Up From the Ashes: Forging the Seventh Air Force from Pearl Harbor to V-J Day

Document: Up From the Ashes: Forging the Seventh Air Force from Pearl Harbor to V-J Day Agency: School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Air University Date: June 2000 Notable: A 148-page command history of the Seventh Air Force across the Pacific war, from Pearl Harbor to victory over Japan. The document, Up From the Ashes: Forging the Seventh Air Force from Pearl Harbor to V-J Day, was released by The Black Vault. It is available on their website at https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/various-wwii-reports-and-documents/ and can be accessed through the canonical PDF link at https://www.theblackvault.com/documents/ADA391344.pdf. This document is a thesis presented to the faculty of the School of Advanced Airpower Studies for completion of graduation requirements. It was written by Peter S. H. Ellis, Major, USAF, and approved for public release with distribution unlimited. DISTRIBUTION A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. School of Advanced Airpower Studies Maxwell AFB, AL 36112 Form SF298 Citation Data Report Date ("DD MON YYYY") 00062000 Report Type N/A Dates Covered (from... to) ("DD MON YYYY") Title and Subtitle Hale’s Handful... Up From the Ashes: The Forging of the Seventh Air Force from the Ashes of Pearl Harbor to the Triumph of V-J Day Contract or Grant Number Program Element Number Authors Ellis, Peter S. H. Project Number Task Number Work Unit Number Performing Organization Name(s) and Address(es) School of Advanced Air Power Studies Air University Maxwell AFB, FL 36112 Performing Organization Number(s) Sponsoring/Monitoring Agency Name(s) and Address(es) Monitoring Agency Acronym Monitoring Agency Report Number(s) Distribution/Availability Statement Approved for public release, distribution unlimited Supplementary Notes Abstract Subject Terms Document Classification unclassified Classification of SF298 unclassified Classification of Abstract unclassified Limitation of Abstract unlimited Number of Pages 146 DISTRIBUTION A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. School of Advanced Airpower Studies Maxwell AFB, AL 36112 HALE’S HANDFUL… UP FROM THE ASHES: The Forging of the Seventh Air Force from the Ashes of Pearl Harbor to the Triumph of V-J Day BY Peter S. H. Ellis, Major, USAF A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF ADVANCED AIRPOWER STUDIES FOR COMPLETION OF GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED AIRPOWER STUDIES AIR UNIVERSITY MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA JUNE 2000 The undersigned certify that his thesis meets masters-level standards of research, argumentation, and expression. _______________________________ Dr. James S. Corum (Date) _______________________________ Dr. Harold R. Winton (Date) Disclaimer The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author. They do not reflect the official position of the US Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force, or Air University. This thesis is dedicated to my Dad, Sherman K. Ellis, Jr., who was a naval aviator flying PB2Y-4 Coronado Seaplanes out of Saipan in World War II. My Dad died when I was young, so I never got to hear stories of his combat experience first hand. However, my Mom shared with me that, for months after the war if she accidentally nudged him in his sleep, he would bolt upright in bed, reaching for a pistol that wasn’t there. That was the genesis of my desire to learn more about the nature of combat experienced by US forces in the Central Pacific in World War II. In an old scrapbook, along with pictures of the huge, 4-engine Coronado Seaplanes my Dad flew, there is a letter he wrote to my Mom in 1945 discussing some of what he did, since by then the war had just ended and censorship had been eased. “Our destination was Saipan and our mission was antisubmarine patrol to keep the sea lanes to Okinawa open. Fifteen hour flights, each one covering over a hundred thousand square miles with our search radar. Not a single ship of the huge invasion and supply convoys was sunk or damaged by a Jap sub in this area during the time we patrolled it.” Unlike some naval personnel discussed in this thesis, I think my Dad would have understood the nature of the combat the Seventh Air Force bomber crews endured in the Central Pacific during World War II. I suspect, though, that he would have been quick to add that he and his Navy buddies did it better. I would like to acknowledge several people who have been a tremendous source of guidance and encouragement in accomplishing this study. From the beginning, my SAAS Thesis Advisor, Dr. James S. Corum had a clear vision of what this thesis could be, and he helped keep me motivated and focused throughout the process. My SAAS Thesis Reader, Dr. Harold R. Winton, is a superb editor and organizer who had his hands full troubleshooting my natural inclination toward literary meandering. This study analyzes the evolution of Seventh Air Force’s joint command and control relationships as well as the development of joint operational procedures and doctrine in the Central Pacific during World War II. As this was arguably the most "joint" theater in World War II, there are many lessons about the challenges of joint command and control and the development of joint combat procedures that are relevant to contemporary airmen. The Seventh Air Force was established in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was initially a defensive and training oriented command—protecting Hawaii from a possible attack by the Japanese and training replacement crews for units in the South Pacific. However, in the summer of 1943, the Seventh Air Force became an offensive