1 Airpower: - PowerPoint Presentation

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Airpower:

End of WWI Through WWIISlide2

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Overview

Background—The 1920s General Mitchell’s Crusade

The Air Corps Act of 1926

Air Corps Tactical School

Move To Autonomy in the 1930s

WWII BeginsThe United States Prepares for WarThe Army Air Forces Slide3

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The US Enters the Second World WarAmerica and its Allies Plan Strategy

The United States on the OffensiveUS Strategic Bombing Effort Against Germany The Air War Against Japan

Tactical Airpower in the Pacific

Strategic Airpower in the Pacific

The End of the Second World War

Evolution of Airpower

Overview (cont’d)Slide4

The Interwar Years

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Background to the Interwar Years

Following WWI, the United States returned to isolationism

Army

Air Service reduced from 20,000 officers in 1918 to near 200 in late1919

(2000 total including reserve officers…only 200 regular officers)

Civilian aviation boomed

; military budgets cutAir service sought to develop an air doctrine

Period marked by organizational changes and personality clashes

Few saw the potential of the airplaneSlide6

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Deputy Chief of Air Service in 1919

Believed the airplane would change the defense establishment

Believed the air service was an

offensive

force

equal to the Army and NavyThe Army and Navy strongly opposed these viewsAmericans wanted no part of a service that looked offensive in nature

Brig Gen William “Billy” MitchellSlide7

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Mitchell VideoSlide8

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A visionary, fanatic, and prophet

Alienated many due to constant attacks and need for 100% support

Technology not capable of meeting his expectations—cost him credibility

Tried to work within the System

Dickman

Board of 1919

Assigned aviation units to ground control

Identified aviation unit functionsMenoher

Board of 1919-20First nation to mobilize an air fleet in wartime would have the advantage

Billy Mitchell (cont’d)Slide9

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Passed by Congress in 1920

Air Service raised in stature equal to the Infantry, Artillery, etc.

Air Service granted procurement, research, and training autonomy

Air Service units assigned to ground control (opposed by General Mitchell)

Army aircraft coastal defense mission specified and limited

Army Reorganization ActSlide10

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Claimed the battleship was obsolete

Replaced by more effective and economical airplane

Air Service planes bombed and sank three ships

Infuriated the Navy leadership

Sparked

interservice

feudingAir Service still not

given the mission of coastal defense

Brig Gen Mitchell vs. NavySlide11

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1922-1924—General Mitchell concentrated on developing doctrine; advocated strategic bombardment

1925—Demoted to colonel because of his unrelenting support for a separate air force

After the crash of the dirigible “Shenandoah,” he accused military leaders of “incompetence and criminal negligence”

Court-martial began on 28 October 1925

Mitchell’s Last CampaignSlide12

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Focused attention on airpower

Forced acceptance of the potential of airpower

Mentored many aviators who would carry on his work—some became instructors at the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS)

Mitchell’s LegacySlide13

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Arnold VideoSlide14

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Can be thought of as being triggered by General Mitchell

Army Air Service became Army Air Corps

Additional Assistant Secretary of War appointed to oversee air units

Air sections authorized in General Staff divisions

Flying units to be commanded by rated officers

Air Corp Act of 1926Slide15

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Founded in 1920 at Langley Field, Virginia

Renamed Air Corps Tactical School in 1926

Moved to Maxwell Field,

Alabama in 1931

Original mission to teach air strategy and tactics

Mission changed to developing and teaching air doctrine (principles and philosophy)

Air Corp Tactical School (ACTS)Slide16

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Future wars would be decided by airpower

Airplane would be the primary offensive weapon of modern forces

High-altitude, strategic, daylight bombing could paralyze and defeat an industrialized enemy without heavy losses

ACTS (cont’d)Slide17

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Preoccupation with bombers and their missions overwhelmed other teachings

Claire Chennault

Led the Flying Tigers in WWII

Taught pursuit aviation—advocated escorting bombers and strafing enemy rear areas

George Kenney

Commanded the Pacific Air Force in WWII

Taught attack aviation—strafing attacks on enemy troops and behind enemy lines

ACTS (cont’d)Slide18

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Army Reorganization Act of 1920

Air Service gained autonomy in R&D, procurement, personnel, supply, and training

Air Corps Act of 1926

Changed the name of the Air Service to Air Corps; implied the Air Corps was capable of independent operations

Establishment of General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force in 1935

Placed all tactical units under the Commander, GHQ

Recognized an independent aviation branch within the Army

Organizational ChangesSlide19

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1 September 1939—Germany attacks Poland

Luftwaffe aircraft were employed: To gain air superiority

Cut supply lines

Support ground forces

Germany then easily conquered Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium, and France

