Who commanded the United States Army Air Forces during World War II?

Hap Arnold commanded the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. His full name was Henry Harley Arnold, and “Hap” was his best-known nickname. He became Chief of the Army Air Forces when the organization was created in June 1941, then served as its commanding general as the United States expanded its air arm for global war.

Arnold oversaw an extraordinary transformation. The prewar Army air organization grew from roughly 20,000 personnel and 800 first-line combat aircraft into one of the world's largest air forces. He supported long-range bombing, radar, jet propulsion, global airlift, and the development of the B-29 Superfortress.

The Army Air Forces was still part of the United States Army, not an independent service. That distinction explains why Arnold is sometimes confused with later Air Force leaders. George Marshall was Army Chief of Staff, while Douglas MacArthur and Dwight Eisenhower commanded major Army formations and theaters. Arnold was the senior officer responsible for America's wartime air arm. In December 1944, he became one of the first five-star Generals of the Army.