The Army Air Forces in World War II, Vol. 1 (archived PDF)

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
position as Chief of the Air Corps, it nevertheless lent additional weight
to his persistent efforts.
One significant instance occurred soon after GHQ was established.
As Chief of the Air Corps, Arnold promulgated on 14 August an
elaborate training directive for the GHQ Air Force. Although GHQ
had been made responsible for the training of all combat units, and
on 19 November was specifically given “direct control” over the
GHQ Air Force, the directive was allowed to stand. Thereafter Gen-
eral McNair exercised hardly more than a nominal supervision over
air training.8’ This de facto situation was legalized in the revision of
Army Regulation 95-5 on 20 June 1941,+whereby the Army Air
Forces was established and its Chief, General Arnold, was given con-
trol over both unit and individual training.88 General Headquarters’
responsibility for air force training was limited to combined air-
ground operations.
If AR 95-5 clarified the training issue, it evoked more serious prob-
lems concerning the planning and control of air combat operations
when, a fortnight later, GHQ was made responsible for those func-
tions. One purpose in creating the Army Air Forces was to eliminate
internal friction between combat and service agencies, a hope which
did not materialize.*’ In broader context, the move was one phase of
the current trend toward “streamlining” the organization of the War
Department. The Secretary of War had approved “decentralizing our
staff work to permit Air Force autonomy in the degree needed,” while
opposing “segregated independence.” Certainly the powers given
to General Arnold as Chief of the Army Air Forces constituted the
greatest single step toward autonomy as yet taken. He was charged
with control over the Air Force Combat Command, successor to the
GHQ Air Force, and over the Air Corps.“ Specifically, his duties in-
cluded determining requirements for the AAF and the “preparation
of necessary plans for the development, organization, equipment,
training, tactical operations, supply, and maintenance thereof, includ-
ing overseas garrisons and task forces for theaters of operations and
the assignment of personnel and mathiel thereto.” ” Through its com-
manding general, he controlled “all aerial operations’’ of the Air Force
Combat Command save for units assigned or attached to task forces,
overseas garrisons, or other commands, and on direction of the Chief
of Staff was responsible for plans for the air defense of the United
* See above, p. I 15.
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