Organizační historie amerického letectva

BRIEFLY

Vzduchoplavecké department was established to 1. August 1907. In July 1914 was established on the basis of the law of the air section. The law expressly referred to the name of the Air the, this phrase is in it is used only as a general indication. The air section is therefore an unofficial summary designation for the air force in the period of 1914-1918, although officially it was about Vzduchoplavecké department, Air separation and Department of military vzduchoplavectva. In the framework of the American expeditionary forces was in September of 1917 established the Air service, which existed until demobilisation in 1919. It was however on the side line, which is directly related to its own organisational development in the department of the Ministry of war.

Department of military vzduchoplavectva was created by renaming the Air department in April 1918 and in the following month was transferred from the subordination of the coupling forces directly under the Ministry of war as the only army air instance. After four days, however, has been the establishment of the Bureau of aircraft production, giving rise to the allocation of functions. As the coordinating element was in August 1918 appointed Director of air services. In march 1919, received this the director full control over the two organisations and there has been consolidation. This status was formally confirmed by an act of national defense from the year 1920, which was a full confirmation of the Army air services as a combat components of the army. In 1926 the Army air service renamed the Army air corps. In 1941 were set up Army air forces, which was the air corps along with other air instances subordinated. In the following year the glee club was canceled. In 1947, the air force school became independent.

A simplified diagram of the development of the american air force:
         .

AIR THE
Balloons
The origins of the u.s. air force are associated with the coupling forces of the u.s. army. He obtained a first experience with this element in the period of the civil war. Between October 1861 and August 1863 existed within the Union army Balloon corps. It was a small unit of seven aerostatech with Thaddeusem Lowe in the lead. In 1892 came the chief communications officer major general Adolphus Greely with a plan to create the partition, the war balloons and released the funds for the acquisition of one aerostatu in France. The balloon named General Myer was stationed at Fort Riley. In 1897 he was the first balloon was replaced by a new, which received the name of Santiago, and in Cuba passed in 1898 a combat deployment. In the years 1898-1899 invested the war Department, $ 50,000 for the rights to the aircraft heavier than air, has developed the secretary of the Smithsonova of the institute, Samuel Langley. His attempt, although ended ingloriously, however, the interest of the army is restored in connection with the success of the Wright brothers'.

The commander of Connecting schools in the kansas Fort Leavenworth major George Squier he studied aeronautical theory and lectured on aviation machines of the Wright brothers'. In July 1907 he became executive officer in the office of the chief connecting officer which was brigadier general James Allen. Squier Allen immediately began to convince himself of the necessity of creating an air unit in the signal corps.


Vzduchoplavecké department
Already to 1. August 1907 was under the signal corps established Vzduchoplavecké department. The army while under the impression that the Langley crash initially the aircraft ignored them and focused on the airship, however, in 1908 he was, also thanks to the pressure of president Theodore Roosevelt, taken the first aerodyn. This was the plane the Wright Model a that was shipped 1. September. The first officer, who performed years, was a lieutenant Frank Lahm. However, already 17. September plane crashed during the acceptance tests. About life when it came to lieutenant Selfridge. In August 1909 he was supplied other machine of similar type. He was introduced into service and flew until 1911. The army had a plane but no pilot, ground personnel or the training facility. Wilbur Wright, therefore, learned to fly Frank Lahma, Benjamin Fouloise and Frederic Humphrey. The lack of financial resources but meant that until the year 1911 consisted of the us air force to one pilot (Foulois) and one considerably worn-out aircraft. In this year Congress released the additional resources and could start the next development. Vzduchoplavecké department could begin to practice flight training, to establish a flight school, to introduce an evaluation system for obtaining qualifications and send out into the field of combat air unit - 1. the interim air squadron.

July 1914 was the status of the u.s. air force increased by the fact that Congress agreed with the creation of the aviation section within the signal corps. The air section was not the official name, rather a general term for the american historical military aviation parts - vzduchoplavecký section, aviation school, signal corps and 1. air squadron. The in 1916-1917 under the command of captain Fouloise participated in the punitive expedition of general Pershinga into Mexico against Pancho Villa. The unit here has faced adverse geographical and meteorological conditions, and suffered a series of accidents. Her results were not too brilliant, which was in contrast with the achievements of the military pilots on the european Western front, who, thanks to the air of the survey greatly affected the development of the war..

FIRST WORLD WAR
In 1914 consisted of the air section of five squadrons and three more were in the process of formation. When the united states declared in 1917, war on Germany, had 56 pilots and fewer than 250 aircraft - all of which were moreover out of date. The americans have still failed to realize the real needs. Congress may release $ 50 million for the purchase of other aircraft, but counted only with overall 13 pinions. The French but demanded that the US had used 4 500 aircraft and 5,000 pilots and 50,000 members of the ground staff. Congress then a month later release the $ 640 million to create 354 combat squadrons. This was an unprecedented sum. But the united states during the past 12 years have made barely a few hundred aircraft, military and civilian together. Talk about the aviation industry could only with hyperbole, it was a few sweatshops in the occasional production of several machines.

President Wilson has Advice for aircraft production (Aircraft Production Board) in the lead with Howard Coffinem, which should ensure the emergence of the u.s. aviation industry, including the abundance of skilled workers. Too successful this program was. There was, therefore, to the reorganization of air production and air units.

