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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.
“Churchill”21 pages
T H E E I G H T H A I R F O R C E plan under which the transfer was sought called for the existing Brit- ish technical staff to continue in service there until American tech- nicians became available, and for centralization at Burtonwood of the supply and repair of U.S.-built aircraft in use by the RAF. This would be a step toward inauguration of a policy already agreed upon that would leave to the AAF responsibility for the supply and main- tenance (including modification) of all American-built planes operated from the United Kingdom."' The urgent need behind the request received emphasis from Arnold's revelation that current plans pro- posed to place 1,000 American planes for operation in the United Kingdom by 15 August 1942 and 3,500 by April 1943. Until Lang- ford Lodge and Warton were ready for operation-target dates then stood at October I 942 and January I 943, respectively-Burtonwood would have to serve instead. During May, consultations in England and in Washington moved toward a prompt understanding with the Ministry of Aircraft Pro- duction. By the z3d of the month, General Chaney and the ministry had reached a detailed agreement on a plan to transfer Burtonwood to the exclusive control of the Americans following an interval of joint operation."* This joint control began a t the end of June, with the VIII Air Force Service Command acting as the American agent.'13 The technical staff of the British was largely civilian; and in the absence of an adequate number of skilled American military personnel, General Arnold had directed that civilian technicians be drawn from AAF depots in the United States for service as the Civil Service Detachment a t B u r t o n ~ o o d . " ~Lockheed, also, was preparing in June to send some 1,500 civilians to man Langford Lodge.'15 Thus a t the beginning the first two base air depots in Britain were staffed almost entirely by civilian workers. This arrangement was regarded, how- ever, as a temporary measure, and General Spaan intended that eventually all depots would be operated exclusively by military per- sonnel.*le Although the distance between the base depot area around Liver- pool and the sector to be occupied by combat units was not great by American standards, there nevertheless were considerations which dictated the placing of advance depots nearer the combat bases in Huntingdonshire and East Anglia. Efficiency of operation on the scale planned for the Eighth required ready access to spare parts and other supplies; moreover, third echelon repair of battle damage did 63 7
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