Continental Air Forces

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For the similarly-named air defense command (CONAC) activated in 1948 for consolidating Army (ARADCOM), Navy, and Air Force (ADC) commands, see Continental Air Command.

Continental Air Forces (CAF) was a

Air Defense Command (to which CAF's First and Fourth Air Forces were assigned on 21 March), Tactical Air Command (Third Air Force), and Air Materiel Command between March 1946 and March 1947.[2]

Background

On 16 January 1941, four Air Districts were established (

Southwest). The air districts handled air defense, "organization and training of bomber, fighter and other units and crews for assignments overseas", and training maneuvers with the Army Ground Forces. The four districts were redesignated on 26 March 1941 as the First Air Force, Second Air Force, Third Air Force, and Fourth Air Force, respectively.[3]

Activation

CAF was activated 12 December 1944

Mitchel Field's 63d Army Air Force Base Unit transferred to CAF.[7] CAF's air defense mission was documented in AAF Regulation 20-1, dated 15 September 1945.[6]

A plan for developing

Bolling Field
).

Post-war radar network planning

After a June 1945 meeting with AAF headquarters about air defense, CAF recommended "research and development be undertaken on radar and allied equipment for an air defense system [for] the future threat", e.g., a "radar [with] range of 1,000 miles, [to detect] at an altitude of 200 miles, and at a speed of 1,000 miles per hour".

Electronics Subdivision held a "Manufacturers Conference" on 26–28 June 1946 for planning the "Improved Search Radar".[14]

Air Force separation

Planning to reorganize for a separate USAF had begun by fall 1945

Air Force Center."[15]

Reorganization

The Continental Air Forces reorganization began by 31 January 1946 when

AAF Training Command
on 1 November 1945. CAF's Bolling Field was assigned control of Andrews Field on 3 January 1946 and also Richmond Army Air Base on 2 February 1946.

73d Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy
.

Interceptor and radar network plans at CAF HQ were passed on to ADC.

Mitchel Field to ADC, and both Tyndall Field and Army Air Base, Knob Knoster, to TAC.[2] After the HQ transfer to SAC on 21 March, numerous CAF airfields transferred to TAC, ADC, and AMC from 23 March 1946 to 16 March 1947:[2]

Air Defense Command's first

search radar, which had been recommended by CAF. CAF's studies for computerized airborne early warning and control were developed into the 1950s Lincoln Transition System that became the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment
.

Aftermath

The US Army Air Forces redesignated Continental Air Forces as Strategic Air Command on 21 March 1946. In 1992, the US Air Force inactivated SAC. On 7 August 2009, the US Air Force redesignated SAC as

nuclear deterrence and global strike
missions formerly held by SAC.

References

  1. tbd
    --declassified 11 October 1991.
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-912799-53-6
    . Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  3. ^
    Arnold, Henry H. (June 1944) [May 1944]. "Foreword". AAF: The Official Guide to the Army Air Forces. New York: Pocket Books
    . pp. 13–15.
  4. ^ quotation from Grant p. 1, which cites "ltr, Hq AAF to CG CAF, subj: Directive, 14 Dec 44, in Hist CAF, 15 Dec 44 – 21 Mar 46, doc 47"
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ a b c Grant, Dr C. L. (1 December 1944). The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954 (Report). Vol. USAF Historical Studies: No. 126 (AU-126-54-RSI). Research Studies Institute (USAF Historical Division). Continental Air Forces, activated 12 December 1944, had been assigned the mission of continental air defense upon activation ... 26 July - United States Air Force created as co-equal of the Army and Navy.
  7. tbd (9 November 1983). Historical Summary: Radar Bomb Scoring, 1945–1983 (MobileRadar.org transcription) (Report). Office of History, 1st Combat Evaluation Group. Retrieved 31 August 2013. On 24 July 1945, the 206th was redesignated the 63rd AAFBU (RBS) and three weeks later was moved to Mitchell Field, New York, and placed under the command of the Continental Air Force. {{cite report}}: |author= has generic name (help
    )
  8. ^ Futrell, Robert F. (July 1947). Development of AAF Base Facilities in the United States: 1939-1945 (Report). Vol. ARS-69: US Air Force Historical Study No 69 (Copy No. 2). Air Historical Office.
  9. ^ quotation from Grant, which cites: "Ltr, Hq CAF to CG AAF, subj: Defensive Communications and Electronics in the Postwar Period, 21 Jul 45, in Case Hist AC&W System, doc 4."
  10. ^ quotation from Grant Ch. V--citation 31 cites "1st Ind (ltr, Hq CAF to CG AAF, subj: Defensive Communications and Electronics in the Postwar Period, 21 Jul 45), Hq AAF to CG CAF, 30 Aug 45, in Case Hist AC&W System, doc 4."
  11. ^ the quotation from Grant Ch. V used citation 32 to cite a letter to "Guided Missile Br [in the] AC/AS-4 R&E Div" and a Hq CAF letter: R&R AC/AS-3, Guided Missiles Div to AC/AS-4 R&E Div, attn: Guided Missiles Br, subj: Military Characteristics of an Air Defense System, 23 Jan 46, in DRB War Plans Miscellaneous National Defense 1946-47, v2; ltr, Hq CAF to CG AAF, subj: Radar Defense Report for Continental United States, 28 Jan 46 in Case Hist AC&W System, doc 9." NOTE: Grant's text & citation indicate the Guided Missile Branch was in the HQ AAF Plans organization (Air Materiel Command had not yet been activated from its predecessors.)
  12. ^ Grant Ch. V citation 33
  13. ^ Grant's p. 8 citation 60 (also used in Ch. V citation 34) cites "AMC "Short Range Air Defense," Project Description as presented at Electronics Subdivision Manufacturers' Conference, 26-28 Jun 46, in Air University Library, Maxwell AFB, M-31353-S no. 4.07."
  14. ^ Grant Ch. V citation 34 cites "AMC, Improved Search Radar, Project Description as presented at Electronics Subdivision Manufacturers' Conference, 26–28 June 1946, in AUL M-31353-S, no 4.02; AMC, Short Range Air Defense, Project Description as presented to Electronics Subdivision Manufacturers' Conference, 26–28 June 1946, in AUL M-31353-S, no 4.07.
  15. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2013. In November 1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower became Army Chief of Staff. One of General Eisenhower's first actions was to appoint a board of officers, headed by Lieutenant General W. H. Simpson
    , to prepare a definitive plan for the reorganization of the Army and the Air Force that could be effected without enabling legislation and would provide for the separation of the Air Force from the Army.
  16. ^ Grant p. 76 cites "ADS HS-9, Organization and Responsibility for Air Defense, March 1946-September 1955"
  17. ^ A Brief History of Keesler AFB and the 81st Training Wing (PDF) (Report). Vol. A-090203-089. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  18. ^ Moody, Walton S. (1995). Building a Strategic Air Force. Air Force History and Museums Program. pp. 60, 62.
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