Diary of General H H 'Hap' Arnold in the Library of Congress, Washington DC

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Diary of General H H 'Hap' Arnold

 [ diary 1944 | diary 1945 | diary 1946 ]

March 31, 1945

Washington to Bermuda.

Arnold, Beebe, Peterson, Proctor, Lindsay, Marquardt, Darby and Sheffield

1st Pilot -- Major Dice

Co-Pilot -- Major Conde

Navigator -- Captain Wagner

Radio Operator -- M/Sgt. Babington

Engineer -- M/Sgt. Ranger

Engineer -- M/Sgt. Lueck

Took-off 2:35 P.M.

Arrived Bermuda 6:30.

Distance -- 830 miles Good trip -- no bad weather.

Dinner 8:15.

Bed 9:00.

Bermuda looked wonderful in P.M. Rich colors -- vivid contrasts.

April 1, 1945

Good breakfast.

Rode over island -- very interesting. Lots of Easter lilies, bananas, coral rocks, coral houses, white and clean. Many different color flowers.

Whites and blacks.

Took the bunch to church -- very high Episcopal. They didn't like it.

Received invitation to lunch with Lord Burghley. No soap. Wanted us to sit in his pew, but was afraid I might have to read the text as George Marshall did last year.

Rode out to end of point -- beautiful view. Guide was Burghley's Naval Aide

Then to Government House and awaited Governor's return from other church. He has to visit all of them it seems on Church Days, Lord and Lady Burghley arrived after about 3/4 hour. He was Olympic hurdler 1924-'28 and '32 and Los Angeles. Finalist all 3 competitions. Winner in 1928.

Government Home grounds very beautiful Took movies of everything from flowers to rare animals and birds.

Water scarce -- no rain and below normal for winter.

Orve Anderson here With B-17 awaiting hop-off to England.

We all took-off about 6:30.

April 2, 1945

2060 miles to Lagens Field, Azores.

Dinner aboard at 7:00, after winning 4 bits from Gene Beebe. Bed at 8:00 which is 10:00 Azores time.

Rather bumpy during night but slept well.

Awoke at 6:15 -- shaved, washed and ready to land at 6:45 A.M. Azores time.

Took-off 8:05 Azores time. Distance to Paris 1,730 statute miles.

Regulations require we go via Lands End.

A.D. Smith not on Lagena -- over on Santa Maria.

Overcast weather.

Left Azores with not much to see -- except miles of sea.

Weather good until French coast at Brest. Overcast solid. Went through and over.

First saw Versailles. Evidences of bombing around all factories -- railroad yards -- airfields -- many buildings knocked flat. Eiffel Tower stood out like a sore thumb.

Paris as a whole looked good.

French refugees streaming back in all kinds of funny clothes. --

Spaatz, Anderson, Hoag, and Hank Pool met us at airdrome.

Went to Ritz with Tuey ['Tooey' Spaatz] and Hank Pool. Talked with bunch until dinner at 8:15 French time. Dinner with Hank, Tuey [Spaatz] and ...

Patton was asked by Tuey [Spaatz], "Don't you worry about getting so far out? What about your flanks?"

Patton: "No worry. The AAF takes care of my flanks."

Tuey [Spaatz]: "But how about your supplies -- your logistics? Don't you worry about that?"

Patton: "Not a bit, I have my G-4. He worries about my logistics. He has fainted 3 times today so far."

This during the big push beyond the Rhine.

To bed at 9:10 in a wonderful suite at the Ritz on the Place Vendôme.

April 3, 1945

The Doc must have given me a slug for I didn't awaken until 8:15.

Have a war room right next to me in hotel for daily presentation.

Weather today -- good.

Tuey [Spaatz] arrived at 10,30.

At 11:00 we -- Tuey [Spaatz], Hank, Marquardt, and I -- left for D-12 airport.

Took B-25 and went to Rheims.

