[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
RE: MacArthur [Was: Slow period for list]
How
about the 800 B-29 raid on the Naktong Perimeter sometime in September 1950 I
believe.
In a message dated 12/20/02 7:59:13 PM
Pacific Standard Time, unclgene@pacbell.net writes:
I would never want to be infantry without air superiority. I
thank the Air Force for that.
That is vaguely relevant about
ground support by air forces.
While the USAF did gain air superiority,
at least for a while in the early stages of the war, the North Koreans were
closing the circle of the Pusan perimeter. It was Marine aviation in August
1950 that did the most to support all ground forces in the Pusan perimeter.
And there was more than one Army officer who was in awe about the efficiency
of the Marine air-ground team, and begged the Air Force to do something to
provide the same . . . to no avail.
As far as the Tactical Air
components of the USAF, the best evaluation of its worthlessness was the
resignation in disgust of its first commander, General Pete Quesada. He had
the best performance record of ground support of all of the American air
elements from Normandy onward, as CG of TAC under Bradley's XII Army Group.
After WW II, it had gotten so bad for the barely extant TAC,
that he recommended to his subordinates to get out of TAC if they planned to
make a career of the USAF. There has never been anyone since Quesada, in the
highest levels in the Bomber-Baron controlled AF that could hope to realize
his record.
Sandy