Evening star., 1934-12-27
Col. Andre,vs to Command
America's Greatest Air Force
New Organization Is Ex.
pected to Reach l, 900.
Plane Strength.

bat air force N the history of Amer
ican military aviation, an organized
unit expected eventually to reach a
strength of 1000 fighting planes Of
all types, has been approved by Sec
retary of War bern and is in progress,
the War Department announced to-
day.
Command Of the great aerial thun-
derbolt, which will be directly at the
disposition of the chief of staff, has
been intrusted to a veteran lieutenant
colonel Of the Air Corps, Frank M
Andrews, who probably will become
a brigadier general at once. it was
announced. In selecting Col. An
drews for this important post the
War Department passed over the
three general officers of the Army Air
Corps and two former generals.
Headquarters at Langley.
Col Andrews, now on duty with
the War Department General Staff in
the Barr Building, is to establish
headquarters OF the General Head
quarters Air Force Immediately at
Langley Field, Hampton, Va, ITO
miles from Washington and to set
about the actual setting up of his new
command, which will consist of prac-
tically all the combat elements Of
the Air Corps in the continental
United States, together with certain
of the observation and service units.
Under the new plan. Boiling Field,
which never In its more than l6 years
has been the home of a combat air
organization, is to become the home
of two tactical units yet to be created
the 14th Bombardment Squadron,
to be organized here as part Of the
9Th Bombardment Group of the I'd
Wing, and the 21st Observation Squad
ron, which is to be equipped with
long-range amphibian airplanes suit
able for coastal reconnaissance and
aerial photography or for work at sea.
Endorsed by Baker Board
Creation of the new General Head
quarters Air Force, which is regarded,
the War Department said, as OF
tremendous importance to the national
defense" comes as a result Of many
months of study by the general staff.
Necessity for the plan was realized,
it was explained, as result Of de-
velopment of the -four army plan" for
the United States. A tentative plan
of the chief of staff for organization
of the new force was presented last
April to the Baker board, headed by
former Secretary of War Newton D.
Baker and created to study the situa-
ton of the Army Air Corps. The
Baker board. strongly indorsing the
plan, recommended that the force
should be headed by general officer
of broad flying experience, who should
have headquarters, with his air troops,
away from Washington.
Selection of Col Andrews for the
new post came as one of the out
standing surprises of the announce
ment that creation of the new force
has been started. Andrews is out
ranked on the Air Corps seniority list
by a number of experienced officers,
but none of them have higher repu-
tation than he for experience and
efficiency.
Passed Over IL Colonels.
In selecting Andrews the War De-
partment passed over II colonies and
lieutenant colonels of the Air Corps
who stand ahead of him on the senior
ity list. This number includes the
three present Air Corp generals, Ben
jamin D. Foulois, James E. CLANCY
and Oscar Westover, and two former
Air Corps generals, Charles H. DAN
forth and Henry C. Pratt, who have
reverted to their regular ranks follow
ing completion OF. duty as assistant
chiefs of the Air Corps.
Ohlcially advised of his appointment
to what general staff officers charac-
terized as "the toughest Job In the
Army" Col. Andrews, 51-year -old, soft
spoken Southerner, said, Il couldn't
have picked q better Job for myself"
Force Is Highly Mobile.
"This force" it was explained at
the War Department, will be highly
mobile and will have great striking
power. It will be able to employ its
mobility in such q manner as to exert
the maximum influence upon land
defense, not in one restricted region