AHC/WI: United States Land/Sea Air Force Created in the 1920s

Delta Force

Banned
Apparently in the 1920s there was a proposal to combine Army and Navy aviation in the United States, modeled on the British Royal Air Force model which combined the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. What if this had happened, and the USAF was established not only as a separate service, but the only aviation service in the United States military?
 
First problem..
Congress has to be convinced to fund these two extra military agencies..

Second..
The army will gripe that they won't have any air support since the newly formed USAF will probably concentrate on air superiority, long range bombers and its own doctrine ...

Third..
The US Marines will also likely gripe that they won't get much consideration since the naval aviation will probably only care about Alpha strikes against naval targets and likewise recon against same...

Soon.. Another separate air arm to support the Army and Marines will probably have to be establish but budget cuts will reduce all funding to all branches of the U.S. Military...
 
You'll have people trying to figure out how to launch B-18s from carriers....:eek:

The *Doolittle mission will be less a mystery to Yamamoto.;)
 
The US Army and Navy had a death grip on their aviation through that era. As much as Foulois, Mitchel, or others talked about a "air force" there was zero chance of a independent AF emerging in that era.
 
You'll have people trying to figure out how to launch B-18s from carriers....:eek:

The slightly improved B-18, the B-23 Dragon, was one of the craft looked into for that raid, it was Doolittles first choice, but too much wingspan for Hornet
 
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