British-American%20Relations

1
British-American Relations

• The Union of heart, conviction and common
  idealsamong the English speaking peoples
• Winston Churchill

2

• With a few notable exceptions a close
  relationship has existed on a number of levels
• ? Diplomatic
• ? Political
• ? Economic
• ? Intellectual
• ? by the end of 19th century military

3

• Relationship strengthened during World War I.
• United States entered War on Allied side - April
  6, 1917
• military co-operation essential.

4
American military leaders learned from British
combat experience 1914-1917
Billy Mitchell
From his friend General Hugh Trenchard,
Commander of the British Royal Flying Corps, he
learned to think of the airplane as an offensive
weapon, best used in giant fleets of bombers
striking against the enemys homeland
5
In September 1918 Mitchell commanded allied group
of nearly 1500 airplanes in the first mass use of
aircraft for bombing attacks
? on enemy supply routes
? and in support of ground troops.

6
WORLD WAR II
7

• During the early days of WW II the US sought to
  pursue a policy of neutrality.
• Neutrality Acts of the 1930s
• President Roosevelt limited in ability to assist
  embattled Britain.

8

• Destroyer Base Agreement Sep 2, 1940
• Britains need for additional destroyers and the
  United States need for additional air and naval
  bases
• Lend Lease Act March 11, 1941
• Designed to enable US to aid allies not
  withstanding the limitations of Neutrality
  legislation

9
LEND LEASE

• Allowed President to lend, lease, or transfer war
  materials to any country deemed vital to security
  of the United States
• Send guns not sons
• Send billions not bodies
• Arnold Plan

10
Arnold Plan

• Allowed British Pilots to be trained in the US
• Maxwell and Gunter Fields
• Army Air Corps devoted 1/3 of its pilot training
  capacity to training British pilots

11

• First Students arrived August 1941
• Class 42 A
• 158 British Cadets
• 30 American Cadets
• Most of 1942 Gunter primarily British Basic
  Flying Training School

12
After graduating from Gunter
Advanced Training at Maxwell Other SEAC
Training Fields
13
(No Transcript)
14
POST WAR Period

• Marshall Plan
• 13 Billion in Aid to Europe
• European economic miracle

15
Post War Maxwell

• Air University established 12 March 1946
• Dedication Ceremony 3 September
• Air Vice Marshal Sir Hugh P. Lloyd keynote
  speaker

16

• RAF Officer - observer and liaison officer
• 1948 became official member AU/CC advisory staff
  continues through today

17

• British-American Relationship
• Special Nature
• Allies in 2 World Wars
• Mutual support during conflicts in
• Korea
• Vietnam
• Falklands
• Kosovo
• Persian Gulf

18