American Raiders: The Race to Capture the Luftwaffeâ??s Secrets

6. The 1st Tactical Air Force (Provisional)

[ 72 ] THE 1ST TACTICAL AIR FORCE (PROVISIONAL) Within days of his arrival at St.-Germain, Hal Watson was issued a blue Eisenhower pass. The pass gave its bearer the authority to go anywhere and request assistance from any U.S. or British military command in the execution of his duties. Bearing General Eisenhower’s signature element, the pass stated in English, French, and German that “Harold E. Watson, the bearer of this card, will not be interfered with in the performance of his duty by the military police or any other military organization: By Command of General Eisenhower.” It was an extraordinary door opener, and Watson was to use it to his advantage on more than one occasion. The pass stated that its bearer was authorized to examine and remove any captured aircraft or item of enemy air and radar equipment, whether found in the field or in factories, workshops, or dumps, and was permitted to travel anywhere in Allied forces’ zones throughout the theater. Military commands were to provide its bearer with gas, oil, rations, accommodations, or anything else required. Watson had all the authority he needed to get whatever enemy equipment he chose to go after. Once assigned a desk in the Technical Services Directorate at Headquarters USSTAF, Watson began familiarizing himself with collection 6 The 1st Tactical Air Force (Provisional) [ 73 ] requirements levied by the Wright Field laboratories, many of whose scientists he knew personally. High on the Wright Field “A List” of wants were the German jet and rocket-powered aircraft. Also listed were advanced versions of the Focke-Wulf 190 fighter. Watson learned that the French had two captured German fighters at Villacoublay, the former French experimental flight test center outside Paris, and he decided that it wouldn’t hurt to take advantage of that opportunity and get familiar with German aircraft as well as establish some French contacts which might come in handy in the future. Additionally, he needed to get his monthly flying time to qualify for flight pay, so by flying the German planes he could satisfy the flight time requirement and also familiarize himself with German aircraft. “At Villacoublay,” Watson wrote,“I met several FrenchAir Force people and French underground members of the Maquis. From them I learned much about German aircraft and equipment. Here I became acquainted with the Bf 109 and the FW 190 fighters. These two aircraft were the backbone of the fighter arm of the Luftwaffe. The French were very liberal about my use of their two German aircraft. Flying these airplanes, and studying their systems, was an opportunity for me to get acquainted with the German color code markings for oil, fuel and hydraulic systems as well as with the cockpit layout.”1 On October 1, 1944, Watson exchanged his silver oak leaves for the eagles of a full colonel. There is no report as to whether the occasion warranted the customary celebration, but one can presume that it did. Hal Watson was neither a teetotaler nor averse to having a good time. Several days later Watson was invited to lunch with General Spaatz, an unexpected honor, but something he had hoped for. The men knew each other from way back at Langley Field when the B-17 was a novelty and General Spaatz was still a lieutenant colonel. Brigadier General George C. McDonald, the USSTAF director of intelligence, as well as General Spaatz’s two deputies, Major General Knerr, administration, and Major General Anderson, operations, were The 1st Tactical Air Force (Provisional) [ 74 ] Eisenhower and 6th Army passes issued to Colonel Watson. Passes were in English, French, and German. (RW) also invited. Knerr was Watson’s immediate boss, instead of McDonald, because the Directorate of Technical Services, where Watson hung his hat, ran the Air Technical Intelligence teams which scoured the liberated areas of western Europe for German aircraft and equipment. Watson didn’t know at the time that McDonald was waging a relentless campaign to consolidate intelligence functions scattered throughout the headquarters within his directorate. It wasn’t anything personal with McDonald,but was just the right thing to do as far as he was concerned, and he never missed an opportunity to raise the issue with General Spaatz.“Over lunch General Spaatz stressed his keen interest in German V-Weapons, the Me-262, the Arado-234, the Me-163, and other unusual aircraft that could possibly give the Air Corps some...