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The Civil Air Patrol ('''CAP''') is the s (including Search And Rescue ), aerospace education for youth and the general public, and cadet programs. In addition, it has recently been tasked with Homeland Security and courier service missions. CAP also performs non-auxiliary missions for various governmental and private agencies, such as local law enforcement and the American Red Cross . During World War II, the Civil Air Patrol was seen as a way to use America's civil aviation resources to aid the war effort instead of grounding them (as was the case in Great Britain). The organization eagerly assumed many missions including anti-submarine patrol and warfare, border patrols and courier services. The Civil Air Patrol sighted 173 enemy submarines and sank two. Despite being a volunteer force that was largely untrained in combat and Military Science , the organization's performance far exceeded expectations. After the end of World War II the Civil Air Patrol became a civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. The incorporation charter declared that CAP would never again be involved in direct combat activities, but would be of a benevolent nature. CAP still actively performs search and rescue missions within the United States. After the September 11, 2001 Attacks , Civil Air Patrol aircraft provided the first aerial pictures of the World Trade Center site, and also flew transport missions bringing donated blood to New York City. HISTORY Origin The general idea of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) originated with a collective brainstorm of . Countries that were directly involved in the conflict strictly regulated General Aviation , allowing military flights only. American aviators did not wish to see the same fate befall themselves, but realized that if nothing was done to convince the Federal Government that civil aviation could be of direct and measurable benefit to the imminent war effort, the government would likely severely limit general aviation. The concrete plan for a general aviation organization designed to aid the U.S. Military at home was envisaged in 1938 by Gill Robb Wilson . Wilson, then aviation editor of The '' New York Herald Tribune '', was on assignment in Germany prior to the outbreak of World War II. He took note of the actions and intentions of the Nazi government and its tactic of grounding all general aviation. Upon returning, he reported his findings to the New Jersey Governor , advising that an organization be created that would use the civil air fleet of New Jersey as an augmentative force for the war effort that seemed impending. The plan was approved, and with the backing of Chief of the Army Air Corps General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold and the Civil Aeronautics Authority , the New Jersey Civil Air Defense Services (NJCADS) was formed. The plan called for the use of single-engine aircraft for liaison work, as well as coastal and infrastructure patrol. General security activities regarding aviation were also made the responsibility of the NJCADS. Other similar groups were organized, such as the AOPA Civil Air Guard and the Florida Defense Force. During this time, the Army Air Corps and the Civil Aeronautics Administration initiated two separate subprograms. The first was the introduction of a civilian pilot refresher course and the Civilian Pilot Training Program . The motive behind this step was to increase the pool of available airmen who could be placed into military service if such a time came. The second step was concentrated more on the civil air strength of the nation in general and called for the organization of civilian aviators and personnel in such a way that the collective manpower and know-how would assist in the seemingly inevitable all-out war effort. This second step was arguably the Federal government's blessing towards the creation of the Civil Air Patrol. It was followed by a varied and intense debate over organizational logistics, bureaucracy and other administrative and practical details. Thomas Beck , who was at the time the Chairman Of The Board of the Crowell-Collier Publishing Company , compiled an outline and plan to present to President Franklin D. Roosevelt that would lead up to the organization of the nation's civilian air power. Beck received peer guidance and support from Guy Gannett , the owner of a Maine newspaper chain. On 20 May 1941 , the Office Of Civilian Defense was created, with former New York City Mayor and World War I pilot Fiorello H. LaGuardia as the director. Wilson, Beck, and Gannett presented their plan for a national civil air patrol to LaGuardia, and he approved the idea. He then appointed Wilson, Beck, and Gannett to form the so-called "blueprint committee" and charged them with organizing the national aviation resources on a national scale. By October of 1941 the plan was completed. The remaining tasks were chiefly administrative, such as the appointment of wing commanders, and Wilson left his New York office and traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak with Army officials as the Civil Air Patrol's first executive officer. General Henry "Hap" Arnold organized a board of top military officers to review Wilson's final plan. The board, which included General George E. Stratemeyer (presiding officer of the board), Colonel Harry H. Blee, Major Lucas P. Ordway, Jr., and Major A.B. McMullen, reviewed the plan set forward by Wilson and his colleagues and evaluated the role of the War Department as an agency of the Office of Civilian Defense. The plan was approved and the recommendation was made that Army Air Forces officers assist with key positions such as flight training and logistics. With the approval of the Army Air Corps, Director LaGuardia signed the order that created the Civil Air Patrol on December 1 1941 . World War II On December 1 1941 , Director LaGuardia published Administrative Order 9 . This order outlined the Civil Air Patrol's organization and named its first national