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The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) from 1926 to 1941, which in turn was the forerunner of today's United States Air Force (USAF). Although abolished as an organization in 1941, it existed as a branch subordinate to the USAAF from 1941 to 1947. Image File history File links Derived from public domain images featured at: http://commons. ... Image File history File links Shield of the United States, Army Air Corps, Public Domain Image from af. ... The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was a part of the U.S. Army during World War II. The direct precursor to the U.S. Air Force, the USAAF formally existed between 1941 and 1947. ... Aircraft of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and coalition counterparts stationed together at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in southwest Asia, fly over the desert. ...

Today, the name Army Air Corps (AAC) is a subordinate element of the United States Army and is unrelated to the original USAAC. It has been suggested that United States Army values be merged into this article or section. ...

Lineage of the United States Air Force

• Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps 1 August 1907 - 18 July 1914
• Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps 18 July 1914 - 20 May 1918
• Division of Military Aeronautics 20 May 1918 - 24 May 1918
• U.S. Army Air Service 24 May 1918 - 2 July 1926
• U.S. Army Air Corps 2 July 1926 - 20 June 1941**
• U.S. Army Air Forces 20 June 1941 - 18 September 1947**
• United States Air Force 18 September 1947 - Present

• ** The Air Corps became a subordinate element of the Army Air Forces on 20 June 1941, and it continued to exist as a combat arm of the Army (similar to Infantry) until disestablished by Congress with the creation of the U.S. Air Force in 1947.

The Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps (1907-1914) was the first progenitor of the United States Air Force. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... The Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, was the name of the military aviation service of the United States Army from 1914 to 1918, and a direct ancestor of the United States Air Force. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... The Division of Military Aeronautics, Secretary of War was the name of the Armys aviation organization for a brief period during World War I, and therefore also an antecedent of the United States Air Force. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... The United States Army Air Service was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... 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. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... Aircraft of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and coalition counterparts stationed together at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in southwest Asia, fly over the desert. ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ...

History of the Air Corps

Creation

The Lassiter Board, a group of General Staff officers, recommended to the Secretary of War in 1923 that the Air Service be replaced by a force of bombardment and pursuit units to carry out independent missions under the command of an Army general headquarters in time of war. The Lampert Committee of the House of Representatives went far beyond this modest proposal in its report to the House in December 1925. After eleven months of extensive hearings, the committee proposed a unified air force independent of the Army and Navy, plus a department of defense to coordinate the three armed services. A General Staff is a group of professional military officers who act in a staff or administrative role under the command of a general officer. ... The Secretary of War was a member of the Presidents Cabinet, beginning with George Washingtons administration. ... The United States Army Air Service was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. ... House of Representatives is a name used for legislative bodies in many countries. ...

Another board, headed by Dwight Morrow, had already reached an opposite conclusion in only two and one-half months. Appointed in September 1925 by President Calvin Coolidge ostensibly to study the "best means of developing and applying aircraft in national defense" but in actuality to minimize the political impact of the pending court-martial of Billy Mitchell and to preempt the findings of the Lampert Committee, the Morrow Board issued its report two weeks before the Lampert Committee's. In accordance with the views of the President, it rejected the idea of a department of defense and a separate department of air, but it recommended several minor reforms including that the air service be renamed the Air Corps to allow it more prestige, that it be given special representation on the General Staff, and that an Assistant Secretary of War for air affairs be appointed. Time Magazine, October 12, 1925 Dwight Whitney Morrow (January 11, 1873–October 5, 1931) was an American businessman, politician, and diplomat. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. ... Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, United States Army Air Service William L. (Billy) Mitchell (December 28, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was an American general who is regarded as the father of the U.S. Air Force. ...

