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

Air Force Historical Studies Office · 863 pages · text from the file's own layer

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.

  • p. 386 …More threatening were Rommel’s forces in North Africa, for the very existence of the air…
  • p. 387 …the route over which the Far East Air Force had received its thirty-five heavy bombers…
  • p. 551 …Formerly commander of the Far East Air Force in the Philip- * See above, pp. 396-97…
  • p. 561 …of an air force, depended upon a line of communications extending across the Indian and At…
  • p. 570 …the American air force would be used in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean area…
  • p. 571 …Accordingly, on 24 May the order committing the Tenth Air Force to operations under RAF supervision…
  • p. 577 …involved in estab- lishing and operating an air force in Asia. The report of the Grady…
  • p. 630 …Policy for Disposition of US and British Air Forces.” l6 This memorandum greatly extended the scope…
  • p. 797 …MacArthur argued that now was a pro- pitious moment to rush forces from the Indian and…
  • p. 819 …5 8 - 6 7 Eighth Air Force, I, 326ff.; Achtung Indianer, a history of VIII FC…
  • p. 850 …See also CBI; Air Forces, Tenth AF. 336407 3537 356, 3803 395-96, q857 496 India…
P L A N S , P O L I C I E S , A N D O R G A N I Z A T I O N
strategic responsibility, by agreed dates, certain specified AAF units
with requisite support.” These were to serve in homogeneous Ameri-
can organizations, under control of the appropriate British com-
mander in chief. Specific arrangements were made to meet British
needs in spares and parts, to provide for the handling of Dominion
requirements within U.S. spheres of influence, and to pool the in-
adequate resources in transport planes.
The Arnold-Portal-Towers agreement was accepted by the US.
Joint Chiefs on 25 June, by the CCS on 2 July.” It still left each na-
tion with heavy responsibilities to the U.S.S.R., China, and other
ANNEX B: United States Air Forces Assigned to British and Combined Theatres of
The following United States forces will be established and ready for operations in
Strategic Responsibility
British and Combined Theatres of strategic responsibility by the dates shown:
I. Middle East.
H e w y Bombers:
Medium Bombers:
One group to be completed to full strength (35) by
October 1st 1942.
One medium bomber group (57) will be available for
“fly away” from the United States by 15th July and
will be operational in Middle East by September 1st 1942.
A second medium bomber group ( 5 7 ) by December 3rst
1942.
One group ( 8 0 ) by September 1st 1942
One group (80) by October 1st 1942
T w o groups (160) by January 1st 1943
T w o groups (160) by April 1st 1943.
Pursuit:
Total: Six groups (480).
2 . India.
Heavy Bombers:
Medium Bombers: One group ( 3 5 ) completed in September 1942 (a).
Two additional squadrons will be established, bringing
U.S. medium bomber strength to one group (57) in Sep-
tember 1942.
T w o groups (160) completed by October 1942.
The role of these groups will include collaboration in
offensive operations in Burma to relieve pressure on
China. In the event of a threat to India they will be used
to defeat that threat.
Pursuit:
Note (a) As soon as this group is established as part of the defence of India,
one of the two British heavy squadrons on B.24’~will be rolled up.
3 . United Kingdom.
Heavy Bombers:
Medium Bombers: Ten groups (570)
Light Bombardment: Six groups (342)
0bservation,
Photo Mapping: Seven groups (399)
Pursuit: Twelve groups (960)
Transport: Eight groups (416).
Seventeen groups (595) by April 1st 1943
569

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Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 863 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.