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97-632: Around 1938, United States Army General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold , the head of the US Army Air Corps (USAAC), was growing alarmed at the possibility of war in Europe and in the Pacific. Hoping to be prepared for the long-term requirements of the Air Force, Arnold created a special committee chaired by Brigadier General W. G. Kilner ; one of its members was Charles Lindbergh . The Douglas firm at

194-636: A fear of flying that resulted from his experiences with early flight, supervised the expansion of the Air Service during World War I , and became a protégé of then Brigadier General (later Colonel) Billy Mitchell . Arnold rose to command the Army Air Forces immediately prior to the American entry into World War II and directed its hundred-fold expansion from an organization of little more than 20,000 men and 800 first-line combat aircraft into

291-425: A "Juliette" (one month late), having just turned 17. His cadet career was spent as a "clean sleeve" (cadet private). At the academy he helped found the "Black Hand", a group of cadet pranksters, and led it during his first class year . He played second-team running back for the varsity football team, was a shot putter on the track and field team, and excelled at polo . Arnold's academic standing varied between

388-474: A Very Long-Range bomber capable of travelling 5,000 miles (8,000 km). Approval was granted on 2 December 1939. Throughout 1939 and 1940 Douglas investigated designs of the Model 332 with different powerplants ( Wright R-2600 , Pratt and Whitney R-2800 , Wright R-2160 , Wright R-3350 ). All were designed to have roughly same operating range, with variations in the projected service ceiling. The XB-31 design

485-579: A day in a Curtiss JN trainer , a much safer aircraft with a simpler flight control system than the Speed Scout of just four years' before. On November 26, he flew solo, and on December 16 qualified again for his JMA. Before he could be reassigned to flying duties, however, he was involved as a witness in a controversial service dispute in January 1917. Over the objections of Captain Herbert A. Dargue ,

582-417: A farm field after getting lost. In September Arnold became the first U.S. pilot to carry mail, flying a bundle of letters five miles (8 km) on Long Island , New York, and he is credited as the first pilot to fly over the U.S. Capitol and the first to carry a United States Congressman as a passenger. The following month, Arnold moonlighted as a pilot in the filming of two silent movies, doubling for

679-404: A fatal crash. He immediately grounded himself and applied for a leave of absence. Flying was considered so dangerous that no stigma was attached for refusing to fly, and his request was granted. During his leave of absence he renewed an acquaintance with Eleanor "Bee" Pool, the daughter of a banker, and one of his father's patients. On December 1, Arnold took a staff assignment as assistant to

776-501: A fitness report that stated "in an emergency he is liable to lose his head", Arnold made a commitment to remain in the service, turning down an offer of the presidency of the soon-to-be operating Pan American Airways , which he had helped bring into being. Arnold made the best of his exile and in May 1927, his participation in war games at Fort Sam Houston , Texas , impressed Major General James E. Fechet , successor to Patrick as Chief of

873-489: A general court-martial, but when Arnold chose the latter, Patrick decided to avoid another public fiasco and instead transferred him to Ft. Riley, far from the aviation mainstream, where he took command of the 16th Observation Squadron on March 22, 1926. Patrick's press release on the investigation stated that Arnold was also reprimanded for violating Army General Order No. 20 by attempting "to influence legislation in an improper manner." Despite this setback, which included

970-415: A moving vehicle on the ground, such as an automobile or train, and vice versa. The Wright brothers showed that motor-powered flight was possible, with their first sustained flight on 17 December 1903. Aerobatics followed within a decade. Frenchman Adolphe Pégoud was the first to fly inverted, on 1 September 1913. On 9 September, Russian Pyotr Nesterov flew the first loop. World War I (1914–1918)

1067-668: A promotion to major on June 27, as assistant executive officer of the Aeronautical Division, and then as executive officer after it became the Air Division on October 1. On August 5, 1917, he was promoted again, becoming the youngest full colonel in the Army. Arnold gained experience in aircraft production and procurement, the construction of air schools and airfields, and the recruitment and training of large numbers of personnel; and learned political in-fighting in

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1164-567: A silent film stunt pilot in October 1911, or to his wife, who began using the nickname in her correspondence in 1931 following the death of Arnold's mother. His family called him Harley during his youth, and his mother and wife called him "Sunny". His West Point classmates called Arnold "Pewt" or "Benny" and his immediate subordinates and headquarters staff referred to him as "The Chief". Born June 25, 1886, in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania , Arnold

1261-736: A site that later became Edwards Air Force Base . In 1934, Chief of Air Corps Benjamin D. Foulois named Arnold to command one of the three military zones of the controversial Army Air Corps Mail Operation , with a temporary headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah . Arnold's pilots performed well and his own reputation was untouched by the fiasco. Later that same year he won his second Mackay Trophy, when he led ten Martin B-10 B bombers on an 8,290-mile (13,340 km) flight from Bolling Field to Fairbanks, Alaska , and back. Overly credited with its success, he nonetheless lobbied for recognition of

