Billy Mitchell’s Impact on American Military Aviation Development

“Air defense artillery units have a proud heritage dating back to the dawn of this country 's history when the colonists erected fortifications and emplaced artillery pieces to defend against attack from the sea. Seacoast defense continued to be the primary mission of "foot" artillery units (as opposed to mounted field artillery units) until World War I, when a new dimension in warfare emerged-attack from the air. Through World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam, air defense artillery units served as an indispensable part of the armed forces of the United States.”

The name Billy Mitchell brings many images to mind. To most, he is an American hero and considered to be one of the most influential figures regarding the creation of the modern Air Force. He was a successful aviator in his own right. What many do not know is that his ideas for the future of air power for the United States military were considered insane. Mitchell was a staunch proponent for an investment in air power as he deemed it was the future of warfare, a vision he would eventually be praised for. During his time, however, his views were considered preposterous as the focus was on battle ships and other naval vessels deemed necessary for war. He was seen as egotistical as he dismantled the opinions of anyone who opposed him. His statements and arguments against his superior officers eventually led to his court martial and resignation from the military. Mitchell was recognized posthumously for his contributions to aerial warfare.

The bombing campaigns in Vietnam, Rolling Thunder, Linebacker I, and Linebacker II, still remain controversial today. The common academic threat revolves around that if Rolling Thunder saw a more destructive use of air power, as used during Linebacker I and II, it would have been successful. Mark Clodfelter wholly disagrees with this idea. Throughout his book, Clodfelter believes that Linebacker I and II saw success because they had a different political objective. In the preface, he writes that many Air Force personnel “ignore the essence of why bombing “worked” in 1972 – because it was the proper instrument to apply, given Nixon’s specific goals and the political and military situation that then existed”(p xii). This is further clarified by stating what Richard Nixon’s aim for the bombing campaigns was versus what Lyndon Johnson wanted.

This quote describes the vast extent to which Franklin Delano Roosevelt, American President and commander-in-chief during World War II, believed in and supported evolution of aviation warfare. Many Americans did not support the country's involvement in World War I, and Congress passed countless neutrality acts during the ensuing years to keep the country out of war. Therefore, after the raid on Pearl Harbor, Americans were on edge on what would happen next. What

Before and during the Second World War people were fascinated with flight, the speed and the idea of flying high in the sky has kept people interested. Bombers and fighters alike both change dramatically in the twenty years after the Great War. From cloth wings to metal wings planes became bigger, faster, agile, and can hold a lot more fire power. The air war has changes significantly since the First World War. During the First World War bombers played a big role in the air war and after it left many questions whether it is the way to win wars. There has been speculation that future wars would be won by bombers and it can crush and the enemies at home and also the soldiers. Both book, Wartime by Fusslle and Why the Allies Won by Overy explain in depth what was the actual outcome of bombers and their roles before and after the war.

Ignorance and Air Power: The Failure of U. S. Leadership to Properly Utilize Air Power in Vietnam

It’s late afternoon on March 9th, 1945. The sun was shining brightly through a scattered deck of clouds dotting the sky and there was a refreshing northeasterly breeze coming off the surrounding waters. General Curtis LeMay is standing in the thick tropical air of Northwest Field on the small Pacific island of Guam. He watches as over three hundred B-29 Superfortress bombers launch northward towards Tokyo where they will use new and unproven tactics for delivering the most devastating firebombing campaign in history. Through General LeMay’s vision and innovation he changed established doctrine of how bombers should operate in the European and Pacific theaters and enabled untold successes but at what cost to American values and law?

In World War Two (WWII) air combat was a commonly used war tactic. Many countries in WWII had an Air Force. The Air Forces usually consisted of bombers and fighters. The United States who entered the war after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor had a particularly large Air Force. The U.S. Air Force Had several groups but a major Air Force group was the Eighth Air Force. The Eighth Air Force’s role in WWII was essential to the defeat of Hitler’s Nazi rule by bombardment of strategic targets in Europe. Wich was done successfully after we dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan.

In the United States military all branches of service serve a separate and vital role in military operations. The Army in particular has 28 branches within itself, all of which are important to the military’s overall mission. Each branch of the Army has distinguished itself throughout history, and some branches have been introduced more recently in order to adapt to the ever changing battlefield which the United States fights on. The Air Defense Artillery branch of the Army has served a vital role throughout the history of the United States since World War I. This paper will discuss the early evolution of the Air Defense Artillery branch, commonly known as “Archie” in its early years, and how the history of the branch has shaped the current

On December 28, 1879 William was born and died on February 19, 1936. William “Billy” Mitchell was a man that no matter what you said to him, he wanted to do it. He was a man with a spirit of a fighter and has the heart of a lion because he was brave, loyal, and visionary. He was a general who is known as the father of the United States Air Force 9)source) . As a soldier he didn’t care what you said he couldn’t do. He would take himself and prove to everyone that no matter what you said he could do it.

Being a visionary leader well before the world is ready for your ideas can get you, court marshaled. Let us look at a visionary but unethical leader Brigadier General Billy Mitchell. General Billy Mitchell is known as the father of the modern air force but was court marshaled because he believed so strongly about his vision he made an unethical decision. General Mitchell was a visionary leader because he knew that the aircraft could be put to better use. General Mitchell used intellectual stimulation to get the best from his employees by inspiring creativity from them to help develop his visionary ideas. General Mitchell’s downfall is that he was not emotionally flexible when he discovered resistance to change. The second point to

After the Wright brothers embarked on the first sustained, heavier-than-air, man-powered flight aboard the Wright Flyer. Airplane soon had been used for the war fighting. Some airpower pioneers started to advocate the new technology with great influence and unlimited potential to future warfare. As the new technology apply to different country with different school of thought, the way to employ airpower started to develop into several different model. Early British and Italian military theorists like Trenchard and Douhet who believed that civilian morale would collapse with the bombing of industrial center. US General Mitchell believed the airplane can easily destroy the Navy battle ship in lower cost.

World War One was a time of tremendous sadness and great innovation. One of the fruits of war that can still be seen today is the airplane. At the time before the war, aircrafts were extremely bulky and inefficient to a point where they served no purpose in war. Until one day in World War 1 when everything changed forever. As BBC News stats “For the British it all started on 13 August 1914 at 08:20, when Lieutenant H D Harvey-Kelly landed the first Royal Flying Corps (RFC) aircraft to deploy in WW1 at Amiens in northern France.” (BBC News). To the average person this is not that grand of an achievement. But on the contrary, this was a hefty order for Harvey-Kelly to fulfill with the conditions of the battlefield. Harvey-Kelly faced not just

In many ways World War II presents post Civil War American attitudes about technology and science. Trace either the most relevant technology or scientific assumption from 1865 to 1945 showing how it changed or why it stayed the same from the Civil War for the end of World War II. (Length 3 pages)

Randall L. Milstein has a PhD in Geology from Oregon State University where he is currently appointed to the physics department. While his main focus is on planetary events he has written several articles for the Salem Press and is a contributor to a book called the Encyclopedia of Flight. The main purpose of the article is to provide information on the significance of air-to-air combat since World War I. He is bias in his stance that air superiority has been a crucial component to success warfare. The article is easy to read and its main audience is those with an interest in aviation history. During the infancy