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FM 1-195
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD
MANUAL
THE SERVICE CENTER
, i ,r
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 1942
mam a? u. *
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, September 26, 1942.
Pending the development of detailed doctrines and methods
of air force logistics, FM 1-195, Army Air Forces Field Manual,
The Service Center, governing ^ the operation of a service
center in the field, is published for the information and
guidance of all concerned.
[A. G. 062.11 (8—21—42) .]
( By order W/The Secretary of War:
; ‘ - ' ' : ' 4 * ' * ' G. C. MARSHALL,
'<\ ' Chief of Staff.
Official :
J. A. ULIO, '
Major GeneM, '
I ' The Adjutant General .
Distribution: 'Vv
Regts and JLTr(6) ; Bn 1 (4).
, (For explanation of symbols see FM 21-6.)
n\^ v n ;i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Operation. Paragraphs Page
Section I. General 1—3 1
II. Organization, functions, and require-
quirements 4-8 2
III. Headquarters 9-12 6
IV. Lay-out 13-19 14
V. Communication section 20-25 17
VI. Finance section 26—28 20
VII. Operations section 29 22
Chapter 2. Air force engineering shops.
Section I. Engineering section 30-32 24
II. Administration section 33 29
III. Mobile repair section 34—37 29
IV. Machine shop 38-41 33
V. Sheet metal shop 42-43 35
VI. Electric shop 44-45 38
VII. Paint and fabric shop 46-47 39
VIII. Aircraft instrument shop 48-50 40
IX. Propeller shop 51-53 43
X. Cabinet shop 54-55 44
XI. Parachute shop 56-57 45
Chapter 3. Supply and maintenance.
Section I. Supply 58-61 47
II. Air force technical supply section 62-63 50
III. Chemical Warfare Service 64—65 52
IV. Corps of Engineers 66-67 58
V. Motor vehicle and ordnance sections 68-73 63
VI. Quartermaster supply section 74 72
VII. Signal supply and maintenance sec-
tion 75-79 75
VIII. Medical services 80-82 77
IX. Motor transport pool 83-87 81
X. Photographic laboratory 88 85
XI. Service center security 89-92 85
Appendix I. Definitions 87
II. Functional organization of service center Facing 92
III. Air force organization for supply, showing
flow of supplies Facing 93
Index 93
ill
FM 1-195
1-2
RESTRICTED
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
THE SERVICE CENTER
Chapter 1
OPERATION
Paragraphs
Section I. General 1- 3
II. Organization, functions, and requirements 4- 8
III. Headquarters.. — : 9-12
IV. Lay-out 13-19
V. Communication section 20-25
VI. Finance section 26-28
VII. Operations section 29
Section I
GENERAL
■ 1. General. — In modern warfare no combat unit can live
off the land and no squadron can be encumbered in a combat
area with the machine tools and technical equipment neces-
sary for its more extensive maintenance requirements. For
these needs there are provided in the theater of operations the
service center which resembles the zone of the interior air
base and subdepot, and the air force general depot which re-
sembles the army general depot. As the equipment of the air
force general depot air section alone requires 55 freight cars
for transportation, there will seldom be more than one air
force general depot sent to a theater of operations. The serv-
ice center, on the other hand, is a mobile establishment de-
signed to fill many of the maintenance, supply, salvage, con-
struction, and transportation needs of the combat squadrons.
■ 2. Strength. — The service center is capable of supplying
and maintaining two combat groups of any type of aircraft
and for a short period can service additional units. The
strength of the service center is 1,250 to 2,500 men, the number
being dependent on the amount of security needed and on the
1
2-6
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
amount of construction work going on. The strength is based
on average day-to-day operations with consideration for emer-
gency situations. Priorities may be set up to provide essen-
tial services in such situations. For example, when all
trucks are required to haul bombs, the delivery of rations can
be stopped and organizations required to carry on with emer-
gency rations until the emergency is passed.
■ 3. Method of Operation. — The area in which a service
center operates is called a service center area. Requisitions,
expenditure reports, and strength returns are transmitted by
the dispersed squadrons in its area to the service center. On
the basis of these, supplies and replacements are moved for-
ward to their airdromes. The service center furnishes third
echelon maintenance service of all arms and services to air
force units in its area. For organization of the air force serv-
ice command, see figure 1.
Section II
ORGANIZATION, FUNCTIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS
■ 4. General. — All Army Air Forces personnel for the service
center comes from a service group. Other personnel is fur-
nished by units of the various arms and services. (See fig. 2
for organization and app. H for functional organization.)
■ 5. Service Group. — A service group is composed of a head-
quarters, a headquarters squadron, and two service squadrons.
When there are less than five combat squadrons to be served,
only one service squadron will be necessary.
■ 6. Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron. — The head-
quarters and headquarters squadron provides the sections
required to administer the service center. In addition, it
provides the instrument landing, photographic, chemical,
finance, ordnance, and quartermaster sections. Its motor
transport section is generally physically separated from the
service center motor transport pool but may be placed under
its control. The headquarters and headquarters squadron
provides personnel for its own operation — a headquarters, a
mess, a supply room, and similar overhead.
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THE SERVICE CENTER
7-8
■ 7. Service Squadron. — Each service squadron provides per-
sonnel for the various shops of the service center air force
aircraft engineering section, for the air force technical supply
section, and a flight section for the service of attached and
transient aircraft. It furnishes the same squadron over-
head as does the headquarters and headquarters squadron.
■ 8. Personnel. — A typical service center would likely in-
clude the following:
a. Headquarters and headquarters squadron. *
Enlisted Warrant
Officers men officers
Headquarters service center 11 21
Squadron headquarters 2 34
Instrument landing section 3
Transport section 1 17
Photographic section 8
Chaplain 1
Chemical section 2 8
Finance section 2 15
Medical section 4 19
Ordnance section 2 5
Quartermaster section 3 6
Total ^ 28 136
b. First service squadron .
Squadron headquarters 3 32
Engineering section 2 108
Technical supply section 1 29
Transport section 36
Medical section 1 8
Total 7 213
c. Second service squadron 7 213
Total (a, b, and c) 42 562
d. Allied arms and services .
Signal company, service group, _ 2 70 1
Ordnance company, aviation (air
base) -i — 4 60
482084° — 42 2
5
8-9
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
Allied arms and services — Con.
Enlisted
Warrant
2 ordnance companies, medium Officers
men
officers
maintenance (Q) (aviation)
4
92
2 quartermaster truck companies
(aviation)
6
198
Quartermaster company, service
group _ _ __ __
5
76
Military police company (avia-
tion
4
100
or air base security battalion
(18)
(422)
or both.
Total
25
596
1
Grand total (a, b , c, and d)
67
1, 158
1
e. General functions . — The personnel referred to in a, b, c,
and d above, with their equipment, are capable of keeping
the maximum number of airplanes in the eight combat squad-
rons flying and of keeping the necessary quantity of all types
of bombs and other ammunition at the combat squadron air-
dromes. The functions and capabilities are discussed in
some detail in connection with the operation of the service
center headquarters and other service center sections.
Section in
HEADQUARTERS
■ 9. Headquarters and Command. — a. General. — The head-
quarters is responsible for adequate supply arrangements and
third echelon aircraft maintenance for all air force Units in
its local service center area. It maintains a clearing office
for all requisitions and service requests from all air force units
assigned to its airdrome. It supervises and coordinates all
supply and maintenance organizations at the service center.
This manual is intended to serve only as a general guide for
the employment of service center personnel. Special or un-
usual conditions will arise affecting the operation of the service
center. Officers will be responsible for meeting such condi-
tions. Typically, the service center headquarters functions
as explained in c below.
6
THE SERVICE CENTER
9—10
b. Personnel and organization . — The service center head-
quarters is operated by the headquarters of a headquarters
and headquarters squadron, service group. Figure 3 shows
the personnel and a typical organization plan of the Army
Air Forces personnel in the headquarters; personnel for the
special staff sections similar to that of the engineering officer
and the air force technical supply officer are provided in the
same Table of Organization for chemical, medical, ordnance,
and quartermaster sections.
c. Commanding officer . — The headquarters is headed by
the service group commander who is responsible for the ad-
ministration and technical functions of all organizations of
the service center. He is assisted in these command func-
tions by the officers in command of each one of the service
center sections. These officers comprise his special staff.
The staff is primarily for the assistance of the group com-
mander in performing his mission.
d. Equipment. — The equipment of a typical service center
headquarters includes at least —
2 large wall tens.
1 fly Cor equivalent shelter).
15 desks (or tables) and chairs.
6 typewriters.
1 safe.
1 mimeograph machine.
Various other office supplies.
■ 10. Service Center Staff. — a . Executive. — The service
group executive acts in similar capacity to that of the chief
of staff in higher units. He is the principal assistant and
adviser to the service center commander and acts for the
commander during his temporary absence or when author-
ized to do so. The duties of the executive are normally admin-
istrative in character and tactical operations are handled by
the service center operations officer. This is a matter of
policy and is determined by the commander. The service
group, staff officers also serve as staff officers of the service
center.
b. S~1 and adjutant. — The duties of the service center ad-
jutant correspond to those of the G-l section and the adju-
7
Chaplain
Chaplain’s
assistant
S — 1 and
adjutant
Special serv-
ices officer
Sergeant
major
General clerk
2 file clerks
Stenogra-
phers
Mimeograph
operator
Message
center clerk
4 messengers
Personnel
sergeant
major
Personnel
clerk
Special serv-
ices clerk
Engineering
officer
Aircraft in-
spector
Assistant
aircraft in-
spector
Technical
data clerk
1
Air force
technical
supply officer
Statistical
and assistant
air force
supply officer
Figure 3. — Organization of typical service group headquarters.
THE SERVICE CENTER
10
tant general of larger commands. In general, these duties
consist of —
(1) Handling official correspondence for the service center
(except that pertaining to tactical or flying operations) .
(2) Maintenance of records of officers for the headquarters.
(3) Authentication and distribution of all orders and in-
structions except those pertaining to flying operations.
(4) Handling all matters pertaining to personnel as indi-
viduals; and consolidating and submitting reports pertaining
to strength, casualties, and incidental returns rendered by
units of the service center.
(5) Operation of a general follow-up system for service
center headquarters for administration matters and recom-
mendations of similar arrangements for squadrons and other
units.
(6) In accordance with approved policies, handling —
(a) Classification of all individuals joining the command
and subsequent assignment, reclassification and promotion,
transfer, retirement, and discharge.
(b) Procurement and replacement of personnel for the
service center.
(c) Leaves of absence and furloughs.
(d) Custody of records of all personnel belonging to the
service center which are not kept in some subordinate unit.
c. S-2 and intelligence officer. — The principal duties of the
service center intelligence officer are to —
(1) Advise the commander on matters pertaining to intel-
ligence.
(2) Evaluate and insure the prompt transmission to higher
headquarters of all information obtained by the service center.
(3) Assist in training of individual members of the com-
mand in matters pertaining to intelligence work.
(4) Train and properly employ personnel of intelligence
section.
(5) Procure maps and keep up to date all maps, reports,
and files pertaining to intelligence.
d. S—3 and operations officer . — The S-3 and operations of-
ficer is charged with functions relating to organization, train-
ing, and operations of the command. He is responsible for
making such tactical and training inspections as the com-
9
10
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
manding officer may direct. He is head of the operations
section. (See par. 29.)
(1) The planning consists of preparing and coordinating
plans of —
(ct) Mobilization.
(5) Organization and equipment of units (coordinated
with S— 4).
(2) The operations officer prepares and supervises the exe-
cution of tactical plans covering the following matters:
(a) Reconnaissance and security.
(b) Tactical employment. (Coordination with S-4 for
movements requiring transportation in addition to organic
transportation, for routes, for supply, and for evacuation.
Coordination with S-2 for capabilities of the enemy and with
S-l for morale of troops.)
,(c) Defense of administrative installations and line of
communication.
id) Establishment of liaison.
( e ) Supervision of signal communication.
(3) The operations officer also prepares, supervises, and
coordinates plans for training of units and individuals, in-
cluding —
(a) Preparation of training directives, programs, and orders
(coordination with S-2 for intelligence training) .
(b) Selection of training sites and firing ranges (coordina-
tion with S-4) .
(c) Organization and conduct of schools (coordination with
S-l).
e. S-4 and materiel officer. — (1) General . — (a) One of the
most exacting administrative duties of the service center
commander and in turn through his S-4 section is that of
establishing and maintaining an efficient system of supply for
the service center area. Prior to combat service, this respon-
sibility involves the training of officers and enlisted men in
the drawing, issuing, maintenance, and accounting of all indi-
vidual and organizational supplies necessary to accomplish
the mission for which the unit is designated. While engaged
in warfare this responsibility increases manyfold, for the
strength of every attack can be no stronger than its line of
supply installations and resources. It is obvious that supply
10
THE SERVICE CENTER
10
channels must therefore be intelligently formed, accurately
operated, and carried out with enthusiasm and resourceful-
ness. The efficiency of any supply system is proportional to
the knowledge of its administrators and their willingness to
furnish wholesale cooperation.
(b) In the service center there are grouped all necessary
arms of the services to combine and furnish from a single
source all the supply requirements of the combat groups. To
assist these officers and their staffs and to prevent oversupply
in one unit and undersupply in another, the War Department
has set up definite supply standards known as Tables of
Basic Allowances and Tables of Allowances. These tables
are the results of studies of boards of officers of the several
arms and services and contain fixed quantities of supplies for
the using units. In the war effort, the demand of all arms
and services for supplies has increased many times over peace-
time requirements. Because of changes in design or the de-
velopment of new material, it is impossible to maintain at
all times sufficient supplies to equip a newly organized or
expanded army. It can be expected, therefore, that shortages
of supply will exist in certain items before an army can take
the field. For this reason, the Services of Supply has set up a
system of supply control designed to release the necessary
equipment where it is most needed, and in quantities which
will expedite the training of priority units. To facilitate this
policy the supply designations in (2) below have been formu-
lated.
(2) Priorities. — (a) “Controlled items'' will be designated
by the chiefs of the supply arms and services and will consist
in general of major items of equipment the mobilization
shortage of which has been anticipated. This list is revised
from time to time as the status of the items changes. Ship-
ments of controlled items will be initiated by the chiefs of
the responsible arms or services at the direction of the Com-
manding General, Services of Supply, and in accordance with
the priorities established by the Army Air Forces.
(b) “Credit items” will be designated by the chiefs of the
supply arms and services and will consist in general of
articles included in Tables of Basic Allowances for mobiliza-
tion, which can be made available at the times and in the
quantities required.
11
10
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
(c) A third group of property consists of items not classi-
fied in the controlled or credit groups and therefore available
as fast as the flow of supply will permit.
(3) Duties . — The service center S-4 and materiel officer
administer in the name of the commander the various com-
plexities of the supply problem and coordinates the activities
of the Quartermaster Corps, Corps of Engineers, Signal Corps,
Ordnance Department, Medical Corps, Chemical Warfare
Service, technical supply, and aviation engineering, so far
as they affect supply and materiel. He must keep the com-
mander constantly informed of the supply situation and be
prepared to make suitable recommendations on all problems
to the commanding officer. In thip, he must exercise proper
judgment and with due regard to the recommendations of
the respective department or special staff head. The admin-
istration of supply must be carried out willingly and vigor-
ously to be at all effective. His objective should be a re-
sourcefulness to get things done, and not excuses for failing
in accomplishment or looking for circumstances in mitiga-
tion of events.
(4) Specific problems. — (a) Procurement, storage, and dis-
tribution of all supplies.
(£>) Location of supply, evacuation, and maintenance es-
tablishments.
(c) Transportation of supplies.
(d) Construction and maintenance of roads, trails, and
airdromes.
( e ) Maintenance of equipment.
(/) Recommendations for allocation of small-arms am-
munition and antitank mines.
( g ) Traffic control.
(7i) Construction, operation, and maintenance of utilities
and other facilities relating to supply, shelter, transporta-
tion, and hospitalization.
(i) Evacuation and hospitalization.
(?) Assignment and movement of supply, medical, and
technical troops.
( k ) Salvage.
(Z) Collection and disposition of captured supplies and
equipment.
12
THE SERVICE CENTER
10-12
(m) Recommendations as to area boundaries.
(n) Property responsibility.
(o) Funds and priorities of expenditure.
(p) Recommendations as to new types of equipment.
( q ) Procurement of real estate, shelter, and facilities, in-
cluding their leasing, repair, maintenance, and disposition.
(r) Improvement of airplane bases.
(s) Preparation, authentication, and distribution of ad-
ministrative orders both fragmentary and complete (coordi-
nation with S-3 for details of the tactical plan and S-l for
details pertaining to the activities supervised by the personnel
section) .
(t) General supervision of all station supply and mainte-
nance sections and branches including air and motor trans-
port.
( u ) Responsibility for the provision of adequate supply
arrangements for all units located within the service area.
( v ) Maintenance of a clearing office for all requisitions and
request for services received from all activities within the
service area.