1358-504: A speeding car to an airplane. He helped develop another standard flying stunt: hanging onto a trapeze or rope ladder with just his teeth. He starred in the 1919 film The Great Air Robbery , in which he performed a mid-air transfer, as well as climbing down into a car. Locklear also headlined the 1920 film The Skywayman , but did not live to see it released. A nighttime stunt went fatally awry. On 2 August 1920, he and co-pilot Milton "Skeets" Elliot were to spiral down perilously close to

1455-618: A strategic air offensive against Germany, and a later strategic air offensive against Japan in prelude of invasion. It also planned for an expansion of the AAF to 60,000 aircraft and 2.1 million men. AWPD/1 called for 24 groups (approximately 750 airplanes) of very long range B-29 bombers to be based in Northern Ireland and Egypt for use against Nazi Germany, and for production of sufficient Consolidated B-36s for intercontinental bombing missions of Germany. Soon after U.S. entry in

1552-658: A supporter of Arnold, submitted his name with two others for promotion to the permanent rank of major general. Roosevelt refused to send the list to the Senate for confirmation because of Arnold's nomination, and his forced retirement from the service seemed imminent to both Stimson and Marshall. Stimson and Harry Hopkins arranged for Arnold, accompanied by Major Elwood "Pete" Quesada , to travel to England for three weeks in April to evaluate British aircraft production needs and to provide an up-to-date strategic analysis. One outcome of

1649-449: A wing tip in the water turning into the wind and crashed into the bay off Plymouth . Arnold suffered a lacerated chin during the mishap but the aircraft was salvaged and repaired. Another crash at College Park on September 18 killed 2nd Lieutenant Lewis Rockwell, an academy classmate of Arnold's. In October, Arnold and Milling were ordered to enter the competition for the first MacKay Trophy for "the most outstanding military flight of

1746-863: A year later. He also was recognized by a general order in 1913 as one of the first 24 rated military aviators , authorized to wear the newly designed Military Aviator badge. After several more weeks of solo flying in Dayton to gain experience, Arnold and Milling were sent on June 14 to the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps station established at College Park, Maryland , to be the Army's first flight instructors. There Arnold set an altitude record of 3,260 feet (990 m) on July 7 and thrice broke it (August 18, 1911, to 4,167 feet (1,270 m); January 25, 1912, to 4,764 feet (1,452 m); and June 1, 1912, 6,540 feet (1,990 m)). In August 1911, he experienced his first crash, trying to take off from

1843-738: The B-17 and the concept of Jet-assisted takeoff . To encourage the use of civilian expertise, the California Institute of Technology became a beneficiary of Air Corps funding and Theodore von Kármán of its Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory developed a good working relationship with Arnold that led to the creation of the Scientific Advisory Group in 1944. Arnold characterized his wartime philosophy of research and development as: "Sacrifice some quality to get sufficient quantity to supply all fighting units. Never follow

1940-639: The Eighth Air Force , and he named Spaatz to command it and Eaker to head its Bomber Command. Other Arnold protégés eventually filled key positions in the strategic bombing forces, including Haywood S. Hansell , Laurence S. Kuter , and James H. Doolittle . Despite protecting his strategic bombing force from demands of other services and allies, Arnold was forced to divert resources from the Eighth to support operations in North Africa , crippling

2037-585: The Fairfield Air Service Depot , Ohio. In 1930 he also became Chief of the Field Service Section, Air Corps Materiel Division, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on February 1, 1931. Arnold's parents were made destitute by the bank collapses in 1929 , and on January 18, 1931, his mother died of a sudden heart attack. Arnold struggled emotionally with being absent from his parents' 50th wedding anniversary celebration

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2134-543: The Far East to destroy Japanese military power and combustible cities. Arnold was responsible for approving the Army Air Forces Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD). It was approved by September 14, 1942, and directed by aviator Jacqueline Cochran . Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor Arnold began to carry out AWPD/1 . The primary strategic bombing force against Nazi Germany would be

2231-617: The House Military Affairs Committee against HR5304, a bill to remove aviation from the Signal Corps and make it a semi-autonomous "Air Corps." Arnold, like fellow flyer Captain Benjamin Foulois , argued that the action was premature, and like his Signal Corps boss, Major Edgar Russel (a non-flyer), that the Signal Corps was doing all that could be done to develop military use of the airplane. He

