Plans and planes: United States Army aviation in American colour-coded war plans, 1920-1939

Abstract

The use of airplanes and rigid airships during the First World War forever transformed the way the nations around the world would wage war. By the time the Americans joined the fray, air power had become an integral element of modern warfare. During the interwar period, United States Army war planning staffs understood the essentiality of air power in any future war and intentionally integrated it into the colour-coded war plans created and maintained between 1920 and 1939. This thesis examines the extent United States Army air power was included in the eight colour-coded war plans created or revised between 1920 and 1939. It demonstrates that the intentional inclusion of air power within the plans was due to the planners’ understanding of air power ideology, the inclusion of aviation units and types within the organization of the combatant commanders, the basis for the plans – the international tension which might warrant the use of military force, and the plan creation process within which airmen were included at many if not all levels. War planners at all levels of the United States Army were exposed to air power doctrine, whether through experience or courses taken at the various professional development schools. This understanding influenced policies and the structure of the United States Army, both being reflected within the plans of the interwar years. Moreover, the planning process, which throughout the period included airmen, ensured air power’s inclusion. Finally, the nature of the proposed conflict demanded planners consider both the enemy’s and their own air power capabilities.