna 332 airways system 193
r 180,183. eb.IDI. 330
Arm, Transportation Corps
BeUIs. Lt. C. 350, 3n
Benns. Maj. Gen. J. M. hiIh 3, 259, pll.301,
1
Burma 295, ph-306, 330 CiYU Air Patrol
Butler. MaJ, Gen. W. O.
1 94. 356
36, 40, alr-to-alr 280
11., 180, 185, 189 11.100 pb.302, ph.30S, ph.306, 121,122,333 alr.ground 18, 209, 228.
BlUaneourt 333 pb.309, ph.312. ph.313, 297,330 214, 280, 341, 34S,
Amold. Otn. H. H. 10. Bismuct Sea, batUe of ph.3lf. ph.316, 348 "Buy a Bomber" plan 12S-9 cMIprogram airport u pans1;;,n
(CAA) 36,212 346, 352
56, phS7. QU.68, lOa, C
qu.153, 229. qu.aDl, mp.211, 290, 333 low 259, 260, 265, chilian personnel 96 interplane 280, 346
BIsseI1. MaJ. Gtn. C. L. 290, ph.305. 326 cadres 110, 116 ClVIUan l'i1ot Training Ad. world-lVide routes 193,
830, SS2, 333, 3S6. cadets. see AdaUon Cadet.!
340, 342. 350, 353-6 294, 3S1, 348 medium 259, 265 855 194, mp. 195. 241
Bberte 281. 333 minimum 259, U.261-8 <:&lro 195,213 Claggett, Brig. Gen. R_ B. Communications Oft\cer
Amold. Lt. L. P. 350 blackout 245.11.246 Calcutta 1 95
AIceMlon kland 195.331 air-to-air 265 35. 19. 30, 44 , 46. lOS
Bwck Widow (P-61) anti-personnel 267 camera, nerlal 112J 136, Clark Field 311, 329 compass, gyroscopic 170, 341
...... -Buma-China rerry- 174,221.2111,280 classification
inc Collaand 330 bUnd ftying
ph.'"
120. 212, 241,
~a 259,284
map-making ph.85.114
42, 108 Coney, Lt. W. D. 341
.......'nt, airer&R 179 dayllKbt 259. 283-285, cloud, com 240.270,284 Conl~ h.a m , Air Vice
penor:me. 334 350,353 ph-301 telephoto 174 types 11.240 Marshal Sir Artllur 333
block buster 151 denectlon 262. 263 camoutlaie pb.82. 112, 334 cont rol tower 16, 11.208, 209
Athem 286
Bogadjlm 336 dire 348 114, 128,221,222.216 Cochran. JacqueUne
Cocke, Lt. W. A. 353 comalescent stations 90,
&tatOlpbH'k preaufe 242-3 Camp Mystic 3 S4 cold weather t esting station
bombardier lS,42,4S,ph.ll error 262, 263 ch." l, 99. 11 9
&UK'
A-20""'~ cb.130. ph.164 combat duties IS, 152,
260, 262, 263
horizontal
lire
262
341
cannon, aerial 129,146
148.149,333.346.341
176, 331 copilot 18. 48, 111. 11 2
A-36 cb.ISt Cannon. Maj. Gen. J. K. Cologne 338 Coral Sea, battle of 330
school 106 night 283 CorkUle, Col. J... D. 352-3
Atta 298, 333
IilnPOSts for n.222 orercast 264. 284, pb.63.286 combat ai101,110,116.
r crew 5, 8,21,
226 CorneU (l' T-19) ph.167
AupburC 286.331 Canton Islands 195
tr&ln!na: ph.18. ch.l02, ph.SU, 335, 336, 331 Courtral 333
AultraUa 6. 290, 329-31
103, lOS. 356 precision 2. 226. 259, Cape Gloucester mp.216.291 combat box 260
Crall:, Maj. Gen. H . 11. 11
IUtoClro 135, 35" bombardler.naflgator 106, 260, 262, 264, 283-4, ea.rgo planes ph.82, 121 combat camera. crew 41. 112 crash l andl rc 252. 11.253
Automatic Fll&bt Control
m ph.30l. ph.306, 340 C-46 ch.130, ph.165. combat experience 11 0,1i,116 6,
Crane, Capt.. G. J. 365
EquIPlHf'lt (AIi'CE) ph.301
bombardment, test.,1921341 problem 259
,, il.71, ~60. 262, 333, 354
autoJDatle Jandtn, systelD 355 )923
bomb bay
350
152
range
nm
11.262,263
18. t1.262. 265
C. 47 ch.l S0. ph.165
CoM ch.130. pb.1SS, 330
combat operations 34 ,254-
300, ph.301-3l6
Craw, Col. D. T.
crew chIef
Crlssy. Lt. M. B.
ph.323
19
342
Arlatloo Culet 40, 41, 53, C-69 th.130 ai rborne 2n,290,pb. 301
ph.233,35 7 bomb damal e lSI, 152, shuttle 334 alr~sea-ground 1, 9, 36, Crocke r, Col. 11. 6 . 349
251. ph- 803, ph.306, skip 201, 290, 351 C.81 ch.l 31, cuLl55 271,292 D
I!ualDiIc Board 41 pb.309. ph.313 career gunne r 101
tnLl 42,104 strare 261,290 bom!>!r 23.25.214, Daka r 1 95
bomber 126 t echnique 260, 11.262-3 CarllJbean Air Force 298,330 Dallas, Lt.. B. n. 352
tndrum. 102. 104, 108 CarlblJean Defense Command 260-265. ph.301-303,
AmUon Mec:banictan (AM) hea'Y 3,21, 251, 258, time lapse ineft'ectll.250-1 ph.S05-300, ph ..s08~ damage assess ment 279,
UG-265 t orpedo 265 67,200, 332 ph.303, pll.306, pll.3lS
342 Carolln, Capt. N. 344, 347 3 10. ph.312-3 l G
amUou IDldldne 16,30. Jllht 23,251.258.261 bombs 34 fighte r 23.25, 271-3 Danzig 335
115. 117,118,242,248 )onR· range 2,124 , 251·8 &lr-to·alr 264 Casablanca directh'e 284 ph.S04. pb.315 Dargue. Maj. Gen. n. A.
ArlaUon &Iedleine. 8ehool or medium 23,251, 258. anti-tank 341 Cassino 286, 338 S42,351
Castle 1Iot Springs 334 ground-air operations 23.
16. 117,248 265,288 arming or pb.11,1 52 24,25, 200 Danrin 31S
"mUon Section. Slenal super 3 combustion or 11.151 Catania 3SS Daddson, Maj. Gen. II. C.
Cal/det (PT. l1) ph.161 intrude r rnlds 213
Corpe 9, 340, 342, 343 yery hea." 251 ertect of 150-52. ph.SOS night fig hter 213 ph.04, 293, 294
aflaUon Btuient 41,351 8 · 12 212, 353 rncks for 18, 152. 332 centrifugal force 245, :11.246 Dulson. Col. T. 1<'_ 12
Chaniller,Cnpt.C. de F. 342 strategic 23, 25,
",rdl, chlUan n .96 B-l1 18,21.125. release 152, 263 34, 214. n .255, 256, dayroom 89
ch.130, pb.Hi6, ph. 168. stor"e pb.82, 101, 281 Channcl Coast 288, 330
IalllWJ 229·231, U.236 259.265, l)h .30l·303. dawn mission 226
BldceJ, aJ.ation•
H. 40, il.49·S3
169, pb..31l-2, 353-356
B-18
B· 19
299, 355
139. 351
types
uses of
' relcht9
ch.150
258. 259
11.150
chaplulns
Chartres
Chtll, ~l aJ. n .
30,46.89,90
;l35
ph.S28
ph.305, ph-S09. ph.312- dead reekonin$t
313, plL31G decorations 229-230, 11.236
tactical 23,25.34,214 ,
106.27 8
defense, see also alrdefenle 16
baUlnt: out 116, 244,11.249 B-24 cb.llO, ph.154, bomhslp;ht 221 chemlcalorocer 30,46 alrbllse 209,210
precblon 200, 333 Chemical Warfare Serrice 11.255. 257 , 265. 269-
baUoul bottle 244. 250 300, ph.a05, 356, 351 274, ph.S04, ph.301, hemisilhere "
BaIn, Maj. T. II. 349 B-25 129, ch.130, B>'nchronous 259, 262 S4, 114 , 180, 210 "Defen~e Aid" 5,3:1, 356
ChennHult. Maj. Gen. C. L. ph.3 lG
Baller 1I1a.,d 226 ph. 102. n .249. ph.3 15, SCOU 342 Combat'Operatlons, AAF 282 de-king equipment 1301
