by Richard Dunn | Sep 11, 2025 | Allied Forces
In December 1939, the U.S. War Department directed the Hawaiian Department, the senior Army command in Hawaii, to establish a capability to detect and track aircraft in the vicinity of the islands. Plans for an Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) were to be formulated by...
by Richard Dunn | Jul 29, 2025 | Allied Forces
What more could be said about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in December 1941 that has not already been said? At first I thought about Lieutenant Kermit Tyler and his “Well, don’t worry about it” or “Forget it” comment in response to a telephone report...
by Richard Dunn | May 5, 2025 | Allied Forces
Few figures loom as large in the transformation of American military technology as Bernard (Bennie) Schriever. More engineer than warrior, Schriever nonetheless helped reshape the U.S. Air Force’s strategic posture during the Cold War—not through bombers or...
by Richard Dunn | Apr 23, 2025 | Allied Forces
With January 1944’s campaign in full swing, P‑38J and H Lightnings—freed from their early teething troubles—joined Corsairs, Hellcats, and Kittyhawks in high‑altitude escorts and fighter sweeps from Bougainville to Rabaul’s Gazelle Peninsula. Yet raw speed and...
by Richard Dunn | Mar 12, 2025 | Allied Forces
The XB-17 holds a significant place in aviation history, representing a turning point in military procurement and the evolution of strategic bombing. Its development was shaped by a complex web of government contracts, Army Air Corps policies, and the challenges of...
by Richard Dunn | Jan 21, 2025 | Allied Forces
The superlatives about the Grumman Hellcat abound. The F6F was credited with over 5,000 victories in air combat. It was said to dominate the Japanese navy’s Zero fighter a key opponent. Some of its claims for success are amazing. The Hellcat “arrived in the Pacific...
