BLUF
Against strong opposition, General Billy Mitchell championed the need for the US to acquire an independent Air Force.Summary
This article by Minnie L Jones in the U.S. Army makes the following points about Billy Mitchell:
- He was a staunch advocate and visionary of air power.
- Regarded as the "Father of the United States Air Force."
- WW1 Brig. Gen. commanded all American aerial combat units in France.
- He organised a successful mass assault of 1,481 American and Allied aircraft against German ground installations.
- He thought bombers could destroy navy capital ships such as battleships.
- A test proved that aircraft could sink a battleship, leading to the U.S. Navy developing aircraft carriers.
- The B-25 Mitchell bomber (used in the morale-boosting WW2 Doolittle Raid) was named after him.
- Predicted that war between Japan and the U.S. was inevitable.
- The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor proved that Billy Mitchell's theories were correct.
References
- MILITARY HISTORY: INDEX of PAGES AND COLLECTIONS ON THE RAAF RUNWAY
- FEB 1962 Billy Mitchell’s Prophecy-American Heritage
- 2004 Billy Mitchell ‘Stormy Petrel of the Air’-Office of Air force History
- JUL 2011 General William “Billy” Mitchell and the Sinking of the Ostfriesland: A Consideration- National Air and Space Museum
- Brig. Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell-National Museum of the United States Airforce
- Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell-Mitchell Gallery of Flight
Source Information: US Army
- Link to Source: US Army
- Media Check: Who we are, US Army
- RAAF RUNWAY: RATIONALE, GUIDELINES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, ETC |
