Ennis Whitehead
Encyclopedia
Ennis Clement Whitehead (3 September 1895 – 12 October 1964) was an early United States Army
aviator
and a United States Army Air Forces
general during World War II
. Whitehead joined the U. S. Army after the United States entered World War I
in 1917. He trained as an aviator and served in France, where he was posted to the 3d Aviation Instruction Center and became a qualified test pilot. After the war, Whitehead returned to school at the University of Kansas
. After he graduated, he was commissioned a first lieutenant in 1920.
Over the following twenty years, Whitehead participated in Billy Mitchell's aerial bombing demonstration and served as commander of the 94th Pursuit Squadron
and the 36th Pursuit Squadron
among other assignments. After the U.S. entered World War II, Whitehead was promoted to brigadier general and sent to the Southwest Pacific Area. In the course of the war, he earned a Distinguished Service Cross
and was named an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire as he rose to command the Fifth Air Force
.
After the war, he commanded the Far East Air Forces, Continental Air Command
, and Air Defense Command
. He retired in 1951 after he was passed over for Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
. Both his son, Ennis Whitehead, Jr., and his grandson, Ennis Whitehead III, became generals as well, rising to major general and brigadier general respectively.
on 3 September 1895, the eldest of three children of J. E. Whitehead, a farmer, and his wife Celia. He was educated at Glenwood District School and Burlington High School
. In 1914, he entered the University of Kansas
, intending to obtain a law degree.
during April 1917. Whitehead enlisted on 16 August 1917 as a private in the Aviation Section, Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps
at Fort Riley
, Kansas
. On 10 February 1918 he became an aviation cadet, training at a wartime Army School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and at an Air Service
flight school at Chanute Field
, Illinois
. He qualified for a rating
of "Reserve Military Aviator" on 19 October 1917 and was commissioned a first lieutenant, Signal Officer Reserve Corps. He sailed for France
on 14 November 1917. There, he was posted to the 3rd Aviation Instruction Center at Issoudun
for more training. He attended gunnery school at Bordeaux
and became a test pilot
. He spent the rest of the war as a test pilot.
degree in 1920. After graduation, he took a job with The Wichita Eagle
as a reporter in order to earn enough money for law school. In the end though, he decided that he preferred flying. He applied for a commission in the Regular Army
, and was re-commissioned as a 1st lieutenant, Air Service, on 11 September 1920. On 25 September 1925, he married Mary Nicholson.
Whitehead was initially stationed at March Field
, where he served as a flying instructor. In 1921, he was transferred to Kelly Field where he assumed command of the 94th Pursuit Squadron
of the 1st Pursuit Group
. On 20 July 1921, he participated in Brigadier General Billy Mitchell's demonstration bombing attack of the ex-German dreadnought
Ostfriesland
. The 1st Pursuit Group moved to Selfridge Field, Michigan in July 1922. In 1926, Whitehead attended the Air Service Engineering School at McCook Field
, graduating first in his class.
In December 1926, Whitehead was assigned as the co-pilot for Major Herbert A. Dargue
, leading the 22,000-mile (35,200 km) Pan American Good Will Flight touring South America. During a landing at Buenos Aires
in March 1927, their aircraft, a Loening OA-1A float plane nicknamed New York, was involved in a mid-air collision with the Detroit, another OA-1A, forcing both Dargue and Whitehead to bail out. Whitehead suffered only a sprained ankle, but the pilot and co-pilot of the Detroit were killed. The remaining four planes of the flight completed the tour, for which all ten airmen including Whitehead received the first awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross
.
After three years as an engineering officer with the Air Corps Materiel Division at Wright Field
, Ohio, he attended the Air Corps Tactical School
at Langley Field from September 1930 to June 1931. While there, he was promoted to captain. Returning to the 1st Pursuit Group, he took command of the 36th Pursuit Squadron
. He did staff duty tours at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone
with the 16th Pursuit Group
, at Barksdale Field
with the 20th Pursuit Group
, and at the headquarters of the General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force at Langley Field. He was promoted to temporary major
in April 1935 and attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth
in 1938.