commander as Major General John F. Curry. Wilson was officially made the executive officer of the new organization. Additionally, Colonel Harry H. Blee was appointed the new operations director. The very fear that sparked the Civil Air Patrol "movement" – that General Aviation would be halted–became a reality when the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 . On 8 December 1941 , all civil aircraft, with the exception of airliners, were grounded. This ban was lifted two days later (with the exception of the entire West Coast) and things went more or less back to normal. Earle E. Johnson took notice of the lack of security at general aviation Airports despite the attack on Pearl Harbor. Seeing the potential for light aircraft to be used by saboteurs, Johnson took it upon himself to prove how vulnerable the nation was. Johnson took off in his own aircraft from his farm airstrip near Cleveland , Ohio , taking three small Sandbag s with him. Flying at 500 feet (~150 meters), Johnson dropped a sandbag on each of three war plants and then returned to his airstrip. The next morning he notified the factory owners that he had "bombed" their facilities. The CAA apparently got Johnson's message and grounded all civil aviation until better security measures could be taken. Not surprisingly, the Civil Air Patrol's initial membership increased along with the new security.CAP Pamphlet 50-5, page 7, "Early Days and Wartime Activities", paragraph 4–6 With America's entrance into World War II , German U-boats began to operate along the East Coast. Their operations were very effective, sinking a total of 204 vessels by September of 1942. The Civil Air Patrol's top leaders requested that the War Department give them the authority to directly combat the U-boat threat. The request was initially opposed, for the CAP was still a young and inexperienced organization. However, with the alarming numbers of ships being sunk by the U-boats, the War Department finally agreed to give CAP a chance. On 5 March 1942 , under the leadership of the newly promoted National Commander Johnson (the same Johnson that had "bombed" the factories with sandbags), the Civil Air Patrol was given authority to operate a coastal patrol at two locations along the East Coast. They were given a time frame of 90 days to prove their worth. The CAP's performance was outstanding, and before the 90 day period was over, the coastal patrol operations were authorized to expand in both duration and territory.CAPP 50-5, page 8, "Coastal Patrol Authorized", paragraph 1 Coastal Patrol
Rinker and Manning radioed to mission base the opportunity and circled the U-boat for more than half an hour. Unfortunately, by the time that Army Air Corps Bomber s came to destroy the U-boat, the vessel had dislodged itself and had escaped to deep waters. As a result of this incident, CAP aircraft were authorized to be fitted with Bomb s and Depth Charge s. Some of CAP's larger aircraft had the capability to carry 325 Pounds (147 Kg ) in depth charges or bombs. Most light aircraft, however, could only carry 100 pounds (45 kg), which was equivalent to one small bomb. In some cases, the bomb's flight fins had to be partially removed so they would be able to fit underneath the wing of a light aircraft. One squadron's insignia of the time was a cartoon drawing of a small plane sweating and straining to carry a large bomb. This insignia has become popular throughout CAP. The CAP's first kill was claimed with one of the larger aircraft. The Grumman G-44 Widgeon , armed with two depth charges and crewed by Captain Johnny Haggins and Major Wynant Farr, was Scramble d when another CAP patrol radioed that they had encountered an enemy submarine but were returning to base (due to low fuel). After scanning the area, Farr spotted the U-boat cruising beneath the surface of the waves. Unable to determine accurately the depth of the vessel, Haggins and Ferr radioed the situation back to base and followed the enemy in hopes that it would rise to Periscope Depth . For three hours, the crew shadowed the submarine, but it didn't rise. Just as Haggins was about to return to base, the U-boat rose to periscope depth, and Haggins swung the aircraft around, aligned with the submarine and dove to 100 Feet (30 M ). Farr released one of the two depth charges, literally blowing the submarine's front out of the water. As it left an Oil Slick , Farr released the second charge and debris appeared on the surface, confirming the U-boat's demise and the Civil Air Patrol's first kill. The kill was perhaps the crowning achievement for CAP's Coastal Patrol, which continued to operate for about 18 months (from March 5 1942 to August 31 1943 ) before being officially retired. In this time frame, the Coastal Patrol reported 173 U-boats, 57 of which were attacked by CAP aircraft with 83 ordnance pieces and two of which were confirmed sunk. In addition, the Coastal Patrol flew 86,865 missions, logging over 244,600 hours. Coastal Patrol aircraft reported 91 ships in distress and played a key role in rescuing 363 survivors of U-boat attacks. 117 floating mines were reported and 5,684 convoy missions were flown for the Navy.CAPP 50-5, page 10, "Coastal Patrol Authorized", paragraph 4 Border Patrol Between July 1942 and April 1944, the Civil Air Patrol Southern Liaison Patrol was given the task of patrolling the border between Brownsville , Texas , and Douglas , Arizona . The Southern Liaison Patrol logged approximately 30,000 flight hours and patrolled roughly 1,000 miles (~1,610 kilometers) of the land separating the United States and Mexico . Southern Liaison Patrol tasks included looking for indications of Spy or Saboteur activity and were similar to Counterdrug missions executed by Civil Air Patrol today. Aircraft piloted by the Southern Liaison Patrol often flew low enough to read the license plates on suspicious automobiles traveling in the patrol region. During its time of operation the Southern Liaison Patrol, more commonly known as the "CAP Border Patrol", reported almost 7,000 out-of-the-ordinary