Flight Control Command: Difference between revisions

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{{Use American English|date=March 2024}}{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

{{short description|1943 United States Army Air Forces command}}

'''Flight Control Command''' was a [[Command (military formation)|command]] of the [[United States Army Air Forces]], active from 29 March 1943 – 1 October 1943.

It supervised the [[Continental United States]] "weather and communications services" previously provided by the USAAF '''Directorate of Technical Services''', which was discontinued when AAFthe Army Air Forces's "system of directorates"* was abandoned "to move all operations into the field"{{r|Frye}} under [[United States Army Air Forces#Assistant Chiefs of Staff|Assistant Chiefs of Staff]] (AC/AS) .{{sfn|Frye|2004}}

On 26 April 1943, following the decision to abandon the system of directorates at headquarters Army Air Forces and to move all operations into the field, the [[Army Airways Communications System]] (AACS) was activated as part of the newly created Flight Control Command.

The reorganization placed the command as 1 of 3 support commands and 11 numbered air forces under the "Operations, Commitments and Requirements"{{Specify

|reason=In which of OCR's 3 divisions was Flight Control Command:

Requirements (which had a "Photographics Branch"),

Allocations and Programs, or

Movements and Operations? |date=October 2013}} Assistant Chief{{r|AAFchart194303}} (AC/AS OC&R)

The reorganization placed the command as 1 of 3 support commands and 11 numbered air forces under the "Operations, Commitments and Requirements"{{Specify|reason=In which of OCR's 3 divisions was Flight Control Command:

==Components==

Requirements (which had a "Photographics Branch"), Allocations and Programs, or

Col. S. R. Harris' Flight Control Command<ref name="ibiblio">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/VI/AAF-VI-APPENDIX.html |title=The Army Air Forces in World War II Volume VI: Men and Planes: Appendix|publisher=ibiblio.org|accessdate=2015-08-13}}</ref> had components which included:

Movements and Operations? |date=October 2013}} Assistant Chief{{rsfn|AAFchart194303Van Citters & Bissen}} (AC/AS OC&R).

*[[Army Airways Communications System]] on 26 April 1943 (reassigned to [[Air Transport Command]] as the "Air Communications Service" on 13 March 1946)<ref name="af">{{cite web|url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433902/air-force-communications-command/|title=Factsheets : Air Force Communications Command|last=|first=|date=10 January 2008|website=|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|accessdate=13 August 2015}}</ref>

*[[Weather Wing]] beginning 14 April 1943 (transferred to HQ AAF as the "Army Air Forces Weather Wing" on 6 July 1943)<ref name="af2">{{cite web|url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=13509 |title=Factsheets : Air Force Weather Agency (USAF) |last=Bailey |first=Carl E. |date=12 March 2009 |publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023065329/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=13509 |archive-date=2013-10-23 |accessdate=13 August 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[1st Weather Squadron]] and [[2nd Weather Squadron]] both were part of the Command.

==Office of Flying Safety==

The [[Office of Flying Safety]] was established 1 October 1943 at the Winston-Salem "facilities of the old Directorate of Flying Safety" and replaced the Flight Control Command.{{r|VolumeSix}}

The [[Office of Flying Safety]] was established 1 October 1943 at the Winston-Salem "facilities of the old Directorate of Flying Safety" and replaced the Flight Control Command.{{rsfn|VolumeSixCraven|Cate|1955|page=70}} Colonel S.R. Harris had been the Director of Flying Safety from 10 March 1942 until 29 March 1943.{{sfn|Craven|Cate|1955}}<ref>See appendix at http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/VI/AAF-VI-APPENDIX.html.</ref>

==References==

<nowiki>*</nowiki>In addition to Technical Services,{{r|Frye}} USAAF directorates had included Air Defense, Base Services, Ground-Air Support, Management Control, Military Equipment,{{r|Futrell}} [[Muir S. Fairchild|Military Requirements]],<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=The Army Air Forces in World War II, Volume Six: Men and Planes|publisher=DIANE Publishing|isbn=9781428915916|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wm2mz4weQNsC&pg=PA233|page=233|accessdate=2015-08-13}}</ref> and Procurement & Distribution.<ref name=VolumeSix>{{Cite report |volume=Volume Six: Men and Planes |title=The Army Air Forces in World War II |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wm2mz4weQNsC&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=%22Flight+Control+Command%22+USAAF&source=bl&ots=62dLfFSbD5&sig=rIm9rOJIlURgyCiBOWesAKFT8gk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=T_ZfUoHxLsL72QW4z4GYBQ&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22Flight%20Control%20Command%22%20USAAF&f=false |format=Google books |accessdate=2013-10-16 |quote=''AAF headquarters reached the same conclusion as AGF, that it was impractical to separate planning and operations, and in a reorganization in March 1943 it reverted to the familiar [[General Pershing|Pershing]] pattern.''[p. 83]'' … In August 1944 he directed transfer of responsibility for development and procurement of radar and radar equipment used in aircraft from the [[Signal Corps]] to the AAF. A month later he split responsibility for the development of missiles between the [[Ordnance Department]] and the AAF.''[p. 89]'' … Not until October 1944 did the AAF succeed in acquiring responsibility for radar; the transfer of personnel and facilities was completed by late January 1945.¹⁸}} (p. 232) [Google Books version at https://books.google.com/books?id=wm2mz4weQNsC&pg=PA233&lpg=PA233&dq=%22Operations,+Commitments+and+Requirements%22&source=bl&ots=62dLfFSaD2&sig=YOlFEaGTlnhSC4yT3URBUtwMKF0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6PVfUsWaNoSF2QWFm4Eg&ved=0CCoQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=%22Operations%2C%20Commitments%20and%20Requirements%22&f=false ]</ref>