) Division of the War Department
. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel
on 3 December 1940. In February 1941, he was transferred to Luke Field
, a new training base, where he was promoted to colonel
on 5 January 1942.
In May 1942, Lieutenant General George Brett
, the Allied Air Forces commander in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA), lodged a request with Lieutenant General
Henry H. Arnold
, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces, for Whitehead to be sent out in the grade of brigadier general as a replacement for Brigadier General Harold Huston George, who had been killed in an air crash near Darwin, Northern Territory
on 29 April 1942. Whitehead was promoted to brigadier general on 16 June 1942 and
ordered to the Southwest Pacific. He flew there with Kenneth Walker
, a bomber
expert, who had also recently been promoted to brigadier general. Arriving in Australia
on 11 July 1942, Whitehead was shocked by the confusion and lack of organization he found. The next day, he reported to General MacArthur at GHQ SWPA in Melbourne
; the two men would get along well. MacArthur later praised Whitehead for his "masterful generalship ... brilliant judgement and inexhaustible energy".
At this time, the stocks of the air force in SWPA were low. At the recent Battle of Milne Bay
, a Japan
ese invasion force had managed to sail past all but a few RAAF P-40 Kittyhawk
and Lockheed Hudson
aircraft, suffering only limited damage. Opinion at General
Douglas MacArthur
's General Headquarters (GHQ) was that "the failure of the Air in this situation is deplorable; it will encourage the enemy to attempt further landings, with the assurance of impunity". Unable to provide MacArthur with what he most needed — more and better aircraft and the crews to man them — Arnold decided to replace Brett with Major General George Kenney. Arnold hoped that Kenney and the two newly-minted brigadier generals could make the best use of what was available. Major General George Kenney arrived in the theater on 28 July. Kenney knew Whitehead well, having served with him at Issoudun, the Air Corps Tactical School and GHQ Air Force, and had also served with Walker at the Air Corps Tactical School. "I had known them both for over twenty years," Kenney later wrote, "They had brains, leadership, loyalty, and liked to work. If Brett had had them about three months earlier his luck might have been a lot better."
Kenney assumed command of the Allied Air Forces on 4 August. Three days later, he instituted a sweeping reorganization of the Allied Air Forces. The Australian components were assigned to RAAF Command
under Air Vice Marshal William Bostock
, while the American components were consolidated into the reformed the Fifth Air Force
under Kenney's personal command. On paper, the organization followed the orthodox pattern, consisting of V Fighter Command under Brigadier General Paul Wurtsmith
, V Bomber Command under Walker, and an Air Services Command under Major General Rush B. Lincoln. But Kenney realised that he would have to maintain his headquarters near MacArthur's GHQ, which moved to Brisbane
on 20 July, while the fighting was thousands of miles away in New Guinea
, with the Fifth Air Force's principal forward bases around Port Moresby
. Moreover, Walker's headquarters was in Townsville, as heavy and medium bombers were based there and only staged through Port Moresby. Accordingly, Kenney appointed Whitehead as deputy Fifth Air Force commander, and commander of the Advanced Echelon (ADVON) in Port Moresby.
In his first months in New Guinea, Whitehead concentrated on building up the infrastructure there. He obtained additional engineer units and construction equipment. New airfields were developed, along with roads, housing, taxiways and revetments to protect his aircraft from the frequent Japanese air raids. He also attempted to build up the morale and leadership of his units. This time coincided with the Kokoda Track campaign
. Despite the efforts of his airmen and the ground troops, the Japanese advanced steadily on Port Moresby. In the end, the Japanese turned back short of Port Moresby. For his part in the Papuan campaign, Whitehead was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
. The Australian government made him an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Building up Allied air power required ingenuity, improvisation, and innovation. Skip bombing
was a new tactic adopted by the Fifth Air Force that enabled its bombers to attack ships at low level. The parachute fragmentation (parafrag) bomb gave the light bombers increased accuracy for close air support
missions. Although the B-25 Mitchell
was originally designed to bomb from medium altitudes in level flight, Major Paul "Pappy" Gunn, installed additional guns in the nose of the aircraft to enable it to perform in a low-level strafing role. Whitehead constantly gave his full support to such innovations.
