Phase I: Establish Air Superiority
The elimination of the enemy air force is the first major requirement for the success of any major land operation. Once control of the air is achieved, airpower can be used against hostile ground forces.
The German Air Force, or Luftwaffe, struggled against Ninth Air Force’s P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts in the air. Additionally, the Army’s rapid advance denied them the use of airfields in Western Europe. Together, they ensured that the Luftwaffe was safe neither in the air nor on the ground.
This problem worsened for the Luftwaffe as mounting losses deprived them of aircraft and experienced pilots. By late 1944, the Allied air forces operated with near complete control of the skies.
Phase II: Isolate Enemy Forces on the Battlefield
Disrupting hostile lines of communication, destroying supply dumps and installations, and attacking hostile troop concentrations in the rear areas will cause the enemy great damage and may decide the battle.
The Ninth Air Force’s fighter-bombers wreaked havoc on the troops and supplies trying to reinforce the German Seventh Army. IX and XIX Tactical Air Commands’ (TAC) P-47s and medium bombers destroyed trains, ammo dumps, and other critical supplies before they could be used against the American Army.
As the Third Army’s mechanized forces surged through liberated France, General Patton requested General Weyland’s pilots stop preventing German Soldiers from entering the battlefield and instead keep them from escaping it.
Phase III: Provides Close Air Support
Air and Ground Forces should combine their firepower to seize the immediate goals and objectives in front of the Army. To select targets and minimize friendly fire, both elements should place their headquarters near the other.
General Weyland’s XIX TAC used a system called “armored column air cover” to protect the US Army’s tanks. They assigned a dedicated group of P-47s to each tank column. Air Liaison Officers (ALO) operated on the ground with the Army and coordinated the targets between the tanks and planes.
Phase IV: Armed Reconnaissance
Good communication between the different combat arms minimizes the risk of an inadvertent attack on friendly troops. To prevent mishaps, the overall commander establishes a “bomb line”, or a boundary on the map, where all bombing attacks must be coordinated with Air Liaison Officers on the ground. Outside of the bomb line, pilots attacked targets of opportunity at their will.
Beyond the bomb line, P-47s, armed with 500-lb bombs and armor piercing incendiary .50-cal machine gun rounds roamed the enemy’s territory looking for targets of opportunity. At points, General Patton’s quick advance forced pilots to update their bomb line maps several times in a single day.
A Defining Moment for Tactical Airpower
Victory in Europe proved concepts long argued by airpower advocates. Tactical Airpower’s success on the battlefield helped justify the Air Force’s independence in 1947.
On December 1, 1950, the new military service created Tactical Air Command (TAC), a Major Command dedicated to advancing the lessons learned from World War II’s IX and XIX TAC.
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