(zv) General supervision of all supply points provided by
the service center in the service area.
■ 11. Service Center Special Staff. — There is an ordnance
and a quartermaster staff section, each headed by a special
staff officer, in the headquarters. These special staff officers
are part of the headquarters. All other special staff officers
are also commanding officers of the various service center sec-
tions. All special staff officers advise the commander in the
fields in which they are specialists, advise other staff officers,
and coordinate the work of their own activities with that of
other service center organizations.
■ 12. References. — In the administration, supply, mainte-
nance, and repair work performed by the service center the
following Field and Technical Manuals will prove invaluable
aids:
Administration, FM 100-10.
Automatic pistol, caliber .45 M1911, and M1911A1, FM
23-35.
Aircraft propellers, TM 1-412.
482084 °— 42 -
13
12—13
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
Aircraft engines, TM 1-405.
Aircraft sheet metal work, TM 1-435.
Defense against chemical attack, FM 21-40.
Elementary map and aerial photograph reading, FM
21-25.
Equipment, clothing, and tent pitching, FM 21-15.
Grinding machines, TM 1-422.
Hand, measuring, and power tools, TM 10-590.
Heat treating and inspection of metals, TM 1-423.
Infantry drill regulations, FM 22-5.
Interior guard duty, FM 26-5.
Lathes, TM 1-420. *
Milling machines, shapers, and planers, TM 1-421.
Military training, FM 21-5.
Military sanitation and first aid, FM 21-10.
Military courtesy and discipline, FM 21-50.
Motor transport, FM 25-10.
Operations, FM 100-5.
Parachutes, aircraft fabrics, and clothing, TM 1-440.
Physical training, FM 21-20.
Property accounting, TM 10-310.
Quartermaster operations (for transportation by
motor, rail, and air), FM 10-5.
Soldier’s handbook, FM 21-100.
Storage and issue, TM 10-250.
The Army cook, TM 10-405.
The Army baker, TM 10-410.
U. S. rifle, caliber .30 Ml, FM 23-5.
Welding, TM 1-430,
Section IV
LAY-OUT
■ 13. Location. — Suitable terrain for an airdrome is the first
requirement in locating the service center. It is equally
important that the service center be conveniently located for
supply, maintenance, and communication to the airdromes
to be served. The service center airdrome is a necessity be-
cause transport airplanes must land with emergency sup-
plies — airplane spare parts, engines, and other items which
14
THE SERVICE CENTER
13—17
are required in a hurry. Liaison airplanes must land in
the service center as a vital addition to the wire and radio
communication nets. Damaged airplanes must land for re-*
pair; and repaired airplanes, whether they were flown in or
trucked in, must be able to take off. (See fig. 4.)
■ 14. Operations Section. — The operations section, to con-
trol the activities of the airdrome and to service attached and
transient aircraft, must of course be located at the airdrome,
taking advantage of whatever camouflage is available or con-
structing camouflage where none is available.
■ 15. Headquarters, Communication, and Finance Sections. —
The service center headquarters, as the nerve center of the
service center and of the airdromes served, should be located
as near the service center airdrome as camouflage permits.
The communication section, the nervous system of the service
center and its outlying airdromes, furnishes radio, telephone,
and teletype communication. It must therefore be located
as close as possible to the headquarters. The small finance
section is the money installation for the service center area;
it should be located primarily with a view to camouflage and
security.
■ 16. Air Force Engineering Section. — The air force engi-
neering section works on airplanes which are to take off when
repaired, so it should be located near one of the airdrome
runways but concealed and separated from the headquarters
units.
■ 17. Supply Sections. — There are five supply sections which
deal in supply from seven arms and services and which per-
form some maintenance functions. The air force technical
supply section also handles Corps of Engineer and Chemical
Warfare Service supplies. Its location should be dictated by
the factors of camouflage, dispersion, and convenience to the
engineering section. The ordnance section must be located
primarily from the point of view of dispersion; the ammuni-
tion area, if it is separated from the rest of the section, must
be located from 1 to 3 miles from the nearest installation and
it should be located to leeward of the airdrome, that is, to
the leeward of the prevailing wind. The medical supply sec-
15
17-18
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
tion and the dispensary are located with concealment as the
first consideration; also with the consideration of dispersion
and convenience to the personnel of the service center and to
personnel likely to be sent to it from outlying airdromes.
■ 18. Motor Transport Pool. — The motor transport pool is
one of the most vital sections of the service center as it may
16
THE SERVICE CENTER
18-20
be the only means other than by air of transporting ammu-
nition and other supplies to the combat airdromes. It prob-
ably will have to be located a mile or more from service center
headquarters in order to secure sufficient camouflage. It
must be located near the best highway in the vicinity and
personnel operating within the service center must be very
careful to use only existing roads or roads that have been hewn
through woods to supplement the road net.
■ 19. Other Sections. — The photographic section, the head-
quarters squadron, the one or two service squadrons, the
military police company, and the aviation engineer battalion
if one is present are all located with camouflage and disper-
sion as primary considerations; once these requirements are
satisfied, consideration is given to locating them near the
points where they function.
Section V
COMMUNICATION SECTION
■ 20. Organization. — The communication section is operated
by the operations platoon of the signal company, service
group. The company and operations platoon organizations
are shown in figure 5.
a. Company commander . — The company commander com-
mands and administers the company, supervising the work
of the headquarters and the two platoons. He also is special
staff signal officer and in this capacity, coordinates the work
of the signal company with that of all other service center
organizations and advises the service center commander on
signal matters.
b. Communication officer . — The commander of the opera-
tions platoon of the signal company, service group, is com-
munication officer for the service center. The communica-
tion officer is required to know in complete detail the state
of the communication net. At any given moment he must
know exactly who can be reached by each type of communi-
cation. He must know what element of the net is bearing
the heaviest load to each agency, and he must use this knowl-
edge iri recommending to the service center commander a
system of priorities for messages.
17
i Half of the teletype operators must be qualified for tone telegraph.
Figure 5. — Organization of signal company, service group.
THE SERVICE CENTER
21-23
■ 21. Message Center. — The message center receives mes-
sages from service center headquarters and encodes and
transmits them as desired; receives messages from other head-
quarters by radio, wire, or messenger and decodes and de-
livers them.
■ 22. Telephone and Telegraph Section. — The telephone and
telegraph section operates a telephone and either a teletype
or a tonal telegraph service. The teletype is of particular
advantage for transmission of the daily message. Half of the
teletype operators are capable tonal telegraph operators, and
the section is provided with tonal telegraph equipment for
use If the teletype fails. The teletype is highly desirable for
speed of operation but requires a fairly constant frequency
attainable in the field only with exceptional care in power
generation and insulation of wiring. Its major items of equip-
ment are — -
6 teletypewriter sets EE-97.
3 perforator sets TG-11.
3 reperforator sets TG-13.
1 telegraph central office set TC-3.
1 telephone central office set TC-4.
1 telephone central office set TC-12.
40 field telephones EE-8-A.
10 miles wire W-110B.
■ 23. Radio Section. — a. The radio section operates the radio
service for the service group and the units it serves. It op-
erates two SCH-188 receiver transmitters and four additional
receiving sets. The SCRr-188 set includes thirteen antennas
of six different types. Its voice range is 30 to 200 miles; its
CW (continuous wave) range, from 75 to 1,000 miles. The
variation in either type of transmission is caused by atmos-
pheric, local electrical, and terrain conditions. The set is
mobile and is for ground use. Its transmitting band is 1500
to 12500 kilocycles; its receiving band is 400 to 13000 kilo-
cycles.
b. The other four receiver sets are to increase the range
when it is necessary to guard frequencies other than those
used for regular traffic. They are —
THE AftMV LIBRARY
Kington, a a
23-27
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
Type Range ( kilocycles )
2 radio receivers BC-342C 1500 to 18000
1 radio receiver BC-779 100 to 20000
1 radio receiver SCR-244 540 to 20000
c. For ideal operation there should be an operator for each
set. However, under wartime conditions the seven operators
of the section will likely be used so that two or three operate
on the 8-hour shift with the heaviest traffic and one or two
operate on each of the other two shifts. Each set is tuned to
a different frequency but one operator can handle all, except
under peak load conditions.
■ 24. Personnel. — a. Personnel for each section is provided
so there will be someone on duty at the message center — at
the telephone, at the telegraph, and at the radio — at all times.
5. The wire unit, which consists of a chief, two installer-
repairmen, and two linemen, sets up and maintains the wire
system at the service group camp.
■ 25. Power. — Power for the sections comes from the com-
pany’s three PE-75-D power units. They are portable, light-
weight, and have very efficient motor generators, 110- volt, 60-
cycle, 2 y 2 -kilowatt.
Section VI
FINANCE SECTION
M 26. Organization and Personnel. — The finance section con-
sists of two officers and fifteen men. They operate the vari-
ous sections constituting an average disbursing office. (See
fig. 6.) The disbursing office will handle all military and com-
mercial vouchers of the service group itself in the normal way.
■ 27. Military Vouchers. — Military vouchers for personnel*
of the eight airdromes serviced will be forwarded via mail
(message center) to the disbursing office. Check payments
will be mailed; cash payments will be made by an officer
from the disbursing office 1 or 2 days per month at each
airdrome. Monthly enlisted pay rolls will be paid at each
airdrome by class A agent officers who will obtain cash from
the disbursing office.
20
482084° — 42
1 administrative
clerk
1 accountant
1 general book-
keeper
1 clerk-typist
1 general clerk
1 clerk-typist
1 administrative
chief
1 general book-
keeper
1 cashier
1 stenographer
1 accountant
2 auditors
1 general clerk
1 clerk-typist
Figure 6. — Organization of typical finance section.
28-29
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
■ 28. Commercial Vouchers. — Commercial vouchers for pur-
chases of all airdromes will be paid by check from the dis-
bursing office, as all purchase orders and supporting papers
of each airdrome will be routed through the center purchase
and contract officers.
Section VII
OPERATIONS SECTION
■ 29. Organization and Personnel. — The operations section
operates the landing field like any controlled airport. See
figure 7 for its personnel.
a. Officers. — The operations officer and the assistant are the
service center S-3 and assistant. The operations officer is
responsible for the operation of the service center airdrome;
his duties include the following:
(1) Maintaining records pertaining to the flying activities
of pilots in the service group — hours flown, results of mis-
sions, and expenditure of ammunition.
(2) Securing from the weather section and disseminating
the latest meteorological data.
(3) Supervising operation of aircraft assigned to the group.
(4) Supervising operations of operational control towers
when needed in the service center area.
b. Instrument landing section. — On direction of higher au-
thority, the instrument landing section is provided with in-
strument landing equipment by the air force general depot
signal section and is responsible for furnishing instrument
landing service at designated airdromes in the service center
area. When not so employed, the instrument landing sec-
tion personnel is used in the shops of the service center en-
gineering section.
22
the service center 29
1 radio mechanic
2 radio truck operators
Equipment
2 trucks, each with two-way
radio,, charts, and compasses
Figure 7. — Organization of typical operations section.
1 clerk clearances, flight plans,
aircraft schedules, aircraft
rosters, and aircraft status
reports
1 clerk flight records and flight
orders
23
30
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
Chapter 2
AIR FORCE ENGINEERING SHOPS
Paragraphs
Section I. Engineering section 30-32
II. Administration section 33
III. Mobile repair section 34^37
IV. Machine shop 38-41
V. Sheet metal shop 42^-43
VI. Electric shop 44^-45
VII. Paint and fabric shop 46-47
VIII. Aircraft instrument shop 48-50
IX. Propeller shop 51-53
X. Cabinet shop 51-55
XI. Parachute shop 56-57
Section I
ENGINEERING SECTION
■ 30, Service Center Engineering Officer; Engineering
Publications. — a. The service center engineering officer is the
service center commander’s special staff officer for air force
engineering and in that capacity he keeps the commander
advised on the accomplishments and needs of the air force
engineering section. The service center engineering officer;
in addition to his special staff duties, is in charge of the
service center engineering section. He is assisted by the
two service squadron engineering officers, and in the prepa-
ration of reports by the two service squadron statistical offi-
cers. The engineering officer is responsible for —
(1) Direct supervision of the operation, production, and
maintenance methods used by the engineering section.
(2) Preparation of all orders and instructions pertaining
to the maintenance, salvage, and reclamation of air force
equipment being processed through the engineering section,
including its mobile units.
(3) Operation of the air force system of maintenance in-
spection within the service group, making certain that all
equipment is maintained in a serviceable condition and that
all standards of construction, workmanship, and changes as
prescribed in the existing orders are followed.
24
THE SERVICE CENTER 30
(4) Scheduling of work from activities being served by the
service center. •
(5) Preparation or coordination of all correspondence
emanating from the engineering section concerning main-
tenance and maintenance inspection matters.
(6) Overhaul, repair, remodeling, inspection, or recondi-
tioning of all air force equipment in use or in storage and
of all other air force equipment as may be received by the
service center whenever such work is required; the manufac-
ture when necessary of such equipment, parts, and tools as
may be required to meet the immediate needs; and for all
other equipment as may be ordered from higher authority.
(7) Maintenance of a prescribed number of complete sets
of the following publications, conveniently located to all shops
and units of the engineering section;
(a) Air Corps Circulars.
(b) Air Corps Technical Orders.
(c) Air Corps Specifications.
( d ) Authorized blue prints.
(e) Air Corps Stock lists.
(/) Such other technical publications and manuals as refer
to air force subjects and as are required for the operation of
the engineering department.
b. The following list indicates some of the standard Army
Air Forces forms and circulars that are of common use and
with which certain engineering personnel should be familiar :
Circular Subject
15-0 Index and Requisitioning of Army Air Forces
Forms.
15-1 W D., A A F. Forms Nos. 1 and lA^Airplane
Flight Report.
15-14 W.D., A.A F. Form No. 14 — Technical Report of
Aircraft Acc'dent Classification Committee.
15-16- Radio and Telegraphic Reports of Aircraft
Accidents.
15-30 Forced Landing Report.
15-43 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 43 — Armament Inspec-
tion Record.
15-46 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 46 — Parachute Record.
25
30-31
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
15-48 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 48 — Work Order.
15-50 W.D., A.A.F. Forms Nos? 49, 50, 51, 83, and
83A — Parts and Identification Tags.
15-52 Engine Block Test Report.
15-54 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 54 — Unsatisfactory Re-
port.
15-55 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 55 — Technical Order
Compliance Report.
15-58 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 58 — Parachute Inspec-
tion and Drop Test Card.
15-60 W.D., A.A.F. Forms Nos. 60 A and 60B — Tech-
nical Instruction Compliance Record.
15-61 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 61 — Propeller Historical
Record.
15-81 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 81 — Stores Charge.
15-82 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 82— Stores Credit.
15-97 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 97 — Purchase Request.
15-99 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 99 — Memorandum Re-
ceipt (Credit and Debit) .
15-241 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 241 — Instruction Slip.
15-242 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 242- — Foreman’s Prog-
ress Report.
15-243 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 243— Bill of Material.
15-249 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 249 — Stores Exchange.
15-250 W.D., A.A.F. Form No. 250— Time Card.
■ 31. Functions. — The air force engineering section is
charged with third echelon maintenance and repair.
a. Echelons of maintenance. — (1) First echelon aircraft
maintenance is that performed by the air echelon of the com-
bat unit. It corresponds to first echelon maintenance for all
other Army Air Forces equipment, which is the maintenance
performed by equipment operators.
(2) Second echelon aircraft maintenance is that performed
by the ground echelon of the combat unit, air base squadrons,
and airways detachments. It corresponds to second echelon
maintenance for all other Army Air Forces equipment, which
is the maintenance performed by the using organization.
(3) Third echelon aircraft maintenance is that performed
by service groups and subdepots. It is the same echelon as
26
THE SERVICE CENTER
31
that for all other Army Air Forces equipment, that is, the
maintenance performed by service center organizations.
(4) Fourth echelon aircraft maintenance is that per-
formed by air depot groups and control depots. It corre-
sponds to fourth echelon maintenance for all other Army
Air Forces equipment, which is maintenance performed by
depot organizations.
b. Third echelon maintenance . — Third echelon, or service
center, maintenance cannot be exactly defined. The service
center organization’s capabilities are limited by the number,
experience, and aptitude of its technicians and by the quan-
tity, condition, and type of its equipment and supply. Third
echelon aircraft maintenance embraces repairs and replace r
ments requiring machine tools and other equipment of such
weight and bulk that ground means of transport is neces-
sary. This echelon includes field repairs and reclamation,
removal and replacement of major unit assemblies, fabrica-
tion of minor parts, and minor repairs to aircraft structures
and equipment. Normally this echelon is limited to repairs
which can be made within a certain period of time, the period
to be determined by the prevailing situation.
c. Variations in capabilities of a given echelon. — The eche-
lons of maintenance will likely vary from time to time, even
within the same air force area.
