BG Kenneth N. Walker MOH

 

 

 

OK Campers, this one is a little rough for me.  Prior to Pearl Harbor he served a staff officer tour.  Unfortunately, for a lot of aircrew in WWII, he was a member of the "Bomber Mafia"

Wikipedia has a good passage on what I'm talking about, so....

"He supported the creation of a separate air organization that is not subordinate to other military branches. He was a forceful advocate of the efficacy of strategic bombardment, publishing articles on the subject and becoming part of a clique known as the "Bomber Mafia" that argued for the primacy of bombardment over other forms of military aviation. He advanced the notion that fighters could not prevent a bombing attack. "

In short, "the bomber will always get through".  This thought process was disproved in the attack on Ploesti Oil Fields in Europe (30 percent loss rate, 330+ aircrew killed or imprisoned, oil production was resumed within weeks).

He was transferred to the Pacific where he commanded the Bomber Command of Fifth Air Force.  To his credit, he frequently flew combat missions in the South Pacific including attacks on Rabaul.  Rabaul being a VERY important port for supplying the Japanese army.  On January 5th 1943 , he was leading a daylight attack there where his bomber was shot down and he was killed.   

 

Headquarters buildings were a bit more "casual" back then than they are now. Source

 There's quite a bit more detail about the man in the wikipedia article linked below.  Very worthwhile read.

 

Citation to accompany the Medal of Honor

For conspicuous leadership above and beyond the call of duty involving personal valor and intrepidity at an extreme hazard to life. As commander of the 5th Bomber Command during the period from 5 September 1942 to 5 January 1943, Brig. Gen. Walker repeatedly accompanied his units on bombing missions deep into enemy-held territory. From the lessons personally gained under combat conditions, he developed a highly efficient technique for bombing when opposed by enemy fighter airplanes and by antiaircraft fire. On 5 January 1943, in the face of extremely heavy antiaircraft fire and determined opposition by enemy fighters, he led an effective daylight bombing attack against shipping in the harbor at Rabaul, New Britain, which resulted in direct hits on nine enemy vessels. During this action his airplane was disabled and forced down by the attack of an overwhelming number of enemy fighters. 

 

 

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Walker_(general) 

https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/105285/brigadier-general-kenneth-newton-walker/