2328-609: The Twentieth Air Force . This unique command arrangement may also have contributed to his health problems (see below), but after the negative experiences of building an effective bombing force against Germany, and realizing the consequences of failure against Japan, Arnold concluded that, absent any unity of command in the Pacific theaters, administrative decisions regarding B-29 bomber operations could best be handled personally. However, theater commanders Douglas MacArthur , Chester Nimitz , and Joseph Stilwell all coveted

2425-550: The U.S. Army Air Corps . He also received outstanding fitness reports from his commanders at Ft. Riley, Brigadier General Ewing E. Booth (who had been a member of the Mitchell court) and his successor, Brig. Gen. Charles J. Symmonds . Repairs to Arnold's service reputation may also have been aided by a professional article he wrote for the Cavalry Journal in January 1928, showing the influence of his association with

2522-521: The United States Army Ordnance Department because it offered an immediate promotion to first lieutenant . While awaiting the results of the required competitive examination, he learned that his interest in aeronautics had not been forgotten. Arnold immediately sent a letter requesting a transfer to the Signal Corps and on April 21, 1911, received Special Order 95, detailing him and 2nd Lt. Thomas DeWitt Milling of

2619-551: The cartography detail, transferred to the Signal Corps , and was assigned to recruit two lieutenants to become pilots. Cowan contacted Arnold, who cabled his interest in also transferring to the Signal Corps but heard nothing in reply for two years. In June 1909, the 29th Infantry relocated to Fort Jay , New York , and en route to his new duty station by way of Paris , Arnold saw his first airplane in flight, piloted by Louis Blériot . In 1911, Arnold applied for transfer to

2716-799: The 15th Cavalry, to Dayton, Ohio , for a course in flight instruction at the Wright brothers ' aviation school at Simms Station , Ohio. While individually instructed, they were part of the school's May 1911 class that included three civilians and Lieutenant John Rodgers of the United States Navy . Beginning instruction on May 3 with Arthur L. Welsh , Arnold made his first solo flight May 13 after three hours and forty-eight minutes of flight in 28 lessons. On May 14, he and Milling completed their instruction. Arnold received Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) pilot certificate number 29 on July 6, 1911, and Military Aviator Certificate Number 2

2813-761: The Air Corps George H. Brett as Southwest Pacific air commander. In the B-29 campaign, Curtis E. LeMay relieved Kenneth B. Wolfe in India in July 1944, and later Hansell on Guam in January 1945. With the strategic bombing crisis resolved in Europe, Arnold placed full emphasis on completion of the development and deployment of the B-29 Very Long Range (VLR) bomber to attack Japan. As early as 1942, Arnold planned to make himself commanding general of

2910-540: The Air Force into a service co-equal with the Army and Navy was postponed until after the war. In July Roosevelt asked for production requirements to defeat potential enemies, and Arnold endorsed a request by his new Air War Plans Division to submit an air war plan. The assessment, designated AWPD/1 , defined four tasks for the AAF: defense of the Western Hemisphere, an initial defensive strategy against Japan,

3007-708: The Allies would slow delivery to the Air Corps, particularly since control of the allotment of aircraft production had been given to the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department in December 1938, and by extension, to Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau Jr. , a White House favorite. Arnold experienced two years of difficulties with Morgenthau, who was prone to denigrate the leadership of

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3104-798: The Army Ground Forces and Services of Supply. The Air Force Combat Command and the Office of the Chief of Air Corps were abolished, and Arnold became AAF Commanding General and an ex officio member of both the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined Chiefs of Staff . In response to an August 1942 directive, Arnold had the AWPD revise its estimates. AWPD/42 resulted, calling for 75,000 aircraft and 2.7 million men, and increased

3201-640: The Assistant Chief of Air Corps vacancy. After Charles Lindbergh publicly lent his support in April 1939 for production of a very long range bomber in large numbers to counter Nazi production, development of which had been prohibited since June 1938 by the Secretary of War, Arnold appointed Kilner to head a board to make appropriate recommendations to end the R&;D moratorium. Arnold encouraged research and development efforts, among his projects

3298-605: The Aviation School's director of training, and with Arnold present, Captain Frank P. Lahm , the school secretary (adjutant), authorized on January 6 an excursion flight for a non-aviator that took place on January 10, again over Dargue's protests, resulting in the loss of the airplane in Mexico and the disappearance of the crew for nine days. After testifying to army investigators on January 27, confirming that Lahm had authorized

3395-622: The B-29s for tactical support, to which Arnold was adamantly opposed as a diversion from strategic policy. He convinced not only Marshall, but also Chief of Naval Operations Ernest J. King , that the Twentieth was unique in that its operations cut across the jurisdiction of all three theaters, and thus should report directly to the Joint Chiefs with Arnold acting as their executive agent. In February 1944 President Roosevelt agreed and approved

