Table Of ContentPLANNING IN WARTIME
Planning in Wartime
Aircraft Production in Britain, Germany
and the USA
Sir Alec Cairn cross
Supernumerary Fellow, St Antony's College, Oxford
and Chancellor, University of Glasgow
Pal grave Macmillan
ISBN 978-1-349-21304-7 ISBN 978-1-349-21302-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-21302-3
© Sir Alec Cairncross, 1991
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1991
All rights reserved. For information, write:
Scholarly and Reference Division,
St. Martin's Press, Inc., 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
First published in the United States of America in 1991
ISBN 978-0-312-05346-8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cairncross, Alec, Sir, 1911-
Planning in wartime: aircraft production in Britain, Germany and
the USA/ Alec Cairncross.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-312-05346-8
1. Aircraft industry-Great Britain-Military aspects-History.
2. Aircraft industry-Germany-Military aspects-History.
3. Aircraft industry-United States-Military aspects-History.
4. World War, 1939-194S-Equipment and supplies-Planning.
5. Industrial mobilization-History-20th century. I. Title.
HD9711.G72C35 1991 91-43258
338.4'762913334'09044--dc20 CIP
To the memory of
Ely Devons
Contents
List of Tables and Figures IX
List of Abbreviations X
Preface X111
Introduction: Planning Aircraft Production xv
Part I Great Britain
1 Planning and Coordination 3
2 Planning in MAP 7
A planning department? 7
The heavy bomber programme 8
Putting the statistics in order 10
Production programmes 13
Aircraft components 14
Aero-engines 15
Contracts 16
The role of production programmes 17
Technical guidance 19
Target or 'realistic' programmes 20
Control over programmes 24
Planning as coordination 25
Changes in programme 28
Ministerial changes in programme 31
The 'healthy' aircraft programme 41
3 Organisation 44
The planning staff 44
Ministers 46
Relations with top officials 48
Relations with the Air Ministry 54
Relations with the manufacturers 63
MAP and aircraft requirements 67
Labour supply 70
4 The Engine Programme 76
Development problems 76
vii
viii Contents
Coordination problems 77
Coordination with American supplies 79
Sharing out Packard engines 80
Expanding Packard 82
Problems of one- and two-stage Merlins 84
Bristol engines 86
Napier engines 90
Jet engines 91
5 Propeller Planning 92
Slowness in development 92
The propeller programme 93
Design changes 98
The propeller shortage 100
The rack type propeller 104
6 Conclusion 106
Part 11 Germany
7 Planning Aircraft Production in Germany 115
Background 115
Planning arrangements 117
The aircraft industry 122
The pattern of production 126
The acceleration in production 129
The Farren Mission 137
Jet aircraft 140
Spares and spare parts 144
Coordination of programmes 146
Conclusion 148
Appendix: The Heinkel162 149
Part III The United States
8 Planning Aircraft Production in the United States 157
Expanding production 157
Planning arrangements 158
Early programmes 161
The WPB and the military 165
Shortages 167
The process of expansion 171
Conclusion 179
Notes 181
Bibliography 191
Index 193
List of Tables and Figures
Tables
6.1 UK Output of Aircraft, 1938-45 110
6.2 UK Aircraft Programmes, 1938-44 110
6.3 UK Output of Aircraft, Engines and Propellers,
1939-45 111
6.4 Employment on Munitions for MAP and Structure
Weight of Aircraft Delivered, 1939-45 112
6.5 Output in Structure Weight of USA, UK, Germany
and Japan 112
7.1 Output of German Aircraft, 1939-45 119
7.2 Planned and Actual Output of the Me 262 143
8.1 Production of Military Aircraft, 1939-45 163
8.2 US Output of Aircraft, Engines and Propellers,
1940-45 171
8.3 Growth of Floor Space in US Aircraft Industry,
1939-44 176
Figures
2.1 Deliveries of Heavy Bombers, Fighters and Trainers,
1938-45 9
3.1 Employment on Munitions for MAP and Structure
Weight of Aircraft Delivered, 1939-45 72
ix
List of Abbreviations
AD Assistant Director
AMSO Air Member for Supply and Organisation
ANB Army and Navy Board
APB Aircraft Production Board
ARCO Aircraft Resources Control Office
ASU Aircraft Scheduling Unit
BMW Bayerische Motorenwerke
BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation
BSC British Supply Council
CE Chief Executive
CFE Contractor furnished equipment
CIGS Chief of the Imperial General Staff
C-in-C Commander-in-Chief
CMA Controller Materials Allocation
CRD Controller of Research and Development
CSU Constant speed unit
DDGQP Deputy Director General of Equipment Production
DDG Stats P Deputy Director General, Statistics and
Planning Programmes
DDRDA Deputy Director of Research and Development,
Aircraft
DGAP Director General of Aircraft Production
DGAI Director General of Aeronautical Inspection
DGCA Director General of Civil Aviation
DGCE Director General of Communications Equipment
DGE Director General of Equipment
DGEMP Director General of Engines and Materials
Production
DRM Director of Repairs and Maintenance
DTD Director of Technical Development
GFE Government furnished equipment
ICI Imperial Chemical Industries
JAC Joint Aircraft Commission
MAP Ministry of Aircraft Production
NDAC National Defence Advisory Committee
OPM Office of Production Management
POAE Principal Officer for Aircraft Equipment
x
List of Abbreviations Xl
RAF Royal Air Force
Rand D Research and Development
RLM Reichsluftfahrtministerium
RPO Resident Production Officer
RTO Resident Technical Officer
WPB War Production Board
USSBS United States Strategic Bombing Survey
VCIGS Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff
