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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
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 heavy bombardment groups before too long-his guess of “about March or April” was only a “shot in the dark.” Within the Air Staff it was estimated that out of the 115-group program, sixteen bombardment and five pursuit groups would be available for the task force in the United Kingdom. Most of these units would be ready only in the last months of 1942, but the Air Staff, accepting a spring date for planning purposes, gave to the two heavy bomber groups and supporting units a high priority.’ Thus on 15 January they listed projected task forces in this order of urgency: ( I ) Task Force X (heavy bombers for Australia); ( 2 ) Task Force FIVE ISLANDS (for defense of South Pacific ferry bases); ( 3 ) Task Force BR (bomber force for United Kingdom); (4) GYMNAST (Northwest Africa); (5) MAGNET (Northern Ireland); (6) Task Force CAIRO (to Egypt).g On 2 7 January the Combined Chiefs of Staff agreed that the first two heavy bomber groups available should be assigned to an American bomber command in the British Isles, to “operate independently in cooperation with the British Bomber Command.” l o Detailed plans for the initial movement of forces, now calculated for I 5 May, were prepared for the Combined Staff Planners by AWPD.” The task of building an organization for the proposed force was begun under supervision of Maj. Gen. Carl Spaatz, com- manding general of the Air Force Combat Command and designated leader of the Army Air Forces in Great Britain. On 4 February, Brig. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, chosen to head up the bomber command, left for England to arrange for the reception of the initial units.” In view of the fluid tactical situation and the conflicting demands from every theater, it was to be expected that AWPD’s suggested allocation to Task Force BR of z I groups from the I I 5-group pro- gram would be subject to later modification. More disconcerting was the competition for the initial units earmarked by the CCS on 2 7 January and already tentatively designated by number in the AAF.13 Again it was enemy victories and their repercussions which threat- ened accepted priorities. Reinforcements to Australia and the South Pacific were dispatched pretty much as planned. MAGNET offered little effective competition either immediately, or as time was to prove, in the future. GYMNAST was shelved in March and was for a few months out of the picture. But in the late winter and early spring of 1942, the Middle East loomed as a new danger spot, perhaps as the key to Axis strategy. At ARCADIA, Sir Charles Portal had 560
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