Pacific Counterblow - Air Force Historical Studies Office
Pacific Counterblow - Air Force Historical Studies Office
Pacific Counterblow - Air Force Historical Studies Office
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
was charged with the training and administration of all U. S. Army<br />
ground and air force troops in the South <strong>Pacific</strong>. His advent clarified<br />
the supply and administration of the string of island bases and<br />
lessened any possibility of Army units disintegrating organically<br />
under local Navy, Marine, or New Zealand control.<br />
General Harmon had stepped directly from the post of Chief of<br />
the <strong>Air</strong> Staff. Moreover, the small staff which flew down with him<br />
to Noumea in the last week of July numbered such officers as Brig.<br />
Gen. Nathan F. Twining, future commander of the Thirteenth and<br />
Fifteenth <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong>s; Lt. Col. Dean C. Strother, future commander<br />
of the Thirteenth's fighters; and Col. Frank Everest who was to<br />
command its bombers. If Admiral McCain retained operational control<br />
of <strong>Air</strong> Corps units, he recognized that the wide dispersion and<br />
dissimilar composition of his air establishment made it impracticable<br />
to exercise his command directly. Training and a certain amount<br />
of tactical discretion remained to COMGENSOPAC and his subordinate<br />
commanders.<br />
In July the Army <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong>s were mainly represented in the forward<br />
area by the iith Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 67th<br />
Fighter Squadron. The former disposed of 27 B-17's on New Caledonia<br />
and 8 at Nandi in the Fijis. The 67th mustered 38 P-39's and<br />
P-4oo's, all on New Caledonia. The P- 4oo, to quote the men who<br />
flew it, was "a cheap version of the early P-3 9's." Additionally, there<br />
were on New Caledonia io B-26's with a dozen more in the Fijis.<br />
The ilth Group and the Landing<br />
in the Solomons<br />
D ESPITE the fact that a workable basis for Army-Navy cooperation<br />
had been reached at a time when the June victory at<br />
Midway made it possible to mount an initial offensive against<br />
the Japanese, the remainder of 1942' loomed precariously for the<br />
Allies in the South <strong>Pacific</strong>. The Midway battle had only approximately<br />
restored the balance of fleet power. Shipping was extremely<br />
short. Only the ist Marine Division, reinforced, could be spared for<br />
the assault on Guadalcanal. General Harmon found himself in command<br />
of units originally sent posthaste in early 1942 to garrison the<br />
637691-45--2 3