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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 Wash”17 pages
F U N D A M E N T A L B A S E S O F S T R A T E G Y States.g3T o those most intimately concerned, this directive and that of 3 July extending the responsibilities of GHQ might seem to overlap in respect to authority for operational planning and control. Divergent attitudes toward the role of air power made difficult any substantial agreement. The newly created Air Staff clearly indicated a desire to extend the powers of the AAF along lines parallel, rather than sub- ordinate, to those of GHQ. Such action would have in effect reduced GHQ to a ground force command, a trend which its leaders objected to but which seems to have been acceptable to WPD. In these circum- stances, there was then much to justify WPD’s judgment that relations between General Headquarters and the Army Air Forces were “in- definite and unsatisfactory.” 9 4 General McNair was determined to preserve the authority of GHQ against threatened encroachments from the AAF. Early in July he secured from General Arnold an oral disclaimer of any intent to in- fringe in the realm of operational command; the latter wrote, confirm- ing his declaration, “There is no thought of aerial combat operations controlled by the Air Force Combat Command, coincident with simi- lar operations controlled by a theater commander.” 9 5 Nevertheless, McNair seems to have felt that the AAF was striving for independent command; apropos of a reorganization suggested by W P D he com- mented that “the Chief of the Army Air Forces does not command the aviation of overseas garrisons-at least not yet.” 9 6 O n 1 5 August, McNair defined in detail his concept of the relationship between the AAF and GHQ in a memorandum specifically calculated to prevent any intrusion on the latter’s authority over operational planning and His anxiety was not ill founded; already the War Depart- ment had initiated deliberations which were to result, some seven months later, in the abolition of GHQ and the extension of air force authority. In its efforts toward that end, the AAF received effective support from WPD. Wishing to settle the broad issues raised by the directive of 3 July and General McNair’s criticism thereof, General Marshall appointed a board representing GHQ, the several sections of the General Staff, and the Army Air Forces. Convened on 14 August, the board soon recommended “a major reorganization of the War Department.” ’* T w o alternatives seemed possible: to increase the powers of GHQ along lines which McNair had suggested; or to reduce it to a ground force command comparable to the AAF and add a service of supplies. 261
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