The German BlitzkriegSlide20

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United States Prepares for War

Army Air Corps was expandedJuly 1940—Air Corps expands to 54 combat groups to include 14 heavy bomb groups

March 1941—Air Corps expands to 84 combat groups to include 24 heavy bomb groups

Emphasis placed on bombers, not escort aircraft—hurts US bombing efforts

B-17

B-24Slide21

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Air War Plans Division Plan # 1

Formulated in response to Roosevelt's call for American air doctrineEstablished independent operating objectives for the

Army Air Force

Called for precision bombing of German industry and economy

Flawed because it did not provide for long-range fighter escort

P-51Slide22

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Emphasized the offensive nature of the mission Ground support missions were secondary

Four major targets were…Electrical power facilitiesTransportation assets and structures

Synthetic petroleum production plants

Aircraft industry facilities

AWPD 1—Target ListSlide23

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Army Air Corps and GHQ Air Force merged in June 1941 to form AAFMerger resulted from decentralization of the War Department General Staff begun by General George Marshall in 1940

General Hap Arnold named commanderOne step from full independence as a separate service

Forming the Army Air Force (AAF)Slide24

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The United States Enters WW II

Relations between the United States and Germany deteriorate—USS Reuben James

sunk in October 1941

Relations with Japan worsened in 1941

Japan continues Asian aggression

July 1941—Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in U.S. and halts all American trade with Japan7 December 1941—Japan attacks Pearl Harbor Slide25

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Allied Strategy for Winning World War II

Priority One: Safeguard Britain and United StatesPriority Two: Fight a decisive air offensive against the Axis powers in Europe and fight defensively in Asia

Priority Three: Sustained air offensive against Japan

after the Axis powers were

defeated in EuropeUse land forces when, and if, necessary

I + II + III = VictorySlide26

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First US Offensive Action of

WWII—North Africa

First use of US Ground forces against the Germans

Provided valuable combat experience for ground and air forces

Opportunity for British and United States to fight a combined arms campaign

First defeat of the German forces since 1930Slide27

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United States learned valuable lessons concerning the employment of airpower in tactical situations

Initial problems experienced by the AlliesAir units were split among ground unitsGround commanders didn’t share aircraft

Airpower used defensively

Airpower employment fragmented and inflexible

North Africa (cont’d)Slide28

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Allied airpower reorganized in 1942

Command of the air forces went to AirmenThe air officer decided the missions and allocated forces

Missions became offensive in nature

Flexibility of Allied airpower was restored and air superiority was attained

Tactical missions followed

and techniques refinedAllies achieve victory in

North Africa in May 1943

North Africa (cont’d)Slide29

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“Anyone who has to fight, even with the most modern weapons, against an enemy in complete command of the air, fights like a savage against modern European troops, under the same handicaps and with the same chances of success.”

~ Field

Marshal Erwin

Rommell

North Africa (cont’d)Slide30

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Davis VideoSlide31

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US Strategic Bombing of Germany

Heavily influenced by ACTS and bomber advocatesSome felt strategic bombing alone would defeat Germany

Others believed strategic bombing would weaken Germany and a ground invasion would be required for her surrenderSlide32

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United States committed to high-altitude, daylight precision bombingBelieved heavy bombers, flying in formation, could fight their way to the target and back

Fighter escorts not necessaryTargets identified by AWPD-1 best hit in day timeUS strategy ignored weather conditions, target obstruction, fighter opposition, and antiaircraft artillery

US Bombing StrategySlide33

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Strategic Bombing of

Germany—Early EffortsStrategic bombing of Europe was Eighth Air Force responsibility

First raids were against marshaling yards in France—little effect

Late 1942 and early 1943: Eighth AF attacked small targets in Europe—good experience, little effectSlide34

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Strategic Bombing Becomes

a Major Objective

Casablanca Conference (

January

1943) established strategic bombing as a major

objective

Destruction and dislocation of the German military, industrial, and economic system Undermining of morale of the German people

German aircraft industry was the top priority target

The ball bearing industry was a complementary target

Destruction of enemy aircraft industry would help achieve Air SuperioritySlide35

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Strategic Bombing of

Schweinfurt GermanyEighth AF bombs the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt in Summer 1943

August 1943—Eighth AF inflicts heavy damage but loses 36 B-17s and 360 crewmen

October 1943—AAF loses 60 bombers and has 138 aircraft damaged and 600 men lost

Losses were unacceptable

No fighter escorts left bombers vulnerable to enemy fighters

and antiaircraft artillery Slide36

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Strategic Bombing of Ploesti