At the Battle of the Bismarck Sea
in March 1943, Whitehead was rewarded with an important victory over the Japanese. The battle caused the Japanese to abandon all further attempts to bring supplies and reinforcements in to Lae
by the direct sea route from Rabaul
. Whitehead was promoted to major general on 15 March 1943.
Whitehead's attitude earned him, high marks with the Allied land commanders. Lieutenant General
Sir Iven Mackay, commander of New Guinea Force
, reported on 4 February 1943 that "I have found Brigadier General Whitehead of the USAAF extremely cooperative. In fact there is no question of asking for help — he takes the initiative."
As the Allied offensive gained steam, Whitehead's main task was to shift his aircraft forward, advancing the bomb line incrementally towards the Japan. An important event was the arrival of P-38 Lightning
fighters in the theater in late 1942, at last giving Whitehead a fighter that could match the Japanese A6M Zero
. To speed up the Allied advance, the Fifth Air Force developed a number of technical and tactical innovations that extended the range of its aircraft, thus increasing the distance of each Allied advance, which was dependent on the range of Whitehead's aircraft.
Whitehead assumed command of the Fifth Air Force in June 1944, although he remained subordinate to Kenney. In the Battle of Leyte
, MacArthur attempted to move forward beyond the range of land based aircraft. A long battle of attrition then began on the ground and in the air, as the Fifth Air Force struggled to gain the upper hand with inadequate numbers of aircraft that could be based on Leyte
. Gradually, Whitehead gained the upper hand. He was promoted to lietenant general on 5 June 1945.
. Whitehead was instrumental in splitting this organisation into the Tactical Air Command
and Air Defense Command
, commanding the latter from January 1951. He was seen by some in the Air Force hierarchy as "too attached to Kenney and MacArthur, too political, too outspoken, and too tactically focused" to be Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
. Whitehead was dismayed by the appointment of Hoyt Vandenberg
rather than Kenney as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
in 1948 and lost his mentor when the new chief relieved Kenney as commander of Strategic Air Command
in October 1948. Whitehead was also understandably disappointed at not receiving a fourth star. These feelings, combined with ill health, caused him to retire on 31 July 1951.
In retirement, Whitehead testified before the United States Senate
's Preparedness subcommittee on the state of the nation's air defenses. He pleaded for the fastest possible creation of a minimum air force: an atomic "strike force" ready to take off on retaliatory raids within a few hours after an attack on the United States; enough transports to service the strike force at overseas bases; fighters to escort the bombers on their missions; and at least 30 wings of all-weather jet fighters to intercept enemy bombers. He urged that until these minimums were achieved, the Army and Navy should be cut to "token" appropriations. Whitehead pointed out that the United States mainland was defended against atomic attack by fewer than 100 all-weather fighters, which could not have destroyed more than 10% to 15% of a force attacking in daylight. At night, or during instrument conditions, interceptors would have shot down less than 5%. He argued that a well-executed surprise atomic air attack would likely succeed.
He died of emphysema
in Newton, Kansas
on 12 October 1964, and was buried in Arlington Cemetery. His son, Ennis Whitehead, Jr., later became a major general and, in March 2003, his grandson Ennis Whitehead III was promoted to brigadier general, making three generations of general officers.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and a United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
general during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Whitehead joined the U. S. Army after the United States entered World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1917. He trained as an aviator and served in France, where he was posted to the 3d Aviation Instruction Center and became a qualified test pilot. After the war, Whitehead returned to school at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. After he graduated, he was commissioned a first lieutenant in 1920.
Over the following twenty years, Whitehead participated in Billy Mitchell's aerial bombing demonstration and served as commander of the 94th Pursuit Squadron
94th Fighter Squadron
The 94th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
and the 36th Pursuit Squadron
36th Fighter Squadron
The 36th Fighter Squadron is part of the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
among other assignments. After the U.S. entered World War II, Whitehead was promoted to brigadier general and sent to the Southwest Pacific Area. In the course of the war, he earned a Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
and was named an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire as he rose to command the Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
.
