George Kenney
George Kenney | |
---|---|
Birth name | George Churchill Kenney |
Born | Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada | August 6, 1889
Died | August 9, 1977 Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, U.S. | (aged 88)
Place of burial | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | |
Years of service |
|
Rank | Far East Air Forces |
Battles/wars |
|
Awards |
|
George Churchill Kenney (August 6, 1889 – August 9, 1977) was a
Kenney enlisted as a flying cadet in the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps in 1917, and served on the Western Front with the 91st Aero Squadron. He was awarded a Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in which he fought off German fighters and shot two down. After hostilities ended he participated in the Occupation of the Rhineland. Returning to the United States, he flew reconnaissance missions along the border between the US and Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. Commissioned into the Regular Army in 1920, he attended the Air Corps Tactical School, and later became an instructor there. He was responsible for the acceptance of Martin NBS-1 bombers built by Curtis, and test flew them. He also developed techniques for mounting .30 caliber machine guns on the wings of an Airco DH.4 aircraft.
In early 1940, Kenney became Assistant
In April 1946, Kenney became the first commander of the newly formed
Early life
George Churchill Kenney was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, on August 6, 1889,[1] during a summer vacation taken by his parents to avoid the humidity of the Boston area. The oldest of four children of carpenter Joseph Atwood Kenney and his wife Anne Louise Kenney, née Churchill, Kenney grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. He graduated from Brookline High School in 1907 and later that year he entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he pursued a course in civil engineering. After his father left his family, Kenney quit MIT and took various jobs before becoming a surveyor for the Quebec Saguenay Railroad.[2][3]
His mother died in 1913 and Kenney returned to Boston, where he took a job with Stone & Webster. In 1914 he joined the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad as a civil engineer, building a bridge in New London, Connecticut. After this was completed, he formed a partnership, the Beaver Contracting and Engineering Corporation, with a high school classmate, Gordon Glazier. The firm became involved in a number of projects, including the construction of a seawall at Winthrop, Massachusetts, and a bridge over the Squannacook River.[4]
World War I
The United States entered
The 91st Aero Squadron flew the
Kenney's citation read:[9][10]
For extraordinary heroism in action near Jametz, France, October 9, 1918. This officer gave proof of his bravery and devotion to duty when he was attacked by a superior number of aircraft. He accepted combat, destroyed one plane and drove the others off. Notwithstanding that the enemy returned and attacked again in strong numbers, he continued his mission and enabled his observer to secure information of great military value.[11]
Kenney remained for a time with the
Between the wars
Kenney applied for one of a number of Regular Army commissions offered to reservists after the war,[13] and was commissioned as a captain in the Air Service on July 1, 1920.[5] While he was in hospital in Texas recovering from an aviation accident, he met a nurse,[14] Helen "Hazel" Dell Richardson, the daughter of a Mobile, Alabama, contractor, George W. Richardson. They were married in Mobile on October 6, 1920.[3] Hazel miscarried twins, and was warned by her doctor of the danger of another pregnancy, but she strongly wished to have a child. In 1922, while the couple was living on Long Island, New York, a son, William Richardson Kenney, was born to them, but Hazel died soon afterward from complications. Kenney arranged to have the infant cared for by his neighbor, Alice Steward Maxey, another nurse. On June 5, 1923, Kenney married Maxey in her home town of Gardiner, Maine.[14]
From July to November 1920, Kenney was air detachment commander at
In 1926, Kenney became a student at the
Kenney reached the pinnacle of his professional education in September 1932, when he entered the
Graduation from the Army War College was normally followed by a staff posting, and on graduation in June 1933 Kenney became an assistant to
In this role, Kenney was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel on March 2, 1935, skipping that of major. He became involved in an acrimonious debate with the Army General Staff over the Air Corps' desire to purchase more
World War II
In 1939, Kenney was made Chief of the Production Engineering Section at
Southwest Pacific Area
In July 1942, Kenney received orders to take over the Allied Air Forces and