activities and 176 suspicious aircraft' descriptions and direction. During the entire operating period, only two members lost their lives. Considering the fact that the Border Patrol was one of the most dangerous missions CAP flew (along with Coastal Patrol), this is an exceptionally low number. In a return to its World War II roots, CAP is currently assisting the US Border Patrol with flights along the US-Mexico border to assist in locating illegal immigrants and to route emergency services resources to aid those in distress . Target towing In March of 1942, CAP aircraft began towing targets for air-to-air ( Fighters ) and ground-to-air ( Anti-aircraft Batteries ) gunnery practice. Targets would be trailed behind the aircraft (similar to the way an aircraft trails a banner) to simulate strafing attacks. CAP aircraft would also climb to various altitudes and would trail two targets for heavy AA guns to use for practice. Although uncommon, an antiaircraft round would occasionally hit the aircraft. Surprisingly, no deaths resulted from errant shots. Similarly, CAP aircraft also flew night missions to provide tracking practice for the crews of searchlights and radar units. These missions were dangerous in the sense that the pilot ran the risk of accidentally looking into the glare of a searchlight while performing Evasive Maneuvers , which would blind and disorient him. Such was the case of Captain Raoul Souliere, who lost his life after he went into a steep dive; witnesses surmised that he looked into the glare of a spotlight that had locked on to him, became disoriented, and did not realize he was in a dive. Despite the dangerous nature of these missions, fatalities and accidents were rare. CAP flew target missions for three years with 7 member fatalities, 5 serious injuries and 23 aircraft lost. A total of 20,593 towing and tracking missions were flown.CAPP 50-5, page 13, "Target Towing and Other Missions", paragraph 7 Search and Rescue operations (SAR) During the period between January 1 1942 , and January 1 1946 , the Civil Air Patrol flew over 24,000 hours of Federal - and Military -assigned Search And Rescue missions in addition to thousands of hours of non-assigned SAR missions. These missions were a huge success, and in one particular week during February of 1945, CAP SAR air crews found seven missing Army and Navy aircraft. The Civil Air Patrol had several decisive advantages over the Army Air Forces in terms of SAR ability. First, because CAP was using civilian aircraft, they could fly lower and slower than the aircraft of the AAF. Second, unlike AAF pilots, CAP pilots tended to be local citizens and therefore knew the terrain much better. Third, CAP utilized ground teams which would travel to the suspected crash site (often by foot, although some wings had other ways of reaching a wreckage). Courier service and cargo transportation In the spring of 1942, the Pennsylvania Wing conducted a 30-day experiment with the intention of convincing the AAF that they were capable of flying cargo missions for the nation. The Pennsylvania Wing transported Army cargo as far as Georgia, and top Army officials were impressed. The War Department gave CAP permission to conduct courier and cargo service for the military. Although not generally remembered as one of CAP's "glamorous" jobs, cargo and courier transportation was an important job for the organization. From 1942 to 1944, the Civil Air Patrol moved around 1,750 Short Ton s (1,600 Metric Ton s) of mail and cargo and hundreds of military passengers. Pilot training and the cadet program In October of 1942, CAP planned a program to recruit and train youth with an emphasis on flight training. The CAP cadets assisted with operational tasks and began indoctrination and training towards becoming licensed pilots. Cadets were not exempt from being Conscripted ; however, the military atmosphere and general setting around them would provide an advantage to cadets who were subsequently called into service. To become a cadet, one had to be between the ages of 15 and 17, and be sponsored by a CAP member of the same gender. The cadet program called for physical fitness, completion of the first two years of high school and satisfactory grades. It was open only to native-born American citizens of parents who had been citizens of the United States for at least ten years. These restrictions were intentionally imposed to hold down membership levels until a solid foundation could be established. Perhaps the most astonishing fact of the cadet program's 20,000-plus initial membership was the ''lack'' of cost; it cost the Office Of Civilian Defense less than $200 to get the program underway, and this was to cover administrative costs.CAPP 50-5, page 14, "Pilot Training and the Cadet Program", paragraph 5 Other wartime activities CAP pilots were called on to provide a variety of missions that weren't necessarily combat-related but still of direct benefit to the country. Some of the most notable of these missions were: flying blood bank mercy missions for the American Red Cross and other similar agencies; forest fire patrol and arson reporting; mock raids to test blackout practices and air raid warning systems; supporting War Bond drives; and assisting in salvage collection drives. In the Northwestern states, Civil Air Patrol members, armed with shotguns, flew patrols hoping to spot Japanese Balloon Bombs . Perhaps the most curious job for CAP was "wolf patrol". In the southwestern United States , the native wolf population had been disrupting ranching operations. One rancher alone lost over 1,000 head of cattle due to wolf predation. This represented a huge monetary loss to ranchers and an added restriction to the already low supply of beef due to wartime rationing. By the winter of 1944, Texas Ranchers lobbied the Texan governor to enlist the aid of Civil Air Patrol to control the wolf populations. CAP pilots, armed with Firearms , flew over wolf territory and thinned the population to lower levels. | ||
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