Development our Independent Air Force Overview & Objectives: Wright Flyer World War I Gen Billy Mitchell Army Air Corps Army Air Forces Independent Air Force

Wright Flyer U.S. Government bought Wright Flyer in 1909 Created Aeronautical Division in U.S. Army Signal Corps Already using balloons for reconnaissance Added airplanes WWI (1914) – the Aeronautical Division became Aviation Section

World War I Air Power played only small role in World War I (WWI) Airplanes still assigned to the Army Mostly reconnaissance Early bombing, strafing & dog fighting Video 1, Video 2Video 1Video 2 But Air Power was emerging as an offensive weapon After WWI, Pres Woodrow Wilson created Army Air Service Became a “combat arm” of Army But Army, Navy, Congress still believed aircraft should serve in support role

Billy Mitchell Brig Gen William “Billy” Mitchell thought differently Believed U.S. needed independent “air” service 1920, proposed a test to see how planes could defend a naval attack from sea Navy reluctantly agreed for Mitchell to try to sink several captured German vessels One was the Ostfriesland Thought to be “unsinkable”

Billy Mitchell Mitchell’s pilots sank several vessels The Ostfriesland rolled over & sank in 20 minutes Video Army and Congress still weren’t convinced Navy, however, immediately started building aircraft carriers!

U.S. military thought all we needed was a good: 1.Naval battle fleet 2.Naval coastal defense 3.Army coastal defense WWI cost a lot of money…why a factor? U.S. didn’t want to spend critical $$ on the military Incorrectly believed there would never be another “big” war Billy Mitchell

Gen Billy Mitchell Kept trying… he arranged: 1922: nonstop U.S. trans-continental flight (in Fokker T-2 aircraft) 1924: around world trip & U.S. crossing in a single day Purpose? Billy Mitchell Showed speed & range of an aircraft weapon

Billy Mitchell 1923, Gen Billy Mitchell conducted 2 nd bombing test Sunk 2 old WWI battleships from 6,900 feet: USS New Jersey USS Virginia Off NC coast

Army Air Corps 1925, Pres Calvin Coolidge directed a group of experts (Morrow Board) to find “best means of national defense” 2 Jul, 1926 he signed into law: 1.Renaming Army Air Service to Army Air Corps 2.Army Air Corps seat on Army General Staff 3.Appointed Assistant Secretary of War for Air Power Significant step…why? Air power no longer just “in service” to ground troops Air Corps could conduct independent missions

Billy Mitchell But in 1925, Mitchell got into trouble… Harshly criticized senior officers in military Accused them of incompetency, criminal negligence & treason of national defense! Court-martialed for insubordination Mitchell resigned but continued to speak out for an independent air force He died in 1936 …. never got to see the powerful bombers & crucial role of air power in World War II 10 years later, after his death, Mitchell was awarded the highest military honor: For his vision in air power theory the Medal of Honor

Growth of Army Air Corps Took 21 years for Air Force to become independent WWI was “War to end all wars” – defense spending cut Great Depression hit economy – defense spending hurt But in 1938, fear of another “big” war was growing Germany invaded Austria (unchallenged) Italy was waging war in Africa Japan invaded China 1939, Pres Franklin D. Roosevelt felt U.S. military “utterly inadequate!” Needed to rebuild!

Growth of Army Air Corps In response, Chief of Staff of Air Corps, Maj Gen Henry “Hap” Arnold wanted to increase pilot training Not enough military training resources If a war broke out – we would need thousands of pilots! Why not use civilian schools? It worked! Eventually 110,000 pilots trained per year Also had civilians train as civilian pilots in reserve in case of war Established reserve of over 300,000 pilots

Growth of Army Air Corps Black Pilots Originally not permitted in Army Air Corps or civilian pilot training program! Dale White & Chancy Spenser refused to accept this… Flew 3,000 mile trip to Washington DC & met with Senator Harry Truman. So impressed, he pushed Congress to establish all-black 99 th Pursuit (fighter) Squadron in ____________ Tuskegee, AL

Tuskegee Airmen FAST FORWARD … By the end WWII 992 pilots lost lives When Harry Truman became president he pushed to end racial segregation in the military. July 1948, he signed executive order declaring equality for all in armed services regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin.

Tuskegee Airman Hero – Gen Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Led 99 th Pursuit Squadron Flew 60 combat missions Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, & many more Commanded 332 Fighter Group 15,000 battles in Europe Destroyed 260 enemy planes Promoted to 4 star General

Growth of Army Air Corps All 3 of these steps helped U.S. prepare for war: 1.Civilian flight schools 2.Reserve of Civilian pilots 3.Acceptance of black pilots In 1930s, Army Air Corps focused on aircraft development Designed a competition for commercial manufacturers to build a multi-engine bomber

Growth of the Army Air Corps Boeing Company built the Boeing 299, a 4 engine design that easily won the competitions for speed, range, & altitude Air Corps bought 13 and named it the B-17 Could now fly long-range, strategic bombing missions One of the most important aircraft of this era. The Memphis Belle

But now the B-17 was faster than any U.S. pursuit (fighter) aircraft Contracts for the (Pursuit) P-35, P-36, P-38, P39, P-40 Growth of the Army Air Corps

Army Air Forces 1941 Army Air Corps became the Army Air Forces Could now oversee its own functions in combat, training & maintenance Gen Hap Arnold took command B-17 proved air power was now an offensive weapon Much more than just support ground troops Could strike long-range enemy strategic targets Bases, factories, infrastructure

Independent Air Force By end of 1941… U.S. found itself engaged in war in both Europe & Pacific (WWII) Experiences gained during war & performances of Army Air Forces finally led to complete autonomy Air Force became an independent service with the National Security Act of 1947 on 18 Sept, 1947