{{Reflist |refs=

==Components==

<ref name=AAFchart194303>{{Citation|type=organizational chart |title=Commanding General: Army Air Forces [title in top box] |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USAAF_Reorganization_Chart,_29March1943.pdf |via=Wikicommons }} ([http://www.denix.osd.mil/cr/upload/kirtland-historic-context_0.pdf Figure 14 in Van Citters & Bissen)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601170303/http://www.denix.osd.mil/cr/upload/kirtland-historic-context_0.pdf |date=June 1, 2013 }}</ref>

Included:

*[[Army Airways Communications System]]|Army onAirways 26Communications AprilSystems 1943 (reassigned to [[Air Transport CommandWing]] as the "Air Communications Service"assigned on 1326 MarchApril 1946)1943<ref name="af">{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.afhradafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433902/air-force-communications-command/|title=Factsheets : Air Force Communications Command|last=|first=|date=10 January 2008|website=|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|accessdateaccess-date=13 August 2015}}</ref>

*[[Weather Wing, Flight Control Command]] beginning 14 April 1943 (transferred to HQ AAF as the "Army Air Forces Weather Wing" on 6 July 1943)<ref name="af2">{{cite web|url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=13509 |title=Factsheets : Air Force Weather Agency (USAF) |last=Bailey |first=Carl E. |date=12 March 2009 |publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023065329/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=13509 |archive-date=2013-10-23 |accessdateaccess-date=13 August 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The AACS was reassigned to [[Air Transport Command]] as the Air Communications Service on 13 March 1946.

<ref name=Frye>{{Cite book |last=Frye |first=Richard W (foreword) |year=2004 |title=AACS Alumni Association: 1938-2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=raDlmenz-csC&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18 |format=Google Books |publisher=Turner Publishing |accessdate=2013-10-16 |quote=[Flight Control Command] Established 29 March 1943 to supervise the weather and communications services of the discontinued Directorate of Technical Services, it was abolished 1 October 1943. (Craven and Cate, Vol. 6, pp. 69-70) … On 26 April 1943, following the decision to abandon the system of directorates at headquarters Army Air Forces and to move all operations into the field, [[Army Airways Communications System|AACS]] was activated as a wing of the newly created Flight Control Command.}}</ref>

==References==

<ref name=Futrell>{{Cite report |last=Futrell |first=Robert F. |publisher=Air Historical Office | date=July 1947 |title=Development of AAF Base Facilities in the United States: 1939-1945 |volume=ARS-69: US Air Force Historical Study No 69 (Copy No. 2) |page=250 (index) |quote=}}</ref>

{{reflist}}

* {{cite book |last1=Craven |first1=W.F. |last2=Cate |first2=J.L. |title=The Army Air Forces in World War II Volume VI: Men and Planes |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/VI/index.html |publisher=United States Army via ibiblio.org|date=1955|access-date=2022-08-07}}

}}

* {{Cite book |last=Frye |first=Richard W (foreword) |year=2004 |title=AACS Alumni Association: 1938-2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=raDlmenz-csC&pg=PA18 |format=Google Books |publisher=Turner Publishing |isbn=9781563119767 |access-date=2013-10-16 }}

<ref* name=AAFchart194303>{{Citationcite web |author=Van Citters & Bissen |type=organizational chart |title=Commanding General: Army Air Forces [title in top box] |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USAAF_Reorganization_Chart,_29March1943.pdf |via=Wikicommons }} ([http://www.denix.osd.mil/cr/upload/kirtland-historic-context_0.pdf Figure 14 in Van Citters & Bissen)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601170303/http://www.denix.osd.mil/cr/upload/kirtland-historic-context_0.pdf |date=1 June 1, 2013 }}</ref>

[[Category:United States Army Air Force Commands]]

[[Category:1943 establishments in the United States]]

[[Category:1943 disestablishments in the United States]]

[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1943]]

[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1943]]

[[Category:United States Army Air Force Commands]]

{{US-Army-stub}}