Army Air Corps (D21)

The United States Army Air Corps is the service responsible for air support to ground operations. It is subordinate to the Army itself and fields a variety of planes from nimble fighters to large bombers and transports.

The Air Corps was renamed by Congress as a compromise between advocates of a separate air arm and those of the Army high command who viewed the aviation service as an auxiliary branch to support the ground forces. Although its members have worked to promote the concept of airpower and an autonomous air force since 1926, its primary purpose by Army policy remained support of ground forces rather than independent operations.

It is in the middle of a major expansion and has an increasing number of pursuit, observation and bomber groups planned along with new planes under development. The arrival of the 'Colonials' has led to quite a shock and Air Corps pilots are among the first to encounter the refugee air fleet.

Planes
Curtiss P-37 Hawk - inline engine monoplane fighter