3492-598: The Cavalry School at Fort Riley. Arnold urged a strong combined arms team be developed between the Air Corps and the Cavalry; and by extension, all ground forces. This opportunity for development of the concept in both theory and practice was lost however, by the effects of cultural differences between the two service branches and the dominance of American isolationism. It did not develop until the United States

3589-622: The Eighth in its infancy and nearly killing it. Eaker (now Eighth Air Force commander) found from experience that the pre-war doctrine of daylight precision bombing, developed at the Air Corps Tactical School as a foundation for separating the Air Force from the Army, was mistaken in its tenet that heavily armed bombers could reach any target without the support of long-range escort fighters. Early in 1943 he began requesting more fighters and jettisonable fuel tanks to increase their range, in addition to repeated requests to increase

3686-615: The Jenny. It was a two-seater, so paying passengers could get their first taste of flying and wing walkers had a place to wait to perform. Barnstormers would often land in a local farmer's field and negotiate to put on a show there, hence the "barn" in barnstorming. Barnstormers worked individually or in groups called "flying circuses". Probably the most successful of these was the Gates Flying Circus, founded by Ivan R. Gates or Gates and Clyde Pangborn in 1921. Employment

3783-659: The Ninth Corps Area in 1933. Foulois had retired under fire in the wake of the Air Mail scandal and allegations of corruption in Air Corps procurement, and the new chief, Major General Oscar Westover , had asked Craig for Arnold to fill the vacant assistant chief position. Over Arnold's protests, and despite a left-handed recommendation by Secretary of War George Dern , who recalled Arnold's close association with Billy Mitchell, Craig made him Assistant Chief of Air Corps, responsible for procurement and supply, to deal with

3880-497: The Soviet Union . Arnold became Chief of the Army Air Forces and acting "Deputy Chief of Staff for Air" with authority over both the Air Corps and Air Force Combat Command (successor to GHQAF). While this provided the air arm with a staff of its own and brought the entire organization under the command of one general, it failed to grant the degree of autonomy sought. By consensus between Marshall and Arnold, debate on separation of

3977-642: The War Department and Air Corps. Their conflict peaked on March 12, 1940, when Arnold's public complaint about increases in shipments brought a personal warning from Roosevelt that "there were places to which officers who did not 'play ball' might be sent, such as Guam ," and got him banished from the White House for eight months. The disfavor shown Arnold by Roosevelt reached a turning point in March 1941 when new Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson ,

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4074-578: The Washington environment, all of which would help him as head of the military's air services. When the Division of Military Aeronautics superseded the Air Division in April 1918, Arnold continued as executive assistant to its director, Major General William Kenly , and advanced to assistant director when the DMA was removed from the Signal Corps in May 1918. Arnold's third child, William Bruce Arnold,

4171-766: The Western Department (after June 1920 the Ninth Corps Area ) in San Francisco and de facto commander of Crissy Field , being developed on a site determined by a board chaired by Arnold. Arnold's promotion to colonel expired June 30, 1920, and he reverted to his permanent establishment rank of captain. Even though he received an automatic promotion to major because of his Military Aviator rating, he became junior to officers serving under him, including Spaatz, whose promotion received while in France

4268-883: The White House was secure." His importance to Roosevelt in setting an airpower agenda was demonstrated when Arnold was invited to the Atlantic Conference in Newfoundland in August, the first of seven such summits that he, not Morgenthau, would attend. The division of authority between the Air Corps and the GHQ Air Force was removed with promulgation of Army Regulation 95–5, creating the United States Army Air Forces on June 20, 1941, only two days before Germany's invasion of

4365-413: The amputation of three fingertips on his left hand in 1922. His wife and sons also experienced serious health problems, including a near fatal case of scarlet fever for son Bruce. His fourth child, John Linton Arnold, born in the summer of 1921, died on June 30, 1923, of acute appendicitis . Both Arnold and wife Bee needed almost a year to recover psychologically from the loss. In August 1924, Arnold

4462-910: The arrangement. The VLR program had been plagued with a seemingly unending series of development problems, subjecting it and Arnold to much criticism in the press and from skeptical field commanders. The B-29 was the key component of the AAF's fourth strategic priority, since no other land-based bomber was capable of reaching the Japanese homeland, but by February 1944, the XX Bomber Command , slated to begin Operation Matterhorn on June 1, had virtually no flight time yet above an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 m). Stunt pilot Stunt flying refers to any stunts performed in an aircraft. It encompasses aerobatics , wing walking , and transferring from one airplane to another or to

4559-412: The board's report concluded that airpower was indispensable to the defense of the hemisphere, stressed the need for long-range bombers, and became the basis for the first Air Corps field manual , it was a "considerable attenuation" of the doctrine being developed at the Air Corps Tactical School . Arnold submitted the findings to George C. Marshall, newly appointed as chief of staff, on September 1, 1939,