Congress accepted the Morrow Board proposal, and the Air Corps Act (44 Stat. 780) was enacted on July 2, 1926. The legislation changed the name of the Air Service to the Air Corps, "thereby strengthening the conception of military aviation as an offensive, striking arm rather than an auxiliary service." The act created an additional Assistant Secretary of War to help foster military aeronautics, and it established an air section in each division of the General Staff for a period of three years. Other provisions required that all flying units be commanded by rated personnel and that flight pay be continued. Two additional brigadier generals would serve as assistant chiefs of the Air Corps. The Chief of the Air Service, Maj. Gen. Mason Patrick, then became Chief of the Air Corps. July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... Mason M. Patrick (December 13, 1863–January 29, 1942) Born at Lewisburg, West Virginia, he graduated from West Point in 1886. ...

The position of the air arm within the Department of War remained essentially the same as before, that is, the flying units were under the operational control of the various ground forces corps commands and not the Air Corps, which remained responsible only for procurement of aircraft, maintenance of bases, supply, and training. Even the new position of Assistant Secretary of War for Air, held by F. Trubee Davison from 1926 to 1932, was of little help in promoting autonomy for the air arm. A corps (a word that migrated from the French language, pronounced IPA: , but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body; plural same as singular) is either a large military unit or formation, an administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common function (such as artillery or signals... F. Trubee Davison (1896-?) was the Director of Personel for the Central Intelligence Agency. ...

Perhaps the most promising aspect of the act for the Air Corps was the authorization to carry out a five-year expansion program. However, the lack of funding caused the beginning of the five-year expansion program to be delayed until July 1, 1927. The goal eventually adopted was 1,800 airplanes with 1,650 officers and 15,000 enlisted men, to be reached in regular increments over a five-year period. But even this modest increase never came about as planned because adequate funds were never appropriated in the budget and the coming of the Great Depression forced reductions in pay and modernization. Organizationally the Air Corps did double from seven to fifteen groups. (Origin of first seven groups shown here) July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Great Depression was an economic downturn which started in 1929 and lasted through most of the 1930s. ... The United States Army Air Service was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. ...

Air Corps Groups added 1927-1937

¹Redesignated 17th Attack Group in 1935

²Disbanded on May 20, 1937

Nevertheless, just as in the RAF, the formulation of theories of strategic bombing gave new impetus to the argument for an independent air force. Strategic or long-range bombardment was intended to destroy an enemy nation's industry and war-making potential, and only an independent service would have a free hand to do so. But despite what it perceived as "obstruction" from the War Department, much of which was attributable to a shortage of funds, the Air Corps made great strides during the 1930s. A doctrine emerged that stressed precision bombing of industrial targets by heavily armed long-range aircraft. Wheeler Army Airfield (IATA: HHI, ICAO: PHHI), formerly Wheeler Air Force Base, is a U.S. Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... January is the first month of the year and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Boeing Model 15 was an early biplane fighter made by the Boeing company. ... Rockwell Field, located on North Island in San Diego, California, was originally called the Signal Corps Aviation School. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Brooks Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located in San Antonio, Texas. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... Mather Air Force Base was a base of the United States Air Force located in Rancho Cordova, California. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... Boeing F4B of VF-5 squadron (Navy version of P-12). ... Langley Air Force Base (IATA: LFI, ICAO: KLFI) is located at in Hampton, Virginia is home of Air Combat Command. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Curtiss P-6 Hawk The Curtiss P-6 Hawk was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps. ... March Air Reserve Base is a base of the U.S. Air Force Reserve located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Boeing F4B of VF-5 squadron (Navy version of P-12). ... Rockwell Field, located on North Island in San Diego, California, was originally called the Signal Corps Aviation School. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... A B-10 being flown during a training session at Maxwell Field. ... Albrook Air Force Base was one of two main United States Air Force bases located inside Panama, in the area of the Panama Canal Zone (the other was Howard AFB. It was located on the east side of the Panama Canal just south of Fort Clayton and north of the... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... Boeing F4B of VF-5 squadron (Navy version of P-12). ... Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties, adjacent to Riverside, Fairborn, Beavercreek, and Dayton, Ohio. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... C27 or C-27 may refer to: C-27 Airbus, a single engine plane used by the United States Army Air Corps during the 1930s C-27 Spartan, a medium-sized NATO transport Category: ... The remains of German town of Wesel after intensive Allied area bombing in 1945 (destruction rate 98 % of all buildings) // Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war style campaign that attempts to destroy the economic ability of a nation-state to wage war. ...

