The Army Air Forces in World War II: Volume 6

Men and Planes

Prepared under the editorship of

Wesley Frank Craven, Princeton University,

James Lea Cate, University of Chicago.

By Air Historical Group United States Air Force

Wilfred J. Paul, Col, USAF, Director

Albert F. Simpson, Air Force Historian

Table of Contents

Foreword

Section 1: The Organization and its Responsibilities

William A. Goss, College of San Mateo

P. Alan Bliss, Directorate of Intelligence, Headquarters, USAF

Frank Futrell, USAF Historical Division

Chapter 1: Origins of the Army Air Forces

William A. Goss

Chapter 2: The AAF

William A. Goss

Chapter 3: Air Defense of the United States

William A. Goss

P. Alan Bliss

Chapter 4: The Development of Base Facilities

Frank Futrell

Section 2: Equipment and Services

Alfred Goldberg, USAF Historical Division

Chapter 5: The Definition of Policies

Chapter 6: AAF Aircraft of World War II

Chapter 7: The Quest for Better Weapons

Chapter 8: Production Planning and Organization

Chapter 9: Expansion of Aircraft Production

Chapter 10: The Production Record

Chapter 11: The AAF’s Logistical Organization

Chapter 12: Allocation and Distribution of Aircraft

Section 3: Recruitment and Training

Arthur R. Kooker, University of Southern California

Thomas H. Greer, Michigan State College

Chapter 13: Broadening the Basis of Procurement

Arthur R. Kooker

Chapter 14: The Foundations of a War Training Program

Arthur R. Kooker

Chapter 15: Procurement at Flood Tide

Arthur R. Kooker

Chapter 16: Basic Military Training and Classification of Personnel

Arthur R. Kooker

Chapter 17: Individual Training of Flying Personnel

Thomas H. Greer

Chapter 18: Combat Crew and Unit Training

Thomas H. Greer

Chapter 19: Training of Ground Technicians and Service Personnel

Thomas H. Greer

Chapter 20: Other Training Programs

Thomas H. Greer

Appendix

Glossary

Index

List of Maps and Charts

The Army Air Arm (late 1935) – The Army Air Arm (late 1940) – Aviation in Army Organization (late 1941) – The AAF in the War Time Army – Air Force Staff Levels, December 1941 – AAF Organization, 9 March 1942 – AAF Organization, 29 March 1943 – Organization of the Army Air Forces – Norms for AAF Combat Groups – Basic Staff Designations, AAF – AAF Commands and Continental Air Forces – Coordinated Air Defense – Sectional Duty Chart of an Air Depot Group – Standard Flying Training Stages for Pilots, May 1944 – Training Period for a Heavy Bombardment Group

List of Illustrations

High Command – Maj. Gen. Henry H. Arnold, Chief of the Army Air Forces, and Staff, 1941 –Operations Room, Philadelphia Information Center – Randolph Field, Tex. Administration Building – Expansion of Langley Field, Va. , January 1941 – Barracks Types – Permanent, March Field, Calif. – Mobilization, Chanute Field, Ill. – Theater of Operations, March Army Air Field, Tex. – Construction Difficulties – Mud at AAF Technical School, Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sand at Yuma Army Air Field, Ariz. – Headquarters, Chicago Schools, AAFTTC, Unit No. 1 (Stevens Hotel) – Hotel Lobby – Typical Room after Conversion – Hotel Grand Ballroom as Mess hall – Classroom Building (The Coliseum) – Wright Field, Ohio – June 1934 – September 1944 – Patterson Field, Ohio – January 1933 – September 1944 – A-24 Douglas Dauntless – A-20 Douglas Havoc – A-26 Douglas Invader – B-25 North American Mitchell – B-26 Martin Marauder – B-17 Boeing Flying Fortress – B-24 Consolidated Liberator – B-29 Boeing Superfortress – B-32 Consolidated Dominator – P-38 Lockheed Lightning – P-39 Bell Airacobra – P-40 Curtiss Warhawk – P-47 Republic Thunderbolt – P-51 North American Mustang – A-36 North American (Fighter-bomber version of Mustang) – C-47 Douglas Skytrain – C-47 Interior View – C-46 Curtiss Commando – C-54 Douglas Skymaster – L-4 Piper Grasshopper – L-5 Vultee Sentinel – XB-15 Boeing – P-82 North American Twin Mustang – P-59 Bell – P-80 Lockheed Shooting Star – B-36 Consolidated Vultee – Construction of Experimental Model, Douglas XB-19 – Production Methods, Pre-Pearl Harbor – A-17’s by Northrop, 1935 – BT-9’s by North American 1936 – Peak Production of Heavy Bombers – B-17’s in Douglas Plant, Long Beach, Calif. – B-24’s in Consolidated Vultee Plant, Fort Worth, Tex. – Mechanized Conveyor Lines – Triple Line for Lockheed P-38’s – Engines for Consolidated Vultee BT-13’s – Maintenance, Stateside – At San Angelo Bombardier School, Tex. – At Laredo Army Air Field, Tex. – Maintenance in ETO – Engine Change at Base in England – Cleaning Spare Engine Parts, Warrington-Burtonwood Air Depot – Production Line Methods in Repair of P-39’s, McClellan Field, Calif. – Salvage – Fifteenth Air Force Salvage Yard – Salvage Hangar, 2nd Base Air Depot, England – Supply on Guam – Oxygen for B-29 Crews – Belly Tanks for Fighters – Overseas Delivery of Fighters – P-38’s Deck-Loaded on CVE – Removing Protective Grease Coating in England – Cadet Ground School, Randolph Field, Tex., Spring 1942 – Code Class – Weather Class – Primary Training, Tuskeegee Army Air Field, Ala. – Basic Training: Dual Flight Instruction – Advanced Training: Formation Flight, Foster Field, Tex. – Advanced Training: Alert Net Problem At Foster Field, Tex. – Bombardier Training – Instructor and Cadet in Nose of AT-11 – Enlisted Men Prepare for Bomb-Spotting Flight – Navigator Training: Aerial Classroom – Synthetic Training Aids – For Pilots: Link Trainer – For Bombardiers: A-2 Bomb Trainers – For Navigators: Hagner Planetarium – Flexible Gunnery Training – Engine Mechanic Class, Randolph Field, Texas. – Propeller Mechanic Class, Chanute Field, Ill. – Communications Training, Scottfield, Ill – Air-Sea Rescue Training, Keesler Field, Miss. – Calisthenics, OCS, Miami Beach, Fla. – French Aviation Cadets, Turner Field, Ga. – Air Corps Tactical School, Maxwell Field, Ala,: Map Problem Room

United States Air Force Historical Advisory Committee

(As of May 1, 1983)

Lt. Gen. Charles G. Cleveland, USAF Commander, Air University, ATC

Maj. Gen. Robert E. Kelley, USAF Superintendent, USAF Academy

Mr. DeWitt S. Copp, The National Volunteer Agency

Dr. Joan Kennedy, Kinnaird Trinity College

Dr. Warren W. Hassler, Jr., Pennsylvania State University

Mr. David E. Place, The General Counsel, USAF

Dr. Edward L. Homze, University of Nebraska

Gen. Bryce Poe II, USAF, Retired

Dr. Alfred F. Hurley, Brig. Gen., USAF, Retired, North Texas State University

Dr. David A. Shannon (Chairman), University of Virginia