(1) At times it may be impracticable for the combat unit
to perform normal routine inspections due to lack of men or
equipment. In such cases it would call on the service center
for assistance.
(2) Frequently it may be necessary for the service center to
turn over to the depot repairs which appear to be minor; for
example, small repairs which require heat treating beyond
the capabilities of the facilities of the service center. Also,
overload conditions may require air force depot assistance.
d . Disposition of repair work . — Third echelon maintenance
and repair is performed both in the service center and to a
considerable extent in the squadron airdrome by employment
of the mobile repair units. The engineering section deter-
mines whether aircraft which has crashed within the service
center area or other aircraft reported to be damaged can be
repaired at the scene or must be moved to the service center
27
31-32
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
for repair. In event the damaged aircraft appears beyond
the capacity of the service center, the service center engineer-
ing officer must decide the question and call on the air depot
engineering officer for ultimate disposition. If the air depot
engineering officer decides that the aircraft is damaged be-
yond service center repair, he has three courses of action
open to him: he may send out a depot mobile repair section,
consisting of heavier equipment than that assigned to the
service center mobile repair section, and repair the aircraft
at the scene; he may cause it to be transported to the depot
for repair; or he may cause the parts to be salvaged either
by depot or service center personnel. Under wartime con-
ditions, echelons of repair lose much of their peacetime sig-
nificance — the squadron which in time of peace may decide
that someone else should do the repair job may in war per-
form engineering work normally assigned to third echelon
maintenance. The service center, under wartime conditions,
may practically manufacture new airplanes out of old parts.
The personnel, functions, and equipment of the various shops
are detailed in succeeding sections.
e. Maintenance by flight section . — Although the echelon of
maintenance at the service center is said to be third, so far as
personnel at the service center operates equipment they must
perform the operator’s first echelon maintenance on it; and
to the same extent the organization must perform the using
unit, or second echelon of maintenance. To provide second
echelon maintenance for the airplanes assigned to it and for
transient aircraft, there is a flight section in each service,
squadron engineering section.
■ 32. Composition and Employment. — The service group usu-
ally contains two service squadrons (see fig. 8), but the engi-
neering section of one squadron may under some conditions
be detached and sent to a part of the service center area where
the maintenance load is heaviest. When both service squad-
ron engineering sections are at the service center their per-
sonnel will be pooled to form the engineering section admin-
istration and shop units. The section will be under the direct
control of the group engineering officer. Officers and enl.sted
men at the disposal of the group engineering officer will
consist cf —
28
THE SERVICE CENTER 32-34
a. A total of five officers, two warrant officers, and 218 en-
listed men.
(1) Group engineering officer (from service group head-
quarters) .
(2) Two airplane inspectors (from service group headquar-
ters) .
(3) The engineering section from two service squadrons,
each composed of two officers, one warrant officer, and 108
enlisted men.
b. The assignment of personnel to shop sections will be de-
termined by the group engineering officer and will differ ac-
cording to circumstances. Figure 8 shows a typical disposi-
tion of personnel, one which has worked successfully under
field conditions.
Section n
ADMINISTRATION SECTION
■ 33. Functions and Equipment. — The administration section
directs and coordinates the functioning of the various engi-
neering shops. It maintains all routine correspondence, rec-
ords, and various technical files; draws sketches for parts of
airplanes that must be manufactured; maintains a record of
all jobs being performed; and places with the technical supply
section all orders for supplies and parts needed for the engi-
neering section. By maintaining and studying records of
performance of various airplanes serviced, the section an-
ticipates future needs and plans for them. It is housed in a
hospital ward tent, two large tents, or equivalent shelter. It
needs seven tables, four typewriters, and other office equip-
ment.
Section III
MOBILE REPAIR SECTION
■ 34. Number of Units and Personnel. — a. Number .■ — Each
service squadron includes four mobile repair units, hence the
service group has eight. The number is determined by the
theory that there should be as many mobile units as there are
combat squadrons. They may be used, however, at any point
in the service center area where they are required, including
482084 ° — 42 -
29
Squadron engineering
officer
Statistical officer
Figure 8.— Organization of one squadron, engineering section.
THE SERVICE CENTER
34—36
the service center itself; more than one may be sent to a
single squadron if the maintenance load requires.
b. Composition. — Mobile repair units are usually of a fixed
number and composition. Each consists of four aircraft
mechanics, one aircraft instrument repairman, two sheet
metal workers, one aircraft welder, one machinist, one air-
craft electrician, and one propeller mechanic. On occasion
the unit -may be tailored to fit a particular job by adding other
specialists.
■ 35! Functions and Employment. — a. Disposition. — The
mobile units are sent to dispersed airplane positions and may
be left there after the job is done. Then they may be dis-
patched direct to another job.
b. Work. — The mobile units do the combined work of the
propeller, electrical, metal, machine, and instrument shops,
though on a smaller scale. They do engine changes, crib-
bing and crating, and wing repairs. Work on the surfaces
and structures of an airplane often amounts to rebuilding.
Such work is limited by the unit’s tools and supply of spare
parts and stock, therefore it cannot always rival the- neat-
ness and durability of the job performed at the service center
shops. On the other hand, mobile units have rebuilt wings
so well as to pass air depot inspection.
■ 36 Equipment. — a. Transportation . — The unit operates,
out of three 2^-ton quartermaster cargo trucks, an engineer-
ing truck with winch for hoist'ng boom operation and various
machines and tools, a technical supply truck, and a truck to
carry personnel and their personal dunnage. There may
also be attached a 1-ton, two-wheel trailer for mess equip-
ment; it is taken on a project for use by an attached cook
whenever it is not known that the technicians can mess with
other organizations on the road. Normally they will mess
with the combat squadron upon whose airplanes they are
wo., king.
b. Engineering equipment. — The engineering truck will
carry certain items of the service center engineering section
Table of Basic Allowances equipment. The items are pre-
scribed by Army Air Forces Technical Order. The arrange-
ment of the engineering truck is left to local option. The
equipment includes —
31
36
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
1 electric power plant, type Corps of Engineers 3 -kilo-
watt.
4 50-foot extension cords.
1 portable air compressor, 5-cubic-foot capacity, gaso-
line-engine driven.
1 portable hoist assembly.
4 airplane jack assemblies: 2, 20,000-pound, 2, 10,000-
pound.
2 nacelle hoist slings.
3 engine lifting eyes.
4 crew chief maintenance stands.
1 portable electric drill, ^-inch capacity.
1 gasoline blowtorch.
1 vise.
1 5-ton hydraulic jack.
1 energizer assembly.
1 inertia starter.
Gages and hydrometers.
Flashlights.
Gasoline and milk cans.
Funnels.
1 refueling pump and unit assembly.
Clamps.
Soldering copper.
Taps and dies.
Drills.
Wrenches.
Fire extinguishers.
c. Supplies . — The technical supplies will vary somewhat
with the type of aircraft to be repaired. A typical list might
be as follows, depending upon the kind of job to be performed:
2 pounds safety wire, brass, 0.051, mostly for arma-
ment.
200 each, pins, cotter, by 1-inch, mostly for arma-
ment.
50 each, pins, cotter, % 2 - by 1-inch, mostly for arma-
ment.
24 each, pins, cotter, Vq- by 2y 2 -inch, for airplanes.
1 gallon oil, lubricating, SAE 20 (for oilcans, etc.).
32
THE SERVICE CENTER
36—38
1 gallon Prestone (preferably in 1-gallon can).
3 rolls tape, friction.
1 roll tape, rubber.
40 pounds rags.
12 each, batteries, flashlight.
1 gallon oil, Curtiss speed reducer, No. 1 (for propeller) .
5 pounds grease, mobile No. 2 (for power gear in pro-
peller) .
3 pounds grease, cup, medium, specification 661 (mis-
cellaneous use).
V 2 pint instrument oil.
1 pound graphite grease (cooling pumps).
1 can instrument sealing compound.
1 can joint sealing compound.
4 each, electric floor plugs (gang type, 4 outlets) .
50 feet ^-inch rope.
50 feet %-inch rope.
■ 37. Examples of Mobile Unit Work. — Some of the major
repairs performed by the four mobile units of one service
squadron in a 6-week period are outlined below.
a. Wings replaced on four P-40 airplanes.
b . Innumerable engine changes in various types of air-
planes.
c. Extensive sheet metal repair on five DB-7 and A-20C
airplanes.
d. Reclamation of a B-25A airplane from an ocean (near
the beach).
e. Work on a total of over 50 airplanes.
Section IV
MACHINE SHOP
■ 38. General. — -All the repair shops of the engineering sec-
tion of the service center perform all kinds of third echelon
repair. Their equipment is heavier than that of the mobile
units, as they have more electric power; they have more types
of taps and dies; they have an arbor press, a lathe of 7-inch
swing and 32 -inch bed, a countershaft, milling attachments,
and lathe mandrels. The machine shop is often combined
with the sheet metal shop (see sec. V) with only one foreman
33
38-41 ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
for the machinists, metal workers, and welders who make up
the two shops.
■ 39. Personnel, — There are only a foreman and three other
machinists to operate the machine shop. Even if it is not
combined with the metal shop, the equipment of the two shops
is often pooled. Always the equipment of one shop must be
available to the other, and a close cooperation exists among
the personnel.
■ 40. Functions. — A large portion of the machine shop work
is for tools and ground equipment. Its work for aircraft con-
sists of repairing parts and fabricating them when they are
not in stock or readily obtainable from the air depot. To-
gether with the metal shop, the machine shop does very ex-
tensive repairs, ranging from the rebuilding of a wing to re-
placing a single loose rivet. In a 2-week period the two shops
have repaired three badly damaged wings, rebuilt the nose
section and pilot’s compartment of a DB-7, and manufac-
tured many parts such as cowlings and oil lines. The ma-
chine shop made shafts for carburetor scoops and innumer-
able stud wrenches for the various shops. The welders did
much routine welding and built two bocms for mobile units.
This example is of the performance of shops of an unusually
efficient engineering section; in an area under enemy attack
even these shops would likely have had production cut down.
■ 41. Equipment. — The machine shop is located in a semi-
trailer (or other available shelter) and canvas lean-to’s which
are shared with the metal shop. The semitrailer used by
some shops is illustrated in figure 9.
a. The lathe can be set for the proper thread and the stop
can be set for the length of thread cut. The threading tocl
is set on a cross feed. It can be used with many sizes of collets
for small-diameter stocks: inch, %6-inch, and up to
1-inch. There is a chuck for bigger work. There are boring
bars to attach. There are milling-machine attachments for
small- and medium-sized work that take the place of a shaper
and milling machine; with this attachment it is possible to
cut gears and make ratchet wheels. There is a slotting at-
tachment to cut keyways on gears and shafts.
b. There is an arbor press, distance of center spindle to
34
THE SERVICE CENTER
41-42
column 6 Inches, leverage 45 to 1, which gives an even, steady
pressure and may be used to remove or replace bearings and
bushings.
c. There is an electric bench grinder, two-wheel, 6-inch
diameter, for smoothing and reducing surfaces and for work
on tools for the various engineering shops. A hand grinder is
used for smoothing and cleaning surfaces of soft metals.
d. The shop's power is generated by a B-6 generator set,
110-volt, single-phase, 60-cycle, gasoline-operated.
Section V
SHEET METAL SHOP
■ 42. Personnel and Functions.— a. The sheet metal shop is
manned by a foreman metal worker, five other metal workers,
and four welders. They do all the work on the wings, nacelle,
and tail surfaces of the airplane, as well as whatever metal
work or welding is required elsewhere in the airplane and for
the service center installations.
b. The sheet metal shop works in close cooperation with all
other shops of the engineering section, but most particularly
so with the machine shop; it is usually located under a lean-to
adjacent to the machine shop trailer.
i c. This shop can go far toward rebuilding the surface of
an airplane and in time of stress can rebuild the structure.
As most aircraft sheet metal contains aluminum and is sel-
dom over % inch in thickness, it is easy metal with which
to work. The shop has stocks of both annealed and hardened
sheet metal; when annealed metal is used it is tempered with
the electric hot plate or even with the welding torch.
d. Riveting is usually accomplished by using a bucking bar
under the surface of the metal to be riveted, the old-fashioned
solid rivet, and pneumatic hammer. There is a special riv-
eter for corner riveting. The explosive rivet is of questionable
value in aircraft work because it may look perfect on the sur-
face and yet have failed to expand underneath the metal
surface to be joined. The sheet metal shop is equipped to
use the Goodrich rivet, which is used when the undersur-
faces cannot be reached with a bucking bar. The rivet and
tool are pushed through a hole in the metal surface, and the
35
ML, Oo-AII
Drill wess, WntV> W I
b ce.riter of spmdte I
"Vo column, motor \ \0v AC . |
"Vo 'WWi 9/
( Na
Grander WncV» eltdVic-
Z wheels 6‘ diie.wiotor UOv ftC« -
Press, Qrbor r J»sf once center
ot spindle "Vo column 6“ .
leverage 4S1 q 1 less pc4«&1o\ ^
^ N t .
K*ttndut& W Tire \ Cotr^reSSOr, Air Portable,
2X j>ra.5sureTffel^ttL) i ^a^es 5 cu.Vt Cap.
moV^ l»v. AC.
I I
Figure 9. — Floor diagram of typical machine shop trailer.
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
THE SERVICE CENTER
42-43
tool twists the base of the rivet back against the undersurface
against the head of the rivet. Because its hollowness weakens
the Goodrich rivet, it is generally not used where stress will
be placed upon it; rather, it is used for de-icing and like
equipment.
e. The sheet metal workers do whatever wire work and wire
splicing are necessary for mechanical appliances of the air-
plane.
/. Most aircraft welding is on exhaust manifolds and other
untreated ferrous metal parts and structures.
■ 43. Equipment. — The equipment of a typical metal shop
includes —
1 portable air compressor, 5-cubic-foot capacity, 100-
volt, a-c.
150 feet air hose, %-inch diameter.
1 air nozzle.
1 pneumatic riveting hammer, offset handle.
1 pneumatic riveting hammer, pistol grip.
1 pneumatic riveter.
1 bench type drill press, 6-inch center of spindle col-
umns, *4 -inch capacity.
3 portable electric drills.
56 straight-shank twist dr.'lls.
1 two-wheel electric bench grinder, 6 -inch diameter,
110-volt, a-c.
1 portable grinder, buffer, and sander, flexible shaft,
complete, 110-volt, a-c.
1 quart gasoline blowtorch.
1 acetylene torch.
Tanks of acetylene and oxygen with hose.
Welder’s gauntlets and goggle assemblies.
Welding torch igniters and regulators.
Hacksaws and handles.
Pliers, punches, screw drivers, and wrenches.
Portable workbench.
Eyecup goggle assembly.
Clamps, files, and forceps.
200 sheet holders.
Metal-cutting shears.
Flat tools, vises, and hollow- rivet cutters.
482084 — 42 6 3 7
44-45
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
Section VI
ELECTRIC SHOP
■ 44. Functions. — a. The electric shop operates the electric
power and lighting system for the service center. It manu-
factures conduits, charges storage batteries for aircraft, and
performs third echelon maintenance of the electrical equip-
ment at the service center and combat squadron installations
and third echelon maintenance of aircraft electrical equip-
ment. The shop also performs using-unit or squadron main-
tenance on radio equipment of the six service group air-
planes and any transients. The signal supply and mainte-
nance section (sec. VII, ch. 3) performs all third echelon
radio maintenance for the service center area.
b. Whenever the whole electrical system of an airplane
has to be torn out, the service center electric shop does the
job; for any circuit breaks the combat squadron or the mobile
repair section does the repair. Blue prints are necessary in
replacing airplane electrical systems and they should be in
the possession of the combat squadron.
■ 45. Equipment. — a. The equipment of a typical electric
shop includes —
1 large wall tent or equivalent shelter.
1 Corps of Engineers 3-kilowatt-ampere field lighting
set.
2.000 feet of No. 8 wire for main line.
3.000 feet of No. 14 wire for attachments and lead-ins.
100 sockets.
105 lamps.
Note. — D ouble the amounts given may be needed in a thoroughly
dispersed service center.
b. Battery testing and charging equipment:
2 storage-battery testing hydrometers.
1 short-circuit type storage-battery tester.
1 gasoline-operated water still, l-gallon-par-hour ca-
pacity.
10 1-gallon stoneware, crocks.
2 glass funnels.
1 32- ounce beaker-shaped graduate.
38
THE SERVICE CENTER
45—47
C. General electric testing and repair equipment includes — .
1 volt-ohm-milliammeter, portable, a-c and d-c.
1 double-coil growler. (This tests an armature but
not the field; a field winding growler is necessary for
this purpose.)
2 battery rectifiers, 6 -ampere rate. (These change
alternating current to direct current and can be used
to charge storage batteries.)
Motor and 1-phase, a-c, 60-cycle, 110-volt generator.
1 electric soldering copper.
1 gasoline blowtorch.
1 lead burning torch with 4 tips.