This doctrine resulted because of several factors. The Air Corps Tactical School opened in 1926 at Langley Field, then moved in 1931 to Maxwell Field, Alabama, where it taught a 14-week course for mid-career officers that included military aviation theory. The Bombardment Section, under the direction of its Chief, Major Harold. L. George, became influential in the development of doctrine and its dissemination throughout the Air Corps. Conversely, pursuit tacticians, primarily Capt. Claire Chennault, Chief of the school's Pursuit Section, found their influence waning because of repeated performance failures of pursuit aviation. Langley Air Force Base (IATA: LFI, ICAO: KLFI) is located at in Hampton, Virginia is home of Air Combat Command. ... Maxwell Air Force Base (offically known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base) is a United States Air Force facility near Montgomery, Alabama. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... Maj. ...

New bomber types under development clearly outperformed new pursuit types, particularly in speed and altitude. In both 1932 and 1933 large-scale manuevers found P-26 fighters unable to climb to altitude quickly enough to intercept attacking B-9 and B-10 prototypes, a failure so complete that Brig. Gen. Oscar Westover, following the 1933 manuevers, actually proposed elimination of pursuits altogether. (Bowman, p.7) The superiority of bombers resulted in a 1934 feasibility study for a 35-ton 4-engined bomber (the Boeing XB-15) that, while found to be unsuitable for combat, led to the design of the Model 299, later to become the B-17. The Boeing P-26, nicknamed the Peashooter, was the first all-metal production fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane used by the United States Army Air Corps. ... The Boeing B-9 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber designed for the United States Army Air Corps. ... A B-10 being flown during a training session at Maxwell Field. ... Oscar Westover (July 23, 1883 - September 21, 1938) was a major general and chief of the United States Army Air Corps when he died. ... The XB-15 parked on an airsrip The Boeing XB-15 (Boeing Model 294) bomber aircraft was first designed in 1934 as a test for the United States Army Air Corps to see if it was possible to build a heavy bomber with a 5,000-mile range. ... A B_17 nicknamed Sally B in England in 2001 The B_17 Flying Fortress was the first mass_produced, four_engine heavy bomber. ...

The Air Corps tested and employed a profusion of pursuit, observation, and bomber aircraft during its 15-year history. Most early operational fighters were of the Curtiss P-1 Hawk (1926-1930) and Boeing P-12 (1929-1935) families, and most bombers before 1934 were variants of Huff-Daland/Keystone design. The advent of the all-metal monoplane, enclosed cockpits, retracting landing gear, enclosed bomb bays, and the emergence of strategic bombardment doctrine led to many designs in the mid and late 1930's that were still in use when the United States entered World War II. Among the key technology developed were oxygen and cabin pressurization systems, engine superchargers (systems essential for high-altitude combat), and the Norden bombsight. Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company went public in 1916 with Glenn Curtiss as president. ... The Curtiss P-1 Hawk was an open-cockpit bi-plane fighter of the U.S. Army Air Corps. ... Boeing P-12 with Captain Ira Eaker The Boeing P-12 was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps. ... Keystone Aircraft Corporation was an early pioneer in airplane manufacturing. ... A supercharger (also known as a blower) is an air compressor used to force more air (and hence more oxygen) into the combustion chamber(s) of an internal combustion engine than can be achieved at ambient atmospheric pressure. ... The Norden bombsight A page from the Bombardiers Information File (BIF) that describes the components and controls of the Norden Bombsight. ...

Main article: Military aircraft of the United States This list of military aircraft of the United States includes prototype, pre-production and operational types. ...

Main article: Air Mail Scandal The Air Mail Scandal is the name that the American press of the 1930s gave to the results of a meeting (the so-called Spoils Conference) of Postmaster General Walter Folger Brown and the executives of the top airlines, effectively dividing among them the air mail routes, and to the...

