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

NOVEMBER
F941
Further Expansion Underway
EIGHTY.FOUR GROUPS FOR
N t0l
t/'
E AIR FORCES
To keep pace with the ex paris ion of personnel and
materiel of The ArmyAir Forces unde r the national
defense program, it has become necessary to expand
the 54-Group program to provide for a total of 84
conbat groups as the next goal for the development
of the army's air defense forces.
Although the establishment of a 54-Group or an
84-Group program does not imply in any wayan ultimate
ceiling for expansion, it had become evident
that the framework provided by the earlier
54-Group program was entirely inadequate to house
the exparv::lingair strength of The Army Air Forces.
The 54-Group program, first announced in March,
1941, is being exparv::ledapproximately 50 per cent.
to provide for an orderly and rapid continuation
of growth of all essential elements of the army's
air organization.
The enlarged program contemplates an increase in
non-commissioned personnel of The Army Air Forces
to a grand total of more than 400,000 aviation
cadets and enlisted men by the end of the current
fiscal year~ June 30, 1942. Subsequent increases
in personnel strength, perhaps to the 600,000
level, is possible beyorv::lthat date.
Adoption of the 84-Group program does not involve
any change in the organization of The Army
Air Forces, now in process of detailed organization
urv::lerthe leadership of Major General Arnold,
Chief of The Army Air Forces and Deputy Chief of
Staff. The two major components of The Army Air
Forces, the Air Corps and the Air Force Combat
Commarv::l,will remain urv::listurbedby the expansion.
Will Go To Conbat COIllll8rv::1
The new tactical groups are to be assigned to
the Air Force Combat Command for operational
training, while the Air Corps will continue in
charge of the irv::lividualtrainirig of pilots and
technicians, in addition to its supply, procurement
and maintenance duties.
Attainment of the objectives of the 84-Group
program will involve considerable expansion of recruiting
and training activities. The 54-Group
plan contemplated an expansion of The Army Air
Forces to 16,800 officers, 187,000 enlisted men
(including enlisted men assigned from other arms
arv::l services), arv::l15,000 flying cadets. The rate
of output of the training schools of the Air Corps
was placed at 12,000 pilots arv::l 48,000 technicians
per year initially to meet requirements of the 54-
Group program. Subsequently, however, it became
necessary to increase the goal of the training
program to 30,000 pilots and 100,000 technicians
per year.
Under the 30,000 pilot training program, three
Air Corps Training Centers supervise the activities
of 41 civilian schools giving 10 weeks of
elementary training; 15 military basic flying
schools and three civilian schools giving basic
training; arv::l 21 advanced military flight training
schools, seven of which are single-engine flying
schools, and 14 two-engine flying schools. There
are three flexible gunnery military schools, one
civil navigation school and three replacement
training centers (pilot, bombardier and navigator).
There are three navigator schools arv::lsix
bonbardier schools. Technical training of enlisted
specialists is conducted in 19 other schools
arv::lthree replacement training centers.
Expansion to 400,000
By way of comparison with the enlarged program,
which contemplates a total of more than 400,000
enlisted men, it is intere8ting to note that on
June 30, 1940, Army Air Corps personnel included
3,397 Regular Army and Reserve officers, 1,894
flying cadets and 45,914 enlisted men. At that
time there were 16 skeleton groups and wings and
the definite goal for expansion was 54 combat
groups ~omposed of all types of airplanes.
On June 30, 1941, t~ strength was 10,697 Regular
Army arv::l Reserve officers, 8,707 flying cadets
and 126,666 enlisted men.
On December 18, 1940, four air district headquarters
were activated, together with 14 additional
wing headquarters, to provide the overhead
to care for the assignment of all personnel and
planes in the 54-Group program. Other groups were
ordered into being January 15, 1941, and were
formed from existing Regular Army units. By that
time, the Army Air Corps had been expanded to approximately
6,180 officers, 7,000 flying cadets
and 83,000 enlisted men.
The air districts now have become air forces,
in a step intended further to expedite the growth
and training of The Army Air Forces.
This was followed June 22, 1941, by the War Department
by the unification of its air activities
in the present organization, The Army Air Forces.
(Contl"ued on P.,. 30)