1 air nozzle, with push button, %-inch hose end (for
use on some other shop’s compressed air system on
the few occasions when compressed air is necessary) .
3 electrician’s tool kits of hand tools.
2 radio mechanic’s tool kits of hand tools.
Section VII
PAINT AND FABRIC SHOP
■ 46. Functions; — This shop does practically all the patching
and placing of new fabric on airplane ailerons and tail sur-
faces. It camouflages airplanes. Where necessary, it paints
parts of airplanes which are at the service center for other
repairs and performs whatever painting is required of it for
the various service center camp area installations.
■ 47 Equipment. — The equipment of a typical paint and fab-
ric shop includes —
1 portable air compressor, 5-cubic-foot capacity, 110-
volt, a-c.
4 suction-feed paint spray tubes.
2 paint spray guns, with oil and moisture separators.
1 paint-striping machine.
2 hand-operated stencil-cutting machines.
2 dope and fabric worker’s kits.
2 aircraft painter’s kits.
Brushes, tape, shears, and paint.
39
48-50 ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
Section VIII
AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENT SHOP
■ 48. Personnel. — This shop is operated by a foreman, six
other instrument repairmen, one repairman qualified for
bomb sight and bomb sight stabilizer work, and an apprentice.
The bomb sight repairman must be a technician of high order,
and the chronometer and gyro instrument technician and the
automatic pilot technicians also require much training. The
other repairmen work on pressure instruments and electrical
instruments. The shop foremen by training achieve as much
interchangeability as time and native abilities of the men
permit.
■ 49. Housing and Lay-Out. — The shop may be housed in a
semitrailer the arrangement of which is left to local option.
If no trailer is available, a portable warehouse, tent, or shack
will be used. Its power plant is made up of two motors and
generators: one 110-volt, 3-kilowatt, a-c; the other 24-volt,
2.5 kilowatt, a-c. The trailer contains an air-conditioning
unit to maintain pure air and semiconstant temperature to
insure proper conditions for working on delicate aircraft
instruments. (See figs. 10 and 11.)
■ 50. Equipment. — a. General . — (1) Perhaps the bulk of man
hours of labor performed by this section is in trouble shoot-
ing, that is, in locating the exact part of an instrument which
is the malefactor. Particularly is this true if the crew is not
composed wholly of experienced instrument mechanics, a con-
dition likely to exist under rapid military expansion. Often,
once the trouble is located, a unit assembly can be inter-
changed; even if parts must be fabricated, the time involved
is likely to be comparatively short.
(2) The elaborate installation can locate any aircraft in-
strument failure and make needed repairs or substitution of
unit assemblies. This function cannot, because of lack of
trained personnel and highly specialized equipment, be per-
formed at the combat squadron airdrome. It is necessary
that it be performed at installations much closer to the air-
plane than the air depot.
b. Testing . — Typical equipment for testing and its uses fol-
low:
40
THE SERVICE CENTER
bo
so
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
■ (T) A bench type drill press of 8-inch swing and 1 / 4 -inch
capacity r fpr sheet metal and an arbor press of 5-inch distance
cent^n of spindle to column and a leverage of 36 to 1. These
; pres^s are used to fabricate or repair parts, to make frames
foruristruments, etc.
(2il: A machinist’s bench vise with swivel base used to hold
balky instruments or to hold instruments for accurate setting,
j (3).f Two pressure-gage testers for the engine oil pressure
and fpr Iftie landing gear.
(4) A fabricated luminosity tester wlrch is an 18 -inch dark
chamber with peepholes at one end and an opening for the
luminous'-dialed instrument at the other.
(5) A vacuum pump with a 450-cubic-inch vacuum cham-
ber. The pump is used to test all gyro instruments. The
pump is used in conjunction with a motor-driven turntable
assembly to test bank and turn indicators, magnitude-of-
turn indicators, and other gyro instruments. The vacuum
chamber is used with a mercury manometer for checking alti-
meters, rate of climb, and suction gages.
* (6) A galvanometer with analysis cells, used for testing
fuel mixtures.
(7) A field instrument-testing frame assembly, including
master compass to check or swing aircraft compasses and a
<test fixture assembly to test tachometers, either mechanical
or electric. Here altimeters may be tested by use of the
vacuum chambers. A water manometer may be used to test
airspeed indicators; and a mercury manometer, in conjunc-
tion with a vacuum chamber, may be used to test altimeters,
rate-of-qlimb indicators, manifold pressure gages, and relief
valves. Compressed air may be coupled with the water;
manometer to test the airspeed indicator.
(8) A thermometer stand assembly, two-unit capacity, with
a range of — 40° C. to -J-200 0 C., and two laboratory ther-
mometers with range of 0° C. to 250° C. and —50° C. to
4-100° C.
(9) A portable motor-driven oil pump, y 4 -horsepower, 110-
volt, 60-cycle, 1 -phase, a-c, for testing automatic pilots.
(10) Small equipment kept in drawers or boxes such as a
stop watch, a bench level, and a photographic interval timer.
42
THE SERVICE CENTER
50-52
c. Repair — The repair equipment includes —
Drill and arbor presses (Ml) above).
1 stationary 3 -cubic-foot air compressor.
50 feet of %-inch hose, air nozzle, and push button.
1 universal motor-driven bench type buffer and polisher
(can be used as a lathe in emergency) .
1 electric soldering copper, %-inch point.
1 cast iron bench block.
1 oil and moisture separator.
Tools in seven instrument repairman’s kits: various
types of wrenches, screw drivers, drills, and fittings.
d. Supply . — The instrument shop has large oxygen tanks
from which it recharges the smaller tanks of the combat
squadrons.
Section IX
PROPELLER SHOP
■ 51. Functions. — The propeller shop functions are limited
to testing propellers, balancing them in some instances when
they are not true, replacing propeller blades with unit assem-
blies, and testing for and repairing oil leaks in hydromatic
propellers. The shop is not expected, except under excep-
tional combat need, to attempt to straighten a bent propeller
blade. This is a depot or factory function. In case of ex-
treme emergency, the service squadron or depot repair squad-
ron can straighten slight bends. As a propeller blade is bent
in at least one of every two airplane crashes, it is essential
that a large supply of spares for all aircraft be carried at
the air depot.
■ 52. Equipment. — The equipment of a typical propeller shop
includes —
1 large wall tent or equivalent shelter.
1 1-ton spur gear chain hoist.
1 propeller dolly.
1 double-beam studio scale.
4 movable type propeller storage stands.
1 portable electric drill, %-inch capacity.
28 straight shank twist drills (in sizes varying from
to x h inch by 32ds).
43
53-55
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
1 vernier height gage.
1 toolmaker’s service gage.
1 alemite gun.
1 electric pressure lubricator.
1 bench vise.
Various hand tools.
■ 53. Power. — This shop draws its electric power from the
electric shop.
Section X
CABINET SHOP
B 54. Location and Functions. — The cabinet shop is situated
in a large wall tent or equivalent theater-of -operations type
structure. The shop does any kind of woodwork for airplanes,
including parts for wooden or part wooden airplanes; it man-
ufactures or repairs spars, ribs, and wing tips for observation,
cargo, and liaison airplanes. It fabricates map cases for
all airplanes, makes wood horses for engine supports, and
makes other rigging and cradles. Cradles may cut in half
the man hours required to repair an engine. The shop
manufactures much equipment for the service center in-
stallations, such as cabinets for the mobile repair sections,
dies and patterns for sheet metal, and numerous other items
of equipment.
* 55. Equipment. — The equipment of a typical cabinet shop
includes —
1 portable workbench.
1 portable 8-inch electric saw, universal motor, 110-
volt.
1 pattern maker, 7- by 19i4-inch jaw.
2 3-gallon buckets.
1 32-gallon corrugated can.
1 fire extinguisher.
Flashlights.
4 aircraft carpenter kits of hand tools containing
planes, hammers, screw drivers, chisels, files, awls,
augers, and hand drills.
44
THE SERVICE CENTER
56
Section XI
PARACHUTE SHOP
■ 56. Functions. — The parachute shop is required to inspect
completely every parachute prior to repacking for service
use. The inspection and repacking are done at least once
each 60 days in domestic service and every 30 days in insular
service or where climatic conditions necessitate more fre-
quent inspection.
a. The shop performs third echelon inspection and repair
of parachutes. First echelon inspection performed by the
combat squadron must be performed by a qualified parachute
repairman. It consists of a visual inspection not less than
every 10 days and a complete inspection, including airing and
repacking, every 60 days, or oftener if there is any question
as to the condition of the parachute.
b. Third echelon inspection includes the complete repack-
ing. Its maintenance includes washing the parachute in
fresh water if the parachute has been immersed in salt water
for several hours. If the parachute has been in salt water
more than 24 hours, it must be sent to the depot; if less than
24 hours, all parts except the canopy are replaced.
c. Work on harness or parts, breast strap, diagonal back
strap, and fittings, consists largely of replacing units; how-
ever, if the main lift webs are damaged, a unit harness re-
placement should be made.
d. Repair of pack is limited as follows: Small holes or
seam rips are repaired and the silk canopy may be darned
at the service center shop if the hole is not greater than 6
inches in radius.
e. The rip cord assembly must almost always be replaced
as a unit and the damaged unit sent back to the depot.
/. Other work performed by this shop, some of it giving
precedence to parachute repair duties, includes checking life
rafts and vests; inspection of safety belts; manufacture or
repair of turret covers, tail wheel boots, airplane upholstery,
propeller and propeller starter slings, navigation kits, cross-
country bags, and flying clothing; and occasionally the manu-
facture and repair of tents and flies, particularly those for
use with semitrailers.
482084 ° — 42 — — 7
45
57
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
■ 57. Equipment. — Equipment of a typical parachute shop in-
* eludes —
1 hospital ward tent or equivalent shelter.
1 sewing machine,
1 electric heating unit for drying.
1 drying compartment, a 20- by 8- by 5-foot canvas on
metal frame with pulleys and rope suspension, cap-
able of drying eight parachutes at a time and requir-
ing about 24 hours for a wet parachute.
Records of service and tests of parachute.
6 tube leather rotary punches.
Shears.
Washer set to replace washers on packs.
6 parachute repairman’s kits.
2 temporary rip cords.
2 paddles for packing.
6 shot bags.
Weight, harness needles, chuck, and dies.
Car fasteners for lift-the-dots.
Hand tools.
4 sizes of grommet sets.
46
THE SERVICE CENTER
58-59
Chapter 3
SUPPLY AND MAINTENANCE
Paragraphs
Section I. Supply 58-61
II. Air force technical supply section 62-63
III. Chemical Warfare Service 61—65
IV. Corps of Engineers 66-67
V. Motor vehicle and ordnance sections 68—73
VI. Quartermaster supply section 74
VII. Signal supply and maintenance section 75-79
VIII. Medical services 80-82
IX. Motor transport pool 83—87
X. Photographic laboratory 88
XI. Service center security 89-92
Section I
SUPPLY
■ 58. Classification. — Formal classifications of supply ap-
pear in appendix I. Supply is further classified in methods
of handling as heavy, bulky, and frequently used supply and
equpment or as light, easily handled equipment or supply.
Where possible, bulky shipments are sent direct from an air
force depot to the using unit, and very often more than one
refilling point will be set up in a service center area for the
purpose of handling such heavy supplies. Lightweight sup-
pl'es on the other hand are generally supplied through the
service center,
11 59. Reserves. — a. Air force technical suvvly . — One of the
first factors to be cons'dered in a military supply system is
the reserve of supplies to be maintained by the using units.
No fixed quantities can be decided in advance as the situation,
particularly with reference to danger of cutting of communi-
cations, is a compelling consideration. The theater com-
mander prescribes the reserves of .supply for all organiza-
tions in the theater. Generally, the combat squadron air
echelon keeps a 3-day technical supply in its crew chiefs’ kits
and a 10 -day supply in its squadron engineering kit. The
service center will likely keep a 30 -day technical supply; and
the air force general depot, a 90- to 150-day supply.
47
59-61
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
b. One-day supply . — One-day supply is an arbitrary and
hypothetical unit when applied to air force technical supply.
On any given day, aerial combat might cause the squadron
the loss of all tail surfaces from every airplane. Such an oc-
currence and the resulting need cannot be foreseen and re-
placements stocked.
c. Supply of arms and services other than Army Air
Forces. — The reserves will generally be 2 days for rations and
other supply. As ammunition is the supply most difficult to
haul and handle and the supply for which the need varies
most with the situation, the required reserves may vary even
from day to day. It is vital that bombs and other ammu-
nition are available at a moment’s notice; two missions for
each airplane of all types of bombs likely to be used in the
sector must be kept at a distributing point close to the squad-
ron airdrome.
B 60. Channels for Requisitions. — -Requisitioning, request-
ing, or reporting the need for additional or replacement sup-
ply and equipment is always performed by a communication
from the combat squadron to the service center. A large
amount of such reports will be included in a daily telegram
or teletype report including such information as the actual
strength of the unit, the estimated strength for the day 3 or
4 days in advance, the amount of aviation gasoline and lubri-
cants (class IIIA) on hand, the amount of motor transport
and cooking gasoline (class III) expended the previous day,
the number of airplanes assigned, and the number of air-
planes in commission. This covers automatic supply items.
Calls for ammunition will usually be included in the daily
message with a report of amount and type expended. Sup-
plies which are urgent, such as airplane parts and ammuni-
tion, are reported by telephone, teletype, or radio to service
center headquarters. Other items of supply are requested by
written communication through the message center.
■ 61. Distribution of Supply. — a. Controlled items of swp-
ply. — (1) Items are controlled at each echelon of supply. The
echelon where control first becomes necessary depends on the
relative scarcity of the item. In considering P-40A propellers,
if there were millions of them, every squadron supply officer
48
THE SERVICE CENTER
6t
would stock them but nevertheless would not issue them to
pilots before replacements were needed. If there were a num-
ber in the air force somewhat greater than the number ex-
pected to be needed before replacement from the zone of the
interior could be effected, reserves might likely be set up in
the service center. On the other hand, if the number in the
air force exactly equaled the number of the estimated ex-
penditure, the whole reserve would be at the air depot or at
least controlled from it; otherwise, all the P-40A’s in one
service center area might require propeller replacements,
none in the other areas, and one service center's supply would
not suffice.
(2) In practice, the result is that a replacement-controlled
item may be located only at a supply point seemingly remote
from the using squadron and a control officer’s assent may
be necessary to the issue. Otherwise, controlled items are
requisitioned and distributed in the same manner as other
supply.
b. Special delivery. — A request for supply or equipment will
state if immediate delivery is necessary. If it is, delivery will
be performed by specially dispatched motor transport. Oth-
erwise, such supply is handled like other items.
c. Distribution from service center . — (1) Where the service
center has the desired item in stock or at refilling points under
its control, it will cause delivery to be made from that source.
Delivery will be by specially dispatched motor transport if
the occasion requires it, otherwise by daily run.
(2) The service center requisitions items from the air force
depots. It does this on a consolidated requisition normally.
Where immediate replenishment is needed, an individual
requisition will be sent to the depot by radio or wire communi-
cation,
d . Distribution from air force depot. — Requests for supply
which the service center cannot satisfy are forwarded to the
depot in consolidated reports where there is no need for haste,
or by indorsement where haste is needed and the depot may
elect to supply direct to the combat squadron. Direct delivery
to the squadron may be effected by air, motor transport, or
rail. Normal routine would consist of a shipment by depot
49
61-62
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
to service center and reshipment by service center to the
combat squadron by daily run,
e , Organization for handling supply. — (1) In handling
classes I, III, and IIIA supplies, the service center with its
personnel operates refilling points for the service center area.
With respect to other supplies which are heavy, bulky, or used
in large quantities, such as bulk chemicals, engineer camou-
flage, construction, and fortification materials, landing mats,
and ammunition, the service center furnishes necessary refill-
ing-point sections to operate refilling points where rail com-
munication is substantially closer to the squadron airdromes
than the service center. With respect to all other chemical,
engineer, and ordnance supplies, the service center carries
reserves for all squadron airdromes.
(2) There is much similarity in the manner of perform-
ance of supply functions of each of the six sections from the
seven arms and services which supply the service center and
the combat squadrons.
Section II
AIR FORCE TECHNICAL SUPPLY SECTION
■ 62. Personnel. — The air force technical supply section is
noxunally operated by the personnel of two service squadron
technical supply sections less three or four men from each to
handle service squadron technical supply. The personnel will
be pooled in the service center air force technical supply sec-
tion. Each section would furnish the following personnel:
a. Administrative office.
1 supply officer.
1 chief clerk or assistant.
3 administrative clerks.
1 record clerk.
1 general clerk.
1 stenographer.
1 stock records clerk.
1 office assistant.
b. Warehouse section.
1 chief storekeeper.
5 storekeepers.
50
. THE SERVICE CENTER 62-63
4 stock records clerks.
1 technical supply clerk.
1 administrative clerk.
c. Shipping and receiving section .
