With courage : the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II

383 Pages·1994·14.078 MB·English

by  Bernard C Nalty, John F Shiner, George M Watson, Alfred M Beck

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

Air Force Historical Studies Office 28 June 2011

Errata Sheet for the Air Force History and Museum Program publication:
With Courage: the United States Army Air Forces in WWII, 1994, by Bernard C. Nalty, John F.
Shiner, and George M. Watson.

Page 215
Correct:
Second Lieutenant Lloyd D. Hughes
To:
Second Lieutenant Lloyd H. Hughes

Page 218
Correct Lieutenant Hughes
To:
Second Lieutenant Lloyd H. Hughes

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