Bater, Lt. Col. A. E. ph.321 321,333,35 1 teleseope 262, 11.263 p11.04, 295, 3ln, g3S denitrolenll.tlon 245
bUllttlcs 105, 280 8 -26 cb.130, ph. l OO, 351 Bond. Col. C. F. 348 CWer of Start. cb.13.33 combat win&: 200
 374 IDX EI_Ddorfll"leld. Awb 829 forest lire patror 346, 348 lroundunlts 8,17,113-115 INDEX 375
•• '1lI' aIInaneeI M.
55,89
r..derI 333. 885
emel'lme:)' lmdtna: 249-258
tlcbtlr eontrol 103.115,274,
ftchter eootrolltr 214, 215
275
formatlon,lIyinl 8,110,
1I.261, 264, 270-1, 353
bomber 8, ph.88. 110,
duties ] 14, lUi
mo'ement 20, 186, 181
Iroup 20,21, 260
n eadqunrters, Mil'
10,118,241
_ 21. "'''. m,
111. m1S2. la9·90,
1BO- emelJetlCy I'tICUI! ftabt.erl!KOrt.23, ph,88, 272.. 259,.il261. 853 orgrmb..Uon 20
button
patch
n.10
n.235
118-9,228,252 0.212-3, 215, 284, 288, strenath or typical AAF
eb.191. 199.201 Bmmonl, Lt. Oen.. D. C. 292, pb.315, 334
tighter 8, 270 Hedrlek, Brig. Gen. L. n. 12
Depat, Cmaander. AAB' ph.59. 329, 3n "'httr ,roup Formosa 296. ph.30S eb.2l Jlegenberger, Brli- Gen.
21 Fouloill, Maj. Gen. B. D. 840, Groups
10,68 enemy aircrart destroyed IDOfelllent of ] 88 341,342,344,352,S~ Ameritlln Volunteer
A.F. 351 ,353
dartrorer-bue deal 213 279. 282. oI>.SO. "'htlrs ]26. 257,269 be]lt:opter 134-5, 330, 349
diet. bleb alUtude 221.248 tDI!III7taeUes 258,264,289, fragm entation bombs. see (AVG) 296,320-331 Berliner 348.350
lIWII!UYerablllty 269-70 al80 parafrap 150 Antisubmarine. 480tb 320
bleppe 331 219, ph.S04. ph.315 Sikorsty ch..132
dlleeUon-'luflnc 274.279 ~ne 130.139.140,199
tattles 269-214, ph.3 15 Frank, Maj. Gen. W. n. Bombardment n-4 eh.132. ph.. 166, 329
Dlndor d WODeD PUo18 dlanie ph.15
P-35
P-S8 chISO, tut.1.36,
354 H,S52 ',d 355,356 hemisphere defense 4
33. In-line dt.130.t36.11.140 Frankrurt 285, 337. 338 nh 11.318,330,356 Henderson li'le1d 213, 292
149, ph.162, 331-3. free faU '50 11th 11.319 !leroya 284,334
dilperal 206. 226 radIal m.130.1I.l40,tH 331-8
dispenioo n.208,276 enc!nurlni 346,341,348 Free "'rencb 19th 292.11.311, IlIckllm Field 320, 353
P-39 eh.130, 149. ph. I S!'! aid in air routes 213 318,829,355
Dkt.anet 1Habta. He Ileeordl 1923 349 P-40 dl.I80.ph.163,332 I1Igh School Vlelol')'
Alastan 341. 353 1925 351 rrostblte 246 44th 319 Corps 40, 121-122
P-47 eh.130, fuel. avlflUon 142,149,110 93rd S19
H."ulan 351 World War 340, 346 146, ph.159. ph.:U 1. lUmalaya air route, see
Inter-A_rlean 349, ena;lneerlna otneer monthly rate of use 190 98th 319,331 "Hump" route
ph.Sl5, 338. 334. 335 fuzes 151 316th 319
S5 l . 352. 353. 354 19. eh.29. 108,111 p.:i1 ch.130. ph. 158 RoUand. Col. H. H. 349
Ptdllpplnl!S 357 Er1ctneering School 108 & 389th 319 1I0lioman. Capt.. G. V. 855
Round the world SilO, au Englnem, Airborne P-6J 1Il,eh.130,llh.164 (lnQ Air Foree 9, 14. Fighter,49th 318
P-63 ~h.130 Hong-Kong 296
TranI·AUIU)Ue 350 223.224.332 IInance oIYIcer 353,355,356,357 Troop CarrIer, 314th 319 Horn et, U.S.N. 321, S30
Trant.('onUnenta] 341
30. 46 Gaft'ney, Brig. (len.. D. V. 349 Guadaleanal 195,213,
Engfneel"l, AmUon lire. ancle or 11.266 hospitals 92
348,349, 350, 352. 354 46. ph.84. 109. 114. IIrepo'lll'tr (lardner,BrIa.(len.B.E. 15 eh..216,290, 292,384 housing 28
Trllll-Paclt\c 350 146, 264. 266. garnished nels 221 Gulf Task Foree 330
210. 2l:'i. 21S. 223-226 269, 272. 280, 342 alrbase D.208, 209, 225
dltdJinc 228. 250. U.251 Eilclneers, CoI'II$ 01 Gates, 8rlg. Gen. B. E. 11 gwmery IS, 111, 280. 350 lIughes.2nrtU.L.U. ph..827
dlftTSiollal)" .mlon 221 FitzGerald, Brl,. Gen. Keoetal purpose bombs clock system 11.2S1
34. ISO, 212 342 "Hump" route 1,196,
Oobadul'lo lIIp.tI8. 211 enllllted lIIen 42. 53, 108 nat.S.barl'&(e' W.
22i. 228, 265
(GI') !lISO.l51 sebool ph.80, 105, 122 295.296.320.330
doctrine. MF 2. 18 Military OeeuJ)Iltlonal (leneral Statr guns 136, 140-149 Humphries. Lt. b'. E. 389-4. 1
Dodd. CaJt. T. r. 342
Bult ph.73,227 9, eb.lS, 32, 34, 3S0 fixed 146,11. 141,
BpedaIUes (MOS) 'U,4 1 naps I ll6, D.lll8, 139, 146 iluuter, Maj. Gen. F. 0'0.
DooUUJe. Lt.. Om. J. H. pa, and raUnp 55 Fleet. Commander-m_ generators 146 269.281. 347 ]6, ph..59
ph.S!. 2S!!, 285. 286. Enlisted Restne. AC German flexible ph.1S.1l.14 7,34.7 Hutchins, Col. D. L. 349
Chlero! the 33
,un 380, 832. 333, 39.330.355 IIlght 260
air foree 4 , 285, 287, maehine
835,336,348,350,351 Ent. 8111. Gen. U. G. ph..3M, ph.308, 331,931 147, 3:42,347,350 I
houaJq, U. B. W. 352 eft'eet on-body 242 defenses 8, 116,264,283 r~mote controlled 146
16. pb.60 ftl,bt commander ''] Bombed Jap:m~ Oub 7
dnndratt 239 Escadrille Allleriealne 343 industrial s)'Stem gunslghUng 147,281 lba, P. I. 329
huh. Lt. D. 0. 3110 eseape h.oItcbe& 11.249.250 night oontrol ]7,27, th.29
28. 122'. 338 .
I , 2. 3, 33, 284 ,285, Gyros~opes il.170, 171, 347 Iceland 331.833
OImlap. Cd. L. R. 207 eseort nr:hter 286, ph.a02, ph.303. H Ielng: U.238
llunton, M..,. Gen. D. H. 348 ph.SS, eh.lRl, 143. 251 ll'llabt Control. Command ph.305, ph.S13, ph..316 Halnan 296
122.331 ljmulden 333
Duaeldorf 338 t1Ioo rt rendezvous 221,273 IIItl:ht leader George, Maj. Oen. II . 1.. IIRlbersladt 3S7 Incendiary
Duteb HlT:lOr 291,331 11 . ] 8 15, ph.61 Hale, 1\Iaj. Gen. W. n .
EspIritu-Santo eh.216, 291 IIIRhtomcer 52,104, J06. 7 35, 149-1 51, pb.S01
OJen, Lt. Col. W. E. 331 European 'nleater GllbertJslands 215, 294 , 335 ph-6G.293
•
Eater. Lt. Gen. I. C. pb.e l,
283, 330, 3!12, 336, 352
EYaetJation. aIr
61.283.289
24, ph.AI. 94, 112
IIlght IUTlteM 19,30.11.51,
94. 111-18. 248, 844
F10renee 338
Giles, Llrlg. Gen. B. fI', pb.66
Olles, Lt. Gen. LI. l'ol
10, ph.58. 100
nall. DrI,. Cen. W. E
Jlamburg
Il lI milton, Col. P. M, ph.323
11
836
amm unition
bombs 150-1, ph.307, 334
India-China air route 196.
14 9

