General Curtis Emerson Lemay's Role In World War II
1434 Words6 Pages
Abstract
General Curtis Emerson LeMay played a pivotal role throughout World War II much due to his military genius. Without his contributions, WWII would not have ended as soon as it did. Lemay paid close attention to the air campaign against Germany and concluded it was being executed very poorly. These observations led to the result of Lemay devising the effective method of bombing that became the standard throughout WWII, Korea, & Vietnam. He developed the combat formation of placing aircraft at staggered levels so that fire power could be exploited from any angle. This stacking motion was generally adopted for the duration of the War. General LeMay’s life was consistently sprinkled with controversy ranging from his heavy promotion…show more content… In 1930 Lemay became second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. He served in bomber and pursuit squadrons, participating in a 1937 goodwill flight of B-17 Flying Fortresses to South America. He was the sole creator of over-water navigation and ferry routes to Africa by way of South America. Soon after World War II, LeMay became colonel in command of the 305th Bombardment Group. He was able to train the group and equip them with the skills contributing to England in the fall of 1942. As part of the 8th Air Force, it was one of the first U.S. air bombardment units to enter…show more content… Curtis Lemay was always considered one of the best pilots and controversial leaders there ever was. Curtis Lemay is credited with designing and implementing an effective, yet controversial systematics strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific theater of World War II. Lemay developed the combat formation of placing aircraft at staggered levels so firepower could be dropped from any angle. This stacking formation was generally adopted for the duration of the war. Several books have been written about Lemay, including the Autobiography- The life and Wars of General Curtis Lemay, We Served with Honor: Memoirs of the Men who Served the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and 15 Minutes: General Curtis Lemay and the Countdown to Nuclear