1 foreman.
1 carpenter packer.
3 storekeepers.
1 general clerk.
■ 63. Functions. — a. Administrative. — This section handles
all daily messages and other requisitions for supply of all
services, verifies the form and description of all orders, and
follows up orders for supply needed immediately. It handles
records of all orders for, and distribution of, supply.' The
work is technical and highly specialized as there are over
150,000 different items of technical supply, each requiring a
separate designation for record keeping and orders.
b. Warehouse. — For storage and handling, technical supply
is generally divided into Table 1, which is subdivided into lub-
ricants, small parts, and bulk articles; and Table 2, Organiza-
tion Equipment List.
(1) Table 1. — (a) Table 1 is supply and equipment used by
all types of aircraft. A perpetual inventory is maintained
by posting all receipts and withdrawals on bin cards. Small
parts are kept in many small drawers, each with a bin card,
all housed in a semitrailer (fig. 12) if one is available; if not,
under a fly or equivalent shelter. It includes the multitude
of screws, gaskets, nuts, bolts, etc., which are standard size
for airplanes.
(b) Also included are lubricants which generally are so
bulky as to require separate storage space, such as a tent or
shack. Paints and varnishes are stored at the same place.
(c) In addition, there are several bulky items, such as
gasoline drums and oxygen and acetylene cylinders, which are
best stored in a third space,
(2) Table 2. — (a) Another unit handles Table 2 supply
consisting of parts and equipment designed and useful for
only one or a few types of airplanes. Storage is in a trailer
if available, otherwise under tentage or other shelter.
51
63-G4
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
(5) Another unit handles Organization Equipment List
equipment. So far as this is equipment for service center
units, the function consists merely of ordering replacements,
checking them in, and supervising delivery to, and account-
ing with, the unit. For other air force units served by it, it
is necessary to store fairly large volumes. This equipment
may be stored in a semitrailer (figs. 13 and 14) , in tents, or
in shacks.
(3) Total . — The warehousing might easily total 5 tons and
10,000 cubic feet.
c. Shipping and receiving . — This unit does packing, ship-
ping, and receiving for the service center. Medical supply is
packed by the medical supply section; Chemical Warfare
Service supply is packed by or under the general supervision
of the service group chemical section. All Corps of Engi-
neers, Signal Corps, and aircraft supply is handled by this
section. It acts much like any factory shipping section.
d. Agency . — An agent office is operated at the service
center engineering section in order to speed the delivery of
parts and material to that section.
Section in
CHEMICAL WARFARE SERVICE
■ 64. Chemical Functions of Service Group. — a . General . —
The service group is an organization designed to man and
operate a service center the function of which is to serve
two groups of aviation of any type. In order to meet this
requirement there have been permanently assigned to the
service group only those Chemical Warfare Service officers
and enlisted men who are necessary to the proper function-
ing of the service center with any type of aviation. This
personnel comprises a special staff section in the headquar-
ters of the headquarters and headquarters squadron service
group and consists of two officers and eight enlisted men.
The senior officer is the chemical staff officer for the service
center. He will prepare the chemical annex to the service
group administrative order. This annex will contain the
plan for the supply of chemical materiel, including ammu-
Figure 12. — Interior of Table 1 supply trailer.
Figure 14. — Floor diagram of typical toolroom trailer.
64
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
nition, to the dispersed squadrons in the service center area.
When chemical operations peculiar to a definite type of avia-
tion are contemplated, the necessary additional Chemical
Warfare Service personnel is supplied to the service center
through the attachment of the proper number of chemical
companies, air operations.
6. Functions normal to all types of aviation. — (1) There
are certain chemical warfare requirements that are common
to all types of aviation and to all organizations of the arms
and services with the Army Air Forces. These requirements
include —
(a) Instruction in the standard methods of defense against
chemical attack, including decontamination operations fol-
lowing such an attack.
(b) Issue of authorized protective equipment and decon-
tamination supplies.
(c) Actual decontamination of equipment and areas after
a chemical attack.
(2) The chemical section in the headquarters of the service
group provides sufficient personnel to conduct the necessary
instruction of unit gas officers and gas noncommissioned of-
ficers for the organizations served by the service group. In-
struction of unit gas officers and gas noncommissioned officers
in the theater of operations should be necessary only in those
cases where loss or filler replacements for these positions have
not been properly trained prior to arrival at the front, when
new developments in friendly or enemy chemical methods
render additional instruction advisable, or when refresher
courses for the purpose of maintaining unit gas personnel
in a high state of training are indicated.
(3) Chemical equipment and supplies other than ammuni-
tion for organizations served by the service center are re-
ceived, stored, and issued by Army Air Forces personnel of
the service squadron of the service group. The chemical war-
fare officers and enlisted men of the staff section render such
assistance in this connection as may be necessary but are
not assigned exclusively to supply duties.
(4) The decontamination of equipment and areas is car-
ried out by the personnel of the organization concerned
under the supervision of the unit gas officer and with the
56
THE SERVICE CENTER
64-65
assistance of the unit gas noncommissioned officers of that
organization. The number of men required to decontaminate
successfully an area of any appreciable size is such that the
provision of special Chemical Warfare Service personnel for
this purpose would result in an organization that would be
both unwieldly and undesirable. The chemical section of the
service group is available to render supervisory assistance in
decontaminating operations when needed.
c. Functions peculiar to certain types of aviation. — When a
service center is serving one or more bombardment groups, it
may be called upon to furnish chemical ammunition in the
form of incendiary bombs or bulk chemical agents for use
from spray tanks, or both. The supply of incendiary bombs
and bulk chemical agents are as follows:
(1) Incendiaries. — Incendiaries required by combat squad-
rons are shipped from the chemical depot to the service
center where they are received by personnel of the ordnance
company air base assigned to the service center and are
stored in the ammunition area as are other bombs. These
munitions are transported to the ammunition area of the
using squadron by quartermaster transportation and are
there turned over to the personnel of the combat squadron
for storage and use.
(2) Bulk chemicals. — When decision has been made to use
chemical spray, one chemical company, air operations, is at-
tached to the service center for each bombardment group
that will be required to fly chemical munitions.
■ 65. Chemical Company, Air Operations. — a. Organization
and functions . — The chemical company, air operations, is a
specialized organization designed to provide the necessary
service in connection with delivery of filled chemical tanks
to the combat squadrons of one bombardment group and,
with the removal from the airdrome, maintenance and re-
filling of such tanks as may be brought back by returning
airplanes. It consists of a company headquarters contain-
ing the usual overhead, including a mess, one refilling -point
section designed to operate the company refilling point or
toxic gas yard from which bulk chemicals are delivered by
quartermaster transportation to the chemical service point
57
65-67 ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
in the vicinity of the using airdrome, and fcur platoons each
of which is organized and equipped to set up and operate a
chemical distributing point in the vicinity of a combat squad-
ron. . The company has four officers, each of whom com-
mands a platoon when all platoons are actively engaged in
filling operations.
b. Employment . — Chemical companies, air operations, are
provided on the basis of one company per bombardment
group. These companies are normally held as units under
the control of the air service commander and are not at-
tached to service groups (except for purposes of training)
until chemical operations are about to be initiated. This
procedure permits the companies to continue unit training
until just prior to actual operations, provides for the maximum
flexibility in their employment, and aids in keeping personnel
of forward airdromes to a minimum.
Section IV
CORPS OP ENGINEERS
■ 66. Table of Basic Allowances Equipment. — a. Engineer
Table of Basic Allowances equipment and supply is handled
by the service center air force technical supply section. It is
handled exactly like technical supply except that the section
obtains this type equipment from the engineer section in-
stead of the air section of the air force general depot. The
bulk of this equipment is very small; a 6-month supply for
an average air force could be contained in a room 10 by 10
by 10 feet.
b. All other engineer supply, including camouflage, forti-
fication, and construction materials, and landing field steel
mats, is handled by the engineer depot direct or by refllling-
point sections set-up of engineer troops under the air force
service commander.
■ 67. Engineer Battalion Aviation. — Such battalions are
likely to be more or less permanently attached to the service
center or located in the area served by the service center.
a. Function . — Aviation engineer units are especially organ-
ized, trained, and equipped to meet the needs of the Army Air
Forces for engineer work in a theater of operation. They are
58
THE SERVICE CENTER
67
assigned to air forces and air task forces as required. Avia-
tion engineers have the general engineer mission of facilitat-
ing the advance of friendly forces and hindering that of the
enemy. This is accomplished usually by engineer construc-
tion and at times by taking part in combat. For the Army
Air Forces, the most important tasks are to construct ad-
vanced airdromes rapidly, to camouflage these airdromes, to
maintain them under enemy bombing, and to assist in their
defense.
b. Organization . — Aviation engineer battalions, both sepa-
rate and in the regiment, consist of a battalion headquarters
company and three lettered companies (see figs. 15, 16, and
17).
c. Equipment. — (1) The equipment of aviation engineer
battalions has been designed with the special objective of air-
drome construction and includes a number of items of heavy
equipment, such as carry-all scrapers, large Diesel tractors,
sheep’s-foot rollers, rubber-tired rollers, T emulsion distribu-
tors, and soil stabilization machinery not organically assigned
to other engineer units.
(2) Aviation engineer battalions are equipped and trained
with the rifle and antiaircraft machine gun, calibers both .30
and .50. Their equipment includes a number of half-track
vehicles and the 37-mm gun. ’ They are fully motorized.
With this fire power and mobility, these units can partlc pate
effectively in the defense of an airdrome against air or ground
attack.
(3) Tools and transportation are the primary items of
equipment of engineer troops. As a general rule, tools and
machinery issued are standard commercial items. Labor
saving machinery and mechanical devices form part of the
equipment to as great an extent as practicable, consistent
with mobility. As a general rule, the heavier and more tech-
nical equipment in each unit is retained in the headquarters
unit either for performance of highly technical work that
forms a small but important part of the engineer mission
or for assignment to subordinate units for reinforcing the
unit’s ability to perform engineer work.
(4) All engineer transportation is motorized. It consists
principally of command cars, pick-up trucks, and 54 -ton,
59
Furnishes
battalion
head-
quarters
personnel
Figure 15. — Organization of engineer battalion, aviation.
Head-
quarters
Service platoon
Head-
quarters
platoon
1 first ser-
geant
1 company
clerk
1 bugler mes-
senger
1 typist
4 orderlies
1 mess ser-
geant
1 assistant
8 cooks
4 helpers
1 weapons
sergeant
1 supply ser-
geant
1 toolroom
keeper
2 basic
Platoon
head-
quarters
1 motor ser-
geant
1 dispatcher
1 general
clerk
1 toolroom
keeper
Transporta-
tion
section
1 motor ser-
geant
2 sub foremen
1 truckmaster
6o truck driv-
ers
10 basic
Figure 16. — Organization of headquarters and
engineer battalion, aviation
service company
Heavy equipment
section
1 foreman, mechanic
2 subforemen
1 construction equipment
supervisor
1 water service supervisor
1 laboratory technician
2 mechanics, general
2 water supply mechanics
Operators :
G crane shovel
2 air compressor
2 asphalt plant
21 construction equipment
3 motor graders
2 road mixers
5 roller
1 water purification
2 well drilling
3 tractor drivers
6 basic
Repair
section
2 foremen,
mechanic
1 assistant
foreman,
mechanic
1 assistant
construc-
tion super-
visor
1 blacksmith
2 electricians
Mechanics :
3 Diesel
2 general
3 motor
2 painters
2 welders
2 basic
Company headquarters
2 officers
1 first sergeant
1 company cleric
1 bugler messenger
1 draftsman
1 typist
1 orderly
1 supply sergpant
1 toolroom keeper
1 motor sergeant
2 mechanics, auto
1 mechanic, Diesel
G chauffeurs
2 operators, road grader
2 operators, air compressor
1 mess sergeant
6 cooks
4 helpers
1 'weapons sergeant
2 gunners
1 foreman, mechanic
1 carpenter
2 mechanics
3 basic
Figure 17. — Organization of engineer company, aviation.
THE SERVICE CENTER
67-69
4x4 vehicles (jeeps) for reconnaissance and inspections;
light trailers for tools, equipment, and supplies; light dump
trucks for hauling materials, supplies, and personnel; heavy
cargo trucks and trailers for carrying heavy equipment and
machinery; and half-track armored vehicles.
Section V
MOTOR VEHICLE AND ORDNANCE SECTIONS
■ 68. Ordnance Services in Service Center Area. — The Ord-
nance Department is responsible in a service center area for
third echelon motor vehicular maintenance and supply for
all air force units and installations. It is likewise responsible
for third echelon maintenance and supply of armament and
third echelon supply of ammunition. The responsibility for
motor vehicle maintenance is assigned to two ordnance com-
panies, medium maintenance (Q) (aviation). The arma-
ment and ammunition functions are performed by an ord-
nance company, aviation (service group) , formerly designated
as ordnance company, air base.
■ 69. Service Center Ordnance Office. — Ordnance services
in a service center area are under the general supervision of
an ordnance officer. An ordnance section of two officers and
five enlisted men is provided in the service group headquarters
squadron. The ordnance officer is on the special staff of the
service center commander. In that capacity he advises the
commander on all matters concerning the quantity and con-
dition of all service center transportation and of all other
ordnance equipment. The ordnance officer advises the com-
mander of the service center concerning stock levels of ammu-
nition. He makes recommendations to the commanding
officer op all matters pertaining to ordnance. He coordinates
the activities of the ordnance sections with those of other
sections of the service center and with the combat squadrons
and air force ordnance depots. He is particularly concerned
with ordnance relations with the air force technical supply
section which receives all orders from the using organiza-
tions, with the quartermaster transportation pool which
transports all ordnance equipment and supplies from the
service center to the squadron airdromes, and with the chem-
63
69-70
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
ical section in connection with handling of incendiaries by
the ordnance sections.
■ 70 Motor Vehicle Maintenance Section. — Motor vehicle
maintenance and supplies for all types and classes of motor
vehicles in the service center area are furnished by the service
center motor vehicle maintenance section.
a. Organization and personnel . — The motor vehicle main-
tenance section is formed by pooling the personnel of the two
ordnance (formerly designated quartermaster) companies,
medium maintenance "(aviation) (Q) , that are assigned to the
service group. The senior company commander is service
center motor vehicle maintenance officer and is officer in
charge of the section; the junior acts as his assistant. Simi-
larly, the senior officer or chief of a section in each company
acts as head of the corresponding section in the motor vehicle
maintenance section, and the junior acts as his assistant.
Each medium maintenance company (2 officers and 46 en-
listed men) is organized as shown in figure 18.
6 enlisted men 1 officer 5 enlisted men
27 enlisted men
Figure 18. — -Organization of medium maintenance company.
b. Company headquarters . — The headquarters , of each
company furnishes personnel for usual company overhead
and furnishes the officer in charge or assistant and the sec-
tion foreman or assistant to the motor vehicle maintenance
section. Each company is so small that its mess facilities
will normally be pooled with those of the other medium main-
tenance company and, when local conditions make it ad-
visable, with the ordnance company, service group.
64
THE SERVICE CENTER
70
c. Functions . — The motor vehicle maintenance section pro-
vides third echelon motor vehicle supply, maintenance, and
salvage for the service center area. It may, for convenience,
be located near the quartermaster motor transport pool,
which will often prove its largest single customer. However,
except as priorities may be set up by the service center com-
mander or higher authority, no preference will be given any
one organization or installation over another. The extent
of third echelon maintenance varies with respect to motor
vehicles as it does for all other equipment, depending in a
like manner on the proficiency, training, numbers, and morale
of the technicians and on the repair equipment and stockage
available. Generally, the motor vehicle maintenance section
can rebuild bodies and do very extensive engine repair and
chassis work on a thousand vehicles of all types, even under
extensive combat conditions. Normally, there are about 900
air force vehicles in a service center area.
d. Supply unit . — The supply unit is made up of the two
six-man supply sections of the medium maintenance com-
panies. It furnishes a supply service of spare parts, repair
equipment, and stock in the same way the other service center
supply sections do.
e. Maintenance unit . — This unit is a pool of the two com-
pany maintenance sections of an officer and 27 enlisted men
each. It does the motor vehicle repair work which, requires
machine tools. It does most of its work at the service center
but is equipped with two mobile elements of 2 1 / £-ton trucks,
one for supply and the other for repair equipment. The mo-
bile repair elements do third echelon repair at the scene f of
the accident or at the squadron airdrome.
f. Wrecker unit . — Each company wrecker section provides
this unit with five enlisted men, a 4-ton wrecker, and a 2 y 2 -.
ton wrecker. The wrecker unit brings to the motor vehicle
maintenance section any motor vehicles needing repair when
the vehicles are not capable of traveling under their gwn
power. The unit also collects all wrecked, abandoned, or
otherwise unserviceable vehicles and strips them of usable
parts; and the air force motor vehicle depot is informed by
the motor vehicle maintenance officer of the presence, of the
residue.