After the war, he commanded the Far East Air Forces, Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
, and Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1946 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the integrated air defense system of the Continental United States , exercise direct control of all active...
. He retired in 1951 after he was passed over for Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force is the second highest ranking military officer in the United States Air Force. In the event that the Chief of Staff of the Air Force is absent or is unable to perform his duties, the VCSAF assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CSAF...
. Both his son, Ennis Whitehead, Jr., and his grandson, Ennis Whitehead III, became generals as well, rising to major general and brigadier general respectively.
Early life
Ennis Clement Whitehead was born on a farm near Westphalia, KansasWestphalia, Kansas
Westphalia is a city in Anderson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 163.-Geography:Westphalia is located at...
on 3 September 1895, the eldest of three children of J. E. Whitehead, a farmer, and his wife Celia. He was educated at Glenwood District School and Burlington High School
Burlington High School (Burlington, Kansas)
Burlington High School is a high school located in Burlington, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is the westernmost building in the northern education complex on the outer edge of the city limits. It is the only high school in the Unified School District No. 244...
. In 1914, he entered the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, intending to obtain a law degree.
World War I
His plans were changed by the United States' entry into World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
during April 1917. Whitehead enlisted on 16 August 1917 as a private in the Aviation Section, Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps
Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
The Aviation Section, Signal Corps, was the military aviation service of the United States Army from 1914 to 1918, and a direct ancestor of the United States Air Force. It replaced and absorbed the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps, and was succeeded briefly by the Division of Military...
at Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. On 10 February 1918 he became an aviation cadet, training at a wartime Army School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
and at an Air Service
United States Army Air Service
The Air Service, United States Army was a forerunner of the United States Air Force during and after World War I. It was established as an independent but temporary wartime branch of the War Department by two executive orders of President Woodrow Wilson: on May 24, 1918, replacing the Aviation...
flight school at Chanute Field
Chanute Air Force Base
Chanute Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located south of and adjacent to Rantoul, Illinois, about south of Chicago. Its primary mission throughout its existence was Air Force technical training....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He qualified for a rating
U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Ratings
U.S. Air Force aeronautical ratings are military aviation skill standards established and awarded by the United States Air Force for commissioned officers participating in "regular and frequent flight", The standard by which flight status has been defined in law, executive orders, and regulations...
of "Reserve Military Aviator" on 19 October 1917 and was commissioned a first lieutenant, Signal Officer Reserve Corps. He sailed for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 14 November 1917. There, he was posted to the 3rd Aviation Instruction Center at Issoudun
Issoudun
Issoudun is a commune in the Indre department in central France. It is also referred to as Issoundun, which is the ancient name.-History:...
for more training. He attended gunnery school at Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and became a test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
. He spent the rest of the war as a test pilot.
Between the wars
Whitehead was demobilized from the Army in January 1919, and returned to the University of Kansas, earning a Bachelor of EngineeringBachelor of Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at universities in Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland , Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Korea,...
degree in 1920. After graduation, he took a job with The Wichita Eagle
The Wichita Eagle
The Wichita Eagle is a daily newspaper published in Wichita, Kansas. It is owned by The McClatchy Company, which publishes 31 other newspapers, including The Kansas City Star.It is the largest newspaper in Wichita, Kansas and the surrounding area....
as a reporter in order to earn enough money for law school. In the end though, he decided that he preferred flying. He applied for a commission in the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
, and was re-commissioned as a 1st lieutenant, Air Service, on 11 September 1920. On 25 September 1925, he married Mary Nicholson.
Whitehead was initially stationed at March Field
March Joint Air Reserve Base
March Joint Air Reserve Base is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's 4th Air Force Headquarters and the 452d Air Mobility Wing , the largest air mobility wing of the 4th Air Force...
, where he served as a flying instructor. In 1921, he was transferred to Kelly Field where he assumed command of the 94th Pursuit Squadron
94th Fighter Squadron
The 94th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
of the 1st Pursuit Group
1st Operations Group
The 1st Operations Group is the flying component of the 1st Fighter Wing, assigned to the USAF Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The 1st Operations Group is the oldest major air combat unit in the United States Air Force, being a successor organization...
