R E F E R E N C E    H I S T O R Y
 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
THE AAF ANTISUBMARINE COMMAND
 
 
 
 
(Short Title:  AAFRH-7)
 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
Prepared by
 
 
Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence
 
 
Historical Division
 
 
April 1945
 
 
 
 
 
     

 

     
     
     
 
C O N T E N T S
 
     
 
I
   THE BACKGROUND
1
         
    U.S. preparations for antisubmarine defense
1
    Army and Navy regulations
11
    The origins of the Antisubmarine Command
17
     
II
   THE ANTISUBMARINE CONTROVERSY
41
     
    The issues remain unsolved
41
    The strategic issue
46
    The administrative issue
56
    The crisis of March 1943
62
    The problem before the Joint Chiefs of Staff
68
    The Arnold-McNarney-McCain Agreement and the
            dissolution of the AAFAC
77
     
III
   OPERATIONS
86
         
    The Battle of the Atlantic
86
    Operations in the Eastern Atlantic
94
            The Bay of Biscay
94
            The Moroccan Sea Frontier
114
     
    Operations in the Western Atlantic
130
            The Eastern and Gulf Sea Frontiers
130
            The Caribbean and South Atlantic areas
136
            The North Atlantic convoy route
146
     
    Antisubmarine Tactics and Attack Narratives
155
    Summary and Result of Antisubmarine Command
            Operations
188
     
IV
   PROBLEMS OF LOGISTICS, RESEARCH COORDINATION, AND
    TRAINING
195
     
    Logistical problems
195
    Research coordination
205
    Training
215
     
V
   CONCLUSION
225
     
  GLOSSARY
229
       
    NOTES
230
 
 
 
 
iii
  
     

 

     
     
 
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT
263
     
APPENDIX
     
1.
   Memorandum by Gen. George C. Marshall
264
2.
   Attacks on U-boats by Antisubmarine
  Command aircraft
268
3.
   Encounters with enemy aircraft
283
4.
   Action status reports
292
5.
   Station lists
300
6.
   Key personnel, Hq. AAFAC, 1 May 1943
304
7.
   Order of Battle, Antisubmarine aircraft,
    for final week of August 1943
306
     
INDEX
308
 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
iv
  
     

 

     
     
 
ILLUSTRATIONS
  
     
 
following
 
Map:  Western Atlantic defense areas, 1 August 1942
3
 
Chart:  Location of aircraft attacks on U-boats,
        1 January-4 September 1942.  From ASWORG Memo #20
35
 
Chart:  Disposition and strength of 1st Bomber Command
        and AAFAC squadrons.  From 7 MIR 43
40
 
Chart:  Summary of U-boat warfare, January-September
86
        1943.  From 8 MIR 43
 
Charts:  Merchant vessels sunk in the Atlantic,
        September 1941-Auguat 1943.  From charts published
        at intervals in AAFAC Monthly Intelligence Reports,
        1943
93
 
Activity in the Moroccan Sea Frontier Area
123
 
Location of Antisubmarine Command airfields
130
 
Mission, 480th Group, Port Lyautey
157
 
Operational diagrams
164
 
B-24, modified for antisubmarine operations
213
 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
v
  
     

 

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
The AAF Antisubmarine Command
 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
vi
  
     

 

 

Click the icons to view the associated records
Chapter I

The Background

Pages

1-40

 
Chapter II

The Antisubmarine Controversy
41-85
 
Chapter III

Operations
86-194
 
Chapter IV Problems of Logistics, Research Coordination, and Training
195-224
Chapter V Conclusions, Glossary and Footnotes
225-263
Appendix I Memorandum by Gen. George C. Marshall
264-267
 
Appendix II

Attacks on U-boats by Antisubmarine Command aircraft
268-282
 
Appendix III

Encounters with enemy aircraft
283-291
Appendix IV Action status reports
292-299
Appendix V Station lists
292-299
Appendix VI Key personnel, Hq. AAFAC, 1 May 1943
300-303
Appendix VII Order of Battle, Antisubmarine aircraft, for final week of August 1943
304-305
  Index to the Army Air Force Antisubmarine Command
306-307
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