4656-463: The consequence of which was a mutual dislike with Patrick. Arnold was sent to Rockwell Field on January 10, 1919, as District Supervisor, Western District of the Air Service, to oversee the demobilization of 8,000 airmen and surplus aircraft. There he first established relationships with the men who became his main aides, executive officer Captain Carl A. Spaatz and adjutant 1st Lieutenant Ira C. Eaker . Five months later Arnold became Air Officer of

4753-446: The day Nazi Germany invaded Poland . When Marshall requested a reorganization study from the Air Corps, Arnold submitted a proposal on October 5, 1940, that would create an air staff, unify the air arm under one commander, and grant it autonomy with the ground and supply forces. Congress repealed the Neutrality Act in November 1939 to permit the selling of aircraft to the belligerents, causing Arnold concern that shipments of planes to

4850-441: The drinking rumors, but more recent research asserts that Craig threatened to resign as Army chief of staff if Arnold was not appointed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Arnold as Chief of Air Corps on September 29, which carried with it the rank of major general . To repair his relationship with the Andrews faction, most of whom were part of GHQ Air Force, he selected its chief of staff, Colonel Walter G. Kilner, to fill

4947-432: The first radio telegraph message, at a distance of 6 miles (9.7 km), from an aircraft to a receiver on the ground, manned by 1st Lt. Joseph O. Mauborgne of the Signal Corps. Three days later, Arnold flew on an artillery spotting exercise with 1st Lieutenant Alfred L.P. Sands of the 6th Field Artillery as an observer. Spiraling down to land in S.C. No. 10, the plane stalled, went into a spin, and they narrowly avoided

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5044-413: The flight in writing, Arnold was sent to Panama on January 30, 1917, one day after the birth of his second child, Henry H. Arnold Jr. Arnold collected the men who would make up his first command, the 7th Aero Squadron , in New York City on February 5, 1917, and was ordered to find a suitable location for an airfield in the Panama Canal Zone . When the military in Panama could not agree on a site, Arnold

5141-465: The grandiose-sounding but tiny 1st Wing , on November 27, 1931. Arnold's responsibilities included refurbishing the base into a showcase installation, which required that he resolve strained relations with the community. He accomplished this by having his officers join local social service organizations and by a series of well-publicized relief efforts. Arnold took command of the 1st Wing himself on January 4, 1933, which flew food-drops during blizzards in

5238-408: The ground to pass a test, but the wing and engine housing blocked his view. So he left the airplane in the hands of his instructor and climbed out onto the wing to read the message, possibly becoming the first wing walker. (He passed the test.) Locklear also perfected such stunts as handstands on the wing. He may have been the first to transfer from one airplane to another in mid-air, in 1919, and from

5335-425: The largest and most powerful air force in the world. An advocate of technological research and development , his tenure saw the development of the intercontinental bomber, the jet fighter, the extensive use of radar , global airlift and atomic warfare as mainstays of modern air power. Arnold's most widely used nickname, "Hap", was short for "Happy", attributed variously to work associates when he moonlighted as

5432-423: The leads in The Military Air-Scout and The Elopement . The flight school moved in November 1911 to a farm leased near Augusta , Georgia , hoping to continue flying there during the winter. Training was limited by rain and flooding, and they returned to Maryland in May 1912. Arnold began to develop a phobia about flying, intensified by Al Welsh's fatal crash at College Park on June 11. In August Arnold

5529-442: The middle and the lower end of his class, with his better scores in mathematics and science. He wanted assignment to the Cavalry but an inconsistent demerit record and a cumulative general merit class standing of 66th out of 111 cadets resulted in his being commissioned on June 14, 1907, as a second lieutenant , Infantry . He initially protested the assignment (there was no commissioning requirement for USMA graduates in 1907), but

5626-480: The mirage, looking for the perfect airplane, to a point where fighting squadrons are deficient in numbers of fighting planes." To that end he concentrated on rapid returns from R&D investments, exploiting proven technologies to provide operational solutions to counter the rising threat of the Axis Powers. Arnold also pushed for jet propulsion, especially after the British shared their plans of Whittle 's turbojet during his visit to Britain in April 1941. The proposal

5723-581: The modern use of water dropping aircraft.) Of Arnold, the National Park Service history of Crissy Field wrote: "During his tour of duty, Arnold had been instrumental both in bringing Crissy Field into existence, and establishing the pattern of its operations." In October 1922 he was sent back to Rockwell, now a service depot, as base commander and there encouraged an aerial refueling , the first in history, that took place eight months later. Arnold experienced several serious illnesses and accidents requiring hospitalization, including recurring stomach ulcers and

