Description

December 1943          Vol. 26  No. 12            60 Pages

The Front Cover
There is no greater bond in this war than that between a fighter pilot and his crew chief.
The pilot has the wings, but his crew chief sweats out every minute his plane is in the air, seems to care more than the pilot himself whether his plane and his pilot come home intact. This month’s cover picture, taken by Tech. Sgt. Roger Coster, staff photographer, portrays this spirit. It is a scene that is re-enacted thousands of times a day around the World, wherever the men of the Army Air Forces are fighting.

Contents in Issue:

Cross Country
     Smart Operator
     (Tech. Sgt. Herman Sachnoff)
     Gentlemen Be Seated
     (Capt. E. P. Kapal)
     Family Spirit
     The Glider Training Program
     Final Warning
     Candy and Kids
     (Staff Sgt. Ronald R. O’Neil)
     Draw One
     Parachutes—Lost and Found
     ‘Air Corps Airs’
     (Mrs. Barton K. Yount)
     Better to Give. . . .
     (Capt. Al Ryan)
     Pin-up Boy
     (Lieut. Gen. George C. Kenney, Capt. George P. Dunmore)

Knockout Punch
(Eighth Air Force B-24s and B-17s attack on the Focke-Wulf 190 factory at Mariensburg)

Procedure for AAF Personnel Returned from Overseas
How the Army Air Forces are pioneering in a program for handling personnel coming back from the war zones.
Chart by James T. Rawls and Pfc. Edward R. Collins

Flight Nurse
By Lieut. Henrietta Richardson

Mission to Regensburg – A Copilot’s Observations
By Lieut. Col. Beirne Lay, Jr.
Illustrated by Capt. Raymond Creekmore
(On August 17 heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force carried out a double-edged attack against the German roller bearing works at Schweinfurt and the Messerschmitt plant at Regensburg. Despite what was termed the “greatest daylight aerial battle in history,” targets were bombed successfully. Our losses have been estimated at 59 B-17s, against an enemy loss of 308 fighter planes. This is the report of a co-pilot on the mission, as it was submitted to his CO, with only a few deletions for security.—The Editor)

What Navigators Should Know about the Astro-dome
By Col. Thomas L. Thurlow, Chief, Instrument and Navigation Unit, Wright Field

Developments in Firepower – A Progress Report
By Col. Frank C. Wolfe, Chief, Armament Laboratory, Materiel Command

Our B-26s Win Their Wings over Western Europe
The Marauders Came Through
By Col. Samuel E. Anderson, CO of a Medium Bombardment Wing in England
Some questioned whether B-26s could operate successfully over Western Europe but this experimental raid dispelled all doubt.
(Maj. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, Brig. Gen. Robert C. Candee, Capt. Donald L. Weiss

Operations of Our Air Evacuation Service Around the World
Wings For The Wounded
By Lieut. Col. Richard L. Meiling, Office of The Air Surgeon
(Maj. Gen. David N. W. Grant, Dr. Chassning, Maj. Wilson E. Driver, Capt. William C. Ocker)

Prepare For Inspection
Timely Advice from the Air Inspector
Matters presented here are informative only, and are not to be considered as directives
     Tips for the Unit Representative at a Port:
     Farewell to Arms—Unnecessarily Sore:
     Tell Them Men Are Coming:
     Realism in First Aid Training:
     Rations on Troop Trains:
     From the Men Who Know:
     Life Raft Hazards:
     ‘Bury’ Your Helmet Liner:
     Check Spare Part Specification:
     Cracks in Turret Domes:
     Lights Out:

