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

o HEADQUARTERS
ARMY AIR FORCES WASHINGTON, D. C. e
THE AIR CORPS NEWS LETTER
VOL. 24 AUGUST, 1941 NO. 14
GLIDERS ORDERED
COOPERATIVE AVIATION~
Troop
Carriers Building
Five Support
Commands
E~gineering research and training in
connection with the prospective use by the
Army Air Forces of troop-carrJ~ng gliders
has been underway for more than six months,
and several experimental multiplacegliders
are scheduled for delivery for tests '.ri thin
the next 60 days.
Twelve Army
have completed
Air Forces officers already
courses in glider flying,
to qualify them as instructors and supervisors
in the event glider training is expanded
in the army. Another six are undergoing
training at the glider school at
Elmira, and six more are scheduled to enter
that school sometime this month. No other
assignments have been revealed and future
plans are not known at this time.
The entire army glider program is on an
experimental basis, but variou.ssources have
indicated that a glider force definitely
will be created. The Chief of the Army Air
Forces declared at the close of the recent
national soaring contest, at Elmira, that
he hopes the army will "have a glider force
second to none" and I'lromised. that "we shall
have such a force, and we will have it
when we need it." Further evidence of army
pInna is contained in the organization of
the new Support Commands, as outlined elsewhere
in this issue, which calls for II troopcarrying
glider units."
The Air Forces have ordered an undisclosed
nucber of trainine and transport gliders.
The training
similar to the
gliders are two-place and
one such powerless plane
alread3' delivered to the army
known Schweizer brothers, of
by the well-
Elmira, and
in which Maj. Gen. Arnold flew wi th l.faj.
Fred R. Dent, Jr., at the national soaring
meet. The troop-carriers are eight and
15-place ships, and ~e true gliders, while
the trainers actually are true soaring
planes.
No details of the army's plans wi th
(Continued on Page 4)
re-
All air elements necessary for the co~
plete support of ground forces are being
grouped into five Air Support Commands,
ne'''est.combatunits of the Army Air Forces.
One of the commands, the First, will be
seen in action for the first time during
maneuvers in November.
Formation of the new units was described
in Washington as "another step in the organi
zation of.the Army Air Forces that is
intended to enhance the combat efficiency
of the whole military establishment." The
step will make possible effective and close
cooperation between ground forces and the
purely support-type air units.
One of the Air Support Commands 1s under
the direct control of each of the four Air
Forces, while the fifth will function under
control of the Air Force Combat Command
itself. The Firs t, Second, Third and Fourth
Air Support Commands will operate with the
four armies bearing those designations,
and the Fifth Air Support Command will cooperate
with the Armored Force.
Each of the Air Support Commands will
contain all the elements required to provide
the support necessary to insure the
success of a ground force's mission. These
elements will include some old and wellknown
air units and some that are new and
not so well-known, even to air personnel.
Grouped in the support category will be observation
(both lighter and heavier-thanair),
light bombers, dive bombers, photo
planes, gliders and transports for parachute
and air landing troops.
The command and staff functions will be
centered as follows:
First Air Support Command, commanded by
Col. William E. Kepne~, headquarters at
Mitchel Field, N.Y.
Second Air Support Command, commanded by
Col. Hume Peabo~, headquarters at Oklahoma
City.
(Continued on Page 4)