X-Nico

24 unusual facts about United States Army Air Forces


Alexander Courage

He served in the United States Army Air Forces in the western United States during the Second World War.

Arkansas Air National Guard

On 24 May 1946, the United States Army Air Forces, in response to dramatic postwar military budget cuts imposed by President Harry S. Truman, allocated inactive unit designations to the National Guard Bureau for the formation of an Air Force National Guard.

Arnold Weiss

Weiss served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, but his training as a tail gunner ended when the plane he was in crashed and severely injured his legs.

B-24 Liberators in Australian service

While Australian pilots flew Liberators in other theatres of war, the aircraft was introduced into service in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1944 when it was suggested by Gen George C. Kenney that seven heavy bomber squadrons be raised to supplement the efforts of the 380th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).

Ballyhalbert

During its lifetime, Ballyhalbert was home to RAF, Army, Navy and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) personnel.

Beechcraft

Over 750 Staggerwings were built, with 270 manufactured for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.

Berridale, New South Wales

On 28 March 1942, a USAAF P-40E fighter made an emergency landing at "Wheat Hill" station, after becoming lost in fog during a flight from Canberra.

Campaign to Defend Siping

The elite nationalist New 6th Army under the command of Liao Yaoxiang (廖耀湘) was first airlifted by the United States Army Air Forces to Northeast China, and made its move to Siping from Kaiyuan, Liaoning, Xifeng County, Liaoning, and the Town of Yehe Nara (Ye He Zhen, 叶赫镇).

Chabua

Chabua airfield was one of the largest bases used by the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command to ferry supplies and personnel across The Hump to China in World War II.

Dawee Chullasapya

The young officer was soon enrolled in bombing and training courses with the RAF and USAAF, and returned two years later to become Commanding Officer of the 3rd Fighter Squadron, whose base was at Don Muang.

Eva von Sacher-Masoch

Sacher-Masoch witnessed the United States Army Air Forces daylight raids on Vienna from 1944 onwards, and the Red Army's assault on Vienna in 1945.

General Electric J31

The United States Army Air Forces later decided to standardize all their jet engine naming, at which point the I-16 became the J31.

HMAS Inverell

In early February 1943, Inverell was required to rescue the crew of a United States Army Air Forces Liberator bomber, which had crashed on Croker Island.

Iruma Air Base

After the end of the war, the United States Army Air Forces Fifth Air Force headquarters on Okinawa was moved to Japan and was established at Irumagawa on 25 September 1945.

James Roy Andersen

Brigadier General James Roy Andersen is a deceased United States Army Air Forces officer.

Lycoming XR-7755

A second example was provided, as planned, to the United States Army Air Forces at Wright Field in 1946.

Montenegro–United States relations

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces bombed Podgorica due to Nazi occupation in Montenegro.

Paris 1945

Miller's band members were all members of the United States Army Air Forces, and military regulations prohibited them from making commercial recordings.

RAF Cheddington

In September 1942 the airfield was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces.

RAF St Mawgan

In February 1943 it was renamed RAF St. Mawgan and in June 1943, the United States Army Air Forces took over and carried out a number of major improvements, including a new control tower and a further extension of the main runway.

Richard S. Heyser

Heyser, a native of Apalachicola, Florida, joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1944, after watching World War II pilots training at nearby Tyndall Field.

So-Cal Speed Shop

Founder Alex Xydias opened the shop on Olive Avenue in Burbank, California on March 3, 1946, the same day he was discharged from the Army Air Force.

Stephenville International Airport

In 1941 the United States obtained rights to construct a United States Army Air Forces base in the St. George's Bay area of Newfoundland.

Warren Avis

Born in Michigan, Avis graduated from Bay City Central High School in 1933, and served in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War.


Battle of Morotai

The Tradewind Task Force was established on 20 August under the command of Major General Charles P. Hall and numbered 40,105 U.S. Army soldiers and 16,915 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel.

C.B. Colby

In 1943 he became aviation editor of Popular Science magazine and became a war correspondent with the U.S. Army Air Forces in Newfoundland, Labrador, and Alaska.

Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident

2nd Lt. Charlie Brown ("a farm boy from Weston, West Virginia", in his own words) was a B-17F pilot with United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)'s 379th Bomber Group stationed at RAF Kimbolton in England.

Donald S. Lopez, Sr.

(July 15, 1923 – March 3, 2008) was a U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force fighter and test pilot and until his death the deputy director of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

El Djem

It was attacked on numerous occasions and later used by the United States Army Air Forces Twelfth Air Force as a transport field.

Fleetwings BT-12 Sophomore

The Fleetwings BT-12 Sophomore, also known by the company designation Model 23, was a 1940s all-metal basic training monoplane built by Fleetwings for the United States Army Air Forces.

Frobisher Bay Air Base

During late July 1941, a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) team headed by Captain Elliott Roosevelt investigated the Frobisher Bay region for a potential airport for use in trans-Atlantic air traffic.

Godman Army Airfield

In the build-up of the Army prior to the United States' entry into World War II and the establishment of the United States Army Air Forces, the 73d Observation Group was established at the airfield in November 1941, assigned to First Air Force.

Japanese cruiser Kuma

From 10 December - 11 December, Kuma covered landings at Aparri and Vigan; off Vigan, Kuma was attacked unsuccessfully by five USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers of the 14th Squadron.

Kanchrapara Airfield

4 October 1945 World War II, the airfield was used as a reconnaissance base by the 8th Reconnaissance Group of United States Army Air Forces Tenth Air Force.

Leo Penn

Penn served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II as a B-24 Liberator bombardier with the 755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, stationed in England as part of the Eighth Air Force.

Nathan Bedford Forrest III

Nathan Bedford Forrest III (April 7, 1905 – June 13, 1943) was a brigadier general of the United States Army Air Forces, and a great-grandson of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest.

No. 121 Squadron RAF

The squadron was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces as the 335th Fighter Squadron and officially disbanded as a RAF unit on 29 September 1942.

Ray McKinley

When McKinley broke up the band, he joined Glenn Miller's Army Air Force band, which he co-led with arranger Jerry Gray after Miller's disappearance in December 1944.

Richards-Gebaur Memorial Airport

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces I Troop Carrier Command built a facility on part of the airfield in 1944 which was used as a sub-base for Sedalia AAF (later Whiteman Air Force Base) for overflow traffic and training uses.

Silverplate

This would have required much less modification, but Major General Leslie R. Groves, Jr., the director of the Manhattan Project, and General Henry H. Arnold, the Chief of United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), wished to use an American plane, if this was at all possible.

The Thousand Plane Raid

In 1943, Colonel Greg Brandon (Christopher George), stationed at an United States Army Air Forces 8th Air Force, 103rd Bomb Group base in England, repeatedly attempts to persuade superiors that massive daylight bombing will hasten the end of World War II.

Theodore Van Kirk

Theodore Van Kirk (born 27 February 1921 in Northumberland, Pennsylvania) is a former United States Army Air Force navigator.

Waco E series

Because of the type's good performance, 15 examples were impressed by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II for communications work as the C-72.

Yielden

Later in 1942, following the entry of the United States into the war, it eventually became the home of the United States Army Air Forces 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), which had four squadrons of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses pioneering the daylight formation and bombing procedures of the time.