Frank M. Andrews, by then a major general, turned down the job, and MacArthur, offered a choice between Kenney and Major General James Doolittle, chose Kenney.[29] Kenney reported to MacArthur in Brisbane on July 28, 1942, and was treated to "a lecture for approximately an hour on the shortcomings of the Air Force in general, and the Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific in particular."[30] Kenney felt that MacArthur did not understand air operations, but recognized that he somehow needed to establish a good working relationship with him. When he asked MacArthur for authority to send people he considered "deadwood" home, something that his superiors in Washington, D.C. had refused to give, MacArthur enthusiastically approved.[31][32]
Building a good relationship with MacArthur meant getting past MacArthur's chief of staff, Lieutenant General
Kenney sent home Major General
This brought Kenney into conflict with the Chief of the Air Staff of the RAAF, Air Vice Marshal George Jones, who felt that an opportunity had been lost to simplify the administration of the RAAF. Kenney preferred to have Bostock in command, and while he regarded the antipathy between Jones and Bostock as a nuisance, was happy to leave arrangements the way they were.[40] However, Kenney deviated from the normal structure of an air force by creating the Advanced Echelon (ADVON) under Whitehead. The new headquarters had the authority to change the assignments of aircraft in the forward area, where fast-changing weather and enemy action could overtake orders drawn up in Australia.[41] Kenney was promoted to lieutenant general on October 21, 1942.[5]
Perhaps because of his experience in World War I, Kenney had a great deal of respect for Japanese fighters.[42] He decided to conserve his bombers, and concentrate on attaining air superiority over New Guinea. Kenney switched the bombers to attacking by night unless fighter escorts could be provided.[43] SWPA had a low priority, and simply could not afford to replace losses from costly daylight missions.[44] What he needed was an effective long-range fighter, and Kenney hoped that the Lockheed P-38 Lightning would fit the bill, but the first ones delivered to SWPA were plagued with technical problems.[45] Kenney had Charles Lindbergh teach his P-38 pilots how to extend the range of their aircraft.[46]
The Southwest Pacific was not a promising theater of war for the strategic bomber. The bombers of the day did not have the range to reach Japan from Australia,
Walker resisted Kenney's proposals that the bombers conduct attacks from low level using bombs armed with instantaneous fuses.[50] Kenney ordered Walker to try the fuses for a couple of months, so that data could be gained about their effectiveness;[51] a few weeks later Kenney discovered that Walker had discontinued their use. In November, Kenney arranged for a demonstration attack on the SS Pruth, a ship that had sunk off Port Moresby in 1924 and was often used for target practice.[52] After the attack Walker and Kenney took a boat out to the wreck to inspect the damage. As expected, none of the four bombs dropped had hit the stationary wreck, but the instantaneous fuses had detonated the bombs when they struck the water, so bomb fragments had torn holes in the sides of the ship. Walker reluctantly conceded the point.[53] A few weeks later, Walker was shot down leading a daylight raid over Rabaul, an attack that Kenney had ordered to be conducted at night.[54]
In addition to trying different types of ordnance, the Allied Air Forces experimented with modifications to the aircraft themselves. Major
The Allied Air Forces also adopted innovative tactics. In February 1942, the RAAF began experimenting with skip bombing, an anti-shipping technique used by the British and Germans.[60] Flying only a few dozen feet above the sea toward their targets, aircraft would release their bombs, which would then, ideally, ricochet across the surface of the water and explode at the side of the target ship, under it, or just over it. A similar technique was mast-height bombing, in which bombers would approach the target at low altitude, 200 to 500 feet (61 to 152 m), at about 265 to 275 miles per hour (426 to 443 km/h), and then drop down to mast height, 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 m) about 600 yards (550 m) from the target. They would release their bombs at around 300 yards (270 m), aiming directly at the side of the ship.[61] The two techniques were not mutually exclusive. A bomber could drop two bombs, skipping the first and launching the second at mast height.[62] The Battle of the Bismarck Sea demonstrated the effectiveness of low-level attacks on shipping.[61]
Another form of airpower employed by Kenney was air transport. This started in September 1942 when troops of the