65
71 ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
■ 71. Ordnance Maintenance and General Supply Section. —
a. Ammunition requirements . — As successful air warfare is
offensive, it is necessary to keep available to each bomber
squadron such bombs as it may require. It is necessary also
that the bomb dumps be located at such distance from the
airdrome that detonation of the bombs will destroy no air-
plane or pilot. The task of keeping each bomber armed with
any type bomb which the tactical situation requires, involves
storage and transport of tons of bombs for each squadron each
day. It may be that to insure the bomber’s operational effi-
ciency it must have immediately available a choice of 100 - t
300-, 500-, 1,000-, and 2,000-pound bombs at least and at
least five sizes and types. The sizes run up to 4,000 pounds at
present and down to 20-pound fragmentation bombs; and
the types also include demolition, gas, smoke, armor-piercing,
depth, and general-purpose aerial mines and aerial torpedoes.
In some combat situations, airplanes will fly three, four, or
six missions per day, depending upon the availability of air-
planes and pilots.
b. Reserves . — For the reason given in paragraph a above,
it will often be necessary to keep two missions of each of five
types of bombs, or of any special type that is required, at the
squadron airdrome’s ammunition area. The service center
will generally be about 4 hours’ truck distance from each
squadron airdrome. It is necessary to keep at the service cen-
ter one mission of each type of bomb likely to be used by any
of the squadrons in the area. The air force ordnance depot
also keeps at least one mission of all types of bombs on hand
for all combat groups in the air force area, one mission of
each of the five weights of bombs previously mentioned, and
one mission of other ammunition; the necessary signal flares
will amount to approximately 245 tons, or 100 2 54 -ton quar-
termaster truckloads or 12 freight-car loads. To keep on
hand one such mission for each of eight squadrons would
require a 2,000-ton supply, or 800 2^ -ton truckloads or 96
freight-car loads. Safe storage space of 300 acres located
1 to 3 miles from the service center will be required.
c. Functions . — (1) From the point of view of daily labor
and transportation load, eight squadrons, each of which has
performed one mission the preceding day, will have expended
66
THE SERVICE CENTER
71-72
an average of 8,000 pounds of bombs per airplane. One hun-
dred ninety-two 2y 2 -ton trucks are required to move such a
load. A similar quantity must arrive each day from the air
force ordnance depot. Many men and much equipment are
necessary to handle the 300 -acre ammunition area and to
unload 245 tons of bombs from railroad cars and load them
onto trucks.
(2) In addition to handling these vast quantities of bombs,
the service center ordnance section supplies all ammunition to
air force units in the service center area and maintains third
echelon ordnance repair shops.
d , Organization . — The functions described are performed
by an ordnance company, aviation (service center), with the
aid of unskilled labor supplied by the service center. The
company is organized as follows:
Enlisted
Officers men
Company headquarters 1 8
Maintenance and general supply section 1 18
Ammunition section 1 28
e. Company headquarters. — (1) The headquarters performs
the usual company administrative functions. It supervises
and coordinates the work of the company’s two sections. It
learns expected ordnance requirements from the service cen-
ter ordnance officer and causes the company to fill them.
(2) The headquarters personnel consists df —
Commanding officer.
First sergeant. ,
Mess and supply sergeant.
Company clerk.
Chauffeur.
2 cooks.
Cook’s helper.
(3) Equipment for company headquarters consists of —
1 five-passenger sedan.
4 pistols.
10 rifles.
■ 72. Maintenance and General Supply Section. — a. Organi-
zation . — The personnel of the maintenance and general sup-
ply section is shown in figure 19.
67
1 unit chief
1 typist
1 spare parts truck
1 motor sergeant
5 armorers
1 carpenter
1 general machinist
3 automotive mechanics
1 painter
1 welder
1 basic
1 automotive repair truck
1 emergency repair truck
1 small-arms repair truck
1 machine shop truck
1 welding truck
Figure 19. — Organization of maintenance and general supply section.
THE SERVICE CENTER
72
b. Supply . — (l) The refilling-point unit is usually located
with or near the maintenance unit and the section headquar-
ters, and their services are coordinated. The ordnance gen-
eral supply functions for the service center ordnance section
are performed by the refilling -point unit. It receives, stores,
and issues such supplies and maintains records of status and.
issue of such supplies.
(2) The combat squadron ordnance section has spare parts
and equipment for the particular type aircraft in the squad-
ron, a combination of the old squadron 72 -hour kit and the
10-day ordnance DP kit. The service center maintains a
small supply of parts and equipment for all types of air-
borne armament.
c. Maintenance. — (1) Echelons of ordnance maintenance . —
(a) First echelon, by the gunner or combat crew, consists of
no more than cleaning, making minor adjustments, and keep-
ing guns in operating condition.
(b) Second echelon maintenance, by the squadron ordnance
section, consists of making minor replacements (including
barrels) and making more accurate tests and adjustments
than are possible in first echelon. The squadron ordnance
section is equipped with several gages and by their use can
make precision tests and adjustments that the gunner must
make by “feel.” For example, the gunner can judge fairly
accurately by eye and by touch the head space of a gun, but
the gage accurately measures it. Similarly, gages measure
the depth and height of a T -slot, length of firing pin, forward
erosion in the shoulder of the chamber, and adjustment of
the bolt lock cam. The squadron ordnance section also can
adjust the cyclic rate on flexible guns.
(c) Third echelon maintenance at the service center in-
cludes all items of second echelon maintenance performed
with a higher degree of accuracy. The service center ord-
nance machine shop can fabricate almost any spare part if
stock is available.
(2) Maintenance at service center . — The maintenance unit
maintains aircraft machine guns and all weapons of the
ordnance company, air force units, and special troops and also
repairs ordnance automotive equipment. The unit has equip-
ment to perform nearly all degrees of* maintenance. Over-
69
72-73
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
loads will be passed back to the medium maintenance com-
pany which will be stationed at the air force ordnance depot.
(3) Equipment. — (a) The unit's equipment includes a spare
parts truck which is the section refilling point. It carries
hardware, parts, and material required for maintenance oper-
ation at the service center and for replenishments to ordnance
‘sections of the combat squadrons. Often there will be an
adjunct to this spare parts unit in a tent or equivalent shelter.
(b) The section has an emergency repair truck which car-
ries a limited number of spare parts, small tools, and other
equipment to damaged materiel at outlying airdromes. The
tools are such as might be contained in a combination armor-
er's, automobile mechanic’s, and carpenter’s kit. There is
also some welding equipment.
(c) There is a small-arms repair truck equipped with the
necessary machine tools and sets of hand tools and gages for
repair of all types of small-arms materiel. The truck is
equipped to carry small quantities of spare parts. It has a
portable electric generator, V/ 2 -kilowatt, a-c.
id) The machine-shop truck is a general-purpose machine
shop. It is equipped with a drill press, portable drills, grind-
ers, a lathe, a hydraulic ram, a shaper, and the necessary
tools for the operation of these machines. The usual hand
tools and measuring instruments used by first-class machin-
ists are also included in the equipment. Electricity is fur-
nished by a 5-kilowatt, a-c generator operated by a power
take-off from the truck motor.
(e) The welding truck constitutes a complete welding unit.
It is equipped with both electric and acetylene welding equip-
ment, a portable grinder, a power hacksaw, and the necessary
welding rods and tools used by first-class welders. Electric-
ity is furnished by a 5 -kilowatt, a-c generator operated by a
power take-off from the truck motor.
■ 73. Ammunition Section. — a. The organization of the am-
munition section is shown in figure 20.
b. The ammunition section is responsible for receipt, stor-
age, issue, and maintenance of all ordnance ammunition.
For air force units having no ordnance units, it delivers com-
pletely assembled bombs, pyrotechnics, and belted ammuni-
tion to combat airplanes. This delivery of ammunition to
70
Section chief 2 munitions workers
Munitions worker-clerk
Messenger
Assistant section chief and unit chief
16 munitions workers
5 chauffeurs
1 basic
2 tractor cranes and trailers
6 bomb service trucks and trailers
1 Vo -ton cargo truck
1 %-ton cargo truck
3 2% -ton cargo trucks
Figure 20. — Organization of ammunition section,
73-74
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
combat aircraft is first priority. Other activities of the sec-
tion are carried on without interference with required deliv-
eries to airplanes.
c. The ammunition section installs and maintains the serv-
ice center refilling point for ammunition; this refilling point
contains reserve stocks for prompt replenishing of airdrome
distributing points and it contains stocks for immediate de-
livery to combat airplanes at the service center airdrome.
The ammunition section receives and stores ammunition; it
unloads railroad cars and trucks, removes crates or shipping
bands, inspects each item, makes necessary repairs, and in-
stalls equipment. It calls on the service center labor pool
for whatever additional labor is necessary. Quartermaster
truck companies transport ammunition from the refilling
point to the squadron airdrome dumps.
Section VI
QUARTERMASTER SUPPLY SECTION
■ 74. Organization and Functions. — This section is operated
by quartermaster company, service group (aviation). Its
organization is shown in figure 21.
a. Supply platoon . — The quartermaster supply section pro-
cures, stores, and distributes all quartermaster supplies for
the air force units and establishments in the service center
area. Class I and class III supplies are handled in a sepa-
rate manner from other quartermaster supplies because of
their weight, bulk, and comparative uniformity 6f expenditure.
Supplies other than class I and III consist mainly of cloth-
ing and personal equipment and organizational equipment
such as tentage, fire extinguishers, tools, buckets, and stoves.
This and other supply sections operate exactly like the air-
craft supply section except the distribution of all other supply
sections is controlled by the air force technical supply section
shipping room. Maintenance and repair of quartermaster
equipment is confined to collecting and sorting materials for
salvage and to shipping it back to the quartermaster depot
concerned.
b. Class I supply platoon . — Rations and other class I sup-
plies are handled through a separate unit. If the situation
72
Service center supply platoon
2 lieutenants
1 platoon chief
1 chief clerk
1 chief warehouseman
1 chief, clothing and equip-
ment
1 salvage foreman
1 chauiceur t
2 checkers
1 chief, regular supplies
1 salvageman
6 warehousemen
Clerks :
1 fiscal, purchase, and con-
tracts
3 general
2 inventory
3 issue
1 mail and records
1 purchasing and contract-
ing
1 receiving and shipping
1 requisitions and require-
ments
2 stock records
1 transportation
Company headquarters
1 captain
1 lieutenant
1 acting first sergeant
1 supply and mess ser-
geant
1 clerk
1 chauffeur
2 cooks
1 cook's helper
Class I supply platoon
1 lieutenant
1 platoon chief
2 checkers
4 warehousemen
Clerks :
1 general
2 inventory
3 issue
1 requisitions and re-
quirements
1 stock records
2 class HI supply
platoons
1 platoon chief
1 chauffeur
2 checkers
Clerks :
1 general
5 issue
1 requisitions and re-
quirements
Figtjee 21. — Organization of quartermaster company, service group.
74
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
arises, an additional section can be set up from the quarter-
master supply platoon personnel. The class I supply platoon
operates a refilling point conveniently located to the source
of incoming supplies and to the air force unit to be served.
Were the ideal situation to arise, railroad transportation
would run direct to the squadron airdromes. In such a
case, there might be two or even three class I refilling-point
sections to sort and distribute shipments from the depot.
The most typical situation is one of scarcity of railroads,
such that delivery will require long motor transportation
hauls. In this case, there will likely be one refilling-point
section located near the service center, which distributes
class I supplies to the combat squadron airdromes by service
center motor transport. There is no hard and fast rule, but
the quartermaster supply section is so organized that it is
capable of meeting any field situation. Transportation of
any kind will be at a premium; rations alone will total % ton
a day for each combat squadron airdrome and the method
must be chosen which will cut to the minimum the motor
transport daily total of ton-miles.
c. Class III supply platoons. — -(1) The class III supply
platoons are governed by the same considerations as to loca-
tion and operation that were mentioned for class I. There
are some 800 motor vehicles, a large number of which are
2 V 2 -ton trucks, operated in the area each day. The average
daily consumption of quartermaster gasoline varies with the
situation, but it may exceed an estimated maximum of 80
tons. For this reason, it is essential that gasoline stations
be set up at convenient locations.
(2) A great many records must be kept by this and other
supply sections. They are essential not only to insuring ade-
quate supply for the day, but they also make possible plan-
ning for the future. Where each gallon of gasoline may have
to travel over 10,000 hazardous miles to the using unit, it is
highly necessary that planning for future needs be effective.
d. Unit administration — This quartermaster company,
service group (aviation) , together with the truck companies,
is under the command of the service center staff quarter-
master as he is the highest ranking quartermaster officer
present. Each company will have its own orderly tent and
74
THE SERVICE CENTER
74-78
unit administration, but the quartermaster company, service
group, will normally pool its mess personnel and equipment
with that of a truck company. The truck companies will
each operate its own mess to provide the same mobility for
the company mess as the situation may require for the com-
pany itself.
Section VII
SIGNAL SUPPLY AND MAINTENANCE SECTION
■ 75. Functions. — This section is responsible for procuring,
storing, distributing, and maintaining third echelon signal
equipment for all air force units in the service center area.
It is part of the signal company, service group (see fig. 5).
■ 76. Organization.— Organization of the signal supply and
maintenance section is shown in figure 22.
■ 77. Storage and Issue Section. — a. A typical storage and
issue section consists of —
1 warrant officer (platoon and section commander) .
1 warehouse foreman.
1 assistant.
2 general clerks.
2 stock records clerks.
1 checker, receiving and shipping.
I construction carpenter.
b. The section handles requisitioning, storing, and issue of
signal equipment in the same manner the supply section
does, although it depends upon that section for shipping and
distribution.
■ 78. Radio Repair Section. — a. A typical radio repair sec-
tion consists of —
4 radar electricians.
4 radio repairmen.
b. First echelon maintenance performed by the operator
consists, with respect to radio, of- watching for shorts, chang-
ing tubes, and checking connections. Second' echelon, per-
formed at the combat squadron, amounts only to the making
of very small repairs by the use o £ hand tools, that is, the
75
Figure 22.- — Organization of signal supply and maintenance section.
THE SERVICE CENTER
78-80
replacing of a burned resistor, etc. Third echelon mainte-
nance by the radio repair section consists of making unit
replacements of receivers, transmitters, and other radio
parts; repair work on condensers and transformers; and
general testing, adjusting, and tuning. Radar maintenance
is of the same order.
c. The section's equipment consists of an RC-68 and an
RC-70 radar test equipment set containing a very large num-
ber of tools and extra -sensitive voltmeters and ammeters and
a TE-52 and a TE-53 radar tool set. Its radio equipment
includes TE-41, 45, 46, and 48 sets. Each radio repairman has
the GE-48. The section also has an ME-9 set of general radio
maintenance supplies.
■ 79. Telephone and Telegraph Repair Section. — a. A typi-
cal telephone and telegraph repair section consists of —
1 chief telephone electrician.
3 telephone and telegraph installer-repairmen.
4 telegraph printer installer-repairmen (who are also
operators) .
b. The section is equipped with teletype and telephone re-
pairmen’s kits. Its third echelon maintenance of switch-
boards and teletype printers consists of inspection, testing,
and replacing of almost any worn parts, such as type bars,
clutches, fiber gears, and motors.
c. Its eqmpment consists of — •
TE-44 tool equipment for work on central office tele-
phone and telegraph control office sets.
TE-47 set of many tools for all types of telephone and
telegraph repair.
TE-49 tool equipment carried by telephone repairman,
TE-50 tool teletype repairman’s kit,
ME-7 teletype maintenance supplies.
Section VIII
MEDICAL SERVICES
■ 80. Functions. — The primary function of the medical serv-
ice is to conserve the fighting strength of the command. In
a theater of operations no two stations will present the same
77
80—81 ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
problems. Group surgeons must use all their ingenuity to
adapt their medical service to the situation and will not hesi-
tate to depart from existing customs and routines in order
to accomplish their mission. The group surgeon operating
under S-4 will advise the commanding officer on all matters
Tegarding the sanitation and health of the command, care
-of sick and wounded, hospitalization, evacuation, and medical
supply.
M 81. Operations. — a. General. — (1) The medical section of
the headquarters squadron and two service squadrons are
made up of six officers and 35 enlisted men. These medical
troops are pooled and organized to operate a group surgeon’s
office, a dispensary, and a medical supply section; also various
aid stations, if necessary.
(2) The group surgeon’s office, under the group surgeon,
"will plan and perform staff functions. It will make sanita-
tion surveys, health surveys, medical estimates of the situa-
tion, medical plans for defense against air attack, and medi-
cal plans for defense against chemical attack and treatment
of chemical casualties, and will supervise medical supply
which will be performed by the medical supply section. The
group surgeon, assisted by his office, is also responsible for
providing plans for hospitalization and evacuation and for
technical supervision of the service group dispensary.