GHQ Air Force

U.S. aircraft roundel from interwar years to early World War II

The next major step toward creation of a separate air force was taken on March 1, 1935 with the creation of a centralized operational air force, commanded by an aviator and answering to the Chief of Staff of the Army. Called General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force, this command took all combat air units in the United States out of the control of corps area commanders, where they had resided since 1920, and organized them administratively into four geographical districts (which later became the first four numbered air forces) and operationally into a strike force of three wings. GHQ Air Force was a "coordinate component" of the ostensible U.S. air arm along with the Air Corps, and not subject to its control. However all its members, along with members of units stationed overseas and under the control of local ground commanders, remained part of the Air Corps. Image File history File links USAAC_Roundel. ... Image File history File links USAAC_Roundel. ... The modern proportion RAF roundel A roundel is a distinctive, mostly round insignia or identifying emblem, commonly painted today on military aircraft to indicate which nations air force or navy they belong to. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The term Chief of Staff can refer to: The White House Chief of Staff, the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. ...

Nonetheless, the GHQ Air Force remained small in comparison to European air forces. Lines of authority were also difficult as GHQ Air Force controlled only combat flying units within the continental United States, with the Air Corps still responsible for training, aircraft development, doctrine, and supply, and the ground forces corps area commanders still controlling their installations and the support personnel manning them. The commanders of GHQ Air Force and the Air Corps, Major Generals Frank Andrews and Oscar Westover respectively, clashed philosophically over the direction in which the air arm was heading, adding to the difficulties, with Andrews in favor of autonomy and Westover espousing subordination to the Army chain of command. The air arm embraced strategic bombing as its primary doctrine after the creation of GHQ Air Force, but could only buy a few of the new four-engined B-17 Flying Fortresses, so that by 1938 there were still only thirteen on hand and orders for more had been suspended. Frank Maxwell Andrews Lt. ... Oscar Westover (July 23, 1883 - September 21, 1938) was a major general and chief of the United States Army Air Corps when he died. ... The American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was the first mass-produced, four-engine heavy bomber. ...

In January 1936 the AAC contracted with Boeing for thirteen Y1B-17 protoytpes, enough to equip one squadron for operational testing, with deliveries made from January to August 1937. The cost of the aircraft disturbed both Army Secretary Harry Woodring, who denied requests for further purchases, and Army Chief of Staff Malin Craig, who in 1938 reversed plans for five squadrons of B-17s (67 airplanes) to be purchased with carryover funds. The Air Corps also incurred the enmity of the Navy by widely publicizing an interception on May 12, 1938, of the Italian ocean liner Rex by three B-17s while it was 725 miles off-shore of New York City; Craig placed a 100-mile restriction on all off-shore flights in response. The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA, TYO: 7661 ) is an aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. ... Harry Hines Woodring (May 31, 1887/90 - September 9, 1967) was a U.S. political figure. ... Malin Craig (1875 - 1945) was a significant U.S. general. ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... A postcard of SS United States. ... The SS Rex was a product of Navigazione Generale Italiana (later become Italian Line - Italia Società di Navigazione). ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps, Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ...

Interception of the Rex. The navigator for the mission was 1st Lt. Curtis LeMay

The separation of the combat organization (GHQ Air Force) from the logistic organization (Air Corps) created serious problems of coordination. To correct this condition and coinciding with a change of command at GHQ Air Force, the combat force was placed under the new Chief of the Air Corps, Maj. Gen. Henry H. Arnold, in March 1939, but divisions were not entirely resolved. The two organizations were separated again on November 19, 1940, when its flying units were again placed under direct control of the Army Chief of Staff (now George C. Marshall) and its airfields under local corps commanders. However Arnold had joined the General Staff as acting "Deputy Chief of Staff for Air" on November 11, 1940, a position that enabled him to coordinate the two sections of the air arm until the organizational problems were repaired. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1800x1190, 279 KB) http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1800x1190, 279 KB) http://www. ... General Curtis Emerson LeMay. ... Henry Hap Arnold Henry Harley Hap Arnold was an aviation pioneer and commander of the United States Army Air Corps (from 1938), commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces (from 1941 until 1945) and the first General of the Air Force (in 1949. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall (December 31, 1880–October 16, 1959), an American military leader and statesman, was born into a middle-class family in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. ... A General Staff is a group of professional military officers who act in a staff or administrative role under the command of a general officer. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...

