With the Possum and the Eagle: The Memoir of a Navigator's War over Germany and Japan

25. A Postmortem

25: A Postmortem No history of the Army Air Forces in World War II would be complete without a discussion of the strains on Gen. "Hap" Arnold, the leader and driving force of the Air Force in World War II. He sacrificed his health to achieve victory. For the first time in its history, the Air Force had an important role in the conduct of a war. In World War I it was little more than an observation unit and adjunct artillery for the army. Fighter pilots engaged in exciting aerial battles over the front lines, but they contributed little to the Allied victory. In the late 1930s, the Air Corps's equipment was obsolete. President Roosevelt foresaw that we would eventually become involved in a war against Hitler. Before the war, he selected General Arnold to build up an air force. The president became one of Arnold's strongest supporters during World War II. Arnold attended meetings oftheJoint Chiefs ofStaffas a subordinate ofGen. George Marshall. Both he and the president believed in the important role airpower would play in achieving victory in Europe and the Pacific. As commanding general ofthe U.S. Army Air Forces, Arnold had to make or approve all basic decisions concerning strategy and tactics . He also supervised the conversion of civilian industry to manufacture new and untried aircraft and supporting equipment. Raw civilian recruits were trained to become aircrew members and were rushed into combat in 1942 against battle-hardened German and Japanese fliers. The army and navy opposed the massive expansion of the Air Corps. Proponents ofstrategic bombing suffered a defeat in the mid1920s when army leaders engineered the court-martial ofBrig. Gen. Billy Mitchell as punishment for his strong views about the importance of airpower. Arnold, Spaatz, and Eaker supported Mitchell at his court-martial. The scars of that battle had not healed by 1941, and they continued to fester throughout the war. The army and navy saw no need for heavy bombers or long-range fighters. The concept of victory through airpower was foreign to 286 A Postmortem 287 them, a pie-in-the-sky concept, a waste ofmoney and resources. The battle in Washington for a share of the armed forces budget was fierce. Arnold fought a continual procurement battle with the army and the navy. He was forced to make compromises and adjustments unknown and not understood by combat commanders in the field. Arnold did not have the technical skills to select new aircraft or supporting equipment. He was obliged to rely on engineers and alleged experts at the Wright Field Materiel Command. Manufacturers had a strong lobby and many congressmen supported aircraft plants in their districts. Inevitably, the strains of command had a serious effect on his health. Arnold suffered four serious heart attacks during the war, each of which occurred during critical times for both the Eighth and Twentieth Air Forces. I was unaware ofArnold's serious health problems while I was working for Hansell and LeMay. Neither of them mentioned or discussed the subject in their postwar memoirs. I first learned about Arnold's problems while doing research for this book. Each time he had a heart attack, he had to leave Washington for long periods ofrest and rehabilitation. His deputy, Lt. Gen. Barney Giles, and other members of his staff were reluctant to make decisions or consult him about important matters while he was ill. They deferred decisions until he returned. It was suggested to General Marshall that Arnold's precarious health might be a reason for his early retirement. The president and Marshall would not hear ofit. They both had faith in Arnold'sjudgment and ability to understand the complex problems ofmanaging an air war in five separate theaters of operations. They recognized his superb public relations skills. They knew he was a master of military politics. They were not about to disturb a smooth and effective team. Roosevelt was sensitive about health problems and went to great lengths to conceal his own from the American people. In spite of his disability from polio, he was a strong war leader and effective president. He felt that only Arnold had the skills to lead and guide the air force. Undoubtedly, the stress ofcommand and Arnold's concern about Eighth Air Force casualties had a substantial effect on his health. By May 1945 it had suffered 93,227 combat casualties in Europe, in- 288 WITH...