£>. Sanitation. — (1) In many theaters of operations, sani-
tation will be the biggest problem confronting the group sur-
geon. The efficiency of the service center may be more hand-
icapped by illness and disease of its personnel than by any
other factor. For this reason, the group surgeon must ad-
wise the commanding officer on sanitary features in the
location of the service center. The sanitary features in some
oases may even overshadow the tactical considerations in
choosing the location for the service center. Each location
presents a special study in itself and no hard and fast rules
can be laid down.
(2) After the service center has been established, the group
.surgeon and his office must continually strive to improve its
.sanitation. When the immediate needs of medical facilities
have been taken care of, medical personnel should be used in
collaboration with personnel of the unit to be served in build-
78
THE SERVICE CENTER
81
in g sanitary facilities. The custom of limiting the use of
personnel to duties corresponding to their ratings is contrary
to the interest of economy and Army Air Forces policy. The
fact that a man has a surgical technician's or chauffeur’s
rating is no reason he should not perform other duties needed
to accomplish the medical mission.
c. Health measures. — Pertinent Army Regulations will be
used as a guide in the control of communicable diseases
which must be a never-ending task for the medical service.
Special nutritional studies and consequent recommendations
must often be made.
d . Medical estimates of the situation. — The group surgeon
must prepare the medical plans to be carried out in case of
air or ground attack. He must determine suitable locations
for casualty collecting points and routes for evacuation in case
of attack. Rehearsals of medical plans against air or ground
attack must be carried out in detail. Medical plans for local
care of wounded will be incorporated in the plan of air and
ground defense published for the service group. Dispersion
and concealment of medical personnel and supplies against
air and ground attack must be a prime consideration.
e. Chemical attack. — In collaboration with the chemical
section, the group surgeon’s office will coordinate plans for
treatment of chemical casualties. This will include a gas-
proof decontamination and treatment station. Coordination
with the quartermaster section will provide for the issuance
of new clothing.
/. Medical supply. — A medical supply section consisting of a
medical administrative officer and six enlisted men is provided
in the medical section of the headquarters squadron. This
supply section may be augmented by a medical supply platoon,
if necessary. The medical supply section, working in collab-
oration with the air force technical supply and the quarter-
master supply sections, will provide for distribution of med-
ical supplies to air force units in the local service center area
in the same manner in which other class II and class IV
supplies are distributed. The section is provided with an
MS-9 maintenance unit: a 10,000-man, 30-day kit of ex-
pendable medical supplies. These supplies are principally
medicines.
79
81-82
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
g. Hospitalization . — The responsibility for hospitalization
in the theater of operations is charged to the commanding
general. The group surgeon will ascertain what hospital
facilities are available to the service center and will make
arrangements for their use.
h. Evacuation. — All evacuation of personnel in the theater
of operations, except air evacuation, is the responsibility of
Services of Supply. The group surgeon will fit the evacuation
system from the service center area into the system set up for
the theater.
i. Air evacuation. — Liaison and transport airplanes will be
used when available to evacuate seriously sick or injured per-
sonnel to the nearest hospital. Although the air evacuation
group provides large-scale evacuation of wounded, it is not an
element of every air task force.
>?. Service group dispensary. — The dispensary draws its per-
sonnel from the group medical sections (see par. 82). It has
equipment with which to operate a 12-bed dispensary and by
use of additional shelter can expand to a 50 -bed capacity.
Conservation of fighting strength as weighed against all other
military considerations will determine the type of case to be
treated in the dispensary. In exceptional cases, or in the case
of a geographically isolated service group, a surgical team and
equipment may be added to provide a small field hospital.
Normally, only minor illnesses and injuries will be cared for
in the service center dispensary.
■ 82. Personnel and Equipment. — a. Personnel.
Head-
quarters
squadron
First
service
squadron
Second
service
squadron
Squadron surgeon
1
1
l
Chief clerk
1
Section leader _
1
1
1
Section leader, dental
1
1
1
Medical technicians - . -
2
2
2
Surgical technicians.
1
2
2
Dental technicians
1
First-aid men
2
Chauffeurs
2
2
2
80
THE SERVICE CENTER 1 82-84
b. Equipment. — In addition to the supply carried by the
medical supply section, the medical sections are provided
with some 1,600 pounds (80 cubic feet) of medical supplies
and equipment, including an X-ray machine. Other medical
equipment is contained in the medical, surgical, and dental
officers* and technicians* individual kits.
Section IX
MOTOR TRANSPORT POOL
■ 83. General. — The motor transport pool is a vital installa-
tion. In many oversea situations there will be little^ rail
communication and there may be very poor waterway con-
nections for available, shipping. The size of the section de-
pends upon the activity in the area, the availability of rail
and other facilities, the distances between the service center
and the combat squadron airdromes, the distances between
the refilling points and the airdromes, and the type and
number of roads available. Generally, the distances will
not exceed 4 hours by truck.
■ 84. Organization. — a. General. — Available to the service
center commander normally will be two quartermaster truck
companies and the transportation sections of each of the two
service squadrons and of the headquarters squadron. Some
or all of these units may be pooled, either physically or for
control purposes. The extent to which any two or more of
the above organizations are pooled is a question for the serv-
ice center commanding officer. Factors affecting his decision
are the kind of motor transport service required at the time
and likely to be required in the future, the location of the
units to be served, the lay-out of other ^organizations and
installations at the service center, and the terrain available
to the motor transport units.
b. Typical organization.— A common method of employ-
ing motor transport consists of giving the quartermaster
truck companies one set of transport missions and the service
group motor transport sections a different set. Typical jobs
assigned the quartermaster transportation are the daily run
to all squadron airdromes (for delivery of rations and other
supplies the need for which was manifested on the daily tele-
81
84-87 ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
gram of a few days before) , hauling ammunition, and move-
ment of advance sections and of ground echelons of combat
squadrons. Typical details for the service group transporta-
tion are moving wrecked airplanes, spare parts, engines, and
material for the service center and combat squadron engi-
neering sections. Because of the difference in missions and
because dispersion of trucks is necessary for security, it will
often work to better advantage to have a quartermaster and
an air force motor transportation pool physically separated
from one another.
■ 85. Personnel. — The pool may contain the following per-
sonnel :
Arm or service
Unit
Officers
Enlist-
ed men
Quartermaster,.
Truck company,
3
99
Company headquarters _ ...
(1)
(19)
2 platoons,
(2)
(80)
2 platoon headquarters
<0
(4)
4 transportation sections .
i ..
( 76 )
Quartermaster
Truck company.,
3
99
Army Air Forces
Headquarters squadron, transports
1
17
tion section.
2 service squadron transportation sec-
72
tions.
Total. .
7
287
■ 86. Motor Transport Vehicles. — A picture of transporta-
tion available to the pool is best portrayed by a typical con-
solidated motor transport report (fig. 23). Vehicles from
any unit in the service center may be called into service in
case of necessity. If an emergency required it, ordnance
prime movers could be used to haul wrecked aircraft instead
of service squadron motor transport; or Signal Corps trucks
could be used for emergency hauls of fations or aircraft parts.
■ 87. Operation. — a. The quartermaster truck companies, as
well as the quartermaster company, service group, are under
supervision of the service center quartermaster. The service
group headquarters squadron includes a quartermaster sec-
tion composed of three officers and six enlisted men. This
*82
THE SERVICE CENTER
87
quartermaster section operates the service center special staff
quartermaster office. The officers are a quartermaster, an
assistant, and a motor transportation officer. The enlisted
men are clerical assistants. The officers advise the command-
ing officer of quartermaster matters, supervise the operation
of quartermaster organizations, and coordinate their work
with that of other organizations of the service center and
with that of the air force depots.
b. The service center motor transport section carries all
supply forward to the squadron airdromes from the service
center and from refilling points. In many instances, the
refilling point will be located at or near the service center.
In highly favorable situations, one or more refilling points
may be located fairly close to the combat squadron airdromes,
depending upon the railroad net.
c. The motor transport section has the duty of moving the
ground echelon of any tactical squadron from one airdrome
to a newly assigned one, and such a movement would require
at least the transportation of one truck company. The sec-
tion is responsible for furnishing all motor transport for the
service center and for deliveries of all supplies and equipment
up to the squadron airdromes. In event the service center
itself is moved, this section moves it, augmented if possible
by truck companies of the air force.
d. The use of motor transport varies greatly with the situ-
ation. The minimum daily calls would likely require eight
large trucks to deliver rations, four to pick up food procured
locally, and ten for work at or near the service center. The
remainder of the trucks, even when there is no movement
of a squadron taking place, will have plenty of work in trans-
porting gasoline and ammunition. It is entirely possible that
the section* might be called upon to move 2,500 tons of bombs
and other ammunition and 250 tons of aviation gasoline. In
event an airdrome is being newly occupied by a heavy bom-
bardment squadron, the ammunition load would be far greater
because the section must place at a position available to the
squadron two missions of each type of bomb likely to be
needed.
e. When the service group is equipped with the prime mover
and two 2,000- or 4, 000 -gallon refueling units, the air force
83
CONSOLIDATED MOTOR TRANSPORT
(T = total assigned. A = available)
July 1942
1
34-ton
134-ton
234-ton
1-ton
34-ton
54- ton
recon-
5-pas-
light
54-ton'
Special
Grand
GMC
trailer
pick-up
command
naissanee
senger
cargo
carry-all
service
! ’ total
car
1
GP
sedan
vehicles
T
A
T
A
T
A
T
A
T
A
T A
T A
T
A
■ T*
A
! T
A
Quartermaster company, truck
51
47
42
41
3
0
1
0
4
0.
1
0
3
0
105
88
Quartermaster company, truck
50
48
42
39
3
0
1
0
' 4
0
1
0
. 3
0
104
87
Quartermaster company (M. M.)
1
0.
3
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
6
0
13
0
Quartermaster company (M. M.)
1
0
3
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
6
0
13
0
Quartermaster company, service center...
1
0
3
0
1
0
5
0
Ordnance company, aviation (A.
3
3
1
0
1 0
.1 0
14
0
20
3
Headquarters squadron
2
2
3
2
5
o
1 l
1
o
4
o
16
5
Service squadron
7
3
5
2
1
1
20
6
X
o
19
o
53
12
Service squadron.
7
3
■ 5
1
1
0
20
9
1
1
19
0
53
14
Total
122
106
103
85
9
0
9
1
57
15
2 1
1 0
5
1
74
0
382
209
Figure 23. — Typical service center motor transport report.
THE SERVICE CENTER 87-91
pool will transport aviation gasoline to the combat squadrons,
its drivers acting as checkers for the supply section. When
gasoline must be delivered in 55 -gallon drums, the quarter-
master pool will normally effect delivery.
Section X
PHOTOGRAPHIC LABORATORY
■ 88. Functions and Personnel. — This section of the head-
quarters squadron has a photographic officer, a section chief,
and 11 other aircraft photographic technicians. With its de-
veloping and printing laboratory equipment, it provides photo-
graphic laboratory service for all air force units and estab-
lishments served by the service center, including all combat
units which are not equipped with laboratory facilities. The
technicians commonly employed are three in printing, two
in developing, one in finishing, two in work with chemicals,
and one as clerk.
Section XI
SERVICE CENTER SECURITY
■ 89. General. — Responsibility for security in any unit, in-
cluding the service center, is on its commanding officer. In
his organization there must be appointed a defense com-
mander/
■ 90. Defense Commander. — The appointment of the com-
mander is wholly within the discretion of the service center
commanding officer. The job is sufficiently important that
the officer should have no other duties. His responsibility is
protection of the service center against ground attack whether
in force, by infiltration of small units, or by saboteurs, and
against air, parachute, and air-borne troop attacks.
B 91. Defense by Service Group Units. — The service center
must be organized for all types of defense even if no auxiliary
units are present and regardless of the aid of an aircraft
warning net. A comprehensive plan must be made to in-
clude —
a. Reconnaissance of the local area.
85
91-92
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
b. Setting up of a guard of the whole service center with
particular attention to vital communication, supply, main-
tenance, and operations installations.
c. Setting up of a local lookout service, regardless of the
fact of an aircraft warning service, and making certain its
communication facilities.
d . Setting up of a mobile striking force for use against the
enemy at any point of attack.
e. Preparation of gun emplacements at key points and of
slit trenches for personnel.
/. Assignment to specific personnel of the duty of unmount-
ing any removable weapons from aircraft and of employing
them.
g. Dispersion and camouflage of all installations and ve-
hicles.
h . Coordination with defense activities of higher and lower
echelons.
i. Communication under any conditions which may arise.
j. Training, with emphasis on the factors of —
(1) Vulnerability of parachutists in the air, on the ground
before they get to their weapons, and before reserves are
dropped to them.
(2) Probability of superiority in numbers and fire power
of the enemy.
■ 92. Defense by Auxiliary Air Force Units. — One or more
air force units, highly trained for security measures, may be
present. Such units are —
Enlisted
Officers men
Engineer battalion, aviation 30 775
Air base security battalion 18 422
Military police company, aviation 3 100
86
THE SERVICE CENTER
Appendix I
DEFINITIONS
Air base. — A permanent station of the Army Air Forces in the
zone of the interior operating as a supply and service
agency for units using it.
Air depot. — An agency for the procurement, storage, and
distribution of supplies peculiar to the Army Air Forces.
Under the air service command are several control depots
located at key points in the zone of the interior, and hun-
dreds of subdepots are located at or near each military
airdrome in the United States. In the theater of opera-
tions there is at least one air depot for each air force.
Air force. — A task air force operating in one or more theaters;
of operations.
Air force area.- — -The entire territory occupied by units of an.
air force. It may extend from the zone of the interior to>
the combat zone and include portions of both.
Air force depots . — Agencies for the storage and distribution,
of supplies from all arms and services required by an air-
force in a theater of operations.
Service center. — An air force service installation capable of
producing all kinds of supplies and third echelon mainte-
nance for two combat groups. Generally there are two>
service centers for each air depot group.
Service group. — An Army Air Forces organization composed',
of a headquarters and headquarters squadron, two service
squadrons, and attached organizations of arms and services;
other than Army Air Forces. It operates the service center..
Army Air Forces. — All aviation of the Army of the United
States.
Classification of supplies. — In addition to those listed in M
100-10, there are two classes of supplies provided and used
by Army Air Forces :
Class III ( A ) . — Aviation fuels and lubricants.
Class TV <E ). — Complete airplanes, airplane equip-
ment, and all spare parts and supplies required to
keep the complete airplanes in commission.
87
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
Echelons of maintenance.
Airplanes:
First echelon . — That maintenance performed by the
air echelon of the combat unit.
Second echelon . — That maintenance performed by the
ground echelon of the combat unit, air base squad-
rons, and airways detachments.
Third echelon . — That maintenance performed by serv-
ice groups and subdepots.
Fourth echelon . — That maintenance performed by air
depot groups and control depots.
It is impossible to establish any formula defining just
what maintenance and repair operations constitute first,
second, third, or fourth echelon; nor is it necessary or ad-
visable. Each echelon is primarily limited by the specialists
provided in its Table of Organization and the equipment
provided in its Table of Basic Allowances. To a very large
extent it is limited by the initiative, ability, and aggressive-
ness of the personnel of the organization concerned. In
wartime each organization, in the interest of efficiency, does
everything it possibly can and passes on up to the higher
echelon only that which is necessary. In this way accumu-
lation at a higher echelon of work that could have been
done in a lower echelon is avoided. The specialists and
equipment of the higher echelon can then be concentrated
on the work they of necessity must perform. The echelon
in some cases may be determined by the length of time re-
quired to repair an airplane. Where considerable time is
required, it may be inadvisable to keep the airplane and
repair crew at a forward vulnerable airdrome.
First echelon will normally consist of servicing airplanes
and airplane equipment, preflight and daily inspections, and
minor repairs, adjustments, and replacements. All essen-
tial tools and equipment must be transportable by air.
Second echelon will normally consist of servicing of air-
planes and airplane equipment, performance of the periodic
preventive inspections, and such adjustments, repairs, and
replacements as may be accomplished by the use of hand
tools and mobile equipment authorized by Tables of Basic
88
THE SERVICE CENTER
Allowances for issue to the combat unit. This includes
engine change when the organization concerned is at the
location where the change is required. Most of the tools
and equipment for second echelon can be transported by
air but certain items, such as transportation, radio, etc.,
necessitate ground means of transportation.
Third echelon of maintenance embraces repairs and re-
placements requiring mobile machinery and other equip-
ment of such weight and bulk that ground means of trans-
portation is necessary. Units charged with this echelon of
maintenance require specialized mechanics. This echelon
includes field repairs and salvage, removal and replacement
of major unit assemblies, and fabrication of minor parts
and minor repairs to aircraft structures and equipment.
Normally, this echelon embraces repairs which can be com-
pleted within a limited time period, this period to be deter-
mined by the situation prevailing.
Fourth echelon of maintenance includes all operations
necessary to restore completely worn or damaged aircraft
to a condition of tactical serviceability and the periodic
major overhaul of engines, unit assemblies, accessories, and
auxiliary equipment; the fabrication of such parts as may
be required in an emergency or as directed in technical
instructions; the accomplishment of technical compliance
changes as directed; replacement, repair, and service check-
ing of auxiliary equipment; and the recovery, reclamation,
or repair and return to service of aircraft incapable of flight.