Paris is a sorry city. Stores closed up mostly. Scars from street battles -- factories bombed out and scars in neighborhood off other bombs. People not badly dressed and look well fed -- trying to make a lot out of a little. De Gaulle trying to make a victorious nation out of one whose divisions have not won a fight. Calling on the wide world for representation at the peace table, when, after we have given him equipment and supplies by the 100 millions, only one French Division has crossed the Rhine and that was a Moroccan.

There is no apparent shortage of food anywhere. The cattle and horses are fat and well kept. The fields are all tilled and there should be a bumper crop. The Germans did not destroy fruit trees or farmhouses. and yet we -- Americans -- will be called upon to feed the starving French.

Rheims airport shows the results of our war efforts. We surely bombed it to death, destroying all buildings and many German planes.

Had lunch with Eisenhower, Tuey [Spaatz] and Ike's British Aide [Kay Summersby?]. After lunch Ike, Tuey [Spaatz] and I talked Ike's views.

1. A Department of National Defense with 3 equal parts -- ground, sea and air. Common supply for all articles used by all three. Must have to cut down expenses
2. Air, ground and naval forces of size required to do job -- not a size based upon money.
3. Universal military service of l year.
4. British ownership of island bases to prevent our altruistic Americans from giving the people freedom or returning them to Japan or Germany.
5. Support aviation must be part of ground force .
6. Naval air limited to carrier and seaborne.

Saw Beadle [Bedell] Smith for a few moments. Hank and Gil went thrugh the gigantic 3,000,000 bottle champagne cellar of what used to be Mumrus. He was a German -- is now in Germany.

Left Tuey [Spaatz] at his headquarters at Rheims and returned to Paris.

Met my crowd for drinks in my room before dinner. Tomorrow they split up and go on their various trips.

Dinner with Hank and Gil.

Played gin rummy for 1/2 hour.

Bed at 9:30 after being in bed resting for 2 hours before dinner and sleeping for 3/4 hour.

April 4, 1945

Awakened at 8:15. Temperature 44 degrees. Clear sky -- most of flags down from around the Place de Vendôme. None on Napoleon's statue.

Ike very certain as to War's end. Only fly in ointment is the unthinkable, impossible Russians holding back.

Ike has no ideas as to what more air can do. It is doing everything possible. He is most enthusiastic about air support.

Ike wants to go to his 30th reunion in June. I told him that he could have as many C-54s as necessary to take members of his class. He will go -- arrive unannounced.

I have just been told that the suite I am occupying was used by Goering on his visits to town. I have looked around but have found no evidence .

Had conference with Fred Anderson, Bob Harper, P. L. Williams and Louis Brereton.

Very satisfactory information from all.

Our Troop Carriers took 250,000 gallons of gas to troops last Friday, and over 500,000 last Saturday..

Talked over our redeployment and the part Airborne and T.C. would play in Pacific and Post War. Cable to Marshall.

After lunch with Brereton, P. L. Williams and Hank Pool, took rest for 2+ hours.

German prisoner of war -- Fay -- then was brought in by General McDonald. He has landed a brand new ME at Frankfurt -- was a test pilot for Messerschmidt -- was tired of war. 262 to go to Dayton.

Fay gave some information re: interior Germany -- railroads gone -- factories destroyed -- no oil -- best pilots killed -- no experience in squadrons -- bomber pilots flying jets without sufficient training -- war can't continue for more than 2 or 3 weeks -- all organized resistance will be gone then.

Took auto ride through Paris to St. Cloud -- Versailles. Paris was not hit hard by our bombs -- factories, airports, railroad yards destroyed -- but very little else. Germans did no destruction. French in Paris are not starving -- no evidence of malnutrition in any part of Paris. Horses well fed and fat -- goats grazing -- which would not be if people were hungry.

Lines at bakeries and butcher shops -- about 24 maximum. A lot of bunk re helping starving French.

Had Woolly for dinner.

Versailles very unkempt -- water gone from pools -- grass end trees need attention. French people apathetic.

Bed at 9:20.

April 5, 1945

Up at 7:30.

