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.
“Cairo”26 pages
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 its functions were extended to include an investigation of “poor bombing results” in the European theater. From midsummer until the end of 1941,the board continued its study of bombardment in England and in the United States. The analysis of RAF and Luftwaffe operations did little to change current unflattering estimates, but the report on AAF bombardment rendered on 2 January 1942left little cause for complacency.21TT h e remarkable scores achieved by the AAF had been made under ideal conditions: experienced crews flying in the cloudless-and flakless-skies of the American Southwest. AWPD/I would have to be accomplished by crews trained in the hastily expanding air force. Bombing accuracy a t present was far below the capabilities of existing equipment-as, in fact, it was to be throughout the war. Few crews were sufficiently trained for night bombing to justify adopting RAF practice, and indeed there was “no bombardment unit of the Air Forces ready for combat operations in any theater without a minimum of three months additional train- ing.” ’’’ This was a serious condition in an air force already at war. The board suggested certain remedial steps in regard to training and recommended that no unit be committed to an active theater until it had demonstrated its proficiency by specific achievement tests. The exigencies of war made this last item impractical, but in gen- eral the report was enthusiastically received.’l’ O n 26 February, Arnold established the Bombardment Tactical Committee consisting of five bombardment experts, and specialists on antiaircraft artillery, radar, and meteorology. The committee was charged with “preparing the doctrines, tactics, and technique of employment of air forces in the European theater,” and of making recommendations for improvements in training and equipment necessary thereto.’20 In the meanwhile, work toward the same ends had begun in the theater. General Eaker had arrived in England on 2 0 February to prepare for the reception of the USAFBI bomber command. Among other duties he was charged with studying the doctrines and operational and he had been advised by Spaatz to exhaust fully the possibilities of daylight bombing. His long report of 2 0 March contained, therefore, a critique of British doctrines and an estimate of AAF capabilities.222Several weeks of observation had given Eaker a healthy respect for Bomber Com- mand’s work, and he tended to justify rather than condemn their choice of night operations. With forces inadequate to the primary , procedures of RAF Bomber 605
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.