Piercing the Fog - Air Force Historical Studies Office

Piercing the Fog
as it left the AAF with too little authority for what he saw as its needs. A few
days after the War Department decision was issued, and hoping to fight the
decision, Scanlon sent Arnold evidence of an unsound MID evaluation relative
to the Luftwufse’s attacks on vital points in Britain’s national structure. Arnold
decided he could not then press the issue any further. He sent Scanlon’s paper
back with a cryptic remark: “We are getting what we want and we will simply
try out the whole scheme.””’
Scanlon, at an air staff meeting on September 11, 1941, put the best
possible face on the problem, stating “that G-2 had agreed to practically
everything we had asked for. Much of it will not be written but is understood.”
According to the agreement, A-2 had to check with G-2 for availability of
information on a given topic. If none were available, A-2 officers, working
through G-2 organizations, could obtain it. In addition, G-2 agreed to provide
complete reports from their sources so the Air Staff could prepare their own
studies. Finally, A-2 was authorized direct contact with other government
departments as well as with foreign military attaches on duty in this country.”’
The jurisdictional paper contained a rnodus vivendi that more or less settled the
political wrangling and set a pattern for continuing G-2/A-2 relations. It
appeared that as long as the G-2 was oficiully responsible for intelligence
collection and dissemination, Miles would be willing to delegate much of the
air intelligence operation to the A-2, the organization most vitally concerned
and having the qualified people and desire to do the work. The A-2 continued
to be chafed by MID restraints, and the AAF would periodically request
severance of its A-2 from G-2’s control.
AWPD-1: Planning an Air War
Early in 1941, Anglo-American military staff conferences in Washington began
to consider “principles of cooperation ‘should the United States be compelled
to resort to war.”’ The three aviation experts involved were Air Vice Marshal
John C. Slessor, RAF; Col. 3. T. McNarney, the Air Corps officer assigned to
WPD; and Capt. DeWitt C. Ramsey, U.S. Navy. On March 27 the Anglo-
American representatives issued a document to be known as American-British
Conversations-1 (or ABC-1). Since Germany was the most powerful Axis
partner, the main Allied effort would be conducted in Europe, and the
democracies would depend largely on the U.S. Pacific Fleet to maintain a
defense against Japan. “The Allied offensive in Europe was to include economic
pressure through blockade, a ‘sustained air offensive’ against German military
power, early defeat of Italy, and the buildup of forces for an eventual land
offensive against Germany. As rapidly as possible, the Allies would achieve
‘superiority of air strength over that of the enemy, particularly in long-range
striking forces. ”’I ”
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