Documents / Document
This is Volume One of The Army Air Forces in World War II, titled Plans and Early Operations, January 1939 to August 1942, edited by Wesley Frank Craven and James Lea Cate. The University of Chicago Press first published it in 1948, and the Office of Air Force History reprinted it in 1983. The front matter explains how the AAF historical program was set up during the war. The index covers Pacific, Atlantic and European operations, and nothing in the text concerns unidentified aerial phenomena.
“The Invaders”15 pages
T H E A R M Y A I R F O R C E S I N W O R L D W A R I 1 ganized units a t a rate which would synchronize with the accelerating flow of materiel. Only in this fashion could be created the balanced air force demanded by the strategic plans. By 2 3 December 1941the Air Staff had agreed on a broad pattern of expansion. During 1942 the AAF should accomplish its 84-group program, meanwhile speeding up its training schedule to match the Victory Program of aircraft production. In 1943 the AAF should organize and train the groups called for in AWPD/I a t normal (First Aviation) strength, and in 1944 at Second Aviation strength-that is, with an additional squadron for each combat group.6oWithin a few days, the goal for 1942 was raised and a I ~s-groupprogram substi- tuted for the 84.6’General Arnold on 7 January apprised the Chief of Staff of the aims of the AAF and requested authority to put the new program into operation.62 Once having fulfilled “the immediate and necessary commitments for theaters of operations and task forces,” he proposed to devote the major effort toward developing training facilities within the Air Corps. This would retard temporarily the rate of training in the Air Force Combat Command (AFCC), but once the program was in full swing it would relieve that command of all responsibility for individual and crew training and allow it to con- centrate on operational unit training. Under the new arrangement Arnold proposed to reach an annual production rate of 50,000 pilots and 300,000 technicians by August and of 70,000 pilots and 500,ooo technicians in I 943. On 19 January the Secretary of W a r approved this program in a directive on expansion of the AAF during the calendar year 1 9 4 2 . ~ ~ The authorized strength of the AAF, including arms and services, was increased to 70,914 officers and 997,687 enlisted men. Approval was granted for activating during the year 45 additional groups of desig- nated types. These were to be a t First Aviation strength and with the 7 0 existing groups would round out the I 15 called for in the new pro- gram. The AAF was also directed to expand training facilities to make possible the goals General Arnold had desired for 1942 and 1943. Some steps were taken immediately to launch the new program. The Flying Training Command was established on 2 3 January under the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps, with full responsibility for train- ing pilots and air crew^.^^ The activation of approved units progressed rapidly; within two months some 3 0 groups had been added. The Air Staff, meanwhile, had already begun planning for a greatly augmented 2 50
Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 863 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.