2tHi, 296, 320, 330

II'.areeUon. Col. W. O. 352 f)·AM, Brill[. Gen. F. W. 15 fbotnc. fonna,tlon 8, 110. 259, glider ph.83, 112, 135, 353 hangars 209 information 2;4
Eut. lola,. J . W. 843 el'uhe action 11 .261.264,210, 341 pilot training lOG Hanove r 285,387,338 Insignia 54-5,232, n.234
Eutem AI- Command 64 low-altitude 1] 2 In SIcily 334 Uansell. Drlg. Gen.
111. 264, 265, 269 Flying Cad~ts. su Arlatlon installntions. AAF 14, 2 10
Eutem Dflense Command F Cadeta t.ugets 850 II . S., Jr. 11 Inspection 30, 31, 11 1, 202
330. 335 Jl'lIlrbanu. A1IIskll 195, 356 F'Iytng FortrESS CD-17) CO-4 eh.132, ph.16G,334 n ardlng. Lt. J. 350 l!\Speclor General 30
fthelOfil Far East..AlrFor~e CO-I ll ph.83, hardstand 20G. 11.207. 228 Instruments
I!OIIIman4 20. 26. en2D 289,311, :'130 ph.15G ch.lS2, ph.16G Har mon, Lt. E. E. 34.G 120, ph.lG9, 170, 24 7
lIIatnt.enmce F'ly:lnrSafetr, (lmte of global network, AAF 1,6, 7
'
I
198, 11.199, 201
flltlglH!. nylng
lelltherlllll:
248
11.145 ]2,122 Goddard. Col. O. W. 351
Harmon, 1\IaJ. Gen. II. n.
ph.6a, 291. 298
engIne
flight
] 7"0
] 20. 110, 353
perllOnnrl f1'fChet, Maj. Gen. J. E. 352 lIylnuult ph. 73. 246. 247
FlyIng TIller! 296. 320-31
Goose Uay. LabrfldOf 195 Hannon. Lt. Gen. M. }I~ . I,h.65 M\'!gat!on ph.72,170
air I ll, 181. 188, 199 Federation Aeronautlque Grant, Maj. Gen. O. N. W. 12 Harper, Maj. Gen. R. W, 11 Instnlm(:nt panel. U-11
IIY111& training pb.7D,104.
t JI'Ound 19. 181, 188
'.dJoI•• MaJ. ('.en. O. P. II
Intematlol'lllie
Ferrying Command
342
I1'b1I1& Training rommand.
112,355
Gmy, ClIllt. If. C.
gray vision
351
245
Harrima n mission 357
Harris. Lt..II . n . 34 7. 340-5'0 Intelligence
ph.168.1GO
11,16,19,
lP.ce. Col. W.8. ]2 15,3S 1,3G7 Great Falls. Mont. 195 Hartz. Lt. Col. It B. 34G 21,28, ch.ZO, 46
r.,lIn Field 15, 116, 351 ferl'}'lna servlee l!Ce AIIIO trAlnlns: nnd Green lslandil 202 Harvey, Col. A. L. 357 intelll!;enee 11 7, 218
BlleUm 331 Tralnloa Olmmand ,round erew 8,19,44. HawaIIan Air Force
19.3. 330. 352 11.239 c:lptnred 111 ,280
IQ Alamelll 288-289 FIdeI, Maj. Gen. J. E. 342 fog Foggla 2] 5. 285, ph.309, 1l44
ph.14. 199, 201, 226 293. 330,S57 combat 11 7.219
eleal'Oflle dn'lcet Ileld lIafety operlltlon~ ] 22 foreed l&lldlnl composition 19 IIl1yes. Brig. Gen. W. I'. 299 photolraphlc
172, 264, 284, 300 I!a:llter-bomber 21, 23. J IJ, 2ri2 dllUe~ 10,44 llavoc (A-20) ph.l04
I'lflWnt foreign sales 5,35 28, 219, ph.SOS
J1, 260 th.ISI. 25i. 268. 272 Foreign Senlce Concentrn_ Ground Observer Corps Haynes, nrlG. Gen. C. V. intercept omcer 27 4
ClI..." Lt. C. 346 nghter tom mnnd 22, 2S 96, tUn 355, 351 lntercellt tacties 209
tlon Qjmllland 331
 see Tecon· INDEX 371
IIMr Laneley Field 343,3H. Manuracturer', Repn- l\1l\1er. Brig. Gen. L. W. 12 obsen·atlon. nalssance cargo ph.82, 17 ~
347. 3t8, 353 sentatJ\'es 203 Milling. Col. T. de W. 342 obJed hes jumps 244,340, 341 ,348
... :eepll:r at_II 0.21 5 M arauder tB-28) ph,180 Mills. Lt. n. n. 350 4. 2 84
IDWn:IpUoG 28. 228 LancII!J'. 8. P. 841 ouse rver personnel 41 . 172·3 , :i42
Lanphier. Maj. T. O. 3tD March n eld 853 Mitchel Field 16,347 IUiO.1, 101 , 111, 11 8 troops 121. 277, 352
IDteUIpnee 28.2211. 2i9 MU rtlll, BIt. H.
prIIaner 0' .... 28, lIT unon. Maj. Gen. W. '1'. 342 M itchell (11·25 ) ph.102 octane ratings 142,14 3 pal'llfrags 2G8. 290, 33~
16, ph.60. 300, 832, 358 Mureth LIne 281 Mit chell (8·25 ) atta.ck
IatenabllC.er sea La1l1lOf1. Lt. B. H. 352 ~tarlellbufl ph.812.S1S, 335 model cut.l 0l Orocer Candidate School l'aramushlru 33 4, 33ri
IMnIder nidi 218 &t&rlne{;oI1ll, U. 8. 292. 294 15,39. 107, 108, 330 paratroo pers 3 5, 11 2.
InIN. Cap\. C. .. 355 UctslaUve 8eniees, Mitchell, Brig. Gen. W. E- Administrative 10 7, 108 271, pb. 301, 351
OftIeuf 12 ManelUlI 286 34 3, 344,346,8 4 8 omcers. Insignia 11.54. PariS 33G
1n1Dc. leIlit 3f6 marshallll( 221
J LdVod, ~302, S3 1 mock.up 133 l\1II1ta.ry Occupational Parker. Brig. Gen. J . E. 852
lend-II!&IIII Marshall hlands 215. 294 modification cente r 1 34, 211 parking aprons 20:;
~::wr 291.318. SSO Marston lIIat 220, U.221 Special ties 46
• Mal. I. J. paS2? 5. 35, 19), 920. 951 l\torrett fc'leJd 356 pay 53, 54 Parm nlee , Lt. r . W. 3 42
In tralnln& 35. 120 MartlD. Maj. Om. F. L. 293 MOrgM. Lt. J. C. ph.325 pas-de-Calais 33G. SSR
~Uon 250, 268 squadron 10