5820-447: The new head of the Aeronautical Division in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer in Washington, D.C. In the spring he was assigned the task of closing the flying school at College Park. Although promoted to 1st lieutenant on April 10, 1913, Arnold was unhappy and requested a transfer to the Philippines. While awaiting a response, he received orders to the 9th Infantry on July 10. In August, still awaiting transfer, he testified before

5917-407: The other airmen who took part, but the deputy chief of staff ignored his recommendations. His reputation among some of his peers was tarnished by resentment when he was belatedly awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the flight in 1937. On March 1, 1935, General Headquarters Air Force was activated to control all combat aviation units of the Air Corps based in the United States, although it

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6014-401: The political struggles over them from the Foulois years. In effect, however, Arnold had "switched sides" in the struggle between GHQ Air Force and the Air Corps. Westover was killed in an air crash at Burbank, California , on September 21, 1938. Prior vacancies in the office had been filled by an incumbent assistant chief, and Arnold's appointment to succeed Westover seemed automatic since he

6111-433: The production of aircraft for use by other allies. AWPD/42 reaffirmed earlier strategic priorities, but increased the list of industrial targets from 23 to 177, ranking the German Luftwaffe first and its submarine force second in importance of destruction. It also directed that the B-29 bomber not be employed in Europe because of problems in its development, but instead that the B-29 program's deployment be concentrated in

6208-404: The relief of a friend or protégé, was just one of many that exemplified a ruthlessness Arnold developed to get results. In 1942, Brigadier General Walter R. Weaver , acting chief of the Air Corps, had his job eliminated and was relegated to a technical training command. George C. Kenney relieved Jacob E. Fickel in command of Fourth Air Force and later that same year replaced former Chief of

6305-400: The same day. The Air Service separated from the Signal Corps on May 20, 1918. However control of aviation remained with the ground forces when its post-war director was a field artillery general, Major General Charles T. Menoher , who epitomized the view of the War Department General Staff that "military aviation can never be anything other than simply an arm of the (Army)". Menoher

6402-588: The size of his small bombing force. Heavy losses in the summer and fall of 1943 on deep penetration missions intensified Eaker's requests. Arnold, under pressure and impatient for results, ignored Eaker's findings and placed the blame on a lack of aggressiveness by bomber commanders. This came at a time when General Dwight D. Eisenhower was putting together his command group for the invasion of Europe , and Arnold approved Eisenhower's request to replace Eaker with his own commanders, Spaatz and Doolittle. The change in command at Eighth Air Force, particularly involving

6499-530: The time was working on an even larger, 212 foot (64.6 meter) wingspan four-engined strategic bomber prototype airframe, the Douglas XB-19 , that made her maiden flight in late June 1941. After a tour of Luftwaffe bases, Lindbergh became convinced that Nazi Germany was far ahead of other European nations. In a report in 1939, the committee made a number of recommendations, including development of new long-range heavy bombers. When war broke out in Europe, Arnold requested design studies from several companies on

6596-412: The visit was the setting up of a program for training British pilots in the US, which subsequently became known as the Arnold Scheme . Arnold's meeting with Roosevelt to report his findings was judged as impressively cogent and optimistic, but the president ruminated on Arnold's future for three weeks before submitting his name and the others to the Senate. From that point on, however, Arnold's "position in

6693-410: The war, Arnold was promoted to lieutenant general on December 15, 1941. On March 9, 1942, after the creation of the AAF failed to define clear channels of authority for the air forces, the Army adopted the functional reorganization that Arnold had advocated in October 1940. Acting on an executive order from Roosevelt, the War Department granted the AAF full autonomy, equal to and entirely separate from

6790-423: The winter of 1932–33, assisted in relief work during the Long Beach earthquake of March 10, 1933, and established camps for 3,000 boys of the Civilian Conservation Corps . He organized a high-profile series of aerial reviews that featured visits from Hollywood celebrities and aviation notables. In August 1932, Arnold began acquisition of portions of Rogers Dry Lake as a bombing and gunnery range for his units,

6887-579: The year before and with the depression afflicting his father after her death. A contemporary biographer of Arnold notes that not until after his mother's funeral did Bee begin use of the sobriquet "Hap" in place of "Sunny" when addressing him, apparently to avoid the "constant reminder" of his mother that the latter name might bring. Arnold himself eschewed the use of "Sunny" in his personal correspondence after May 1931, signing himself as "Hap" Arnold from that point forward. Arnold took command of March Field , California , where Spaatz had just assumed command of

6984-428: The year." Arnold won when he located a company of cavalry from the air and returned safely despite strong turbulence. As a result, he and Milling were sent to Fort Riley , Kansas , to experiment with radio and other communications from the air with the field artillery . Arnold's flight on November 2 in Wright C Speed Scout S.C. Number 10, with 1st Lieutenant Follett Bradley as his wireless operator, successfully sent

