Seventh Air Force Story... in World War II

64 pp. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Seventh Air Force is the U.S. Air Force's oldest numbered air force. The Army Air Corps first activated 7 AF on 1 November 1940, as the Hawaiian Air Force, to control the growing number of air units arriving in the Territory of Hawaii that year. The serenity of this idyllic home station which garnered the unit the glib designation "Pineapple Air Force" was shattered on 7 December 1941 when members of the Hawaiian Air Force became America's first Airmen to come under hostile enemy fire--and respond in kind--in the infamous surprise air attack by Japan. The saga of the Seventh's World War II aerial exploits across the Central Pacific has the "rags-to-riches" qualities of a Horatio Alger story. First, there was the almost complete decimation of the Hawaiian Air Force barely a year after its activation; then its gradual build-up and vast oceanic search missions to keep the enemy at bay, emerging during this period as the Seventh Air Force. Later, the Seventh's long-range heavy bomber attacks softened up strategic islands for amphibious invasions, with greater weight brought against the enemy perimeter defense by the advance of fighter and medium bombers. Finally, after constant consolidation of gains, 7 AF smashed at Japan directly from both Iwo Jima, as escort to the long-range strategic B-29s, and from Okinawa with the Far East Air Forces in the rocky Ryukus, right up to the surrender of Japan. In the aftermath of World War II the Seventh was briefly a named command (Pacific Air Command) before inactivating on 1 June 1949. Seventh Air Force regained its name and enjoyed a brief rebirth in the second half of the 1950s. Resurrected as an administrative headquarters, 7 AF oversaw Pacific Air Force's area of responsibility east of 140 degrees east longitude, including the Hawaiian Islands. Seventh was also responsible for the air defense of the islands. However, the movement of Far East Air Forces (renamed Pacific Air Forces) from Japan to Hawaii led to the inactivation of 7 AF on 1 July 1957. - Seventh Air Force