Ua1son. air and sem ce com- mass attack Moseley. Lt. C. C. 34 7 patch". shoulder 11.233
.I0bns0n. )bJ. OeD. D. 2, S, 25. 257, 282, 284- Motion I'lcture Unit. 1st III starr 111
~66. 297.298,335
mands 2 3.36. 218 8tu d ~ nt 41 sped allsts' 11A 5
Materiel Command movement, oversellS 188 Ogden.
Johnson. Brl&. Gen. n. A. 35 2 plants 126. eh.132
14 , Hi. 96, 108. 118, 8111mdron 19,20,28, 188 Old. lI r1g. Gen. W. O. 555 I,t, 11 . n. 350 pn lhflnd ~ r plane 211
Johnson, Drt&- Gen. J,.. W. 1r4 eh.132 Patrick, lI r1g. Gen. M. M.
ph 32S . irS dl. 132, ph.166 124. 125. 114, H.115 In tbealera 28, 186, 181 OIdneld, M;l.J. G~n. II . n. 12 3 44 ,352
LiberalOJ' (B-24) ptL1 54 Materiel D1d slon Muller. Capt. n. Le R. 34 2 Patterso n F ield 15,335. 35 4
l olntAlreraftComlDlttee 35 9. 15. 852. 354 Olmstead, Lt. It S. 349
J ones. ( a pt. B 350 U bI!rt.y. DR4 3 44 Munster 338 Opera. tlonaJ. Tra.lnlng pay 54· 5, 342,343, 346
life rarts 250.252 Materiel, Maintenance and M m tang (P·51) ph-158
JoDeS. It. B. Q. 3 42
IUe fest (Mil! West) I)\strlbuUon 11 N
Unit!! ph.80, 103 , l'earl Harbo r
Jones. III1&:. OeD. J. W. 12 109. ] 11 , 111. 290 3.5 ,294, 329,351
. . 22 1.250 lIathls, Lt. J. W. ph.323 NACA 35. 96. :14 3 Operations
judie .oeate SO, 46 Matthews. Lt. T. K. 35 1 ch. 29 P earson. Lt. A. 3 40
JoueU, Maj. J. H. 351 Llghtnlng (P-38) pb. 162 Nac.tzab mp:216, 225 operations bulldln!; 1I. 208·!) Pease, Capt. II. Jr. ph,322
Ulle 332 Maubol'lRe, Lt. J. O. 842 Nogo),a 330 penetration 213
K Maughan, Col. R. L. Naples 289, 332,335 Operations, Commitments
KIM, O:lL I . B. pb.S26 I!IM! ehler 19 and Itequlrements 11 Performance Number
KonIG'" (A7·11) plLl 6T Lint Trainer 348. 340,850 N ~ lI en 338 Senle 142. 14 3
o",~er
KaradJI 195 H , 0. 105, 109, 121 Mauna Loa 354 Nauru 294, ph.310, 335 operations 19. ch. 29. 4G. 21 8 P err1n. Brig. Gell. E. S. 1 1
Kauer1le Pus 287 II qu id-eoolln& 140 MWfeU Fteld 353, 356 Nava rrlno Day 28l\ Pershing. Gen. J..J . 343
Kaflml: Dlp.2lB.338 Loetwood, Lt. R. 349 McClelland, Brig. Gen. navlgaUon 1 06, 239,2'1'8· 9 8 peratlons and Training 21 l'ersonal Alt'alrs Dldslon
Iotisties 28, 177, 178 R. M. 12 navigational aids Ordnllflce
Kearb,.OII. N. Eo ph.S2S 32,34. 41 , 115, 180 89. 00
Ke1I1. (apt, C. P. 3 29 IAl rient 332 MeCoot F ield 115,122. 241, 21 8 Women's Branch 98, 09
lm'eu., Robe rtA. ph.58, lOO 344, 346,34'1', 349 navigato r 18. 42,43 , ordnftnce omce r 19, 81 , 4G
KeU, Field 3 48,356
low-Inel bombing. see McEntire. Capt. G. W. 348 pb.72. ph. 81, l OG. 11 2 organization D. 32 P ersonal equipment omcer
Kelb. ( 01. O. G. 347·349 AAF 9 40, 11 7,227, 249
bomblna:. low-altitude McKenny, Lt. J. C. 344 training ch. l 02. 103.
Keher. Col. B. 8. 355 McMullen. Lt. C. 350 105. 121. 356, 351 air rorce 1 '1'·21 Pel'llonnel
Kenl,. MaJ. Gen. W. L. 346 Lowry Field 356 squadron 19 11 .21, 28, ch.20, ch.30
Lll(hrllt!lha' en 336,338 McNamey, Lt. Oen. J. T. NtJvi{ltJt or (AT·7) ph.l 0'l' civilian 31 , 96
Kemer. LL Gen. O. C. ph.58 Navy, U. S. 9 , 34. 2 02, filArr 21
ph.6S, 289, 331 lAI t e. U . F rUit J r. 345 wing 20 c1assillcatlon of 28
Kepner,Maj. Om. W. E- Lynd, Maj. Gen. W. E. medals 229. iI.236 204,300, 33a enlisted men 47
Medal or Honor men. Neely, Lt. n. L, 354 orientation 16, 43. 89
35 2, 353 I .. 16, ph.60 Oschersleben 331 growth 38, ch,30, 9G
Klwto4I. 195. 21 3 ...,on, Bric. Gen. E. B. 2 99 AAF 320· 328 Nelson. Lt. Jil II. 350 OBt/Tics/a1Id, military 38. 42
lI ubbard 35 4. New DeIhl 330 test bomb·
Kiel 333, 3 3G M National Safety Council Ing or 5 41 omcer 39.46
K lfldJe" LL 1'. 345 New Guinea eampalgn redistribution of 38
Kilb 282.297-8,331. Mabry, capt D. 348 Sa< 23, 290. 310. 338 overcast overcast.bomblng 1'1' 2. 264,
172.242
Philippine Air School 342
333-4 Mae&BW' StraU 330 MedJeal Corp9 180 New Jerle" , t est bombing Phllil)plne Department
machine guns medical omcel'll of 350 284. [Ih. 314.335·7
280 46, pil:81. 111 overs~as shl[lment 188·1 00 Ai r t-' orte 280.351
336 ph.13. 146-1.4 0, 11.141, Nichols Field 31'1', 329 oxygen 28. 11 0.242, P hlll ppine l sland3 nttacked
330 269, 281. 342. 346 mediealSllrety division 122 night fighte r 7. 111 , 344,345,352,353 by AA"~ 329-:\0
• K OInI• • Cot. T . .I. 348 Macnady. Lt. Col. J . A. MedllerraneUI Allied Air eh.130, 273. 345
mask! by Japllnese 329-30

