Allied AFs in 1943: realistic options for long range fighters?

drgondog · Nov 12, 2012

tomo pauk said:
If someone could shed light on this excerpt from Wikipedia:

Namely, who wanted/ordered/forbid? the P-47s with wing tanks in early 1943?

Total BS Tomo - as usual for Wikipedia. Hunter was replaced when Eaker was replaced by Doolitle. Kepner and Doottle came with Spaatz replaced Eaker and Hunter respectively. Hunter was given 1st Air Force by Arnold and was invloved in the now famous castigation of the 'Tuskeegee Airmen" along with Spike Momyer.

Eaker, Spaatz, Hunter remained great friends and hunting/fishing buddies after the war until they passed away.

tomo pauk · Nov 12, 2012

Thanks for clearing the issue, Bill

TheMustangRider · Nov 12, 2012

tomo pauk said:
If someone could shed light on this excerpt from Wikipedia:

Namely, who wanted/ordered/forbid? the P-47s with wing tanks in early 1943?

As DG stated, Hunter and Eaker were replaced simultaneously by Kepner/Dolittle while Arnold entrusted Kepner to find a solution to the long-range fighter issue.

TheMustangRider · Nov 12, 2012

drgondog said:
Eaker, Spaatz, Hunter remained great friends and hunting/fishing buddies after the war until they passed away.

Drgondog, given that Arnold and Eaker were close friends before the war; did they manage to amend their war-time differences after the conflict or did their friendship remained severed even after the end of hostilities?

Balljoint · Nov 12, 2012

TheMustangRider said:
Drgondog, given that Arnold and Eaker were close friends before the war; did they manage to amend their war-time differences after the conflict or did their friendship remained severed even after the end of hostilities?

"Eaker never got over the humiliation of being replaced, and of the way he had been initially notified…"
Masters of the Air, page 243

drgondog · Nov 12, 2012

Balljoint said:
"Eaker never got over the humiliation of being replaced, and of the way he had been initially notified…"
Masters of the Air, page 243

Eakers "Air Force Spoken here" talks about his disappointment but does not imply 'humiliation or bitterness'

tomo pauk · Nov 13, 2012

Some things from Bodie's book about P-47s: in 1st half of 1943 in stateside (USA), there were two 'overtrained' fighter groups, featuring P-38s, namely the 20th and 55th. Col. Hough*, of the 8th FC, went to Gen. Hunter and remarked the deficiencies of the P-47 to perform long range work. Hunter did not, so Bodie writes, asked any of those fighters, neither from Spaatz nor from Arnold.

(he didn't asked that from Eaker; my op.)

Bodie goes further to claim Hunter was enjoining the 'Merry England', rather than to cater to the needs of his subordinates. Contrary to that, Gen Kenney (5th Air force) was clamoring for more P-38s on weekly basis.

*Hough went to adapt the P-47s to carry drop tanks from mid 1943

Allied AFs in 1943: realistic options for long range fighters?

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