In April 1918, it was the Aviation department, which existed in the framework of the aviation section of the signal corps was renamed to the Department of military vzduchoplavectva. It was in the following month transferred from the subordination of the coupling forces directly under the Ministry of war as the only army air instance. After four days, however, has been the establishment of the Office for aviation production, thereby leading to the allocation of functions - department of military vzduchoplavectva under the command of general Kenlyho should ensure the training of pilots and the bureau of aircraft production should ensure the production of the aircraft. To the head of office was appointed as a civilian, the former president of one of america's greatest industrial trusts - the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. As the coordinating element should be the director of air services, which was appointed to in August 1918, when it became just John Ryan, who at the same time he held high office at the war ministry. Ryan should have sufficient powers to reverse the current dismal situation. The mission of major Bolling, who visited the Western front, came to the unequivocal conclusion: the U.S. within the air force will contribute mainly raw materials for european industry, which will ensure the production of fighter aircraft. Otherwise, America had to produce trainer aircraft, aircraft engines and under license also bombers the De Havilland D.H.4. The US finally bought 4 881 aircraft in France, 258 in the Uk and 59 in Italy. In America it was made 11 754 aircraft, primarily training and 15 572 engine Liberty, which in the end wasn't such a tragedy, but I just expected more, especially with regard to fighter aircraft. While the eight universities have been set up aviation school, it was founded 27 of the basic flight schools and 16 schools for subsequent training in Europe. When it was in Europe 11. 11. 1918 armistice, consisted of the united states air force 19 of 189 officers and 178 of the 149 members of the team in the 185 wing.

One of the first aviators, who to France arrived after the declaration of war, was William Mitchell. Studied here the british and French procedures and on this basis recommended the establishment of two air forces - one to support the ground forces, the second on strategic strikes against targets in Germany. On the latter, however, lacked the aircraft and the already mentioned Bollingova mission assigned to the bombing of the lowest importance. The commander of the American expeditionary forces, general Pershing therefore created a tactical air force. At its head stood the chief of the Air service (Chief of Air Service), but at the same time for Mitchell set up the function of the air commander of the forward band (Air Commander, Zone of Advance). This dvoukolejnost may deteriorate the management of the air force in France as a whole, but Pershing wanted to make Mitchell took care of the management of combat operations.

Some Americans flying in the French and british wing before the entry of the USA into the war. These veterans became the basis for the new squadron, which připlouvaly from the USA. The american squadron first flew over the side of the british and French, and in the quieter parts of the queue to gain combat experience. Then, what to France arrived, and reached operational capability of u.s. ground forces, have been allocated to them. Units composed exclusively of Americans and under american command began to operate in march 1918. Their pilots were flying the French fighter thats actually pretty boring and Nieuportech or the French bombing Breguetech, respectively, of the british bombers D.H.4. The first air victory achieved Winslow with Campbell on the French Nieuport vyzbrojeném british machine gun Vickers. American pilots also often seek out the lost infantry units, or define the location of the enemy by flying low over the ground towards the east and waited, when someone starts shooting. Also direct support of ground troops consisting of attacks on enemy trenches at low altitude you require great sacrifice. Dogfights and attacks on the balloons also claimed a variety of losses. Must say, however, that a large part of the victims went to the debit of the technical defects of aircraft. Mitchell's officer Edgar Gorrell, developed a plan for strategic bombing of German targets - communication lines, production centers and business centers. The plan was to Pershingovu support, but the lack of aircraft and the resistance of the other higher commanders of ground volumes of its implementation of prevent. The commanders of the infantry formations demanded what the closest air support, Mitchell tried to at least attack at the railway station and bridges near the front line.

American 1. aviation brigade, reinforced by French troops in June 1918 in the context of the battle of Château-Thierry clashed with the more powerful German formations. It was a bloody baptism, however, Mitchell odnestl a variety of knowledge and experience regarding the concentration of air forces and conduct offensive activities. It is him in the September suit by St. Mihiel. Focus here almost a hundred squadrons with eighteen thousand planes and divided them into two groups. One performed armed reconnaissance, the second served as a strike force. Mitchell managed to take the initiative, to gain air supremacy, the attack on German ground forces and disrupt their supply. During the offensive, Meuse-Argonne in September and October focused mostly u.s. air force and fought for air supremacy over the areas of deployment of us ground units.

In a day of ceasefire and operated in Europe 45 squadrons and another 140 of them prepared in the united states. The americans here had a 750 own pilots operated the aircraft, which was roughly 10 percent of the allied forces. 71 pilots became aces, while the most successful was the Eddie Rickenbacker with 26 kills. In comparison with Richthofenem (80), Fonckem (75) or Mannockem (73) while this is not a dazzling figure, however, reached him relatively quickly. During the fighting on the Western front received the pilots a total of four Medal of honor. Two received Rickenbacker and Luke for aerial victories, two Goettler with Bleckleyem, when they helped find a lost battalion during the offensive, Meuse-Argonne by nalétávali low over the presumed German position, which they wanted the enemy to provoke the shooting, and then figure out where the lost battalion does not find it. Paid for it while living, but facilitate the other pilots of the search, as it significantly narrowed the space, where could the banner be located.

Total reported Americans 756 downed aircraft and 76 balloons in the own losses of the 237 pilots, 289 airplanes and 48 balloons during the seven-month deployment. Made also 150 bomber raids. For the overall course of the war while it is not essential, but the plane fully entered the battlefield, it's worked and his role in warfare should grow. And the Americans were at it, although it was not without a whole series of problems..

INTERWAR PERIOD

....

Sources:
McFarland, Stephen L.: And Concise History of the U.With. Air Force, Air Force History and Museums Program, 1997
Craven, Wesley Frank - Cate, James Lea: The Army Air Forces In World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Volume One - Plans and Early Operations: January 1939-August 1942, Washington, 1983
Greer, Thomas H.: The Development of Air Doctrine in the Army Air Arm, 1917-1941, Center For Air Force History, Washington, 1985.