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The Air War Plans Division (AWPD) was an American military organization established to make long-term plans for war. Headed by Harold L. George, the unit was tasked in July 1941 to provide President Franklin D. Roosevelt with "overall production requirements required to defeat our potential enemies."〔Futrell, 1989, p. 109〕 The plans that were made at the AWPD eventually proved significant in the defeat of Nazi Germany.〔 The AWPD went beyond offering basic production requirements and provided instead a comprehensive air plan which was designed to defeat the Axis powers.〔 The plan, AWPD-1, was completed in nine days.〔''Air & Space Journal'' staff, 2003.〕 The plan emphasized using heavy bombers to carry out precision bombing attacks as the primary method of defeating Germany and her allies. A year later, after the United States became directly involved in World War II, AWPD delivered a second plan—AWPD-42—which slightly changed the earlier plan to incorporate lessons learned from eight months of war. Neither AWPD-1 nor AWPD-42 were approved as combat battle plans or war operations; they were simply accepted as guidelines for the production of materiel〔Hansell, 1980, p. 155.〕 and the creation of necessary air squadrons. Finally in 1943, an operational aerial warfare plan was hammered out in meetings between American and British war planners, based on a combination of British plans and those from the AWPD, to create the Anglo-American Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO).〔Hansell, 1980, pp. 157–194.〕〔Rizer, Kenneth R. "Bombing Dual-Use Targets: Legal, Ethical, and Doctrinal Perspectives." ''Air & Space Power Journal'', 1 May 2001. Retrieved on 6 November 2009.〕 ==Founding== On 20 June 1941, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) were established as a way to combine and streamline two conflicting air commands: GHQ Air Force and the Army Air Corps. Major General Henry H. Arnold commanded the USAAF and formed an Air Staff to lead it; within the Air Staff, the Air War Plans Division was established with Lieutenant Colonel Harold L. George at its head. George was to coordinate his planning efforts with War Plans Division (WPD).〔 Up to this point, the WPD of the War Department was responsible for planning all aspects of Army and Army Air Corps expansion in the U.S.〔Cline, 1951, (Chapter IV pp. 50–74. )〕 George was challenged by WPD which contested AWPD's and Air Staff's authority to make strategic plans. WPD recommended that AWPD be limited to tactical planning, and that the Air Staff, in a subordinate role, should advise the WPD rather than make its own operational or strategic plans. George pushed for greater autonomy—he wished to prepare all plans for all air operations.〔 On 9 July 1941, President Roosevelt asked Frank Knox, the Secretary of the Navy, and Henry L. Stimson, the Secretary of War, for an exploration of the total war production required for the United States to prevail in case of war.〔 The WPD, in order to project long-term numbers, realized that Rainbow 5 would now be used as a basis for production quantities, but it lacked detailed air power figures. Stimson requested of Robert A. Lovett, Assistant Secretary of War for Air,〔''Time'' magazine, 25 August 1941. ("Army: Secretary of War," page 3. ) Retrieved on 7 November 2009.〕 that the USAAF be tapped for their ideas about production numbers. After some bureaucratic delay, the AWPD received the request.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Air War Plans Division」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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