The ultimate challenge was to integrate air power with MacArthur's strategy. Kenney described the process this way in 1944:
The first step in this advancement of the bomber line is to gain and maintain air control as far into enemy territory as our longest range fighters can reach. Then we put an air blockade around the Jap positions or section of the coast which we want in order to stop him from getting supplies or reinforcements. The bombers then go to work and pulverize his defensive system, methodically taking out artillery positions, stores, bivouac areas and so on. Finally comes the air cover escorting the amphibious expedition to the landing beach, a last minute blasting and smoking of the enemy beach defenses and the maintenance of strafers and fighters overhead, on call from the surface forces until their beachhead is secured. If emergency supplies are needed we drop them by parachute. The ground troops get a transport field ready as fast as possible so that we can supplement boat supply by cargo carrying airplanes. When necessary, we evacuate the wounded and sick and bring in reinforcements in a hurry. The transport field becomes a fighter field, the strafers and finally the heavies arrive and it is time to move forward again.[66]
Far East Air Forces
In June 1944, Kenney was appointed commander of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF), which came to include the Fifth,
Kenney hoped to get
Post-war career
In April 1946, Kenney became the first commander of the newly formed Strategic Air Command (SAC). He was encouraged by Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symington to join him in the political battle surrounding the establishment of an independent United States Air Force.[71] Separately, the two men gave promotional speeches around the country. As a result, SAC's efficiency suffered.[72] On May 8, 1946, Kenney publicly presented the Medal of Honor to the family of Thomas B. McGuire Jr., the second-highest scoring US fighter pilot, who had been killed in action.[73]
Kenney left day-to-day operations at SAC in the hands of his deputy commander, Major General St. Clair Streett. Part of the reason for Kenney's lack of focus on SAC was also his assignment as U.S. representative to the United Nations Military Staff Committee, which appeared at that time to be potentially an important assignment. In January 1947, Streett was replaced by Major General Clements McMullen. With McMullen serving officially as Kenney's deputy but actually in command, a cross-training program was implemented in early 1948 to teach bomber crew members each other's tasks, the goal being to reduce each bomber's contingent of officers from five to three. Morale suffered as a result. Major General Lauris Norstad, responsible for reporting the readiness of American airpower to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, James Forrestal, heard from unhappy airmen that the SAC was in a poor state of readiness, and he initiated an investigation. He selected Charles Lindbergh and Paul Tibbets to perform the inquiry. Tibbets told Norstad that he found nobody at SAC knew their job.[74] Lindbergh said that McMullen's cross-training program "seriously interfered with training the primary mission."[75]
On May 6, 1948, Kenney spoke to a crowd in Bangor, Maine, telling them that the US was likely to be attacked by the Soviet Union as soon as the latter had enough atomic bombs. In Washington, D.C., a group of senators including Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. complained of Kenney's "belligerent" speech, and previous ones in the same vein by Symington, saying that matters of foreign policy should be left to the president and the secretary of state, not to leaders of the United States Air Force (USAF)[76] Another controversy that Kenney became embroiled in concerned the Convair B-36 Peacemaker. He was less than impressed with this expensive and under-performing aircraft, preferring the Boeing B-50 Superfortress, an upgraded version of the B-29 instead. The USAF, however, had staked much of its credibility on the B-36, something that Kenney did not seem to appreciate.[77]
In the context of the
In April 1949, Kenney became the sixth person to receive the General William E. Mitchell Memorial Award.[80] He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio, in 1971. [81]
Retirement
After his retirement, he lived in
Books
Kenney wrote three books about the SWPA air campaigns he led during World War II. His major work was General Kenney Reports (1949), a personal history of the air war he led from 1942 to 1945. He also wrote The Saga of Pappy Gunn (1959) and Dick Bong: Ace of Aces (1960), which described the careers of Paul Gunn and Richard Bong, two of the most prominent airmen under his command. In addition, he wrote a book about military leader General Douglas MacArthur titled The MacArthur I Know (1951).