I Knut. BrI, . Om. W. I1'. 852 341 ,348,349. 351 Force 6 1, 286 nlght'islon 244 , 2011 [Ih.73 . 134, 11.243, 244 phologra.phlc omcn J 9.2:!.
Kunmh lJ: 195. 320 Mnda01t 336 Mediterranea n Theatt r nitrogen 245 systems 11 3.114 , 80. 4 4.40. 108. 2 27, 228
KurUe 1.lands 2 98. 334 main tenance 28. 197 01, 285, 2ff7.288 Nort h African campaign 243.244,248 Photography. aerial 41.
Kuter. Maj. Gal. 1.. B. 11 eehelons 198, 11.199·201 Menther, Maj. Gen. C. T. 845 25, 26, 36. ph. 80. 284. 111, 174, 219. 280.
L emergency 198 Messina 280,38 4 2S7, 288, 323. 332 P 34 1. 844. 35 1
~dd Jl'ltld. " IUD 116,331 in ftlllht 18. 198. 200 meteorolou 95, 106 Northwest African Ai r PAA. air base e:l:pansion 213
meteorologyofftcer 22, .. Forces ch.24 , 25. l'aclne'I'hea.ter mi-tlO, photo.lnlerpretatlon 11 'f.
Lafayette Eseadrlile Il'IIIpection record 202 11 4.210. ph.S03. ph.30G
met hods 200. 20 1 Middle East Air Foree 20, 281, 333 , 335 ph.n . ph,82 . 190
1 ~n..A "' A 1I.232, 3 43 pholo.reconnalsstmCe 24,
w;.-- Capt. r. II.
• !Ibl. Om. r. D.
344 mobile
In theaters
] 81. ] 98, 200
Midway
288.331·332
294,331.332
Non mea
nurses
105
4.'1'. 94
Central
North
203. 204
291. 298 28. ph.85. 111. 174.
South 65,2 89,290 278. 200. 325, 348 . 3 50
] 9. 28. 47 . ph.H, 178 Mill 386 thltles of 118 phYSical fitness ph,86. SD
take IAre 839-341 181, 183. 108· 20 1 228 Mllitary.Avllltor (MA) fIl~h t 11.5 1, ph.81 ,94, 11 8 Southwest 291,202
334
_ Ina, dow 131, 188
I~ ..... 136, 139, 14 6
225-plane mission . 108
Maintenance Command. AC
11.229,3 42,343
Military Aviator, Jr•
p ~y
In t heatel'll
04 P alermo
94. {l5 I'unama Canal Air Force
280 pilot 18. 27 . 42, 43,
ph. '1'0 , 1)1\·88
......... au 206, 216, 15 (JMA ) 342.34 8 t raining 94, 108. 118 298.357 ratings
112.113 Plln1l.1'Io, 1. New Tn land :\38 41.9,11.51· 2. 343.341
220, U.22 J . 225 Maitland, U . Col. L J . 351 Military (ktupaUonal nylon t est ]75.170
..... ". l tr1p 208. 211 Matin 335 . 330 Specialties 45 46 41 Pnntellerln 287.280.3:\4 trnlnlng
Landll. Col. a. O. 3 45 Management Control 11 military pollee 22. 46-7. o 1'1l1111unl··orces. U. S. 318-9 women
ch.l 02.103· 5
95,96, 334
~ . Lt. R. Ii'. 341 Mandalay 205. 332 l HI. 2 10 Obert rallbl nng 286 parachute 44.172,250
 supercharger 13G. 138, INDEX 379
sQuadron 11, 19. 21, Ad 2 02-20:~
m
_
INDEX
100.m
114,112
115.278.
Roomelt. F. D.
Rouen
fr., 355
331
administration 19,4 5,
47,115
141, 11,142. :Wl , 352 t erh,
SuperCortress ( " .20 ) 103. teclmlcal slleClalists
order!!
11.4:;,
279,35:1 1 i. 26 111, n.151 47,48, 53,355
DIteb 0.144. 14:1, 346 Royal Air Fol'tfI 283-5,281 composition supply 15.21,28, ch.29. 195
operator 18, 43, 45'a~~ Army CooperaUon Com- i nsignia 232,11.234 Teheran
)oiaDel, tee alraln. also bJ 45, p1l.81. 117-184 tempt!ralUre, at various
t,. (oo.btr. etc.) • b, piL1Z, 107. Ill,.1U mand 25 fJquadroll3 rurnlshed by AAIi' to altitudes 1L240, 24 6
Dllltl (A arocobro, et.e.) raRaunhal
BIDdolpb F1dd
115,252
16, 353,
Royal Aul1.raUan Air Forte Aero, 1st ("Dr) 342-4
Aero pursuit, 103rd Army 183 tests 42-3. 10"
PlUII:I, f.l1, 20, 27-8,32-4 .90 for onrseas units 181. Teum (AT-6) ph.167
plMtk. In plmes 131 3M,356 IUDnJ' 205-6. 219-20. 225 (AEF) 344
~h,189, 190. ch. IOI Th.. llInnd 295. 332
PkIeIU 284. 289. pb.SO:;. nncJnc. 1D rmmer1 281 t)'pical eonstruct&oo 212, Bombardment, 11th 353
procedures eh. 182,183 llldl.ter commander, ground
319. 828. 331, 334 Bancoon 295 11.219 96th 344. 354
rat... 435th 11.318 rel'erse lend-leaSt! l S4. rorces 22, ch.29
Pbnod 131 Roree,M.tJ,Gen.R. 343.352 In theaters 28. ph.S2, Thomas. Brill:_ Gen. A. 340
PoD;, Col 0. W. Jr. aeronautlea1 48, S2. 348 Nleuport 124 .11.232,243