Breakfast at 8:00 with [journalist] Lowell Thomas -- 8 other commentators here. Left hotel for airport at 9:15 -- took-off for Frankfurt at 10:00 via Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Koblentz.

Aachen almost completely destroyed -- bombs.

Düren a mass of wreckage -- bombs.

Cologne -- terrible -- 2 bridges over Rhine down -- thousands of houses a mass of rubble.

Bomb craters everywhere.

Abandoned trucks, tanks, and trenches. By passes for destroyed bridges .

Bonn -- not destroyed as much but bridge down -- 2 pontoon bridges being used. Balloons to protect pontoon bridges. Bridges down all along Rhine -- barges and tugs all sunk. A few hundred feet away from Rhine all peaceful and quiet -- no sign of war Coblenz not so badly hurt, but quite badly at that. Frankfurt -- a big city -- railroad yards and airports a shambles -- runways pock-marked and unusable. The balance of the field filled with craters. Such was the field S.W. of town we were told to land on. 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 men -- trucks -- bulldozers working on it. It was impossible. We went to one S.E. of town. There we saw a good runway -- several of our 46s and 47s and a B-17 but radio told us to go to the airport 66 miles S. of the first one we saw -- so away it went.

Our flight had taken us over the front where ground troops were slugging it out to capture the encircled Germans -- from Cologne to S. of Coblenz -- and yet not a single German plane. The impotent G.A.F., made so by our air power.

On the airport where we landed was a runway marked by flags -- 15 or more transports lined up nose to tail. Had delivered their supplies and were now taking on wounded -- but of all things as many German wounded as our own. No nation in the world, probably would have done such a thing. Leave the Huns there to die -- get our boys back, but we must clean out the Huns to make room for ours. So it goes -- 6 Americans -- 4 Huns.

Transports -- puddle jumpers -- fighters and our B-25 landing on a strip that was so short that in spite of excellent piloting, we stopped just 30 feet from the end.

Met by B. G. Barcus -- cars awaiting but I had to go over to see the wounded being put in the transports.

The airport was but 15 miles from the front, but the transports came and went unmolested by German aircraft.

The Autobahn is a wonderful road. There is a perfect net of them extending in almost all directions, connecting all important centers. We set out for the one we wanted.

German A.F. barracks scarred -- damaged -- destroyed by our bombing. Machine shops a mass of debris -- but in the woods -- almost miles away from the airport were airplanes, bombs, gasoline and repair hangars. Concealed from above -- all accessible to the airport. Some of the planes undamaged -- others destroyed by the Germans -- still others hit by our own bombers.

Bridges over Autobahn blown up -- but we ran along to Patch's Headquarters at 60. There we met Patch, Hank Arnold, and who should come in but Eisenhower, Spaatz, Webster. All had lunch in Darmstadt as guests of Barcus.

Ike said he was feeling war. It had taken a lot out of him but he forced himself to go on and would until whole mess was cleaned up. Gave Hank his two boxes but we don't need to worry about liquor for him. He captured a German warehouse with case after case of scotch, brandy, benedictine and Cointreau. He is set for the balance of war -- also has a German radio. Eisenhower and Spaatz took off for Reims after lunch. I went with Hank Arnold and Marquardt to Frankfurt to see Patton.

Darmstadt -- Frankfurt a mass of rubble, Germans look well fed and fairly well clothed Autobahn made trip very easy -- passed many convoys -- German parks for planes near airports. Bombs and gasoline in woods.

Patton unchanged. His headquarters in old German barracks. Says there is nothing in front of him -- could go right on Through and join up with Russians tomorrow, but headquarters is holding him in present position until the First Army on his left and the Seventh Army on his right catches up.

German sniper shot at one of his staff right in his headquarters even yesterday.

Completely destroyed a town in his front yesterday because guerrillas refused to surrender. Burned it down.

Back over Autobahn to airport near Darmstadt. Took off in rain for Paris.

Note attached -- Order of Patton's typical.

Brought Hank back to Paris with me.

