American Airpower Comes of Age

CAIRO, TEHRAN, PALESTINE, CAIRO, ITALY
the European theater. In approving it, the combined chiefs
asked Arnold to “hear the views” of Eisenhower, Tedder, and
Wilson concerning the new organization. As his diary reflected,
Hap lost no time in discussing the matter with them, meeting
with Wilson and Tedder at lunch immediately following the
approval and with Eisenhower the following day. 162 There
seems to have been little doubt in Arnold’s mind that Spaatz
would be the USSTAF commander, since this had been discussed
earlier with him in Washington and his name as CG
was included in the draft that was discussed on board the
Iowa. Also, the president had included Spaatz in the dinner
party in Tunis on 20 November, enabling Roosevelt to assess
the airman whom he had not known. 163 With Spaatz departing
the Mediterranean theater for England, it became necessary to
replace him with a senior experienced American airman since
the British General Wilson was to be the theater commander.
It is not possible to determine when or by whom the final
mosaic of American air commanders resulting from Spaatz’
departure was conceived. As Arnold’s diary reflected,
Eisenhower during an 8 December meeting with Hap on Sicily
had “agreed that Spaatz was [the] man for job, wouldn’t take
anyone else.” 164 Although both Spaatz’ and Eaker’s biographers
identified Spaatz as the author of all these changes, it
seems likely that they were discussed by Arnold and Spaatz
before becoming the topic of conversation at dinner on the
night of 9 December. 165
The new alignment of American airmen would send Eaker to
the Mediterranean as air commander in chief, Mediterranean
Allied Air Forces, with General Doolittle replacing Eaker at the
Eighth. Brereton would remain as CG, Ninth, while Lt Gen
John Cannon would become commander of Twelfth and Maj
Gen Nathan F. Twining was to become CG of the Fifteenth, the
latter two air forces to be under Eaker’s command. The delay
in informing Eaker of his reassignment is not readily
explained except that Arnold, as of 9 December, had not discussed
the changes in full with Eisenhower. This was done in
Hap’s two-hour meeting on 12 December during his stop in
Tunis, which probably was made for that reason. 166 Arnold
continued home from there, arriving in Washington three days
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