.....
848
Port lI.oreIbJ 195. m2la
debubUoa c:b. 182. 100.
11.192
~Inment
r~am&Uon
rKOCnltion
90,334
28,203
105 112
".Recommendations for' Cone
S
8-1.8-2.8-8, S-t
wetyeducatlon
Salerno 226,241,281,335
.....
21-8.
122
l'ro,'15lonal, 29th (AEio')
P ursuit, 11th
94th
343
11.318
U,232,344 Swub, Lt. J. M.
180-4, ch.182
1000-bomher mlS&lon 180
types required 170
1145
Thunderbolt (P-41)
thunderhead
Timberlake, Brig. Oen. P. 11
pb.159
241

duet of \be War," Mr Sta~, Brig. Gen. D. F. 348 SlI'eeley, Lt. L. D. !H6 Tinker. Mllj. Oen. C. 1..
_lark,UOD lSD,ml9l ~'lie 1,28,178,199,203 293,320
predllon oolDblnc 2. 226, 4,329 San Antonio, 343,849,358 starr 27. ch.29 Sydney 1 95
reconnaIssance 23, 103, omcers ch.29,111 T tim 1 30
200-264,283-4, ph.301, Samoskl, LL J. JL p\l.325 Tobruk 288
plaOa. plL30S. pb.aOD, 111,24.1,278.341,341 satellite field 211 organization 21 Table of ..:qulpment (TI E)
photo Ill, 218, 278. special 30 19 Tokyo 321, 330
ph.31S. ph.3U. 340
predlettd ftre
Prepaatlon lor Overseas
265
taetleaJ
325,350
112,218
reeonnalssanee planes
8clJroeder. Maj. R. W. 844-7
8ehll'elnrurt 28f, 834., 335
scramble 214
,
I StalT College, Army-Navy
StalT Course
35, 111
Table or Organization
(T/ O)
118 tactic!!.I, airbase
18,341 Toulon
torpedo, aerial

214 tOll'target
2S6, 336, 338
106.350
341

ifmment (POM) 31 &leetil'e Senlte 40 traekl nK (In gunnery) 2S1

PltiQlll! Isle lap.lOl ph.85, 121, 251 staging, nrea ch.191,1 89 air fo rce 20, 24, 25 , 26,
Selfridge Field 848, 353 field 205,211,225 287, 288, 333, 3:!T track plan 222
Prest"iet 195 N Ill, ch.131, 138 Selfridge, Lt. T. E. 339 841
Price, CoL G. Co 12 ' -6 112, m131 Statistical Control Officer bombardment 2a, 25 , trainers '1 , 127
Senti'lel (L-5) ph.166 30, 32.46 265, 261, 281, ph,30G AT-6 104,ch,132, ph.161
prtorlUet F-7 Ill, eh.I31
air tflJllP)rt 198.191 "",,,,,"
altitude 342-48,351,353;
llen'iee, centers ph,15, l S1-3.
cll,1 82, 11.192,199,200 Stephens. Lt, 0, S.
Stevens, Lt. CoL A. W.
351 command
control center
Hi, 258
2Hi
AT-1
AT-IO
ch.132, ph.l01
104 , ch. 132.
1aDdJ¥
...........
III~IJ

