"Military historian and Civil Air Patrol (CAP) member Frank A. Blazich Jr. collects oral and written histories of the CAP's short-lived--but influential--coastal air patrol operations of World War II and expands it in a scholarly monograph that cements the legacy of this vital civil-military cooperative effort"--

Author Frank Blazich has spent years researching and compiling disparate records of Civil Air Patrol's short-lived--but influential--coastal patrol operations of World War II, which he synthesizes into the first scholarly monograph that cements the legacy of this unique and vital wartime civil-military cooperative effort.This volume relates the proud history of an important organization, the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), and its efforts to use civilian-owned aircraft and volunteer pilots to help combat the U-boat menace that threatened America's shores in World War II. Though that story is not well known, it has been chronicled previously, but not with Frank Blazich's attention to detail and important corrections to CAP's effectiveness during the war. CAP's substantial accomplishments will be familiar to members of that fine organization that does much to inculcate a spirit of "airmindedness," as Billy Mitchell called it, among today's youth and motivate them towards careers in both civil and military aviation. But Blazich has gone far beyond a statistical recounting of sorties and hours flown, of the long tedious hours of patrol, and the sheer terror of engine failure far out at sea or an airfield closed in by weather as the fuel gauge approaches empty. Instead, he uses the successful mobilization of civilian "experts" (and they certainly knew more about aviation than many members of the general population) to come to their nation's aid in a time of crisis. By doing so, he reminds future commanders and planners to consider the use of civil resources and highlights issues that are likely to emerge in mobilizing these important assets, from the legal status of noncombatants to the importance of logistical support and sustainment.The potential uses of civilian aviation experts in future crises are limited only by the imagination. The Civil Air Patrol, as currently organized and equipped, could easily provide reconnaissance and light logistical support in the event of war. CAP aircraft, manned and unmanned, fixed-wing or rotary, could be used to in real time verify or dispel "deep fakes" of events, helping combat the information warfare our adversaries are becoming so adept at. These same platforms could provide vital reconnaissance during natural disasters, from delivering life-saving medical supplies to relieving much more expensive and already heavily tasked military assets from the burdens of searching for survivors or compiling imagery of damage. As climate change threatens our globe, CAP orbits equipped with thermal sensors could help monitor forests for wildfires during critical periods so they can be extinguished before they become life-threatening infernos. And aircraft could assist in securing the nation's porous borders, whether on land or at sea. Similarly, civilian cyber specialists could lend their expertise in times of cyberattack to help defend the nation's vital economic and communications infrastructure.Thus Frank Blazich's work is not only an excellent history of events over 75 years ago, but it is also a blueprint for leveraging all aspects of our national power in times of crisis. It will certainly appeal to the membership of the Civil Air Patrol, who will find inspiration from the sacrifices of a previous generation of Airmen, 68 of whom gave their lives in their nation's defense. But it will also help inform current and future commanders, planners, and civilian leaders on the capabilities of this remarkable organization and provide suggestions for the incorporation of civil assets to support future military and disaster relief operations, whether in air, space, or cyberspace.

Includes the Aerial Warfare In Europe During World War II illustrations pack with over 180 maps, plans, and photos. Gen Henry H. “Hap.” Arnold, US Army Air Forces (AAF) Chief of Staff during World War II, maintained diaries for his several journeys to various meetings and conferences throughout the conflict. Volume 1 introduces Hap Arnold, the setting for five of his journeys, the diaries he kept, and evaluations of those journeys and their consequences. General Arnold’s travels brought him into strategy meetings and personal conversations with virtually all leaders of Allied forces as well as many AAF troops around the world. He recorded his impressions, feelings, and expectations in his diaries. Maj Gen John W. Huston, USAF, retired, has captured the essence of Henry H. Hap Arnold—the man, the officer, the AAF chief, and his mission. Volume 2 encompasses General Arnold’s final seven journeys and the diaries he kept therein.

In the pantheon of air power spokesmen, Giulio Douhet holds center stage. His writings, more often cited than perhaps actually read, appear as excerpts and aphorisms in the writings of numerous other air power spokesmen, advocates-and critics. Though a highly controversial figure, the very controversy that surrounds him offers to us a testimonial of the value and depth of his work, and the need for airmen today to become familiar with his thought. The progressive development of air power to the point where, today, it is more correct to refer to aerospace power has not outdated the notions of Douhet in the slightest In fact, in many ways, the kinds of technological capabilities that we enjoy as a global air power provider attest to the breadth of his vision. Douhet, together with Hugh “Boom” Trenchard of Great Britain and William “Billy” Mitchell of the United States, is justly recognized as one of the three great spokesmen of the early air power era. This reprint is offered in the spirit of continuing the dialogue that Douhet himself so perceptively began with the first edition of this book, published in 1921. Readers may well find much that they disagree with in this book, but also much that is of enduring value. The vital necessity of Douhet’s central vision-that command of the air is all important in modern warfare-has been proven throughout the history of wars in this century, from the fighting over the Somme to the air war over Kuwait and Iraq.

Offers the first detailed review of Carl A. Spaatz as a commander. Examines how the highest ranking U.S. airman in the European Theater of Operations of World War II viewed the war, worked with the British, and wielded the formidable air power at his disposal. Identifies specifically those aspects of his leadership that proved indispensable to the Allied Victory over Nazi Germany. Chapters: Carrying the Flame: From West Point to London, 1891-1942; Tempering the Blade: The North African Campaign, 1942-1943; Mediterranean Interlude: From Pantelleria to London, 1943; The Point of the Blade: Strategic Bombing and the Cross-Channel Invasion, 1944; and The Mortal Blow: From Normandy to Berlin, 1944-1945. Maps, charts and b & w photos.

An important new history of air and sea power in World War II and its decisive role in Allied victory.