Here Are the Answers

Ground Crews Prove Their Ingenuity on the Combat Line

Air Service Command Reports from Theatres of Operations

The Rambling Wreck
(Capt. Doug Symington, Master Sgt. R. M. Brosius, Gilbert Hansen)
Reclaiming A Wrecked P-40 From The Burma Jungle
(Lieut. Allen Whittington, Tech. Sgt. Herbert Kraling, Staff Sgt. Ronald McDonnell, Cpl. Hucle Truly, Cpl. Lewis Beezely, Cpl. Leo Park, Pvt. Thomas Cobb, Lieut. Alfred Wipf, Tech. Sgt. James Quinn, Staff Sgt. Theodore Dorn, Cpl. Harold Busch)
Inventors in North Africa
A Maintenance Time-Saver
(Staff Sgt. Robert Hammel)
The Men Behind the Gunners

Shipping Fighter Planes Overseas – A Story in Pictures

Suggested Procedures for Surviving Emergency Sea Landings
The following summary of ditching procedures was prepared by the Office of Flying Safety in Cooperation with Bombardment Department, AAF School of Applied Tactics. —The Editor.

Roll of Honor
A Monthly Record of Decorations Awarded to Personnel of the Army Air Forces
     Distinguished Service Cross
     Distinguished Service Medal
     Legion of Merit
     Silver Star
     Purple Heart
     Soldier’s Medal
     Distinguished Flying Cross
     Oak Leaf Cluster to Distinguished Flying Cross
     Air Medal
     Oak Leaf Clusters To Air Medal

Life with the First Control Tower Operators on Guadalcanal
Henderson Tower
The early days on Guadalcanal were like this for the men of the Army Airways Communications System.
By Capt. J. E. Roberts and Staff Sgt. John R. Dunn, Army Airways Communications System

On The Line
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
(Cpl. Andrew J. Greska, Staff Sgt. John J. Bailey, Cpl. Richard L. Satterlee, Pvt. Vern Wickline)
A Monthly Maintenance Roundup Prepared In Collaboration with the Air Service Command and the Technical Inspection Division, Office of the Air Inspector

How Cockpit Dials Are Illuminated with ‘Black Light’
By Dr. S. M. Burka, Materiel Command
An explanation of luminescence and how it is being used for night-lighting cockpit Instrument panels.

Technical Intelligence
Training Aids Movie Review

Technique
     A Review of Technical Developments in the Army Air Forces
     Development of Air Filters – Performance Characteristics
     By Wayne D. Cannon, Wright Aeronautical Corp.
     Production Line Maintenance
     By Capt. Robert V. Guelich
     A New Aid to Navigators
     Introducing the B-17G
     Handy Flight Control Desk
     (Capt. Herbert Bernenko)
     Self-Powered Airplane Starter
     (Tech. Sgt. Robert Mercer, Maj. Howell G. Crank)
     Mobile Elevator for Loading Planes
     By Capt. Arthur J. Lonergan
     (Capt. Julian A. Devereaux, Phillip A. Cosgriff)

Overseas Movement
By Lieut. William T. Lent

What’s Your Air Force I.Q.?

The Nature of the Enemy We’re Fighting
Illustrated by Lieut. William T. Lent
     Appraisal of the Jap.
     Fake Cities.
     Radio Phony.
     Pep Talk.
     German Recognition Signals.
     Draw a Good Bead.
     Left, Right, Left.
     Tin Cans and Valises.
     Under the Spreading Coconut.
     Shakespearean Stuff.
     The Next Outfit.

Air Force (formerly the Air Forces News Letter) is printed monthly by authority of Army Air Forces Regulation No. 5-6, Sept. 6, 1942, and with the approval of the Bureau of the Budget, Executive Office of the President. Air Force is published by the U. S. Army Air Forces at the Air Force Editorial Office, 101 Park Avenue, New York 17, N. Y., U.S.A., for use of personnel of the Army Air Forces and allied activities, and is not to be republished in whole or in part without express permission. Direct communication with this office has been authorized on matters of editorial content, circulation and distribution. Tel., Murray Hill 5-1951; Teletype No. NY 1-2530; Director, Lieut. Col. James H. Straubei, A.C.