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| Army Air Forces Commands | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Army Air Forces Commands |
| Caption | US Army Air Forces emblem, World War II |
| Dates | 1941–1947 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Air command |
| Role | Aerial warfare and air support |
| Garrison | The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. |
| Notable commanders | Henry H. Arnold |
Army Air Forces Commands
The Army Air Forces Commands comprised the principal high-level organizations responsible for employment, training, logistics, and administration of United States Army air units during World War II. They coordinated strategic bombing, tactical support, reconnaissance, and transport across theaters such as the European Theater of Operations (United States), the Pacific Theater of Operations (United States), and the China-Burma-India Theater. Command relationships linked major leaders including Henry H. Arnold, theater commanders like Eisenhower, and service figures such as George C. Marshall and Chester W. Nimitz.
The commands evolved from pre-war entities including the Air Corps, General Headquarters Air Force, and the Army Air Forces headquarters, integrating with theaters commanded by officers like Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Chester W. Nimitz, Hap Arnold, and Omar Bradley. They interfaced with allied organizations such as the Royal Air Force, Soviet Air Forces, Free French Air Force, and Royal Australian Air Force to execute joint operations in campaigns like Operation Overlord, Operation Torch, and Operation Husky. Strategic planning drew upon doctrine from figures including Billy Mitchell and operational lessons from campaigns like Battle of Britain and Guadalcanal Campaign.
Structure included Commands, numbered Air Forces, wings, groups, and squadrons under leaders such as Jimmy Doolittle and Curtis LeMay. Key staff elements mirrored institutions like War Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and allied staffs from Combined Chiefs of Staff. Administrative control overlapped with logistics organizations such as Air Transport Command and Materiel Command, and training centers including Air University and Armed Forces Staff College. The hierarchy coordinated with geographic commands like European Command (United States) and functional entities like Strategic Air Forces (USAAF).
Major commands encompassed Eighth Air Force, Fifth Air Force, Fourteenth Air Force, Twentieth Air Force, Army Air Forces Training Command, Air Transport Command, Air Technical Service Command, and Air Service Command. Notable units included bomber groups such as the 509th Composite Group, fighter groups like the 56th Fighter Group, reconnaissance units such as the Fifth Reconnaissance Group, and transport wings including the 314th Troop Carrier Group. These units worked alongside allied formations like No. 617 Squadron RAF and coordinated with naval aviation wings including Air Wing Two and carrier groups under Halsey.
Commands executed strategic bombing campaigns directed at industrial centers identified in plans from Combined Bomber Offensive, targeting nodes in Germany, Japan, and occupied territories. Tactical operations supported ground offensives in campaigns including Normandy landings, Anzio landings, and Philippine Campaign (1944–45), often in coordination with armies led by Bernard Montgomery and George S. Patton. Air transport and logistics missions enabled operations such as Berlin Airlift precursors and resupply to forces in Burma Road operations, relying on aircraft like the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-29 Superfortress, P-51 Mustang, and C-47 Skytrain.
Training and support were provided by institutions like Army Air Forces Training Command, Air Technical Service Command, Air Transport Command, Aircraft Materiel Command, and the Air University system centered at Maxwell Field. Training programs produced pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and maintenance personnel following curricula influenced by Air Corps Tactical School doctrine and instructors drawn from units like RAF Bomber Command veterans. Depot maintenance, supply chains, and aircraft modification centers worked with contractors including Boeing, Lockheed, North American Aviation, and Consolidated Aircraft.
Commands made decisive contributions to campaigns such as Strategic bombing of Germany, Strategic bombing of Japan, Battle of Midway support operations, Operation Market Garden airlift and glider operations, and interdiction in the Italian Campaign. The Eighth Air Force and Twentieth Air Force influenced outcomes at battles and sieges including Battle of the Bulge and the Siege of Bataan through air superiority and strategic strikes. Special operations and atomic missions involved units like the 509th Composite Group and planners connected to Manhattan Project liaison officers.
Postwar reorganization led to transfer of many commands into the newly established United States Air Force in 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 and guidance from the Truman administration. Doctrinal inheritances from Army Air Forces Commands shaped USAF major commands including Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, and Air Mobility Command, and influenced Cold War strategies involving leaders like Curtis LeMay and institutions such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The AAF legacy persists in museums such as the National Museum of the United States Air Force and memorials commemorating units like the Flying Tigers and campaigns in WWII.