army aviation during the interwar period. mitchell’s role in army aviation technology pilot...

ARMY AVIATION DURING THE INTERWAR PERIOD

ARMY AVIATION DURING THE INTERWAR PERIOD

• Mitchell’s Role in Army Aviation

• Technology• Pilot Training



OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

• Most Influential Supporter– BrigGen William (Billy) Mitchell– Not originally in favor of independent Air Force

• Following World War I– Strongly supported Strategic Warfare as key to future

wars– Army/Navy competing for few available $$– War Dept believed defense of US counted on

• Navy battle fleet• Navy coastal defenses• Army coastal defenses• *(Isolationism)*

– Verbally attacked the battle fleet concept– Challenged Navy to test, 1920– Uproar caused Navy to agree, confident he could not

succeed

• Most Influential Supporter– BrigGen William (Billy) Mitchell– Not originally in favor of independent Air Force

• Following World War I– Strongly supported Strategic Warfare as key to future

wars– Army/Navy competing for few available $$– War Dept believed defense of US counted on

• Navy battle fleet• Navy coastal defenses• Army coastal defenses• *(Isolationism)*

– Verbally attacked the battle fleet concept– Challenged Navy to test, 1920– Uproar caused Navy to agree, confident he could not

succeed

MITCHELL’S ROLE IN ARMY AVIATION


• German battleship “Ostfriesland” was “unsinkable”– 3 tries, 3rd attempt with 2,000 lb specially made bombs (2-

85)

– Sank every ship the Navy offered– Lessons lost on Army Generals and Congress– Lessons learned by Navy, 1st aircraft carrier in 8 months

• Attempts to convince American public– 1st nonstop transcontinental flight– 1st around the world flight– Many new speed and altitude records– Feeling ignored, began writing and speaking campaign– Very critical of military and Coolidge administration– Wanted separate air service and more $$ from Congress

• German battleship “Ostfriesland” was “unsinkable”– 3 tries, 3rd attempt with 2,000 lb specially made bombs (2-

85)

– Sank every ship the Navy offered– Lessons lost on Army Generals and Congress– Lessons learned by Navy, 1st aircraft carrier in 8 months

• Attempts to convince American public– 1st nonstop transcontinental flight– 1st around the world flight– Many new speed and altitude records– Feeling ignored, began writing and speaking campaign– Very critical of military and Coolidge administration– Wanted separate air service and more $$ from Congress



• Conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline– Criticized defenses, particularly Pearl Harbor, 1924– Relieved of command, reduced to Colonel– Denied reappointment as Assistant Chief of the Air

Service– In 1925, after a Navy flight to Hawaii disappeared and

dirigible Shenandoah crashed:• “The high command of both the Army and the Navy are guilty

of incompetency, criminal negligence and almost treasonable administration of the national defense.”

– War Dept finally court marshals him, 1925• Suspended from rank, command, and duty• Public lost interest, Great Depression got worse, isolationism

more wide-spread• Died 1936

– Some of what he sought happened– WWII supported Mitchell’s theories

• Conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline– Criticized defenses, particularly Pearl Harbor, 1924– Relieved of command, reduced to Colonel– Denied reappointment as Assistant Chief of the Air

Service– In 1925, after a Navy flight to Hawaii disappeared and

dirigible Shenandoah crashed:• “The high command of both the Army and the Navy are guilty

of incompetency, criminal negligence and almost treasonable administration of the national defense.”

– War Dept finally court marshals him, 1925• Suspended from rank, command, and duty• Public lost interest, Great Depression got worse, isolationism

more wide-spread• Died 1936

– Some of what he sought happened– WWII supported Mitchell’s theories



• Air-to-air refueling• 1923, 37 hours, 15 minutes with hose from another

plane• 16 times, 50 gallons each• 1929, civilian female pilots

– Coast to coast, dawn to dusk flight, 1924– “Blind” takeoff and landing, 1929

• Lt James H. Doolittle (2-89)

• Instruments for flight, navigation and 2-way radios

– Paratroops, 1929, 17 men, 3,000 ft, equipment

– B-17, 1935, could out fly any fighter (2-91)

– Fighters lagged behind

• Air-to-air refueling• 1923, 37 hours, 15 minutes with hose from another

plane• 16 times, 50 gallons each• 1929, civilian female pilots

– Coast to coast, dawn to dusk flight, 1924– “Blind” takeoff and landing, 1929

• Lt James H. Doolittle (2-89)

• Instruments for flight, navigation and 2-way radios

– Paratroops, 1929, 17 men, 3,000 ft, equipment

– B-17, 1935, could out fly any fighter (2-91)

– Fighters lagged behind

TECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOGY

• Army Air Corps Expansion– Germany invades Poland and Czechoslovakia– Not enough pilots if US entered WWII (sound familiar)– 1939, 1,200 to 3,200 officers– Aircrew and ground technicians– Air Corps didn’t have instructors, facilities, nor

experience– 550 pilots a year

• Contract Schools– Air Corps “discovered” 23 civilian schools, 1938– Jan, Gen Hap Arnold convinced 9 civilian schools to train– July, Congress approves $$ by only 2 votes– 2,400 to 12,000 to 30,000 to 110,000 including Allied

pilots

• Army Air Corps Expansion– Germany invades Poland and Czechoslovakia– Not enough pilots if US entered WWII (sound familiar)– 1939, 1,200 to 3,200 officers– Aircrew and ground technicians– Air Corps didn’t have instructors, facilities, nor

experience– 550 pilots a year

• Contract Schools– Air Corps “discovered” 23 civilian schools, 1938– Jan, Gen Hap Arnold convinced 9 civilian schools to train– July, Congress approves $$ by only 2 votes– 2,400 to 12,000 to 30,000 to 110,000 including Allied

pilots

PILOT TRAININGPILOT TRAINING

• Civilian Program– 1939 to 1944, paid civilian schools to train pilots– 300,000 pilots– Tuskegee airmen, 1941, accidental meeting with

Senator Truman with support from Eleanor Roosevelt

• Indirect acknowledgment that the US was unprepared to fight a war

• Civilian Program– 1939 to 1944, paid civilian schools to train pilots– 300,000 pilots– Tuskegee airmen, 1941, accidental meeting with

Senator Truman with support from Eleanor Roosevelt

• Indirect acknowledgment that the US was unprepared to fight a war

PILOT TRAININGPILOT TRAINING

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION





army aviation during the interwar period. mitchell’s role in army aviation technology pilot...

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