Motor vehicles . — Echelons of maintenance of service units
of the air force conform to echelons of aircraft repair, that
is —
First echelon . — Maintenance performed by equipment
operators.
Second echelon . — Maintenance performed by the using
organization.
Third echelon . — Maintenance performed by service
center organizations.
Fourth echelon . — Maintenance performed by depot
organizations.
89
ARMY AIR FORCES FIELD MANUAL
Echelons of reclamation.
First echelon . — First echelon reclamation is a function
of the air echelon of the combat squadron. It is limited
to the turning over of damaged, unserviceable, or excess
equipment on hand to the second echelon.
Second echelon. — Second echelon reclamation is a func-
tion of the ground echelon of all air force units oper-
ating or maintaining airplanes. It is limited to the
assembly for transport of damaged, unserviceable, or
excess equipment on hand and notification of the third
echelon as to the type, amount, and location of such
material.
Third echelon. — Third echelon reclamation is a function
of subdepots and service groups. It embraces the col-
lection from distributing points of damaged, unservice-
able, or excess equipment and the determination as
to the most economical disposition of damaged or un-
serviceable equipment. Excess but serviceable equip-
ment is returned to stock.
Fourth echelon. — Fourth echelon reclamation is a depot
function. It embraces the final disposition, that is,
disassembly, repair, and return to stock of component
parts and salvage or destruction of material worn or
damaged beyond use or economical repair.
GHQ aviation. — GHQ aviation, as used in FM 100-10, for-
merly theater of operations aviation, not otherwise as-
signed, now corresponding to the air task force or an air
force.
Kinds of airdromes.
Airdrome. — A landing field at which military facilities for
shelter, supply, and repair of aircraft have been pro-
vided. (See AR 95-35.) This is the generic term for
all military air fields.
Air base. — A command which comprises the installation
and facilities required by, and provided for, the opera-
tion, maintenance, repair, and supply of a specific air
force. (See AR 95-35.) In its strict sense, the term
“air base” can be applied only to an area. However,
most existing military airfields are now called air bases
90
THE SERVICE CENTER
because it is contemplated that, under operational use,
they will provide supply and repair facilities for a large
number of units concentrated in the vicinity on auxil - 1
iary airdromes.
Auxiliary airdromes . — An airdrome in use by military
units which does not have the servicing, supply, and
repair facilities sufficient for its own operation and is
operated as an annex to a nearby air base. This type
of airfield is also called a satellite field.
Satellite field . — This term is of foreign derivation and
is applied to an occupied airdrome which is not com-
pletely equipped with the servicing, supply, and repair
facilities sufficient for its unaided operation. This type
of airfield is identical in concept with an auxiliary
'airdrome.
Alternate airdrome . — An airfield available for the use of
military units in lieu of the airdrome to which assigned.
Advanced landing field . — An area of land near the gen-
eral front available for the take-off and landing of
aircraft. Minimum facilities for servicing only are
available. Permanent occupancy by aircraft is not
contemplated.
Staging field . — A landing and take-off area with mini-
mum servicing, supply, and shelter provided for the
temporary occupancy of military aircraft during the
course of movement from one airdrome to another.
Dispersed airdrome . — An airdrome in which the facilities
for supply and repair of aircraft and shelter have been
spread out and removed so far as possible from the
immediate presence of the landing and take-off area.
Dispersal parking area . — Areas of land in the vicinity of
an airdrome, not suited for landing and take-off of
aircraft, which are used for the parking of aircraft.
Dispersal parking areas may or may not be contiguous
with the normal landing and take-off areas but are
connected thereto by taxi tracks suitable for the use
of any aircraft which may be parked in the dispersal
parking area.
91
A. E A
FACTIONS OF SERVICE GROPP ORGANIZATIONS
Hq. & Hq. Sq., Serv. Gp, provides Serv.
Center Hq. including Medical, Finance,
Chemical, Ordnance end QM Special Staff
Sections. It also provides Instrument
.Landing and Photographic Sections, Trans-
portation Section for the Gp. Organiza-
tional Motor Pool and the Squadron Hq.
Sorv. Squadrons provide
equipment and personnel to
operate AF Engineering Sec-
tion end Technical Supply,
for 3rd echelon of mainte-
nance, and supply for Serv,
Center area.
QM Truck Companies provide
motor transport for deliv-
ery of supplies for all
units of Serv. Center area
except local units of Serv.
Gp.
Ord. Companies, Medium
Maintenance, provide 3rd
echelon of Motor Trans-
port Maintenance for 400
vehicles each.
QIX Company, Serv. Gp., operates
Class I and Class III refilling
points, stores and issues Class
II and Class IV supplies for AP
units, and provides C^ass I and
Class III Dp. for Sery. Gp.
Ordnance Compaq/ (aB) stores and issues
Class II and IV Material (Ordnance) for SC
area, operates a reserve supply dump of Ord.
Class V supplies and incendiaries for emer-
gency use in SC area, and operates required
Ord. Class V and incendiaries RPs. in SC area
and Ordnance Repair shop for 3rd echelon re-
pair of Ordnance equipment.
Signal Company, Serv. Gp., stores and
issues all classes of Signal equipment
for SC area; operates SC Wire, Radio
and Telephone systems; installs and
maintains wire lines for SC; performs
3rd echelon repair of Signal equipment
for SC area.
Engr. Company ^provides
new construction or re-
pairs and operates SC
RPs. for camouflage and
construction material
where Gr. Forces supply
points are not available.
Chemical Staff is provided .in Hq. & Hq. Sq., Serv. Gp., to
supervise CWS training of SC personnel, decontamination
and activities of Chemical Company, Air Opn., "hen present.
Also supervises storage and issue of^CWS material except
bulk chemicals and incendiaries by the Technical Supply
Officer. Chemical Company Air Opn. when present operates 'SC
•RPs. and Airdrome Dps. for bulk chemicals. If bulk chemicals
are not used. Ordnance Company handles incendiaries.
Military Police Company
provides Interior Guard
for all elements eff SC.
Medical personnel is provided in
T/O’s for the Serv. Gp., and Engr.
Bn. provides for Medical and Dental :
Service and for storage issue of
medical supplies to all units with*,
in the SC area.
482084° — 42 Backs Appendix II
i
Appendix II
FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF THE SERVICE CENTER
Commanding
officer
Executive
officer
i
I
I
A notion engineer section
Engineer battalion, aviation
30775
Whei present, const ructs
advanced airdromes, camou-
flages tbem and other service
center units and installa-
tions. land maintains air*
dromc^ under enemy bomb-
ing
Assists m defense of serv-
ice ccnjter and its squadrons’
airdromes
Seen ritir section
Security battalion, air base
18/422
When present, provides a
fixed defense and a striking-
force company, with heavy
weapons, for service center
security against all forms of
attack.
Security may be vested in
a military police company,
aviation. 3/100, or in service
group personnel in addition
to its other duties.
Motor transport pool
2 Quartermaster companies, truck 6/I9S
Operates service center motor trans-
port pool.
Maintains roster of all motor trans-
port in service center available for uso
in emergency.
Air force motor transport pool
Transport Sn., Hq Sq., Serv. Gp 1/17
2 Transport Sn9. Scrv. Sqs.,Serv Gp
0/72
Operates pool of motor transport
assigned air force squadrons
Communications section
Operations platoon signal
company, service group
1/34
Operates wire and radio,
communication service and
message center for serv-
ice center^
I
Finance section
Finance section head-
quarters squadron,
service group 2/15
Provides finance serv-
ico for all air force units
and establishments in
local service center area.
Headquarters
. 1
Operations section
Headquarters of headquar-
(Operations personnel, heA<l-
tera and headquarters
quarters squadron, service
squadron, service group
group)
11/21
Instrument landing' section,
headquarters squadron,
service group 0/3
Genera! servico center ad-
ministration.
Supervises all service cen-
Maintains and
controls
ter supply and maintenance
operation of servico group
.sections.
aircraft
Provides adequate supply
Provides service
r or Iran-
arrangements for all air force
sient aircraft.
units in local area.
Provides inslrum
nt land-
Operates clearing house for
ing service for nird
•omes in
all requisitions und servico
local area designates
by high
requests from all air force
authority.
units in its area
Air force engineering section
2 engineering sections, serv-
ice squadrons, service group
4/216
Provides third echelon air-
craft maintenance for all air
force units in local area,
including repair service to
aircraft at scene of accident
or crash.
Provides an engine replace-
ment service for service cen-
ter area. This includes the
removal and installation of
engines in aircraft when
squadron mechanics are not
available.
Provides a salvage service
for wrecked aircraft.
Photographic laboratory
Photographic section,
headquarters squad-
ron, service group 0/8
Provides photo-
graphic laboratory serv-
ice for nil air force units
and establishments in
local service center area
including services to
combat units as directed
by higher headquarters.
Dispensary
Medical sections
(less medical
supply person-
nel), service
group 3/27
Operates servico
center aid station.
Operates a col-
lecting station for
local service center
area when directed
by higher author-
ity.
Air force technical sup fly section
Technical supply sections, 2 service squadrons,
service group 4/58
Procures, stores, nnd distributes all air force
technical supplies, except complete aircraft and
aviation gasoline nnd oil, to all air force units
ami establishments in servico center area.
Operates aviution gasoline nnd oil dumps or
HP's" whan directed by higher authority.
Operates freight and express depot for all
classes of supplies received or shipped by air,
roil, or truck
Procujjjg, stores, and distributes fill chemical
warfare service equipment except class V, and
all Corps of Engineers supplies except camou-
flage. construction, and fortification materials
nnd landing mats
Chemical section
Chemical section, headquarters
squadron, servico group 2/8
Cooperates with air force tech-
nical supply section in procuring,
storing, and distribution of all
chemic.ul warfare servico supplies
except class V
Supervises handling of bulk
chemicals by chemical company,
air operations, when it is present
in local area.
Supervises chemical training of
personnel in local service center
area and supervises decontamina-
tion activity in service center.
Medical supply section
Medical section (loos dispensary
personnel), headquarters
squadron, service group 1/5
Procures, stores, a|id distrib-
utes all medical supplies and
equipment for ail air force units
in service center areaj.
Motor transport medium
maintenance section
2 ordnance companies, medium
maintenance (Q) (aviation) 4/92
Provides motor transport sup-
ply service for all air force units
and establishments in local service
center area.
Provides third echelon main-
tenance for motor vehicles for all
air force units and establishments
in local area.
Ordnance section
Ordnance company’, air bnse 4/60
Procures, stores, and distributes all classes
of ordnance supplies, except class V, to all air
force units and establishments in local serv-
ice center area.
Operates required number of class V
supply RP’s in local service center area.
Operates central ordnance repair shop for
third echelon repair oT ordnance equipment
of alt air force units nnd establishments in
local service center area.
Quartermaster section
Quartermaster company, serv ice*group 5/76
Procures, stores, and issues all regular
and Corps of Engineer supplies for all nir
force units in servico center area.
Operates necessary class I and class
III RP’s to procure, store, and distribute
class I and class 111 supplies for all air
force units in local service cen tor area.
Provides quartermaster salvage servico
for all air force units in local servico
center area.
Provides purchasing and contracting
services for aH air force activities in
service center area
Signal section
Slippy and repair platoon, signal company,
service group 1/24
Procures, stores, and distributes all
signal supplies required by air force units
in local service center area.
Provides third echelon maintenance
service for all air and ground communica-
tions and air-bomc radar equipment for
alt air force units in local area.
Legend: The fractions in each of the sections of tho chart meaiu
Numerator: Number of officers and warrant officers.
Denominator: Number of enlisted men.
482084°— 42 (Face p. 92)
INDEX
Paragraph Page
Administration section 33 29
Air force engineering section 16 15
Air force organization for supply, showing flow
of supplies App. Ill Face 93
Air force technical supply section-. 62-63 50
Air operations 65 57
Aircraft instrument shop 48-50 40
Ammunition section 73 70
Auxiliary air force units, defense 92 86
Battalions, engineer, aviation-
Cabinet shop 54—55 44
Channels for requisitions 60 48
Chemical company, air operations 65 57
Chemical warfare service 64-65 52
Classifications of supply 58 47
Commercial vouchers 28 22
Communication section 15 15
Corps of Engineers 66 -67 58
Defense :
Auxiliary Air Forces Units„- 92 86
Commander 90 85
Service group units 91 85
Definitions App. I 87
Distribution of supply 61 48
Electric shop 44-45 38
Engineer Battalion Aviation 67 58
Engineer Table of Allowances Equipment 66 58
Engineering —
Officer 30 24
Publications 30 24
Section 30-32 24
Equipment:
Administration section 33 29
Aircraft instrument shop 50 40
Cabinet shop 55 44
Corps of Engineers 66 58
Electric shop 45 38
Machine shop 41 34
Medical services 82 80
Mobile repair section 36 31
Paint and fabric shop 47 39
Parachute shop 57 4 q
Prep oiler shop 52 43
Sheet metal shop 43 37
Finance section 15 10
Functional organization of service center App. II Face 92
93
INDEX
Junctions: Paragraph Page
Administrative section 33 29
Air force technical supply section 63 51
Cabinet shop - 54 44
Chemical warfare service 1 64 52
Electrical shop 44 38 .
Engineering section 31 26
Electrical shop • 44 38
Medical services 80 77
Mobile repair section 35 31
Paint and fabric shop 46 39
Parachute shop 56 45
Propeller shop 5L 43
Quartermaster supply section 74 72
Service groups 4^8 2
Sheet metal shop 42 35
Signal supply and maintenance 75 75
Oeneral supply section 71,72 66,67
•Glossary App. I 87
Headquarters and command 9 6
Headquarters and headquarters squadron 6 2
Headquarters section 15 15
Housing, 'aircraft Instrument shop 49 40
Laboratory, photographic 88 85
Lay-out 13-19, 49 14, 40
Location 13,54 14,44
Machine shop 38_41 33
Maintenance 71, 72 66, 67
Medical services * 80-82 77
Military vouchers 27 20
Mobile repair section 34—37 33
Motor transport pool 18, 83-87 16, 81
Motor vehicle and ordnance sections 68-73 63
Motor vehicle maintenance section 70 64
Operation 1-29 1-22
Operations section 14 15
Ordnance —
Office 69 63
Services 68 63
Organization:
Generals! 4-8 2
Motor transport pool 84 81
Quartermaster supply section 74 72
Signal supply and maintenance section 76 75
Organization of supply App. Ill Face 93
Paint and fabric shop 46-47 39
Parachute shop 56, 57 45
^Personnel:
Air force technical supply section 62 50
Aircraft instrument 48 40
Communication section 24 20
Finance section ZZZZ 26 20
Machine shop 39 34
94
INDEX
Personnel — Continued. Paragraph Page
Medical services * 82 80
Mobile repair section " 34 29
Motor transport pool 85 82
Operations section 29 22
Sheet metal shop 42 35
Typical service center : 8 5
Photographic laboratory 88 85
Power 25, 53 20, 44
Propeller shop 51>-53 43
Publications, engineering 30 24
Radio section 23, 78 19, 75
References 12 13
Requirements 4r-8 2
Requisitions, channels for 60 48
Reserve of supplies 59 47
Sections :
Administration 33 29
Air force engineering 16 15
Air force technical supply 62, 63 50
Ammunition 73 70
Communication 15, 20-25 15, 17
Engineering 30-32 ’ 24
Finance 15,20-28 15,20
General supply section 72, 77 66, 67
Headquarters 15 15
Miscellaneous 19 17
Mobile repair 34—37 29
Motor vehicle and ordnance 63-73 63
Operations 14, 29 15, 22
Ordnance maintenance 71 06
Quartermaster supply 74 72
Radio 23, 78 19, 75
Signal supply and maintenance 75-79 75
Storage and issue 77 75
Sunply 17 1 5
Telegraph 22,79 19,77
Telephone 22, 79 19 77
Security 89-92 85
Service —
Center special staff 11 13
Center staff 10 7
Group 5 2
Group units, defense 91 85
Squadron 7 5
Sheet metal shop 42, 43 35
Shops :
Air force engineering 30-57 24
Aircraft instrument 48-50 40
Cabinet shop 54 1 55 44
Electric 44,’ 45 38
Machine 38^11 33
Paint and fabric 46, 47 39
Parachute 56,57 45
Propeller 51-53 43
INDEX
Signal center 77 -
Signal supply and maintenance section.
Storage and issue section
Strength of service center
Supply and maintenance
Supply section
Supply section, general
Telegraph section
Telephone section
Vouchers :
Commercial
Military
Paragraph
Page
21
19
- *75—79
75
77
75
2
1
58—92
47
17
15
71,72
' 66,67
22,79
19, 77
__ 22,79
19, 77
28
22
27
20
96