Lewis H. Brereton

Lewis Hyde Brereton (June 21, 1890 - July 20, 1967) was a military aviation pioneer and United States Army Air Forces general in the Second World War.

Early career

Brereton graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1911 and in 1913 was one of the first graduates of the Signal Corps Aviation School.

World War I

In World War I, Brereton commanded the 12th Aero Squadron, one of the first American flying units on the Western Front. He rose to be chief of aviation of the US First Army Corps. After the armistice, he was appointed chief of staff, Headquarters Air Service of the U.S. Third Army.

World War II

Far East

At the beginning of American participation in World War II, Brereton was commander of the Far East Air Force (FEAF) in the Philippines. Following the outbreak of war he urged immediate air attacks against Japanese bases on Formosa. However Brereton was over-ruled by General Douglas MacArthur and, having failed to disperse his parked aircraft in anticipation of a likely attack, FEAF was consequently largely destroyed on the ground.

In early 1942 Brereton was named Deputy Commander Air Forces, in the short-lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), which unified Allied forces in South East Asia and the South West Pacific. Slow to react to rapidly changing events, Brereton was relieved in favor of Gen. George Kenney, who subsequently rebuilt Allied air forces into a formidable striking weapon against the Japanese.

Middle East

In June 1942 Brereton was appointed commander of U.S. Middle East Air Forces. This unit eventually became the U.S. Ninth Air Force. Among the missions undertaken by the heavy bomber units of the Ninth Air Force during Brereton's command was the low-level bombing of Ploieşti, Romania, termed Operation Tidal Wave. It was Brereton who insisted that the raid be undertaken despite receiving intelligence estimates that predicted fully 50% of the attacking force would be shot down. The Ploesti air raid duly took place, resulting in severe losses to the U.S. Army's B-24 squadrons.

European Theatre

With the end of operations in the Middle East and the transfer of units to the Twelfth Air Force and Fifteenth Air Force for operations in Italy, Brereton remained in command of the Ninth Air Force when it was dissolved and re-activated in England in October 1943 to become the tactical air force for ground operations in the European Theatre. He was promoted to temporary Lieutenant General in April 1944.

On August 2, 1944, Brereton was appointed to command the First Allied Airborne Army and retained this post until the end of the war in Europe.

Post War Career

From the war until his retirement on September 1, 1948, Brereton was Chairman of the Military Liaison Committee to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

External links

* [http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/listofholdingshtml/finding_aids_b.html Papers of Lewis H. Brereton, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library]