Arrived at hotel at 6:45. In bed at 7:05 -- up at 8:15 for dinner. Gave Hank 50 bucks to see Paris with Hank Pool.

In bed for night at 9:30 -- dinner with Hank Pool and Hank Arnold.

April 6, 1945 [Paris]

Up at 7:30. Nothing scheduled for day. Breakfast with Hank Arnold.

Hank is living in Himmler's suite -- 2 bed rooms, etc., etc., -- l bed 8 x 8.

My bed room is tremendous. My bathroom is large. The bath tub is extra large -- it is made of porcelain. Goering must have sat down with a thud for the porcelain is cracked.

German will to fight is going. Our airmen shot down behind German lines come back through the lines and rejoin their units. One of them brought back the entire AA Battery that shot him down. He was a Norwegian. Loafed all day. In P.M. rode to Bois de Boulogne and walked about 2 miles. Then on to Nôtre Dame, which has most of its stained glass windows removed. Louvre looks abandoned and badly in need of repair on outside -- did not go inside.

Upon coming out of Nôtre Dame, there were quite a bunch of GIs waiting to get pictures. I stopped and two nurses came up and asked to be photoed with me. One had been in England and France 26 months and one 18 months.

Returned to hotel -- arrived at 5:00.

Hal Bowman walked with me and I outlined his new job.

General Legge, Military Attaché from Switzerland, came in for a few moments and I told him, upon his requesting it and saying what a fine thing it would be, that when I got to Cannes I would tell him if and when I could go to Switzerland for one day -- have lunch with Swiss C. of S.and C.O., Aviation and smooth their ruffled feathers for our bombing their towns.

In bed at 9:30.

April 7, 1945

Up at 7:45 after a fine night's rest.

Delayed in departing for Luxemburg until 10:15. We flew over a lot of the old war front. Arrived Luxemburg 20 minutes late. Spaatz, Vandenberg, Weyland, Quesada, Stearley and lots of others awaiting.

We went at once with military escort, and it is needed because there are still German snipers around, to the Athletic Bowl -- where we had a review and I decorated 12 Air Forces officers with DSMs and DFCs. Then to lunch with Bradley and all of Van's officers.

To bed at 2 -- slept 45 minutes and up at 3:30.

Met Vandenberg and Spaatz at 3:45. Went over Van's operations until 4:20. Press conference at 4:30. Talked with radio commentators at 5:00 Auto ride through city [Luxemburg] -- crowd of 4,000 people awaiting at door -- quite an ovation -- they like Americans.

City very clean -- very little battle damage -- railroad yards a wreck and some buildings nearby completely destroyed or partially damaged -- one a church -- but in general, city shows no signs of war but for the soldiers. Built on top of hill and up a deep ravine -- mostly of stone as there is lots of it.

People look prosperous. Across Plaza from hotel at station, large crowd of people awaiting evacuees. When a collaborator comes in, they beat him nearly to death, with crowd yelling, "More -- more."

Bradley certain there is no organized resistance in front of him. First wants to destroy enemy in pocket, then move rapidly forward. Thinks resistance will be over in 6 weeks or 2 months. Dinner with Van's staff and Tuey [Spaatz].

Bed at 9:15.

April 8, 1945

Awakened at 7:00 -- up and shaved and back to bed. Breakfast at 8:30.

Presentation by Bradley's staff (war situation) at 9:15. Bradley has outlined a line off Department P -- is already on it.

When pocket is reduced, all armies will move forward. It looks as if pocket will fall within 10 days, by armored elements cutting through. Somewhere between 120,000 and 150,000 in pocket.

Bradley sees no organized effort ahead.

Wonders when Russians will move forward.

Bradley, Simpson, Hodges, Patton and many Corps and Division 0.0.8 have written excellent letters to Spaatz and Vandenberg re air's part in war.

Met many of Bradley's staff and departed for airport at 10:20.

Said adios to Van and Tuey [Spaatz] and with escort of 4 P--51s took off for Paris at 10:40. Arrived Paris on a beautiful day at 11:15.

Hank awaiting us on return as were Beebe, Lindsay, Darby. Haven't seen Pete or Proctor yet.

Lunch alone with Hank.

Bed at 1:45 -- up at 3:15.

Went out in car with Hank, Tom and Gil to Bois de Boulogne. Saw Paris in Spring. France without a care -- France with utter disregard of war a few hundred miles away. Men, women and children by the thousands -- hundreds of thousands -- of all ages -- walking, riding bicycles, driving in horsedrawn vehicles and in motor cars. Men -- thousands of them of draft age.

The horse vans of the race track -- charcoal burning engines as well as gasoline engines -- 50 thousand people at the track. Many hundred bicycles outside -- scores of autos parked outside -- then the heterogeneous collection of antique horse drawn vehicles that might well have been collected from 1800 to date -- some kinds and types that beggar description. Paris in Spring -- Paris playing while the war is on.

What kind of horses they had running I do not know but the horses drawing the coaches, barouches, tallyhos. etc., were all in excellent condition.

Drove back to hotel and met Lindsay, Beebe, Darby -- Pete end Proctor showed up later.

Dinner with all the bunch later, and to bed at 9:15.

April 9, 1945

A kind of mixed up day -- nothing much to do but everything was confused. I arose at 7:45. Breakfast with the 2 Hanks, wrote letters and had war presentation took a walk for about an hour, and lunch with Hank, Jr. In bed for 1.5 hours at noon.

Barber, Tuey [Spaatz], Anderson, Knerr awaiting me when I got up. Had conference re future operations in Europe and Pacific and future of AAF.

after getting a hair cut.

Message from Marshall showing his concern over my well being.

Decided not to go to London. Sent Beebe, Lindsay, Pool, Proctor, Peterson and Darby. Sheffield, Marquardt and I go to Cannes.

Went for an auto ride through Paris.

Saw M. G. Osborne for a few minutes.

All the visits we have made and all the reports from observers indicate that the damage done by our bombers has been much worse than that indicated by our photo interpretation This must come out to the public.

W(e need someone who thinks of presentations and it looks as if we will have to have a new A-2 to do it -- probably Quesada.

Dinner with Hank [Arnold] and Hank [Pool] and Woolly. Woolly in fine form.

In bed at 9:10.

April 10, 1945

Hank packed for me last night -- up at 7:45, prepared and signed letter to Nancy Dill -- another to Jimmy Doolittle for his command. Had breakfast with Hank and Beebe. Gave them instructions re what to do and say in London, Mix-up over Hank's getting his plane to 45th Division but all straightened out. He left before I was halfway through talking to him. He finally received one of the lost boxes -- reached him yesterday. Got the bunch started for London at 9:15.

We finally said goodbye and paid tips to 200 more or less minions at the hotel. One small boy fell down elevator shaft (bell boy) and came out of it with nothing worse than a bump on his head.

Finally got all baggage aboard a truck -- started for airport and B-25.

Took-off at 10:40.

Wrote cable for Marshall -- I will send from Cannes. Everything should be under control -- I hope.

Clear day -- not a cloud in sky from Paris to Mediterranean.

Alps beautiful at a distance.

Very little evidence of war.

Cannes and Nice are delightful towns that remind one of Southern California. Olive trees -- palms -- oranges -- wistaria -- bright sunshine and blue waters.

Germans -- either to keep Italians busy or to put up a real defense against us -- lined all main roads with concrete blocks -- about 5 feet high and 4 feet on a side -- shaped like a pyramid. They made hundreds of thousands of them. Similarly they placed these same pyramids in the water just off-shore so as to prevent our L.C.s from coming in. Mines were placed everywhere on land and in the sea. They are still exploding in spite of all the mine sweeping.

We ars about 15 miles from the French-German front lines and can hear their morning and evening exchange of heavy artillery very clear. Yesterday a French destroyer, feeling the urge, went in close to shore and we could hear their salvos one after another.

We landed on a strip on the beach at Nice. Were met by Commander Roserts (ex-manager Mayflower Hotel), who runs all recreation centers here on the Riviera for the AAF. He guided us to Spaatz's villa which is a grand one -- right on the shore of the bay looking across to Cannes. Big -- roomy -- with all furnishings specially designed and made for villa, Specially shaped lights -- furniture of the modernistic type. One tile platform after another dropping down to water -- an outdoor bar between wings of house -- must have cost $l50,000 for house and furnishings. My suite has bed room, bath, dressing room, clothes room, window 10 feet wide. Owned by a British lady of wealth who married a Pittsburgh man. She now lives in Palm Beach. The bar has a modernistic picture of half nude men and women of the Tahiti type -- in rear. We landed at Nice at 12:50.

Had lunch (excellent) at 2:50. I was in bed at 3:15 to 5:00.

Only drawback to place is stairs -- as many as in our house at Ft. Myer. I am restrained in my climbing. Stopped enroute and checks made to see effects. So far none -- will try two ascents a day under observation.

Sat on tile terraces in grand chairs, overlooking bay and city beyond until dinnertime -- 7:30. In bed at 9:30.

French here are different, look poorly dressed and I am told have hard time getting food.

Guns still booming when I went to sleep.

April 11, 1945

Up at 7:30.

Clear blue skies.

Breakfast on the porch outside of my bedroom -- warm and delightful.

Spent morning catching up on reports -- letters and doing nothing.

Spent time until lunch in sun on balcony from my room.

Tattie Spaatz came over from Cannes with 2 other Red Cross girls and 3 aviators to swim and enjoy the sunshine. She looks fine -- is tall but has mannerisms and looks a lot like Ruth. She says the aviators are war happy pursuiters who are goofy.

After lunch went to bed and stayed for 1:45.

Got car and went for derive through Cannes toward Marseilles.

Had excellent opportunity to see German beach defenses -- dragon teeth all along roads and under water along all probable landing beaches. Barbed wire everywhere, along land side of beaches as well as strung between piles driven into sand below low tide. Pill boxes so camouflaged to conform to walls of houses at the most unusual and unexpected places. All crossroads covered by strong points all made of heavy concrete. Gun positions also built in to conform to walls and houses.

Many buildings partially or completely destroyed by bombs and gun fire -- bridges out. The villa I live in hit by many machine gun bullets.

Messengers from Spaatz with cables from Marshall at villa on return Bradley told me, and repeated that he was very glad that he did not have Brereton as his Tactical Air Conmander, He considered Vandenberg so much better. There was no comparison between them.

I am hoping to get [Pete] Quesada as A-2 and Jimmy Doolittle as C.O. Materiel to take Knudmen's place.

Perhaps Vandenberg to take over A-I. I will talk these things over when I get back -- Eaker will be most interested -- a month will make no difference for most of these changes We have in the meantime the following staffs to augment and to strengthen.

1. AAF -- Washington.
2. Giles -- Pacific.
3. Kenney's.
4. LeMay's.
5. Wedemeyer's.

The only source is from European theater. My suggestion is McNarney take over Air Force Occupation Command and we use such officers as are available.

Cannes is such a restful place to think things out.

Tuey [Spaatz] and Doolittle due here tomorrow Dinner at 730.

In bed at 9:30.

April 12, 1945

Showers this morning. Up at 7:30.

Showers continued all morning.

Wrote a few reports and a letter and played cribbage. Had lunch upstairs after briefing.

In bed 1:30 -- up at 3:15. Went for a walk with Tom. Ran into a hill and being afraid of results, if I climbed it, went back to get jeep.

On way back met 3 bus loads of GIs taking tour. They had stopped on point of peninsula to see gorgeous view.

As I was walking past, one recognized me and asked, "Can I take your picture?" "Then can I have my picture taken with you?"

Then from inside bus, "Jesus -- a five star general"

When we reached top of hill we saw a general layout of magnificent estates like Santa Barbara, but all run down and unkempt. This section was certainly a most beautiful part of the country once.

We walked for a mile or so, when Marquardt arrived in car. We then took-off for Nice via the coast road. Mile after mile of German defense works. Had not our air not laid a carpet of bombs over the shore line and neutralized these works and positions, the doughboys would have had a difficult, if not impossible job. The strong gun positions and pill boxes are so colored and outlined as small houses and garages that they can't be recognized for their true place in the defense until one is right on top of them.

We returned from Nice by the back country. It looks just like Pennsylvania or Vermont or any other place, except the Germans in their retreat destroyed all bridges and put in many trenches.

Returned to villa and awaited Spaatz and Doolittle. They got in at 7:30. Dinner at 8:30 -- music -- Tattie Spaatz and her Red Cross pals. I left table at 9:30 and went to bed.

April 13, 1945

Up at 7:30.

Marquardt came in and told me that President Roosevelt was dead.

That may be a calamity of a kind and extent the people of' the U.S. do not realize. I hope not.

Story from Doolittle. A B-17 came in shot to pieces -- hit by aerial rocket and one could not understand how it could stay together in the air. The entire tail section almost severed from the rest of ship.

Doolittle, in order to say something -- it was one of those moments -- when the tail gunner crawled out, "You were in there when the ship was hit?"

The tail gunner (a little red-headed tough guy) said, "Yes, sir, all the time."

Doolittle passed on.

The other officers heard the tail gunner say, "Where in the hell did the bald headed bastard think I was -- selling peanuts in Brooklyn."

One of the other crewmen said, "That was General Doolittle."

The tail gunner said, "I know -- I have seen his pictures,"

With Spaatz and Doolittle discussed proper procedure of events as a result of President's death. Decided upon message to go to Mrs. Roosevelt and that if possible Quesada could be Aide to President. Started wheels to make it possible.

Decided to have an officer come from European theatre once each week, to make air presentation, as there are so many interpretations and evaluations that we miss in the U.S.

Decided that, after talking over with Baker, the following officers should come to U.S.:-

Fred Anderson to A-l.

Harmon to Spaatz.

Cabell to Air Plans.

Kuter to Giles.

Doolittle to replace Knudsen.

Vandenberg to A-3.

Kepner to replace Doolittle.

Larson to Doolittle.

O. Peck to replace Larson.

J. Parker to Doolittle.

Lawrence (15) to replace Parker.

McNarney to take over Air C-in-C to CG, American Troops in Europe.

Cannon to take over 9th Air Force in Europe.

Decided that we should have war experienced Air Force in U.S. after war rather than 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th -- perhaps 8th, 12th, 15th, 10th. Will take up with Baker.

Spaatz wants me to return to Washington and by working only part time -- to get the Air Force back in the sun again. I am of the opinion that I would only make an invalid of myself if I returned before Eaker and the men whom I am getting from Spaatz. I realize that there is much spade work to be done right now -- with a new President and the war in Germany coning to a close. I cannot see my way clear to deliberately ruin myself again physically, when there is so little chance of permanent change in Air Force activities.

I will wait and see what is being done and to be done before making my decision.

Tuey [Spaatz] and Jimmy left for Rheims.

Good lunch -- too much good food excellently prepared.

Usual Monday rest from 1:15 to 3:00.

Went up hill in auto and then for a walk. Visited a few of the large mansions on the hill. All very expensively built and furnished but none occupied. The one used by Eisenhower is owned by a Major Allen of New York. He and his wife used it for 2 years, and haven't seen it since, It was built 1937-39, He has a caretaking detachment of 4 French. The property looks in fine shape in contrast to others that are overgrown -- edges need trimming -- lawns are tangles of underbrush -- walks and lanes are overgrown with grass, etc., etc.

The walk was quite long and I was tired when I got back to villa.

Had cocktails -- dinner as usual well prepared and too much food.

Tom played the piano and sang some of his Yale songs after dinner. Bed at 9:00

The above material has been researched by David Irving for the third volume of his Churchill biography, "Churchill's War", vol. iii: "The Sundered Dream."