The problems of lack of unity of command were again exacerbated in March 1941 when the commander of GHQ Air Force, Delos C. Emmons, who had begun his tour junior to Arnold, was promoted to lieutenant general, forcing him to report to and act under an inferior in rank (both Arnold and his acting replacement as chief of the Air Corps, George H. Brett, were major generals). On June 20, 1941, to end the divisions, the War Department revised Army Regulation 95-5 to create the Army Air Forces with the Air Corps and GHQAF (the latter redesignated as Combat Command) as its major components, authorized an Air Staff to manage planning and execution of expansion of the air arm, and named Arnold as Chief of the Army Air Forces. Delos Carleton Emmons (1888 - 1965) was a U.S. air force general. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... George Howard Brett, (February 7, 1886 – 1963), was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II and was, for a short period, deputy commander of the major Allied command in South East Asia, the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM). ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... 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. ...

During World War II the role of the Air Corps changed again. On March 9, 1942, with the issuance of War Circular 59, the Air Corps was further subordinated to the USAAF as a combatant arm (as Infantry and Field Artillery were subordinate combatant arms of the Army Ground Forces) and the office of Chief of the Air Corps was abolished. The required Congressional disestablishment of the Army Air Corps itself did not occur until July 26, 1947, with the passage of the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 502). Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... This article describes U.S. field artillery. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ...

Organization of the Air Corps

Army Air Corps, March 1, 1935

SOURCE: Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units of World War II

General Headquarters Air Force (Maj. Gen. Frank Andrews, Langley Field, Virginia) Langley Air Force Base (IATA: LFI, ICAO: KLFI) is located at in Hampton, Virginia is home of Air Combat Command. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ...

• 1st Wing (Brig. Gen. Henry H. Arnold, March Field, California)
  • 7th Bombardment Group, Hamilton Field, California
    • 9th, 11th, & 31st Bombardment Squadrons
  • 17th Attack Group, March Field, California
    • 34th, 37th, & 95th Attack Squadrons
  • 19th Bombardment Group, March Field, California
    • 23d, 30th, 32nd, & 72nd Bombardment Squadrons (23rd & 72nd BS based in Hawaii)
• 2nd Wing (Brig. Gen. H. Conger Pratt, Langley Field, Virginia)
  • 1st Pursuit Group, Selfridge Field, Michigan
    • 17th, 27th & 94th Pursuit Squadrons
  • 2nd Bombardment Group, Langley Field, Virginia
    • 20th, 49th, and 96th Bombardment Squadrons
  • 8th Pursuit Group, Langley Field, Virginia
    • 33rd, 35th & 36th Pursuit Squadrons
  • 9th Bombardment Group, Mitchel Field, New York
    • 1st, 5th, 14th & 99th Bombardment Squadrons
• 3rd Wing (Col. Gerard Brant, Barksdale Field, Louisiana)
  • 3rd Attack Group, Barksdale Field, Louisiana
    • 20th, 49th, & 90th Attack Squadrons
  • 20th Pursuit Group, Barksdale Field, Louisiana
    • 55th, 77th & 79th Pursuit Squadrons