Family
He was survived by his two children, five grandsons and one granddaughter. His son, William "Bill" R. Kenney, rose to the rank of colonel in the USAF.[83] His daughter, Julia, married Edward C. Hoagland Jr., a fighter pilot in World War II and later in Korea, who eventually retired from the USAF at the rank of lieutenant colonel.[84]
Dates of rank
Effective dates of rank, which count towards time in service, are when the officer formally accepted the appointment or promotion.
Insignia | Rank | Component | Date |
---|---|---|---|
No insignia at the time | Private first class | Enlisted Reserve Corps | June 2, 1917 |
First lieutenant | Officers' Reserve Corps | November 5 (effective November 8) 1917 | |
Captain | National Army (United States Army Air Service) | March 18, 1919 | |
Captain | United States Army Air Service | July 1 (effective September 21) 1920 | |
First lieutenant | Regular Army (United States Army Air Service) | November 18, 1922 (reverted to permanent rank) | |
Captain | Regular Army (United States Army Air Service) | November 3, 1923 | |
Major | Regular Army (United States Army Air Corps) | June 16 (effective June 22) 1936 (temporary) October 1, 1937 (permanent) | |
Lieutenant colonel | Regular Army (United States Army Air Corps) | March 2, 1935 (temporary) March 1 (effective March 11) 1940 (temporary) November 29, 1940 (permanent) | |
Brigadier general | Army of the United States | January 29 (effective February 14) 1941 | |
Temporary Colonel | Regular Army (United States Army Air Forces) | July 15 (effective July 22) 1941 | |
Major general | Army of the United States | February 26, 1942 | |
Lieutenant general | Army of the United States | October 15, 1942 | |
Brigadier general | Regular Army (United States Army Air Forces) | September 1, 1943 | |
Major general | Regular Army (United States Army Air Forces) | February 1, 1945 | |
General | Army of the United States | March 9, 1945 | |
General | United States Air Force, Retired | August 31, 1951 |
Awards and decorations
Command Pilot
| |||||
Army Distinguished Service Cross with one bronze oak leaf cluster | Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster | Silver Star | |||
Distinguished Flying Cross | Purple Heart | Presidential Unit Citation | World War I Victory Medal with four bronze service stars | ||
Army of Occupation of Germany Medal | American Defense Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with six campaign stars
| ||
World War II Victory Medal | National Defense Service Medal | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Australia, Military Division) | Philippine Liberation Medal with two service stars |
- Nine Overseas Service Bars, three for World War I and six for World War II
Bibliography
- Kenney, George C. (1949). General Kenney Reports: A Personal History of the Pacific War. New York City: Duell, Sloan and Pearce. OCLC 37302833.
- —— (1959). The Saga of Pappy Gunn. New York City: Duell, Sloan and Pearce. OCLC 1253679.
- —— (1960). Dick Bong: Ace of Aces. New York City: Duell, Sloan and Pearce. OCLC 1292347.
Notes
- ^ Roberts 2014, p. 397.
- ^ Griffith 1998, pp. 1–5.
- ^ a b c The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography 1946.
- ^ Griffith 1998, pp. 5–6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fogerty 1953.
- ^ Griffith 1998, pp. 7–10.
- ^ History of the 91st Aero Squadron .p.7 1919
- ^ Ruckman 1920, p. 201.
- ^ a b Griffith 1998, pp. 11–13.
- ^ "Valor awards for George Churchill Kenney". Military Times. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ Ruckman 1920, p. 134.
