Showing results by author "William Lendrum Mitchell" in All Categories

William (Billy) Mitchell was a U.S. Army officer who, during World War I, came to command all U.S. Army air operations in France. He became a strong believer in air power and predicted that in the next war, bombers would be the decisive weapon. After WWI ended he became a forceful advocate for allocating funds to develop a powerful U.S. Air Force as an independent military branch. At the same time he argued for reducing the Navy's heavy spending on battleships, which he was convinced would be easily sunk by enemy aircraft. His efforts to change military policy in these areas became so ...

William "Billy" Lendrum Mitchell was a United States Army officer, regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. After serving in France during World War I, Mitchell was appointed deputy director of the Air Service, calling for increased investment in air power which he believed would be vital in future wars. His advocacy antagonized leaders of the US Army and Navy. However, Mitchell demonstrated through a series of Air Force bombing exercises conducted against Naval ships in 1921 and 1923 that his ideas on the superiority of airpower were indeed correct.

William (Billy) Mitchell was a visionary U.S. Army officer who commanded all American air operations in France during World War I. A staunch advocate for the power of air warfare, he foresaw a future where bombers would be the pivotal weapon in conflicts. Following the war, Mitchell fervently campaigned for the establishment of a robust U.S. Air Force as an independent military entity, while simultaneously challenging the excessive funding of battleships in the Navy, convinced that they would be easily overpowered by enemy aircraft. His relentless pursuit of reform led to a significant clash ...