Figure 1.--The U.S. Congress severly limited defense spending during the inter-War era. Some spending was, however, was for aircraft--especially bombers. This was especially the case after President Roosevelt was elected and Hitler seized power in Germany. President Roosevelt was a strong advocate for both the Navy and Air Corps. The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber operated by the Army Air Corps. It went into service in 1934. While extremely advanced when introduced, escalating defense spending primarily because of German rearmament was resulting in rapid advance. The B-10 was replaced by the B-17 (1938). It continued in service by several foreign air forces into the 1940s.

American defense spending was very limited during the inter-War era. This was especially the case of the Army. Thus when World war II began the United States did not even have an effective tank. There was some spending on the Navy and Air Force (at the time the Army air Corps). The basic thesis which emerged in the 1930s because of the casulties in France during World War I was that the United states wold fight any future war with technology rather than massive ground forces. The Navy and Air Force were emphasized in the belief that they could intercept enemy forces trying to cross the Atlantic or Pacific. Thus the Navy and Air Corps were given priority with the limited defense soending. The United States before the War began working on strategic bombers. Not many planes were built and delivered to the Air Corps, but research and development soending resulted in considerable progress that would prive vital when the War began. And once the War began massive resources wee made available. As a result, few of the aircraft in use at the beginning of the War were still in service at the end of the War. The United States introduce a large number of aircraft during World War II, including various types of bombers, fighters, reconnaissance, transport, and other types.

Combat Aircraft

The two primary types of combat aircraft were fighters and bombers. The United States built a wide variety of both. American air chiefs were shiocked to disiover that P-40, their front-line fighter performned poorly against Axis fighters. The Navy found the same with its F5F Wildcat. American aircraft companies rushed to produce more caopable fighters. Unlike the Axis, the planes whith which the United states entered the war were almost completely replaced with improved types by the end of the War, a relection of the capaciy of the Amerian aircraft industry. The resut was the two most effective American fighters, the P-51 Nustang and th Navy;'s F6F Hellct as well as several other important types. The P-51 is wideky regarded as the supreme propeller fighter of the War, taking the technology as far as possible. Unlike the fighters, the United States had atrategic bomber ready to go from the onset of the War, the B-17 Flying Fortress, soon joined by the B-24 Liberator. To reach Japan, however, a new bomber the, B-29 Super Fortress was required.

Fighters

Both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy developed fighters. The U.S. Army Air Corps began the War with under-powered fighters that performed poorly in initial encounters with the Japanese. The Bell P-39 was underpowered and no match for the Japanese Zero. Interestingly the Soviet Red Air Force found it effective in the low alditude combat on the Easter Front. fThe P-40 Curtis Hawk was the Army Air Corps' frontline fighter into 1942. The Navy's carrier fighter was the F5F Wildcat. Both were outclassed by the Japanese Zero. They had to do until more powerful fighters were developed. In the meantime, tactics were developed to utilize their strengths in combat against the lighter, more maneuerable Japanese Zeros. The Long-range P-38 Lightening made an important contribution. The P-47 Thunderbolt was the first American fighter that could take on Germnan fighters. It was an excellent fighter and superb ground support aircraft because of the weapons load it could carry, but did not have the range to escort the bombers into the Reich. The tide in the air was only turned when the P-51 Mustang was introduced to escort the bombers. American industry rushed to produce more capable carrier aircraft. It was, however, more than a year after the Pearl Harbot attack that advanced fighters reached the fleet. This was about the sme time the bnew Essex-class carriers arrived. Aircraft plants built built high performance aircraft to replace the venerable, but outclassed F4F-Wildcat. The F6F Hell Cat and F4U Corsair completely outclassed the Japanese Zeros. The result was disater for the Imperial Navy. The P-38 Lighting was used in both the European and Pacific theater. Its long range enable it to shoot down Admiral Yamamoto. The United States was working on jet aircraft, but unlike the Germans failed to develop an effective jet fighter during the War. We do not yet have a page specifically on U.S. fighters, but we do have a fighter page that lists many of them.