- ^ History of the 91st Aero Squadron Coblenz Germany 1919
- ^ a b Griffith 1998, pp. 18–19.
- ^ a b c Griffith 1998, pp. 20–21.
- ^ a b Grynkewich 1994, p. 11.
- ^ Byrd 1997, p. 45.
- ^ Wolk 1988, p. 90.
- ^ a b Griffith 1998, pp. 22–24.
- ^ Griffith 1998, pp. 27–28.
- ^ Grynkewich 1994, p. 21.
- ^ Griffith 1998, pp. 29–32.
- ^ Griffith 1998, pp. 33–36.
- ^ Griffith 1998, pp. 37–39.
- ^ Grynkewich 1994, p. 25.
- ^ "World Battlefronts: For the Honor of God". Time. January 18, 1943. p. 28. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
- ^ Grynkewich 1994, p. 26.
- ^ Griffith 1998, p. 42.
- ^ Wolk 1988, pp. 91–92.
- ^ Wolk 1987, p. 165.
- ^ Wolk 1988, p. 93.
- ^ a b c d Wolk 1987, pp. 168–169.
- ^ Kenney 1949, p. 44.
- ^ Griffith 1998, pp. 66–68.
- ^ Wolk 2002, p. 69.
- ^ Griffith 1998, p. 70.
- ^ Wolk 1988, p. 92.
- ^ Kenney 1949, p. 11.
- ^ Barr 1997, p. 20.
- ^ Kenney 1949, p. 100.
- ^ Griffith 1998, p. 63.
- ^ Rodman 2005, p. 77.
- ^ Barr 1997, pp. 15–16.
- ^ a b Kenney 1949, pp. 42–45.
- ^ Barr 1997, p. 23.
- ^ Watson 1944, pp. 76–78.
- ^ Kenney 1949, pp. 412–414.
- ^ Rodman 2005, p. 14.
- ^ Rodman 2005, p. 24.
- ^ Rodman 2005, pp. 28–29.
- ^ Byrd 1997, p. 97.
- ^ Gamble 2010, p. 241.
- ^ Gamble 2010, pp. 272–273.
- ^ Kenney 1949, p. 142.
- ^ Kenney 1949, pp. 175–176.
- ^ Kenney 1949, pp. 76–77.
- ^ Kenney 1949, p. 144.
- ^ Rodman 2005, pp. 40–42.
- ^ Kenney 1949, pp. 161–162.
- ^ Rodman 2005, pp. 43–44.
- ^ Griffith 1998, p. 82.
- ^ a b Rodman 2005, p. 68.
- ^ Rodman 2005, p. 41.
- ^ Kenney 1949, pp. 97–100.
- ^ Wolk 1987, pp. 169–170.
- ^ Kenney 1949, pp. 294–296.
- ^ Barr 1997, p. 25.
- ^ Griffith 1998, p. 175.
- ^ Grynkewich 1994, pp. 59–61.
- ^ Bunnell, John G. (June 2005). "Knockout Blow? The Army Air Force's Operations against Ploesti and Balikpapan" (PDF). Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Defense Technical Information Center. pp. 64–65. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ Grynkewich 1994, pp. 64–65.
- ^ Wolk 2002, p. 71.
- ^ Worden 1998, pp. 55–56.
- ^ "Air Force Medal of Honor Recipients". HomeOfHeroes.com. 2011. p. 13. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
- ^ a b Grynkewich 1994, pp. 1–5.
- ^ Grynkewich 1994, p. 1.
- ^ "Urge Airforce Temper Talks: Senators Angry Over Belligerent Outbursts". Greensburg Daily Tribune. Greensburg, Pennsylvania. United Press. May 8, 1948. p. 1 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ Grynkewich 1994, pp. 75–80.
- ^ Meilinger, Phillip S. "George C. Kenney". American Airpower Biography. AirChronicles. Archived from the original on October 2, 2001. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
- ^ "General George Churchill Kenney". Biographies. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
- ^ "Gen. Kenney Receives Mitchell Air Awar d". The New York Times. April 29, 1949. p. 25.