Other flying units Henry Hap Arnold Henry Harley Hap Arnold was an aviation pioneer and commander of the United States Army Air Corps (from 1938), commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces (from 1941 until 1945) and the first General of the Air Force (in 1949. ... March Air Reserve Base is a base of the U.S. Air Force Reserve located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. ... The 7th Bomb Wing (7 BW) is the premier operational B-1B Lancer unit in the United States Air Force, based at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. ... Hamilton Army Airfield, CA - 1937 Hamilton Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Base located along the northern shore of San Francisco Bay California. ... The 17th Training Group is composed of a number of squadrons each with a particular mission for training. ... The 19th Air Refueling Group (19 ARG or Black Knights) is one of the oldest organizations in the United States Air Force. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Langley Air Force Base (IATA: LFI, ICAO: KLFI) is located at in Hampton, Virginia is home of Air Combat Command. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... The 1st Operations Group is the oldest major air combat unit in the United States Air Force. ... Selfridge Field is a joint military community reserve and National Guard training facility near Mt. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The 2d Bomb Wing is a B-52 Stratofortress unit based at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... The 9th Bomb Group (Very Heavy) was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 9th Operations Group, a current unit of the United States Air Force. ... Mitchel Field is a complex located in Uniondale, New York, and home to Nassau Coliseum, Mitchel Athletic Complex, Nassau Community College and Hofstra University. ... NY redirects here. ... Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States military base near Bossier City, Louisiana. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The 3rd Wing at Clark Air Base was originally known as the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing (3TFW)and was later renamed during the United States Air Forces restructuring to a Composite Wing. The 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing consisted of the 3rd AGS (Aircraft Generation Squadron) and within the 3rd AGS...

• Advanced Flying School, Kelly Field, Texas
  • 39th Attack, 42nd Bombardment, 43rd Pursuit Squadrons (from 3rd Wing)
• Air Corps Technical School, Chanute Field, Illinois
  • 48th Pursuit Squadron (from 3rd Wing)
• Air Corps Tactical School, (Lt.Col. John F. Curry) Maxwell Field, Alabama
  • 54th Bombardment, 86th Observation Squadrons (from 2nd Wing)
• Rockwell Air Depot, Rockwell Field, California
  • 4th Transport Squadron
• Second Corps Area, Mitchel Field, New York
  • 97th Observation Squadron (from 2nd Wing)
• Sixth Corps Area, Scott Field, Illinois
  • 15th Observation Squadron (from 2nd Wing)
• Ninth Corps Area, Crissy Field, California
  • 91st Observation Squadron (from 1st Wing)
• 12th Observation Group, Brooks Field, Texas
  • 11tn & 22nd Observation Squadrons (from 1st Wing)

Overseas units Kelly Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located in San Antonio, Texas. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Aerial Photo of Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois - 1982 Chanute Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located in Rantoul, Illinois. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Maxwell Air Force Base (offically known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base) is a United States Air Force facility near Montgomery, Alabama. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... Rockwell Field, located on North Island in San Diego, California, was originally called the Signal Corps Aviation School. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Mitchel Field is a complex located in Uniondale, New York, and home to Nassau Coliseum, Mitchel Athletic Complex, Nassau Community College and Hofstra University. ... NY redirects here. ... Scott Air Force Base (Scott AFB) (IATA: BLV, ICAO: KBLV) is an base of the United States Air Force in St. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... A park in San Francisco, Crissy Field was originally a rich salt marsh, and a gathering ground for the native people. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Brooks Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located in San Antonio, Texas. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

• 18th Composite Wing, (Lt. Col. Delos Emmons, Fort Shafter, Hawaii)
  • 5th Composite Group, Luke Field, Hawaii
    • 26th Attack, 40th & 50th Observation Squadrons (23rd, 72nd BS attached)
  • 18th Pursuit Group, Wheeler Field, Hawaii
    • 6th, 19th Pursuit Squadrons
• 19th Composite Wing, (Lt. Col. William C. McCord, Albrook Field, Canal Zone)
  • 6th Composite Group, Albrook Field, Canal Zone
    • 25th Bombardment, 7th & 44th Observation Squadrons
  • 16th Pursuit Group, Albrook Field, Canal Zone
    • 24th, 29th, 74th & 78th Pursuit Squadrons
• 4th Composite Group, Clark Field, Luzon
  • 3rd Pursuit & 28th Bombardment Squadrons

Delos Carleton Emmons (1888 - 1965) was a U.S. air force general. ... Fort Shafter is in Honolulu, Hawai‘i extending up the interfluve (ridgeline) between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain (as Shafter Flats) at Māpunapuna. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Crest of the 5th Bomb Wing In the United States Air Force, the 5th Bomb Wing (5BW) is a B-52 Stratofortress unit based at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. ... For other uses, see Ford Island (disambiguation). ... The United States Air Forces 18th Wing is the host wing for Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan and is the Air Force’s largest combat wing. ... Wheeler Army Airfield (IATA: HHI, ICAO: PHHI), formerly Wheeler Air Force Base, is a U.S. Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. ... Albrook Air Force Base was one of two main United States Air Force bases located inside Panama, in the area of the Panama Canal Zone (the other was Howard AFB. It was located on the east side of the Panama Canal just south of Fort Clayton and north of the... Around the world there are a number of canal zones. ... Clark Air Base is a former U.S. Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines. ... Map of the Philippines showing the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. ...

