steve on Nostr: “Lectures of the Air Corps Tactical School” edited by Phil Haun ...
“Lectures of the Air Corps Tactical School” edited by Phil Haun
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Born from the emergent US Army Air Corps in the aftermath of WWI, the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS, for short) was founded in 1920 to serve as the doctrinal and tactical development hub for the fledgling air service. The instructors, later coined by the moniker of the “Bomber Mafia”, took the ideas laid out by Giulio Douhet and Billy Mitchell to form their own theory of air power employment. The ACTS faculty pushed for high-altitude precision daylight bombing (HAPDB… what would a military school be without its acronyms). Instructors teached young American aviators that breaking the will of the opposing nation to fight remained the aim of war, but attacks on a nation’s economic infrastructure would have better effects compared to those against military or purely civilian targets. The ACTS was novel in their thinking and introduced several planning practices that are still prevalent today, such as systems analysis for targeting. The faculty’s HADPB theories were proven false, however, when it saw limited employment in WWII. It turns out populations are more resilient than theorists predicted and unlike democracies, not all governments are easily swayed by public opinion. This book gave an interesting insight into 1920s air power theory while synthesizing ideas from many of the other notable early military theorists. You’ve got to be an air power enthusiast to really enjoy this book, but if so, you’re in for a treat. 🛩️📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Born from the emergent US Army Air Corps in the aftermath of WWI, the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS, for short) was founded in 1920 to serve as the doctrinal and tactical development hub for the fledgling air service. The instructors, later coined by the moniker of the “Bomber Mafia”, took the ideas laid out by Giulio Douhet and Billy Mitchell to form their own theory of air power employment. The ACTS faculty pushed for high-altitude precision daylight bombing (HAPDB… what would a military school be without its acronyms). Instructors teached young American aviators that breaking the will of the opposing nation to fight remained the aim of war, but attacks on a nation’s economic infrastructure would have better effects compared to those against military or purely civilian targets. The ACTS was novel in their thinking and introduced several planning practices that are still prevalent today, such as systems analysis for targeting. The faculty’s HADPB theories were proven false, however, when it saw limited employment in WWII. It turns out populations are more resilient than theorists predicted and unlike democracies, not all governments are easily swayed by public opinion. This book gave an interesting insight into 1920s air power theory while synthesizing ideas from many of the other notable early military theorists. You’ve got to be an air power enthusiast to really enjoy this book, but if so, you’re in for a treat. 🛩️📚