August 1943—AAF launches attacks against oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania178 aircraft launched—90

lost

Raids were costly but needed to shorten the war

Attacks were designed to reduce Germany’s oil and lubricant production

Generally ineffective and deliveries increased until attacks were resumed in 1944 Slide37

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Strategic Bombing in Europe (cont’d)

Long-range fighter escorts arrived in theater December 1943Took significant toll on German aircraft and their experienced pilot force

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AF resumed raids into Germany in February 1944

Launched a 1,000-plane raid by end of February 1944

Attacked Berlin in March 1944German POL production was reduced to 25% capacity by September 1944Slide38

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Target list was not what it should have beenAttacks on sub pens and ball bearing plants were ineffective

Best targets were the POL production facilities and sources of electrical powerTerror bombing of civilians

was ineffective and did little

to lower morale

Bombers needed fighter

escorts to and from the target

European Strategic Bombing:

Lessons Learned Slide39

Pacific Theater in World War II

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“In

our victory over Japan, airpower was unquestionably decisive. That the planned invasion of the Japanese Home islands was unnecessary is clear evidence that airpower has evolved into a force co-equal with land and sea power, decisive in its own right, and worthy of the faith of its prophets.”

~ General

Carl A. Spaatz Slide40

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Territorial expansion to reduce overcrowding at home and gain raw materials Fill the power vacuum in the Southwest Pacific created by German aggression in Europe

Keep the US out of the war for two years with a knockout blow at Pearl HarborUnderestimated American resolve and anger

Japanese ObjectivesSlide41

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Tunner VideoSlide42

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Allied Strategy to Defeat Japan

China-Burma-India—Japan’s back doorCampaign to re-supply troops in China and recapture Southeast Asia

AAF flew the “hump”—Supply route over the Himalayas—A logistics triumph

South Pacific Offensive—Island- hopping campaign led by General MacArthur

Central Pacific Offensive—Island- hopping campaign led by Admiral Nimitz

C-47

SkytrainSlide43

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Tactical Airpower in the Pacific

Far East Air Force (FEAF)—formed to support the South Pacific campaignMade up of the Fifth and Thirteenth Air Forces

Used innovative techniques, such as fragmentation bombs, to interdict enemy positions and troops

Employed fighters and medium bombers; P-38 was a huge success

Won air superiority through a war of attrition

P-38 LightningSlide44

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Doolittle VideoSlide45

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18 April 1942—First strategic raidJimmy Doolittle led flight of 16 bombers from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS

Hornet600-mile flight did little damage, but boosted morale of US forces and shocked

the Japanese

Twentieth Air Force formed in 1944 specifically to bomb Japan

Initial results were poor due to high altitude bombing techniques

Strategic Airpower in the PacificSlide46

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LeMay VideoSlide47

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January 1945—General Arnold put Gen Curtis LeMay in charge of strategic bombing

Changed tactics to use incendiary bombsLowered bombing altitude to improve B-29s’ accuracy9 March 1945—Launched first firebomb attack of Tokyo

279 B-29s participated

Burned 16 square miles, destroyed 267,000 buildings, and killed 85,000 people

Strategic Airpower in

the Pacific (cont’d) Slide48

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President Truman authorizes nuclear strikes against Japan

6 August 1945: Hiroshima bombed—70,000 killed9 August 1945: Nagasaki bombed—40,000 killedJapan surrendered 15 August 1945

WWII ended formally with ceremonies on the USS

Missouri

on 2 September 1945

End of the WarSlide49

So, what have we learned?

What were significant airpower achievements and changes during this period?

What was the impact of these achievements and changes?

Evolution of AirpowerSlide50

Key People

Gen

LeMay

Gen

Tunner

Gen

SpaatzGen

KennyGen Arnold

Key EventsTokyo fire bombing

China-India-Burma Hump

North Africa

Tactical Island hopping

Alaska flight and AAF

Key Weapons

B-29

Superfortress

C-47, C-46

P40, B-25,

P-51

P-38

B-10

Key Doctrinal

Emphasis

Strategic bombing

Airlift

Centralized Command, CAS,

Interdiction

InterdictionSlide51

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Background—The 1920s

General Mitchell’s CrusadeThe Air Corps Act of 1926Air Corps Tactical School

Move To Autonomy in the 1930s

WWII Begins

The Battle of Britain

The United States Prepares for WarThe Army Air Forces

SummarySlide52

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The US Enters the Second World WarAmerica and its Allies Plan Strategy

The United States on the OffensiveUS Strategic Bombing Effort Against Germany The Air War Against Japan

Tactical Airpower in the Pacific

Strategic Airpower in the Pacific

The End of the Second World War

Evolution of Airpower

Summary (cont’d)