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

COMMANDS
CARIBBEAN
Maj. Gen. ADCIrews Blevated
LANDING
MATS
Mobile "Fields" Tested
t~!(
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The Jargest command involving both ground
and air troops ev~r assigned to an air ofricer
was given Maj. Gen. Frank M. Andrews
last month when he was selected to replace
Lieut. Gen. Daniel Van Voorhis as head of
the entire Caribbean Defense Command and
the Panama Canal Zone.
Many other senior ArmyAir Force officers
were shifted to new commands or promoted,
or both, about the time General Andrews,
who now heads the Air Defense Command in
the Caribbean area, was given his important
new assignment. Several brigadier generals
were made major generals and a number of
others received high temporary rank.
Brig. Gen. Herbert A. Dargue was made a
major general and given command of the
First Air Foree, at Mitchel Field, New
York. Brig. Gen. LAillard F. Harmon was
elevated to the same rank, with assignment
as commander of the Second Air Force, at
.fort George Wright, Washington, and Brig.
Gen. Imris 11. Brereton was made commander
of the Third Air Force, also with the rank
of major general.
The appointment of General Andrews to
head the entire defenses of the Caribbean
areais considered particularly significant
at this time, and was so hailed by authoritative
commentators in Washington, in view
of the Array's new policy of forming "task
forces" for service in a particular area.
This policy, as outlined by the Chie! of
Staff, in'lolves the grouping of all elements
under the command of a senior officer
of an arm which seems most likely to bear
the brunt of operations in that particular
situation or area.
iiecoGnitionaf the increasingly important
role which the air arm plays in certain
theaters in determining the success or failure
of the whole task force was seen in
General Andrews' assignment. In the event
of an attack in the Caribbean
areas, it has been widely
or
accepted
Canal Zone
tl>at initial operations
aL~ost certainly would be in
the air.
An Analagous situation may be
found in a comparison of the
Panama Canal Zone with the British
base at Singapore. At both,
extensive, permanent and vital
facilities are contained in a
v~ry small aroa , Both are the
lContinued on Pace 16, column2)
Portable landing mats to permit the use
of all sorts of unprepared fields within
the theater of operations are being developed
for the Army Air Forces by the Corps
of Engineers, the Under Secretary of War
disclosed this month.
The mats are for use by medium and heavy
bombardment, reconnaissance, and transport
planes. Experiments on mats for use by
these types are virtually completed, and
the Chief of the Air Corps has issued a
directive for work on a lighter type to
be used by pur sui t and other lighter military
aircraft. These lighter mats are
similar to the ones which have been developed
in England for the Royal Air Force.
Testifying before the Senate's special
defense investigating committee in July,
Under Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson
stated:
"Three successful types have been developed
which are suitable for use by heavy
bombers, but are considered too heavy for
use on fields on which pursuit ships and
light bombers are to land. Tests are now
being made on other types which will be
adequate for the lighter military aircraft
and which will have the advantage of lighter
weight and ease of placement.
It is reported that the Panama Canal Department
wants a heavy landing mat for use
with heavy traffic on auxiliary fields, in
the event that tactical operations require
this traffic. Some fields which are suitable
for use by lighter types of aircraft
could not be used by heavier craft without
reinforcement of this type.
Experimental work looking toward the development
of mats of this type was initiated
in late 1939, when The Adjutant General issued
a directive to the Corps of Eneineers,
stating that the Air Corps had an immediate
need for a portable landing mat. A subsequent
letter from the Chief of the Air
Corps to the Chief of Engineers
urged efforts to secure something
usable at once, rather than strive
for perfection at some later date.
It was stated that the consideration
of camouflaging of the runways
was of prime importance.
A program involving various
types of tests was initiated.
Truck tests at Fort Belvoir, Va.,
were held to determine which of
(Continued on page l6,column 1)
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