. On 20 July 1921, he participated in Brigadier General Billy Mitchell's demonstration bombing attack of the ex-German dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
Ostfriesland
SMS Ostfriesland
SMS Ostfriesland "SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff" was the second vessel of the of battleships of the German Imperial Navy. Named for the region of East Frisia, Ostfrieslands keel was laid in October 1908 at the Kaiserliche Werft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven...
. The 1st Pursuit Group moved to Selfridge Field, Michigan in July 1922. In 1926, Whitehead attended the Air Service Engineering School at McCook Field
McCook Field
McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917-1927...
, graduating first in his class.
In December 1926, Whitehead was assigned as the co-pilot for Major Herbert A. Dargue
Herbert Dargue
Herbert Arthur "Bert" Dargue was a career officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of major general in the Army Air Forces. He was a pioneer military aviator and one of the first ten recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross.Dargue entered the United States Military Academy on June...
, leading the 22,000-mile (35,200 km) Pan American Good Will Flight touring South America. During a landing at Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in March 1927, their aircraft, a Loening OA-1A float plane nicknamed New York, was involved in a mid-air collision with the Detroit, another OA-1A, forcing both Dargue and Whitehead to bail out. Whitehead suffered only a sprained ankle, but the pilot and co-pilot of the Detroit were killed. The remaining four planes of the flight completed the tour, for which all ten airmen including Whitehead received the first awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
.
After three years as an engineering officer with the Air Corps Materiel Division at Wright Field
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
, Ohio, he attended the Air Corps Tactical School
Air Corps Tactical School
The Air Corps Tactical School, also known as ACTS and "the Tactical School", was a military professional development school for officers of the United States Army Air Service and United States Army Air Corps, the first such school in the world. Created in 1920 at Langley Field, Virginia, it...
at Langley Field from September 1930 to June 1931. While there, he was promoted to captain. Returning to the 1st Pursuit Group, he took command of the 36th Pursuit Squadron
36th Fighter Squadron
The 36th Fighter Squadron is part of the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
. He did staff duty tours at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
with the 16th Pursuit Group
16th Air Expeditionary Wing
The United States Air Force's 16th Air Expeditionary Wing was an Air Expeditionary unit of the United States Air Forces in Europe until c.2005–06....
, at Barksdale Field
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
with the 20th Pursuit Group
20th Fighter Wing
The 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force.-Mission:...
, and at the headquarters of the General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force at Langley Field. He was promoted to temporary major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in April 1935 and attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
in 1938.
World War II
On graduation from the Command and General Staff School, Whitehead was posted to the G-2 (IntelligenceIntelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
) Division of the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
on 3 December 1940. In February 1941, he was transferred to Luke Field
Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....
, a new training base, where he was promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
on 5 January 1942.
In May 1942, Lieutenant General George Brett
George Brett (military)
George Howard Brett was a United States Army Air Forces General during World War II. An Early Bird of Aviation, Brett served as a staff officer in World War I...
, the Allied Air Forces commander in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA), lodged a request with Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Henry H. Arnold
Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold was an American general officer holding the grades of General of the Army and later General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps , Commanding General of the U.S...
, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces, for Whitehead to be sent out in the grade of brigadier general as a replacement for Brigadier General Harold Huston George, who had been killed in an air crash near Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
on 29 April 1942. Whitehead was promoted to brigadier general on 16 June 1942 and
ordered to the Southwest Pacific. He flew there with Kenneth Walker
Kenneth Walker
Brigadier General Kenneth Newton Walker was a United States Army aviator and a United States Army Air Forces general who had a significant influence on the development of airpower doctrine. He posthumously received the Medal of Honor in World War II.Walker joined the United States Army in 1917,...
, a bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
expert, who had also recently been promoted to brigadier general. Arriving in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on 11 July 1942, Whitehead was shocked by the confusion and lack of organization he found. The next day, he reported to General MacArthur at GHQ SWPA in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
; the two men would get along well. MacArthur later praised Whitehead for his "masterful generalship ... brilliant judgement and inexhaustible energy".
