Air-Ground Teamwork On The Western Front - The Role Of The XIX Tactical Air Command During August 1944: [Illustrated Edition]

By Anon Anon

Illustrated with 6 maps and 1 Illustrations.
Air-Ground Teamwork on the Western Front describes close air support and battlefield interdiction in action. A single, month-long campaign-the famous thrust across northern France in August 1944 of Gen. George S. Patton’s Third Army and Maj. Gen. O. P. Weyland’s XIX Tactical Air Command-became a model for close cooperation between army and aviation forces in future conflicts. This day-by-day, blow-by-blow account shows how the ground forces raced forward, frequently twenty miles per day, because friendly air power protected their flanks, shielded them from the Luftwaffe, and devastated the opposition in front of them.
Originally published shortly after key air campaigns, the Wings at War series captures the spirit and tone of America’s World War II experience. Eyewitness accounts of Army Air Forces’ avia

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lucknow Books
• Release date: Aug 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781782894643

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Text originally published in 1945 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2013, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

Wings at War Series, No. 5

Air-Ground Teamwork on the Western Front - The Role of the XIX Tactical Air Command during August 1944

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

Foreword 7

PART I — Narrative of the Operation 8

Background of the XIX Tactical Air Command 8

Background of the Third Army 9

First Phase of the Operation 10

Second Phase 15

Third Phase 21

Fourth Phase 22

Fifth Phase 24

Part II — Highlights of Day by Day Air Operations 26

1 August 26

2 August 26

3 August 26

4 August 26

5 August 27

6 August 27

7 August 27

8 August 28

9 August 28

10 August 28

11 August 29

12 August 29

13 August 29

14 August 30

15 August 30

16 August 31

17 August 32

18 August 32

19 August 32

20 August 33

21 August 33

22 August 33

23 August 33

24 August 34

25 August 34

26 August 34

27 August 35

28 August 35

29 August 35

30 August 35

31 August 36

Recapitulation 37

Part III — Notes on Organization, Tactics, and Technique 39

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 45

Foreword

Air-Ground Teamwork on the Western Front describes close air support and battlefield interdiction in action. A single, month-long campaign—the famous thrust across northern France in August 1944 of Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army and Maj. Gen. O. P. Weyland's XIX Tactical Air Command—became a model for close cooperation between army and aviation forces in future conflicts. This day-by-day, blow-by-blow account shows how the ground forces raced forward, frequently twenty miles per day, because friendly air power protected their flanks, shielded them from the Luftwaffe, and devastated the opposition in front of them.

Originally published shortly after key air campaigns, the Wings at War series captures the spirit and tone of America's World War II experience. Eyewitness accounts of Army Air Forces' aviators and details from the official histories enliven the story behind each of six important AAF operations. In cooperation with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Center for Air Force History has reprinted the entire series to honor the airmen who fought so valiantly fifty years ago.

Maj. Gen. O.P. Weyland, Commanding General XIX Tactical Air Command

Air-Ground Teamwork on the Western Front

PART I — Narrative of the Operation

WHEN the history of this war is written, one of the significant developments to be noted and discussed will be the formation and rapid growth of the air-ground tactical team. Born of resourcefulness and necessity, cradled in the African desert, the lusty infant quickly grew into a creature of bone and sinew until, when Normandy was invaded, it had become a smoothly functioning striking force of terrific power, destined to change many tactical theories theretofore accepted as axioms. This booklet focuses its attention upon one phase of air-ground cooperation, the drive across France of Maj. Gen. O. P. Weyland's XIX Tactical Air Command (XIX TAC) and Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army.

For 30 days this new battle team moved ahead without pause—eastward, southward, and westward. Six days after it went into operation, all Brittany had been conquered except for three beleaguered ports; 9 days later, one jaw of the Falaise-Argentan trap had been clamped shut; in another week the Seine was crossed above and below Paris; and by the end of the first month this air ground combination was fighting within 60 miles of Germany.

In the course of these incredibly rapid operations XIX TAC was