Bombers

Bombers did not exist when World War I began. Aircraft technology advanced rapidkly during the War nd bombes were dveloped. The Allies which had agreater production capability began planning for a strategic bombing campaign in 1919, but the war ended before this began. Air theorists debated the future of warfare in the inter-war era. The maximum was accepted that the bomber would always get through. Much of the limited American defense budget was devoted to ombers. The Army Air Corps could make a case for them as aircraft could support the Navy in defending Amnerican coasts. Several early bombers were developed. The ground-breaking all metal bomber was the Martin B-10 which entered service (1934). It and other early monbes were not very successful because of the limited ranges. Finally the smll Boeing company in Seattle, Washington developed the YB-17. The company was near bankruptsy and staked everything on their new bomber, not only all metal, but with four-engines. The first prototype was rolled out (1935). When it was first rolled out, areporter seeing all the guns exclaimed, "Well its a flying fortress." That gave the B-17 its name. The B-17 went into service (1938) just as Europe was descending into war. The B-10s were largely replaced by the B-17 before the War began. The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortrss emerged as the Air Corps principal strategic bomber and is the iconic American bomber of the War. It was an extremely robust air craft, some making it back with horendous damage. Over 12,000 were built. The Luftwaffe's failure to break Briton meant that that a unsinabkle aircraft carrier existed off NAZI unoccupied Europe. And both RAF Bomber Command land the U.S. 8th Air Force launched a massive bombing campaign against the Reich. The United States in Europe had two heavy bombers. The B-17 was joined the Consolidated B-24s which had a longer range and larger bomb load, but were more difficult to fly. Yhe men preferred the more rigged B-17. The brass preferred the easier to build B-24. Half of the over 18,000 B-24s built were constructed at Ford's giant Willow Run factory. American commanders though the B-17 was well armed enough to fight its way into the Reich' during the day and smash German war indutries. This proved to be wrong. Unesorted B-17s and B-24 Liberators took heavy casualties. But with P-51 escors arrived, these planes reduced indutrial German cities to vast piles of rubble. There were also medium bombers like the Mitchel B-25 used to strike Tokyo from a carrier. The Navy needed special light bombers for carrier operations. Light bombers like the SBD Dauntless and the SB2C Helldiver were the primary strike force of American carriers. Dive bombers rather than torpedo planes were the most potent strike force of the American carriers in contrast to the Japanese whose most effective strike force were their torpedo bombers. The United States developed the B-29 Super Fortress with a huge range. The B-29 was mostly used in the Pacific. It had an extended range and could fly at a higher alditude than the Japanese fighters could reach. By the end of the War, Japanese wood and ppaer cities were left smolderung cinders.

Other Aircraft

there was also a wide range of non-combat aircraft. Initially theUnited States built largenumbes of trainers, needed to train the huge numbers of pilots needed for the coming conflict. Initial productions runs focused heavily on traines. The United States also produced a variety of other aircraft that played an important role in the War such as reconisance and transport types. Surely the premier long range reconnaisance aircraft of the War was the American Consolidated Catalina Patrol Boat (PBY). Y was the Navy code for the manufactuer--Consolidated Aircraft. The Catalina was ideal for ocean areas and was heavily used in both the Pacific and the Atlantic in areas where the enemy did not have air dominace and radar. It was big, slow, and virtually unarmed, but had encrebible range. Spped is not important for a recon plane. Range and the ability o loiter for extended operiods are the vital chracteristic. It was the PBY supplied to the British that fouund Bismark (March 1941). The PBYs iperating from Miday plsyed a key role in the battle (June 1941). It played a vital role in the Battle of the Atlantic, helping to locate German U-boats. This made it difficult for he U-boars to suface and charge their batteries. Some were converted into night torpedo bombers. They served in many of the Allied navies throughout the war. Even when its intended improved Cornnado appeard, the Catalinas in service continued to be used. The U.S. Navy planned the Consolidated Coronado PB2Y as a successor, but the more nimble Catalina continued to be used. The Cornado took on the use more of a naval air transport. The United States also produced transport planes. The Germans used the basically obsolete American Ford Tri-motor designated the Ju-52. In contrast the United States not only develooped the famous Douglas C-47 Skytrain (the British called in a Dakota) as the primer military transport plane of the War, but two others (the C-46 and C-54), both derived from civilan designs.

Created: 7:41 PM 1/25/2010
Last updated: 3:38 PM 7/9/2023