Hugh J. Knerr

Hugh Johnston Knerr
Hugh Johnston Knerr
Birth name	Hugh Johnston Knerr
Born	May 30, 1887; Fairfield, Iowa
Died	October 26, 1971 (aged 84)
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy United States Air Force
Years of service	1908–1911 (Navy); 1911–1939 (Air Force); 1942–1949 (Air Force)
Rank	Major general
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal

Hugh Johnston Knerr (May 30, 1887 – October 26, 1971) was a major general in the United States Air Force.

Biography

Knerr was born on May 30, 1887, in Fairfield, Iowa.^[1] He died on October 26, 1971, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.^[2]

Career

Knerr graduated from the United States Naval Academy on June 6, 1908 and served as an ensign in the United States Navy until 1911.^[1] He commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Corps of the United States Army on September 28, 1911.^[3] After seven years service in which he reached the rank of captain, he was detailed to the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps in January 1918 during World War I.

For six months, Knerr served as an engineering officer at flying training fields in Tennessee and Florida. He was sent to Hawaii in July 1918, where he was Aviation Officer to the Hawaiian Department and commanding officer of

Luke Field

until July 1919, when he returned to the Coast Artillery during the demobilization following the war.

In February 1922 he was detailed again to the

2nd Bombardment Group, at Langley Field, Virginia

, where he had a profound influence on the development of equipment, and tactics that led to the development of strategic bombardment doctrine.

Knerr followed Lt. Col.

MacKay Trophy for that year, in large part as a result of Knerr's judgment in technical decisions. Arnold, as leader of the flight, won acclaim almost to the exclusion of the other participants, and received an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross

. However, despite Arnold's recommendations, that all participants in the flight be recognized with the decoration, only Arnold received it, causing a permanent rift between the two and Knerr's permanent embitterment. Knerr led a faction opposing Arnold's appointment to Chief of Air Corps in September 1938.

On March 2, 1935, Knerr received an assignment promotion (temporary), to colonel when he was made chief of staff of the newly activated

psychosomatic

." He was retired medically in March 1939. At the same time Andrews, whose advocacy of strategic bombardment and an independent Air Force were as strong as Knerr's, was not reappointed to a second tour as commanding general of GHQ Air Force. Reduced to his permanent rank of colonel, Andrews followed Knerr as Air Officer in San Antonio.

In private life, Knerr went to work for the

Panama Canal Air Force, asked for Knerr's recall to active duty and assignment to him as his maintenance commander. Arnold, now Chief of the Army Air Forces, was initially reluctant, because of the many public and private criticisms Knerr had made of him, but agreed to the return to active duty in August 1941. However, the Army's Surgeon General

, referring to the supposed psychological reasons for his retirement, rejected the reinstatement on medical grounds.

After the United States entered

U.S. Strategic Air Forces, Europe

in addition to his other duties.

In June 1945, he returned to Wright Field to command the Army Air Forces'

Inspector General of the Air Force

. His retirement was effective as of November 1, 1949.

Awards he received include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal.