Hansell, Haywood S.

Haywood Hansell joined the Army in 1928 to learn how to fly. He quickly became a stunt pilot and barnstormed with the Air Corps Aerobatic team called "The Men on the Flying Trapeze." After the United States entered World War II, he was sent to England and worked with the staff of Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1942, was commander of bombardment wings of the Eighth Air Force, and flew on air raids in B-17's. He was later assigned to the Pacific and flew B-29's on the first raids over Tokyo and other Japanese cities. Hansell played a large role in the strategic planning of United States air operations during World War II and he made daylight precision strategic bombardment a lifelong crusade that eventually became the key tenet of American airpower employment. He was also instrumental in creating an effective air-sea rescue system that saved half of all B-29 crews downed at sea in 1945. Hansell retired from the military in 1955, worked for the General Electric Company for more than ten years, wrote two books on air strategy in World War II, and died in 1988 from heart failure.

From the description of Hansell collection, 1929-1988. (US Air Force Academy). WorldCat record id: 247106576