News Letter 1941 Jul-Dec - Air Force Historical Studies Office

LAHM .•• (Continued From Page 19)
for Air at the American Embassy in Paris, Military
Attache at Pa ri s , and Second Corps Area Air Officer.
He also organized and for a time commanded the Air
Corps Training Center at San Antonio, Texas. At
present General Lahm is Air Officer for the First
Army, with headquarters at Governors Island, New
York.
Served With Cavalry
General Lahm's career in the Cavalry was just as
active as his later career in the Air Service and
the Air Corps. He served with the Cavalry in Cuba,
Jamaica, Panama, and the Philippine Islands, and
participated in actions against bandits along the
Mexican border. He remained in the Cavalry until
1916, when he was appointed Secretary of the Aviation
School at San Diego, California.
Especially appropriate in the case of General
Lahm is the citation which went with the award of
his Distinguished Service Medal:
.
"For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished
services. A balloon pilot of marked ability and
scientific attainments, he rendered valuable services
to the American Expeditionary Forces by his
untiring devotion to the innumerable problems
which faced the Air Service during its organization
in France. His broad experience in aeronautics
played an important part in the formulation of
policies of the Air Service and was reflected in
its successes during the St. Mihiel offensive and
subsequently in the operations of the Second Army."
PUBLISHER OFFERS PRIZES
A $2,500 contest among aviators---commercial,
military and naval---for the best autobiographical
booklength manuscript has been announced by Alfred
A. Knopf, Inc ; , "in the belief that there are few
subjects as interesting and unhackneyed as that of
flying." Any Army Air Forces officer or enlisted
pilot is eligible to submit A manuscript.
"I am looking for an authentic book of flying experiences,
"Mr. Knopf writes. "It neednot take the
rigid form of a conventional autobiography---although
it may do so if the writer feels that his
story fits that pattern better than the less formal
one of a volume of reminiscences. Above all, however,
it must be true--even, in so far as practicable,
verifiable---and it must be interesting---
that is, in style as well as substance clear, untechnical
and provocative enough toappeal toa wide
general public."
All manuscripts should be submitted to CUrtis
Brown, Ltd., 347 Madison Avenue, New York ci ty, who
shall be exclusive agents for both the authors and
the publisher, and should be postmarked not later
than June 30, 1942. Only typewritten manuscripts,
double-spaced and no t less than 80,000 nor more than
150,000 words long, will be considered. Further
details may be obtained from Curtis Brown.
------~------
ENLARGED BLUEPRINT PLANl'
DISCHARGES FOR ENLISTED MEN
Release by the Air Forces of selectees over 28
years of age, and of both selectees and three-year
men who desire dependency and similar discharges
has been authorized by the Air Staff and the Adjutant
General.
Under instructions issued by the Air Staff these
releases will not exceed 15 per cent. of the authorized
strength of any organization affected.
It is expected that relatively few men will be
released by the Air Forces under the new policy because
of current promotion opportunities and because
most selectees assigned to the Air Forces
reached their stations during the past two months.
Of this group few have completed their one-year
en li stnen t and few are over 28 years of age.
It is also believed that very few regular enlisted
men will request discharges upon the completion of
their three-year enlistments because promotion opportunities
are so good at the present time.
The Air Corps blueprintinv plant--largest in the
world--was placed on a 24-1,our operating basis
late last month in order to meet the ever-increasing
needs of the Air Forces expansion program.
The blueprinting establishment, part of the
Drafting and Records Branch at Wright Field, Dayton,
Ohio, will turn out more than 3,000,000 blueprints
monthly under the new schedule. Ordinary
peacetime production is approximately 2, 000
mon thly.
For the construction and maintenance of an average
medium-sized bomber approximately 14,000 blueprints
are needed. These show in detail every
part and every installation in an airplane all the
way down to the smallest rivet.
Blueprints are used for the procurement of airplane
accessories and spare parts, for the maintenance
of planes and for all equipment needed for
the proper operation of tactical units in the
field. For these purposes they are sent to all
Air Corps depots and fields by the Wright Field
branch.
The Drafting and Records Branch occupies a total
of 38,400 square feet in theAdministration B.Jilding
at Wright Field, and employs 425 people.
OCTOBER /9-1/ 33