7081-664: Was "fun-loving and prone to laughter," and not rigid in her beliefs. When Arnold was eleven, his father responded to the Spanish–American War by serving as a surgeon in the Pennsylvania National Guard , of which he remained a member for the next 24 years. Arnold attended Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania , graduating in 1903. The athletic fields at Lower Merion are named after him. Arnold had no intention of attending West Point (he

7178-541: Was a major impetus to the development of aerobatics. Those who mastered it were more likely to survive dogfights . After the war ended, some of these pilots used the skills they had mastered by barnstorming to earn a living, traveling across the country performing stunts and providing rides. It was helpful that the US government was selling plentiful, now-surplus Curtiss JN-4 Jenny trainer biplanes for as little as $ 200; 90% of American World War I pilots had been trained using

7275-440: Was also available in movies. The public's fascination with aviation translated into a demand for films involving flying, with their attendant stunts. Inevitably, barnstormers attempted more and more dangerous stunts to outdo their competitors, resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries. Eventually, the federal government stepped in to regulate aviation, bringing about the end of barnstorming. The first military aerobatics team

7372-619: Was also the founder of Project RAND, which evolved into one of the world's largest non-profit global policy think tanks, the RAND Corporation , and was one of the founders of Pan American World Airways . Instructed in flying by the Wright Brothers , Arnold was one of the first military pilots worldwide, and one of the first three rated pilots in the history of the United States Air Force . He overcame

7469-463: Was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force . Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), commanding general of the United States Army Air Forces , the only United States Air Force general to hold five-star rank, and the only officer to hold a five-star rank in two different U.S. military services. Arnold

7566-551: Was assigned to a company at Fort Thomas, Kentucky , on September 1, where he was stationed until transferred to the 13th Infantry on November 1. On September 10, 1913, he and Bee married, with Milling acting as his best man . Sent back to the Philippines in January 1914, he was quartered near 1st Lieutenant George C. Marshall , who became his mentor, friend and patron. Soon after their arrival Bee miscarried, but on January 17, 1915, their first child, Lois Elizabeth Arnold,

7663-525: Was at Marblehead, Massachusetts , with 1st Lieutenant Roy C. Kirtland conducting acceptance tests of the Burgess Model H , an enclosed-fuselage tandem-seat seaplane and the Army's first tractor (front-mounted propeller and engine). The pair received orders to fly the new aircraft to Bridgeport, Connecticut , to participate in maneuvers but high winds forced them to land on Massachusetts Bay on August 12. Attempting to take off again, Arnold caught

7760-697: Was being detailed to the Signal Corps again, as a first lieutenant if he chose non-flying status. However, if he volunteered to requalify for a rating of Junior Military Aviator , a temporary promotion to captain was mandated by law. On May 20, 1916, Arnold reported to Rockwell Field , California , on flying status but as supply officer at the Signal Corps Aviation School. He received a permanent establishment promotion to captain, Infantry, on September 23. Between October and December 1916, encouraged by former associates, Arnold overcame his fear of flying by going up fifteen to twenty minutes

7857-656: Was born July 17, 1918. Shortly after, Arnold arranged to go to France to brief General John Pershing , commanding the American Expeditionary Force , on the Kettering Bug , a weapons development. Aboard a ship to France in late October he developed Spanish influenza and was hospitalized on his arrival in England. He did reach the front on November 11, 1918, but the Armistice ended the war on

7954-584: Was born at Fort William McKinley in Manila . After eight months of troop duty, Arnold became battalion adjutant. In January 1916, completing a two-year tour with the 13th Infantry, Arnold was attached to the 3rd Infantry and returned to the United States. En route to Madison Barracks , New York, he exchanged telegrams from Hawaii with an assistant executive of the Aviation Section, Signal Corps , Major William "Billy" Mitchell, who alerted him that he

8051-422: Was convicted on December 17, 1925, his supporters including Arnold continued to use Information Division resources to promote his views to airpower-friendly congressmen and Air Service reservists. In February, Secretary of War Dwight F. Davis ordered Patrick to find and discipline the culprits. Patrick was already aware of the activity and chose Arnold to set an example. He gave Arnold the choice of resignation or

8148-542: Was engaged in World War II. On February 24, 1927, his son David Lee Arnold was born at Ft. Riley. In 1928 Arnold wrote and published six books of juvenile fiction, the "Bill Bruce Series," whose objective was to interest young people in flying. Fechet intervened with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Charles P. Summerall to have Arnold's exile ended by assigning him in August 1928 to the Army's Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth . The year-long course

