George Kenney

George Churchill Kenney (August 6, 1889 - August 9, 1977) was one of the most brilliant and successful United States Army Air Forces generals of World War II. He excelled in his his role as commander of the Allied air forces in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) from August 1942 until 1945, and became a legend for his development of the highly successful skip-bombing and low-level strafing tactics used by his Fifth and Thirteenth Air Forces against Japanese land and naval units in that theater. Image File history File links George_Kenney. ... Image File history File links George_Kenney. ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The United States Army Air Forces, or USAAF, was a part of the U.S. military during World War II. The direct precursor to the U.S. Air Force, the USAAF formally existed between 1941 and 1947. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II... The group of countries known as the Allies of World War II came together, to fight the Axis Powers, as World War II unfolded and progressed. ... This article deals with the military command/theatre known as the South West Pacific Area. ... This article is about the year. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ...

Early life

Kenney was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In June 1917, he enlisted as a flying cadet in the U.S. Army Signal Corps Aviation Section and was instructed by noted aviator Bert Acosta. As a lieutenant during World War I, Kenney flew 75 combat missions and shot down two German aircraft while serving with the 91st Aero Squadron. After the war, he remained for a time with the Allied occupation forces in Germany. He was promoted to Captain in 1919 and was appointed commander of the 91st Aero Squadron. Downtown Yarmouth Yarmouth with The Cat in the Background Yarmouth is a town and major fishing and ferry port located on the Gulf of Maine in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. ... Seal of Brookline, MA Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. ... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, is a university located in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. MIT is one of the worlds leading research institutions in science and technology, as well as in numerous other fields, including management, economics, mathematics, linguistics, political science, and philosophy. ... The U.S. Army Signal Corps was founded in 1861 by United States Army Major Albert J. Myer, a physician by training. ... Bert Acosta (1895-1954) in 1927 Bert Acosta (1895-1954) in New Bridgeport Telegram, Bridgeport, CT, September 02, 1954 Obituary in New Bridgeport Telegram, Bridgeport, CT, September 02, 1954 Bertrand Blanchard Acosta (January 1, 1895 - September 1, 1954) was an aviator who flew in the Spanish Civil War and was... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead:5 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:8 million Military dead:4 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:7 million The First World... Captain is both a nautical term and a rank in various uniformed organizations. ...

During the 1920s and 1930s, Kenney attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and graduated from the Army War College in Washington, D.C. He was also involved in surveying airfield sites in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Kenney was active in aeronautical research and development during this period, and pioneered the use of machine guns mounted in the wings of Army Air Corps pursuit planes. First established in 1881 as a school for infantry and cavalry, the U.S. Armys Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas functions as a graduate school for U.S. and Allied military leaders. ... In 1827, Colonel Henry Leavenworth established a post on the bluffs overlooking the western bank of the Missouri River to protect the fur trade, safeguard commerce on the Santa Fe Trail and maintain the peace among the inhabitants. ... The United States Army War College is a U. S. Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, specifically in the historic Carlisle Barracks. ... Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Official website: http://www. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

By 1939, Kenney, now a Lieutenant Colonel, commanded the Air Corps Experimental Division and Engineering School at Wright Field, Ohio. In 1940 he went to France as U.S. Assistant military attaché for Air to observe Allied air operations during the early stages of World War II. As a result of his observations, he recommended many important changes to U.S. Air Corps combat tactics. In 1941, Kenney was promoted to brigadier general and was made commander of the Fourth Air Force, a training unit based in California. In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... A military attaché is a military expert who is part of a diplomatic mission. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... Formed in the United States during World War II to provide air defense and combat training for the personnel of newly formed units, the Fourth Air Force was assigned, in turn, to Continental Air Forces, Air Defense Command, and Continental Air Command before inactivating in 1960. ...

World War II

In August 1942, as a major general, Kenney took over command of both the Allied Air Forces in the SWPA and the newly-formed US Fifth Air Force, thereby becoming the senior Allied air officer under overall theater commander General Douglas MacArthur. Initially from his headquarters in Brisbane, Australia, and later from New Guinea and the Philippines, Kenney commanded American, Royal Australian Air Force, British Royal Air Force and Dutch air units. He skillfully and effectively directed the air war against Japanese positions in and around New Guinea (including the surrounding islands), the Dutch East Indies, Borneo, and the Philippines. Units under Kenney's command also took part in the Battles of Iwo Jima and the Okinawa. He was promoted to lieutenant general in 1944. This article is about the year. ... The Fifth Air Force (5AF), which is based in Japan, is one of the few numbered air forces of the United States Air Force never to have been based in the United States itself. ... Douglas MacArthur GCB (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964) was an American general and Medal of Honor recipient, who commanded the Southwest Pacific Theater, in World War Two. ... Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the state of Queensland, Australia. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands-Indië) was the name of the colonies set up by the Dutch East India Company, which came under administration of the Netherlands during the 19th century (see Indonesia). ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Holland Smith Tadamichi Kuribayashi† Strength 70,000 22,000 Casualties 7,000 dead, 19,000 wounded 21,000 dead, 1083 captured The Battle of Iwo Jima was fought between the United States and Imperial Japan during February and March of 1945, during the... Template:Infobox Military conflict The Battle of Okinawa, fought on the island of Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands (south of the four big islands of Japan), was the largest amphibious assault during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It was also the largest sea-land-air battle in history...

One of the most successful air operations directed by Kenney was the destruction of a major Japanese reinforcement fleet during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in 1943. The loss of this huge armada, loaded with supplies and troops, ended Japanese hopes of retaining control of New Guinea. Combatants United States; Australia Japan Commanders George C. Kenney Kimura Masatomi Strength 39 heavy bombers; 41 medium bombers; 34 light bombers; 54 fighters 8 destroyers, 8 troop transports, about 100 land-based fighter planes Casualties 2 bombers, 3 fighters shot down 8 troop transports sunk; 4 destroyers sunk; 20 fighters...

Post-war

Kenney received the four stars of a full general on March 9, 1945 and, after World War II, served in Europe as a staff officer. In April 1946 he became the first commander of the Strategic Air Command, and completed his military service as commander of the Air University. During a career which spanned over 30 years, Kenney was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross with one oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, and several foreign decorations. After his retirement in 1951, General Kenney lived in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, where he passed away in 1977. SAC shield The Strategic Air Command or SAC (1946-1992) was the branch of the United States Air Force in charge of Americas bomber-based and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal, as well as the infrastructure necessary to support their operations (such as tanker aircraft to fuel the... The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. ... The Distinguished Service Medal is a high level military and civilian decoration of the United States of America which is issued for meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United States armed forces. ... The Silver Star is a United States military decoration and is the third highest medal for valor. ... The Distinguished Flying Cross. ... Bay Harbor Islands is a town located in Miami_Dade County, Florida. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

General Kenney wrote three books about the air campaigns he led during World War II. His masterpiece was "General Kenney Reports", a personal history of the SWPA air war from 1942 to 1945. He also wrote "The Saga of Pappy Gunn" and "Dick Bong: Ace of Aces", which praised the bravery and accomplishments of two of his star performers.

External links

• Arlington Cemetery, 2003, "George Churchill Kenney – General, United States Air Force"
• Lt Col. Kent L. Manuel, 1996, "General Kenney as a strategic leader"
• Ken's Men: 5th AAF 43rd BG website of the 43rd Bomb Group of the 5th Army Air Force, the Group known as "Ken's Men" in honor of their leader, General Kenney