alre.' &fl
penoanei
2HI.228
184. 281
115.124,125
28,38.42
croS9-e(luntry 342,346,
348, 350, 352, 353
wratlon 342-3,348-52
lone dlstance 332, 342,
ribbollll 230-231,11.236
squadrons 22,200-1,221
shelter
Sherman, Lt. W. C.
201 210
• 342
348. 352, 353, 354
Stewart Field
Steyr
storage 28,206,207,219
331
286
operation9
34, 214, n
25.26, 28,
,255 . 257.
265, 275
targets 25, 26, 34. 251 ,
AT-11
8'1'-13
106,
ph.101
ell. 132,
p\l.161
cb.132, ph.lS1
Shoptaw, LL J . W. 349 bombs ph,82. 181, 201 26u, 287, 288 I'T- 17 ch.132, ph.161
IUPJba 179-184 343, 346-350 Short, Lt. Gen. W. O. 329 c11.132 , ph.161
paraehute 346, 341, 348 gasoline 181,201, 11.208 unit training 16,35 I'T-19
IIf'OIktd,Ioft. IllIo tee alreratt Sicily 281 Tr~lnhlg 5. 11, 15, 16,
123. m.12 • • 11. 153,179 speed 349-355 011 1 81,207, iI.208 Tactlea.l Center. AAF 16.
Sip&l Corps 35,115,1 80, straftnit 25,27 3, 2 82 32. a5. 11 6- 11 8, 3:~ii 28,35,41,101
UJIIDIion 5, 123. 355 strat.o!lphere 353-354
S-QPtLer135. 14l,U.144-45 Bed CrosS', see Amerlean Red aviation 9, 229, 339-43
34' strategic, alrbase 2 14. Tactical School. A. C. 353 AF.F 344
348,855 C"., Simmons. O. O. 341 air force 20. 23-26. 258, tactics 32, 11 6-7, 254,258 Admlnlstrsth'e
air transport 113, 194
108

_.Jot
PM1nc; Ground Command '" RedJst.rlbutlon Centers
redout
16,
4.1, 90, ch.91, 334
245. lI.248
Simpeon Harbor
Skeel. Capt. E. E.
336
350
283, 284,333,331,34 1
command
operations
258
6, 23, 34,
bomber
Jlg hter-bo mber
260·269, 290
fighte r 269·274, ph.SlS
208
basic 43, 103, 104. 108
bombardier cb.102, 103,
1!J 32, 176. 338, 351 Skllma~ter (C-5f) pb.l65 105, 356,
pnttOI1 • • nhal 30. 46 Rtlensbul"lt 284-6,334,337 214, 226, U.255. 283, tallillrul 18, 330
Sklltrcm (C-47) 165 284 , ph.301, ph,302- t anks, droppable 1:\G.143, c:h1l1an 5,36, 121
publk: relaUOIII 28, 46 RebabUltaUon 90. 99 slit trench 210 combat 16. pll.SO, 103.
ruu-. Lc.. D.Q E. 345 100,119 303, ph.305; Jlll.309. 334 , 335, 349
Smink, 81t. G. E. 341 ph.312-31 3, ph.31S seU-seallng 143, 346 110, 116, 299, 356
Renault worb ph309,333 , Smith, Floyd 346 combined 113
QaarUrauur Corps 31 335 Smith, U . H. D. 850 taTl:et!l 1,2.34 ,124 T1Irawa 19a , 294. 3Sa
ta~et commando-type l OG
~. __
. m. ,iid Re1ldoTa mp.216 Smith, Col. 1.. H. 349 350 Strategic Atr Forces In
analysis 19, 2S. 227,256
19, 3:1
contract 355, 356
_lion Mar. 362 ReplacemtTlt center 116 Europe, U. S. 61.63, S3G
Rabia1 •
m2HI. 290, 291
..~310. 818, 322. 335
Benluement TralnlJII: Unlta
rest CIImp
103,109-111
ch,9t, 334
Smith, Sgt. FIf. H.
Smith. U. CoL R. D.
8oereba)'a.
ph. 324
318,334
12 strate"y 226, 254,251
Stratemeyer, Maj. Oeo. O.
pll,64
area
fUe d and fleet\nl(
selection of 28.33 ,34,06,
258
2110
cOlll'aleseent
crew 41. 101. 110, 11 6
em~rgenc)' rescue
99. 11 9
11 8.
Sofia. 280, 330-33 1 221,250, 25 7,2iO. 284 119,252
r~erslble pitch 144, 346 soil. slllblllty 206,220 Street. Maj. Gen. 8t. C. 341 enlisted men 41, 108,
Oo,jon Bennett 341,352 r"etment 201,11.210 strength, A,W 5,6.37-38, strategic 25, IN. 124.
Solomons-Nell' Guinea. eam- 9G, 329, 334 , aHB 11.25(;. 256, 2M 113, 114, 115
IJbtrty EI18lne 847"-9 Richter. Col. J. P . 349,350 p<1lsn 36, 2ItS , mp,21G- fIghte r 105
Natlor.al Air 850-2 Rlckenbachr, Capt. E. V. Air Corps 3M. 355 tattlel'! 34, U,255,
Natlonal Ballo01'l 348, 211,202,319 Air Seo'ice 346-35 1 257, 205, 281 , 288 rordgn student 35, 120,
" 'h 100, 232, 345, 353 Bpaatz. Lt. Gen. C. ph,Ol, tu:llI'ay 205, 207, 225 299
_ .,. 349. 350. 352 "res I t 141 283, 830, 33 2, 333, Aviation Section. S. C. grolLnd units 35, 113-11 5
.-u ur 347 -5 1 Rio de JllItero 195 341.342, 343 teamll'ork. In AA\I' 8, 34
8ctnelckr Seaplane 8!5l RJllkan 236 335, a52 1n Nntlonnl Guard 39 36. 101 , 110. 214 Instructor H, 120, 355
lpsre part.. 170 lend. lease 35,120
~ 22,35.46.91, 1071 Robey, Capt.. P. 355 Special Projects 12 typical AAF unit. ch,21 Technlclli Training Com- medical ofI\eel'll 108

~
clbtmer
aJr to ,round
108, 114 , 274
101,111 . 118
136,172
18, 280,
"I....
roekets, projectUe 141. US