At this time, the stocks of the air force in SWPA were low. At the recent Battle of Milne Bay
Battle of Milne Bay
The Battle of Milne Bay, also known as Operation RE by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines attacked the Australian base at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea on 25 August 1942, and fighting continued until the Japanese retreated on 5...
, a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese invasion force had managed to sail past all but a few RAAF P-40 Kittyhawk
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
and Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
aircraft, suffering only limited damage. Opinion at General
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
's General Headquarters (GHQ) was that "the failure of the Air in this situation is deplorable; it will encourage the enemy to attempt further landings, with the assurance of impunity". Unable to provide MacArthur with what he most needed — more and better aircraft and the crews to man them — Arnold decided to replace Brett with Major General George Kenney. Arnold hoped that Kenney and the two newly-minted brigadier generals could make the best use of what was available. Major General George Kenney arrived in the theater on 28 July. Kenney knew Whitehead well, having served with him at Issoudun, the Air Corps Tactical School and GHQ Air Force, and had also served with Walker at the Air Corps Tactical School. "I had known them both for over twenty years," Kenney later wrote, "They had brains, leadership, loyalty, and liked to work. If Brett had had them about three months earlier his luck might have been a lot better."
Kenney assumed command of the Allied Air Forces on 4 August. Three days later, he instituted a sweeping reorganization of the Allied Air Forces. The Australian components were assigned to RAAF Command
RAAF Command
RAAF Command was the main operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. The command was established in September 1942 and by April 1943 comprised 27 squadrons, including units from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Australia...
under Air Vice Marshal William Bostock
William Bostock
Air Vice Marshal William Dowling Bostock CB, DSO, OBE was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force. During World War II he led RAAF Command, the Air Force's main operational formation, with responsibility for the defence of Australia and air offensives against Japanese targets in the...
, while the American components were consolidated into the reformed the Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
under Kenney's personal command. On paper, the organization followed the orthodox pattern, consisting of V Fighter Command under Brigadier General Paul Wurtsmith
Paul Wurtsmith
Paul Bernard Wurtsmith was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II.Enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps as a flying cadet in 1927, was commissioned in 1928. Over the next 13 years, he served in instruction and command positions...
, V Bomber Command under Walker, and an Air Services Command under Major General Rush B. Lincoln. But Kenney realised that he would have to maintain his headquarters near MacArthur's GHQ, which moved to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
on 20 July, while the fighting was thousands of miles away in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, with the Fifth Air Force's principal forward bases around Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. Moreover, Walker's headquarters was in Townsville, as heavy and medium bombers were based there and only staged through Port Moresby. Accordingly, Kenney appointed Whitehead as deputy Fifth Air Force commander, and commander of the Advanced Echelon (ADVON) in Port Moresby.
Kokoda Track campaign
The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 between Japanese and Allied—primarily Australian—forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua...
. Despite the efforts of his airmen and the ground troops, the Japanese advanced steadily on Port Moresby. In the end, the Japanese turned back short of Port Moresby. For his part in the Papuan campaign, Whitehead was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
. The Australian government made him an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Building up Allied air power required ingenuity, improvisation, and innovation. Skip bombing
Skip bombing
Skip bombing was a low-level bombing technique developed by Italian pilot Giuseppe Cenni flying German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka aircraft during attacks on Allied ships off the coast of North Africa, between May and October of 1941...
was a new tactic adopted by the Fifth Air Force that enabled its bombers to attack ships at low level. The parachute fragmentation (parafrag) bomb gave the light bombers increased accuracy for close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
missions. Although the B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
was originally designed to bomb from medium altitudes in level flight, Major Paul "Pappy" Gunn, installed additional guns in the nose of the aircraft to enable it to perform in a low-level strafing role. Whitehead constantly gave his full support to such innovations.