- ^ "Enshrinee George Kenney". National Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ Ancell & Miller 1996, p. 410.
- ^ Jones 1999, p. 115.
- ^ "Wedding Planned". Indiana Evening Gazette. March 26, 1948. p. 1.
- ^ Official Army and Air Force Register, 1948, p. 979.
- ^ Air Force Register, 1952, p. 516.
References
- Ancell, R. Manning; Miller, Christine (1996). The Biographical Dictionary of World War II Generals and Flag Officers: The US Armed Forces. ISBN 0-313-29546-8.
- Barr, James A. (1997). Airpower Employment of the Fifth Air Force in the World War II Southwest Pacific Theater (PDF) (M.A. thesis). from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- Byrd, Martha (1997). Kenneth N. Walker: Airpower's Untempered Crusader (PDF). Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: (PDF) from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
- Fogerty, Robert O. (1953). Biographical data on Air Force General Officers (PDF). Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Air University. Archived from the original(PDF) on June 9, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2006.
- Gamble, Bruce (2010). Fortress Rabaul: The Battle for the Southwest Pacific, January 1941 – April 1943. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Press. OCLC 437298983.
- Griffith, Thomas E. Jr. (1998). MacArthur's Airman: General George C. Kenney and the War in the Southwest Pacific. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. OCLC 38885310.
- Grynkewich, Alexus Gregory (1994). "Advisable in the National Interest?" The relief of General George C. Kenney (PDF) (M.A. thesis). Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia. (PDF) from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
- Jones, Roger A. (1999). "In SAC, Everything is Predictable" (PDF). The Reporter. 26 (Special History Edition): 115–117. OCLC 60616133. Archived from the original(PDF) on September 14, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
- Mallison, Sally V.; Mallison, W. Thomas (1991). "Naval Targeting: Lawful Objects of Attack". In Robertson, Horace B. (ed.). The Law of Naval Operations. International law studies. Newport, Rhode Island: Naval War College Press. OCLC 24373257. Archived from the originalon September 22, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- Roberts, Priscilla (2014). "Kenney, George Churchill (1889–1977)". In Tucker, Spencer C. (ed.). 500 Great Military Leaders. Vol. I: A–K. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 397. ISBN 9781598847581.
- Rodman, Matthew K. (2005). A War of Their Own: Bombers over the Southwest Pacific (PDF). Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Air University. (PDF) from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
- Ruckman, John Hamilton, ed. (1920). Technology's War Record: An Interpretation of the Contribution made by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, its Staff, its Former Students and its Undergraduates to the Cause of the United States and the Allied Powers in the Great War, 1914–1919. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Murray Printing Company. )
- "The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography". Clifton, New Jersey: J.T. White. 1946. )
- Watson, Richard L. (1944). Air Action in the Papuan Campaign: 21 July 1942 to 23 January 1943 (PDF). Washington, D. C.: Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence; Historical Division. OCLC 22357584. Archived from the original(PDF) on April 5, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
- Wolk, Herman S. (September 1987). "The Other Founding Father" (PDF). Air Force Magazine. Vol. 70, no. 9. ISSN 0730-6784. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
- Wolk, Herman S. (1988). "George C. Kenney: MacArthur's Premier Airman". In OCLC 17483104.
- Wolk, Herman S. (April 2002). "The Genius of George Kenney". Air Force Magazine. Vol. 85, no. 4. ISSN 0730-6784. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
- Worden, Mike (1998). Rise of the Fighter Generals: The Problem of Air Force Leadership 1945–1982. Maxwell Air Force Base: OCLC 38039643.
See also
External links
- "George Churchill Kenney – General, United States Air Force". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- "General Kenney interviewed by Mike Wallace on The Mike Wallace Interview". October 12, 1957. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2012.