8245-504: Was followed in 1921 by another non-aviator, Maj.Gen. Mason M. Patrick . Patrick, however, obtained a rating of Junior Airplane Pilot despite being 59 years old and became both an airpower advocate and a proponent of an independent air force. Both Menoher and Patrick clashed often with Assistant Chief of Air Service Billy Mitchell, who had become radical in his desire for a single unified Air Force to control and develop all military airpower. Arnold supported Mitchell's highly publicized views,

8342-519: Was immediately opposed by the General Staff in all respects. He and Eaker collaborated on three books promoting airpower: This Flying Game (1936, reprinted 1943), Winged Victory (1941), and Army Flyer (1942). In March 1939 Arnold was appointed to head the Air Board by Secretary of War Harry Woodring , to recommend doctrine and organization of Army airpower to the chief of staff. While

8439-556: Was not rescinded. On August 11, 1920, Arnold was one of 21 Infantry majors formally transferred to the Air Service by War Department Special Orders No. 188-0. As Air Service Officer of the Ninth Corps area, he oversaw the first regular aerial patrols over the forested lands of California and Oregon to assist in preventing and suppressing wildfires. (This service marked the first use of aircraft for wildfire suppression, prior to

8536-646: Was not subordinate to the Chief of Air Corps. While a significant step towards an independent air force, this dual authority created serious problems of unity of command for the next six years. GHQAF commander Major General Frank Andrews tapped Arnold to retain command of its 1st Wing, which now carried with it a temporary promotion to the rank of brigadier general , effective March 2, 1935. On December 23, 1935, new Army Chief of Staff General Malin Craig summoned Arnold to Washington. He and Arnold had become personal friends and golfing partners during Craig's command of

8633-558: Was ordered back to Washington, D.C., to resolve the dispute and was en route by ship when the United States declared war on Germany. Arnold requested to be sent to France, but his presence in Washington worked against him, since the Aviation Section needed qualified officers for headquarters duty. Beginning May 1, 1917, he received a series of assignments, as officer in charge of the Information Division, with

8730-574: Was persuaded to accept a commission in the 29th Infantry , at the time stationed in the Philippines . Arnold arrived in Manila on December 7, 1907. Arnold disliked infantry troop duties and volunteered to assist Captain Arthur S. Cowan of the 20th Infantry , who was on temporary assignment in the Philippines mapping the island of Luzon . Cowan returned to the United States following completion of

8827-551: Was preparing to attend Bucknell University and enter the Baptist ministry) but took the entrance examination after his older brother Thomas defied their father and refused to do so. Arnold placed second on the list and received a delayed appointment when the nominated cadet confessed to being married, prohibited by academy regulations. Arnold entered the United States Military Academy at West Point as

8924-563: Was rejected in favor of the B-29 and B-32 (along with the XB-30) because the USAAC found the B-29 superior to the Douglas and Lockheed designs. Data from General characteristics Performance Armament Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Henry H. Arnold Henry Harley " Hap " Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950)

9021-619: Was the Patrouille de France , formed in 1931. Other nations' militaries and a few civilian organizations followed suit: see List of air display teams . Ormer Locklear was a pioneer of stunt flying. He joined the United States Army Air Service in October 1917 after the American entry into World War I . Pilot Cadet Locklear was flying with his instructor. He had to interpret a message being flashed to him from

9118-423: Was the son of Dr. Herbert Alonzo Arnold (1857–1933), a physician and a member of the prominent political and military Arnold Family . His mother was Anna Louise ("Gangy") Harley (1857–1931), from a " Dunker " farm family and the first female in her family to attend high school. Arnold was Baptist in religious belief but had strong Mennonite ties through both families. However, unlike her husband, "Gangy" Arnold

9215-553: Was unexpectedly assigned to attend a five-month course of study at the Army Industrial College . After completing the course he was hand-picked by Patrick, despite their mutual dislike, to head the Air Service's Information Division, working closely with Mitchell. When Mitchell was court-martialed , Arnold, Spaatz, and Eaker were all warned that they were jeopardizing their careers by vocally supporting Mitchell, but they testified on his behalf anyway. After Mitchell

9312-658: Was unpleasant for Arnold because of doctrinal differences with the school's commandant, Major General Edward L. King , but Arnold graduated with high marks in June 1929. Arnold was slated for assignment to the Air Corps Training Center in San Antonio following graduation, but Brigadier General Lahm, the commander of the ACTC, strongly opposed it, possibly recalling their 1917 dispute. Instead Arnold commanded

9409-408: Was well qualified. Yet the appointment was delayed when a faction developed supporting the appointment of Andrews that included two members of the White House staff, press secretary Stephen Early and military adviser Colonel Edwin M. Watson . A rumor circulated through the White House that Arnold was a "drunkard". In his memoirs, Arnold recorded that he enlisted the help of Harry Hopkins to attack

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