At the Battle of the Bismarck Sea
Battle of the Bismarck Sea
The Battle of the Bismarck Sea took place in the South West Pacific Area during World War II. During the course of the battle, aircraft of the U.S. 5th Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force attacked a Japanese convoy that was carrying troops to Lae, New Guinea...
in March 1943, Whitehead was rewarded with an important victory over the Japanese. The battle caused the Japanese to abandon all further attempts to bring supplies and reinforcements in to Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
by the direct sea route from Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
. Whitehead was promoted to major general on 15 March 1943.
Whitehead's attitude earned him, high marks with the Allied land commanders. Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (Australia)
Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....
Sir Iven Mackay, commander of New Guinea Force
New Guinea Force
New Guinea Force was a military command unit for Australian, territory of Papua and territory of New Guinea troops serving in the New Guinea campaign during World War II. Formed in April 1942 it was responsible for planning and directing all operations within the territory up until October 1944,...
, reported on 4 February 1943 that "I have found Brigadier General Whitehead of the USAAF extremely cooperative. In fact there is no question of asking for help — he takes the initiative."
As the Allied offensive gained steam, Whitehead's main task was to shift his aircraft forward, advancing the bomb line incrementally towards the Japan. An important event was the arrival of P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
fighters in the theater in late 1942, at last giving Whitehead a fighter that could match the Japanese A6M Zero
A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...
. To speed up the Allied advance, the Fifth Air Force developed a number of technical and tactical innovations that extended the range of its aircraft, thus increasing the distance of each Allied advance, which was dependent on the range of Whitehead's aircraft.
Whitehead assumed command of the Fifth Air Force in June 1944, although he remained subordinate to Kenney. In the Battle of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
, MacArthur attempted to move forward beyond the range of land based aircraft. A long battle of attrition then began on the ground and in the air, as the Fifth Air Force struggled to gain the upper hand with inadequate numbers of aircraft that could be based on Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
. Gradually, Whitehead gained the upper hand. He was promoted to lietenant general on 5 June 1945.
Post-war
Whitehead continued in command of the Fifth Air Force, participating in the Occupation of Japan. He succeeded Kenney as commander of the Far East Air Forces in December 1945. He commanded it until March 1949, when he returned to the United States to command the Continental Air CommandContinental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
. Whitehead was instrumental in splitting this organisation into the Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
and Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1946 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the integrated air defense system of the Continental United States , exercise direct control of all active...
, commanding the latter from January 1951. He was seen by some in the Air Force hierarchy as "too attached to Kenney and MacArthur, too political, too outspoken, and too tactically focused" to be Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force is the second highest ranking military officer in the United States Air Force. In the event that the Chief of Staff of the Air Force is absent or is unable to perform his duties, the VCSAF assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CSAF...
. Whitehead was dismayed by the appointment of Hoyt Vandenberg
Hoyt Vandenberg
Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg was a U.S. Air Force general, its second Chief of Staff, and second Director of Central Intelligence....
rather than Kenney as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the...
in 1948 and lost his mentor when the new chief relieved Kenney as commander of Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
in October 1948. Whitehead was also understandably disappointed at not receiving a fourth star. These feelings, combined with ill health, caused him to retire on 31 July 1951.
In retirement, Whitehead testified before the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
's Preparedness subcommittee on the state of the nation's air defenses. He pleaded for the fastest possible creation of a minimum air force: an atomic "strike force" ready to take off on retaliatory raids within a few hours after an attack on the United States; enough transports to service the strike force at overseas bases; fighters to escort the bombers on their missions; and at least 30 wings of all-weather jet fighters to intercept enemy bombers. He urged that until these minimums were achieved, the Army and Navy should be cut to "token" appropriations. Whitehead pointed out that the United States mainland was defended against atomic attack by fewer than 100 all-weather fighters, which could not have destroyed more than 10% to 15% of a force attacking in daylight. At night, or during instrument conditions, interceptors would have shot down less than 5%. He argued that a well-executed surprise atomic air attack would likely succeed.
He died of emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
in Newton, Kansas
Newton, Kansas
Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 19,132. Newton is located north of Wichita and is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area...
on 12 October 1964, and was buried in Arlington Cemetery. His son, Ennis Whitehead, Jr., later became a major general and, in March 2003, his grandson Ennis Whitehead III was promoted to brigadier general, making three generations of general officers.