Annual strength

Strength as of June 30 of each year

Chiefs of the Air Corps

• Maj. Gen. Mason M. Patrick, July 2, 1926-December 13, 1927
• Maj. Gen. James E. Fechet, December 14, 1927-December 19, 1931
• Maj. Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois, December 20, 1931-December 21, 1935
• Maj. Gen. Oscar Westover, December 22, 1935-September 21, 1938
• Maj. Gen. Henry H. Arnold, September 29, 1938-June 20, 1941
• Maj. Gen. George H. Brett, June 20, 1941-March 9, 1942

Mason M. Patrick (December 13, 1863–January 29, 1942) Born at Lewisburg, West Virginia, he graduated from West Point in 1886. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... James Edmond Fechet (August 21, 1877—February 10, 1948) was the Chief of the United States Army Air Corps in 1927-1931. ... December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Benjamin Delahauf Foulois (December 9, 1879 - April 25, 1967), was a United States Army Officer and a pioneering airman. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Oscar Westover (July 23, 1883 - September 21, 1938) was a major general and chief of the United States Army Air Corps when he died. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Henry Hap Arnold Henry Harley Hap Arnold was an aviation pioneer and commander of the United States Army Air Corps (from 1938), commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces (from 1941 until 1945) and the first General of the Air Force (in 1949. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... George Howard Brett, (February 7, 1886 – 1963), was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II and was, for a short period, deputy commander of the major Allied command in South East Asia, the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM). ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ...

Recreation of the Army Air Corps

Today's Army Air Corps is an administrative corps of the U.S. Army established in 1987 and serves to organize, train, equip and operate the Army's light aircraft and helicopter assets. The modern Army Air Corps was formed by renaming the Army Aviation Branch which was established during the 1950s. Its primary function is the tactical support of the army by providing tactical close air support and transport services. An updated version of the Key West Agreement governs the division of responsibility for air assets between the Army and the Air Force (the Army is precluded from operating fixed-wing aircraft in the airlift or close air support roles). The Key West Agreement is the colloquial name for a policy paper entitled Functions of the Armed Forces and the Joint Chiefs of Staff drafted by James V. Forrestal, the first United States Secretary of Defense. ... Fixed-wing aircraft is a term used to refer to what are more commonly known as aeroplanes in Commonwealth English (excluding Canada) or airplanes in North American English. ... In logistics and military terminology: An airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft. ... Close air support (often abbreviated CAS) is the use of military aircraft in a ground attack role against targets in close proximity to friendly troops, in support of ground combat operations. ...

See also

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• United States Army Air Service
• United States Army Air Forces

This list of military aircraft of the United States includes prototype, pre-production and operational types. ... The United States Army Air Service was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. ... The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was a part of the U.S. Army during World War II. The direct precursor to the U.S. Air Force, the USAAF formally existed between 1941 and 1947. ...

Sources

• U.S. Air Force Historical Studies Office
• Bowman, Martin W., "Background to War", USAAF Handbook 1939-1945, ISBN 0-8117-1822-0
• Maurer, Maurer, Air Force Combat Units of World War II, Office of Air Force history (1961). ISBN 0-40512-194-6
• Shiner, John F., Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A History of the United States Air Force (1997), ISBN 0-16-049009-X
  • Vol. I, Chap. 4, "The Coming of the GHQ Air Force, 1925-1935"
  • Vol. I, Chap. 5, "The Heyday of the GHQ Air Force, 1935-1939"
• 2006 Almanac, Air Force Magazine: Journal of the Air Force Association, May 2006, Volume 89 Number 5