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Chapter 5: “The Creation of the Five-Engine Bomber Has Completely Changed the Strategy in the Pacific”
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PartII 130 C H A P T E R 5 “TheCreationoftheFive-Engine BomberHasCompletelyChanged theStrategyinthePacific” I n early September, while still in Manila’s Sternberg Hospital being treatedfortertiarymalaria,Brig.Gen.HenryClagettcalledhisexecutive officeratairforceheadquartersatNielsonField.Hedemandedto beshownthefinishedproductofColonelGeorge’seffortstoprepare theplanonairforcerequirementsforMacArthurthatheandGeorge hadwrangledoverinlateAugustjustbeforeheturnedhimselfinfortreatment atSternberg. AfterGeorgedroppedhisversionoftheplanoffatthehospital,Clagett wentthroughthedraftdocumentandbeganrejectingsectionsspecifying theamountsoffuelandbombsrequiredtoattackparticulartargets thatClagettarguedwerenotofmilitaryvaluebutGeorgeclaimedwere of potential military significance. Forced by Clagett to revise the plan, GeorgeandhisS2,AllisonInd,foundthatsuchanalterationmadeonlya slightdifferenceinthetotalamountsofbombsandfuelneededtocarry outtheplan.GeorgethenturnedtherevisedversionovertoClagett,who begantorewriteitentirely—despitehisacknowledgedweaknessesinliterary expression.Later,asGeorgeandIndweregoingovertheabbreviated “hybrid”thatClagetthadproduced,theyfeltthat“allthestrength,conviction ,andraisond’êtrehaddisappeared.”Clagetthadreluctantlyretained the“terrifictotals”ofaircraftthatGeorgehadworkedtopreserve,but hadlargelydeletedthesupportingrationaleneededtojustifythem.Tohis staffofficers,neitherMacArthurnortheWarDepartmentwouldbeconvinced oftheneedforsuchalargeincreaseinairpowerforthe“aggressive defense”ofthePhilippinesintheabsenceofanyarticulatedargumentsin favorofthem. ch5 4/2/03,1:04PM 130 Chapter5 131 Uponreleasefromthehospitalseveraldayslater,Clagettreportedto MacArthur’sheadquarterswiththerevisedversionoftheplaninhand. Seatedbehindhisrichlycarveddesk,MacArthurperusedthedocument, whichClagetthadentitled“StudyofAirForceforUnitedStatesArmy ForcesintheFarEast.”Hedidnotlikethepresentationandannounced thathewantedtoseetheplanasGeorgehadoriginallypreparedit. Afewdaysafterhavingabsorbedtheput-downbyMacArthur,Clagett calledhisexecutiveofficertohisofficeatNielsonFieldheadquarters. “Hal,I’mlicked!”heacknowledgedtoColonelGeorge.“Theylikeyour wayofputtingitmorethanmine.”ClagettaskedGeorgetogivehima copyoftheoriginalversiontosubmittoMacArthur.OnSeptember11, ClagettsentthedocumenttoMacArthur’sheadquarters.1 Justthreedaysearlier,MacArthurhadforwardedtotheWarDepartment astudyClagetthadsubmittedtohimonAugust28thathadbeen preparedbyhisAirWarningServicechief,Col.AlexanderH.Campbell, andwasconsideredcomplementarytotheplanClagettandGeorgehad comeupwithforexpandedairpowerforUSAFFE.Clagetthadasked MacArthur to assign the study, entitled“EmergencyAircraftWarning ServiceProjecttoAirDefensePlan,USAFFE,”ahighpriority.Inhis coveringindorsementdatedSeptember8,MacArthurrecommendedthe War Department approve the project and requested funds for its early commencement. Inthestudy,Campbellaskedforsufficientmoderndetectionequipment andpersonneltoconductround-the-clockoperations.Specifically, hewantedtwoSCR-270BmobileradarunitsandelevenSCR-271fixedlocation unitsfortheoperationoftheAWS,sixofwhichwereunderstood to be en route to the Philippines already. Campbell estimated a need forthirty-threeofficersand882enlistedmentooperatethesystem,as opposedtothe194thathadarrivedonAugust1assignedastheAirWarning Company,PhilippineDepartment.2 AsMacArthur’srequestwingeditswaytoWashington,itcrossedpaths withareportpreparedbytheAirDefenseBoardairmailedtoMacArthur onSeptember2bytheWarDepartmentthatwastobeconsidered standarddoctrineontheorganizationofairdefenseforthecontinental UnitedStatesanditsoverseasterritories.Althoughithadnotyetreceived WarDepartmentapproval,inviewofthecriticalsituationintheFarEast, itwasbeingsenttoMacArthurwitharequestforUSAFFEtosubmita recommendationoutliningitsAWSrequirementsbasedonthetablesof organizationincludedintheAirBoardreport,buttakingintoconsideration...