R oma
264, pb.304
141
341
Speclal 8ervictl
special serYlee omcer
,peelalUes, tectmlC&l
46
30
'6.89
45
Stuttga rt
subbase
submarine warrare
284,299,300, 320, 329
331
2 11
mand, set: 'J'rll.!nlng
Commllnd. Tethnltal
6, 36, Technlcallnformatlon,
omctOr 12
officer 41. lOS. 116-11 S
on-the-job
o"erlieIlS
sUlrr Course
ph.18. 11 3
24,28,116
35. 118
&.. __ 3U, 344, 346, 352
Ro~~,,_ 289, 334, 338 fPOtters 98 99 aubstratos"he re 138 teclullque 32, 11 6, 255
-- 2ft ..lII&I.&l-tUr-&lDt 335 Sprlnp, Capt. E, W. iWi
_ IIIIEX turnarounds table 185 Wewu c~216', 225, au,
eoatiAuedl tumtl 18.146.348 328,337

rA::&rooIHU1'Iet
anh
13.35. ttl
4II.dLI02.355
)07
21. 105
..,-pes 18. H1,itUS,17S
'nJtow 337
Tw1n1nc. Maj. (;en. N. 11'.
p~62, 28~,291,S32
Wheeler Fidd
Whitt. Capt. E. 11'.
White, Brl,. Gen. T. D. 11
WhItely. Col. J. Jr, 350.354
329
348

U Withi£n (AT-IO) ph.J61

Wed"'" 331 Unit Citations 229, 31 '1 Wiener toeustadt 286,
,..... 38.fO,121
trDdII aWl 85, pb.1'8. updnUt 239 289, 334, 335-336
0.105,121,122 UJiltoh, Bril. Gen. J. B. 3~3 WllhelmlMyeh 333,331
'tnIaIIIAIdl DlridGn 121 U88K 338 Wlilon. 811,. Gen. D. 11
Wilson. Lt. J. H.
Volimlt (BT~3)
,.....en--·nd 14.15, 341
ph. 161 wlmls n.238, 23!)
--.",....sa.
IS, 16. 103. 122. S3t
If. lS. 102. )03, 329,
Vandenbft'l. ita.,i.
Vaapan. Lt. 0. A.
(]en.

345
II. 8.
ph.63
wind tuMel
,,-Inc tyPtl
lI'!ng, in &ir force
133. 115
U.137
20
~r 214 WIn( 260
tnb... o-.and. Ttdt- \'ecesaet 323,333 Chlntlt-Ameriun Com-
DkalIS. U.15.102.10~
,ertlW tntelopment 225 posite 120. 296
_ _ 334.351 102 Vel')' pistol 252 India-China 320. 338
)131
lItO 355.358
'I"IIIDlnI Prorra-. Collt1e
&raInInc 'lDltI
211.330.333
8,355

18
VirqJnio, tnt bo.blfll( 350
,0lWltter Ilorktrs in AM"
96-100
VtUl'IDI' AdalnistraUon 90
Vl&:an 329
..Ines 11.49-50, 104. 106-1
withdrawal
Women', Army Corps (Air
Wac)
.omen In A ..... F
272.213
ph.16, 92, 93
92, 98
( .
...raUonalJ)h..8O. 103, Vlllaorba 337 Women VoluntunI 91,98
109. 11 t. 299 Villa PeroA 286 WOIIIen'! Alrforee 8emee
ftP~ 10:1.109-U W Pilot!, Ate WASP8
"""1a1a
....
Fe.....,..
CoaI-
330
Wade. Lt. L.
nlJt cun
348, 350
18, pll. 73
Women'! P'lJ1n& TrainIng
Procr!m ' 95,334
bltbutert 22.178.191-. Wake Island 294, 332, 338 Woodru.. Lt, I. A. 352
'I'ranIpo11. 8e"lee. Nortb
Walcheren bland 333 Wooten. Brie. Gen. R.
At~ 338, 357 nlt-around bottle 244 ph.67,298
tranIportalion IIItd by AAI' Walter, Bril. Gen. K. N. World Wlr I 9, 340, 343
lU,1I.192 ph.32' Aet!I 345
trlpllItf,antOI'tCI348·1.349 Walah. Maj. Gen. R. LeG. alr-Itfound cooperation 34 2
",.7 AIr 8cn1ce 9, 340. 34~
T~. 242. 334 War Department 3. 32. J4, Balloon Companies 344
Troop c.rler Cm...nd 15, 33. Chateau-nllerry 344
ttS. 0 .196, 223, 331 AAJ' place in ch.lS rombllt 8l1mmsry 345
Nur mt., 289, 335 ~ ~ana 3.4.8.10,33,119 complrlson with .Ir Wlr
ill &butm 23,24. 118 War. 8tcretarr of 13 today 210
troop came,..,eratllms 198 War, AlsI,tant Secreta..,., Dnmmary-Baroneourt
InIGp curler unitt ~ 'or Air 13.58, 129 bomhrd 344
.,. . 112.m. War, Undtl'leCrri.Jry of 13 ftyinlC ftelm 343, 344
War Manpower Co_tulon Meuse-Argonne orrenslve
Collier S38, 350, 353, 855 3• 344
........1aD 355 War Pmdletlon Board 35
DaedaIan 355 8t. Mlhlet. battle of 3U
Warhnwk W-40) ph.IS3 technlclll developments
rnnk Luke, .Jr. 353 . ·arrlnt omeer 52 :'140, 345
UbertJ ~ BufMers WA8PS 1).51, pb.,16. 92, WrlCbt FIeld 15, 108. 114,
148. "49,3:;0.352 11.95 •
. . . ., 842-3,34 8·355 3!i0. :)52
• ather 28, 48, lOi, 238, Wrlt:bt, O. 339-842
.leba L IIltdMU at8--81i2 2iO
8rta. Om. W.. &. Wright, W. 338,341,3012
u a"apon 241,242
IIltdIeII 8~O X
'fllflt 217
Id'eEWer 851 Inforlll&t1on 16, 22,35, XU-Hi, lite bomber
V.,... 856 45.194,228 y
Ird 215.291 oftIm 30, 46, 108, 111,
'!MIl TIDl 1IP.216.225 YIlr\Ctze nllef 334
241.242 Y"koha"", 330
~ 281,333 Wtlther 8el'Tlce 35. ph.T6. )'outh lrlllnln( lUI, 40, 121
"-lIIID aapaIpI T. 241

--
287.289, pb.808 Wen!'-r RqI,adron 354 Yount, Lt. Gen. B. K. llS.
.....~ In W llher Wlnc 16
pb.ti9,334
&Iube.......rpr. . . \\'H1.em Defente Command Z
59,32U.3:J5 Zettmer. Maj. J., Jr. pb.!l24-~
tart.lIDet U.239, tn WutDrer, BI1I. Ocn. O. ZtUel. Lt. U. G. Sri I
~ 188, 338 348,354 Zulder Ztt 333