OPERATION  BOLERO  PLANNING  DOCUMENTS

 

 

While extracting 1st Fighter Group mission records from the National Archives at College Park, MD,  a folder of miscellaneous planning documents (letters, memos, orders, maps, reports etc.) for Operation Bolero was discovered.  The 275+ pages reveal detailed planning efforts to deploy the US forces in Europe to join our allies in battle against the axis powers.  These pages are pertinent to the deployment of the USAAF components and thus of great interest to the 1st Fighter Group members who were participants in the move to Europe.

 

The following index to the varied documents is arranged chronologically since there is no other structure to their content.  Each line item represents 1 or more pages of separate origin or content.  They have been scanned into PDF format for viewing with ACROBAT Reader to maintain cohesion for each line item.

 

To access a line item, click on the underlined line item number. BE PATIENT!  Large files may take up to 30 seconds to load.

 

Note—this a work in progress    REV.  Mar. 23, 2007  --  Plans through April 1942

                                                           REV.  April 20, 2007  --  Plans during May 1942

                                                           REV.  May 20, 2007  --  Plans during June & July 1942  (Completes the set)

 

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ITEM #           DATE                         SUBJECT                                                                                                                             PAGES

 

001                 MARCH 1942           IDENTIFICATION OF A/C, ICELAND                                                                            001-002

 

002                 MARCH 15, 1942    AIRPORT DATA, MAPS & PHOTOS                                                                             003-009

 

003                 MARCH 31, 1942    NORTHEAST FERRY ROUTING & REPORT                                                              010-014

 

004                 APRIL 8, 1942         MESSAGE – LONDON TO AGWAR                                                                               015

 

005                 APRIL 9, 1942         MESSAGE  NO. 1046-  TO GEN. SPAATZ                                                                    016

 

006                 APRIL 10, 1942       MEMO RE: AIRWAYS OPERATIONS GREENLAND                                                017-019

 

007                 APRIL 17, 1942       ADVANCE DETACHMENT, FIGHTER COMMAND                                                   022-023

 

008                 APRIL 18, 1942       MEMO -  TO  GENERAL SPAATZ                                                                                  024

 

009                 APRIL       1942        MEMO -  GEN. ARNOLD TO GEN. EISENHOWER                                                     025

 

010                 APRIL 18, 1942       MEMO -  GEN. DUNCAN TO GEN. KUTER   ( 8TH AF)                                               026

 

011                 APRIL       1942        NOTE -  COL.  GEORGE  TO  GEN. ARNOLD                                                              027-28

 

012                 APRIL  18,1942       MEMO -  GEN. DUNCAN TO GEN. KUTER   ( 8TH AF)                                               029

 

013                 APRIL 21, 1942       MEMO FOR GEN. SPAATZ  BY  GEN. H. H. ARNOLD                                              030

 

014                 APRIL       1942        OUTLINE—TENTATIVE OPS PLAN – A/C FERRY  USA-UK                                 031-033

 

015                 APRIL 21, 1942       “SERVICES” FOR THE BOLERO PROJECT                                                              034-035

 

016                 APRIL 21, 1942       MEMO -  GEN. DUNCAN  (COMMENTS FROM GEN. SPAATZ)                            036-038

 

017                 APRIL 23, 1942       MEMO -  GEN. KUTER TO GEN. ARNOLD  RE  FERRY ROUTE                            039-041

 

018                 APRIL 24, 1942       MEMO -  GEN. SPAATZ  TO COMMANDING GEN.  USAAF                                   042

 

019                 APRIL 25, 1942       MESSAGE  FROM CHANEY IN LONDON                                                                    043

 

020                 APRIL 25, 1942       REPORT ON NORTHERN ROUTE                                                                                 044-051

 

021                 APRIL 26, 1942       ROUTING & RECORD SHEET— FERRY ROUTE FOR BOLERO FORCE            052

 

022                 APRIL       1942        DRAFT STUDY – FERRY FLIGHT FROM GOOSE BAY TO ENGLAND                053-057

 

023                 APRIL 26, 1942       MEMOS  COL. HUNTER – GEN. SPAATZ  RE  P-38 SURVEY FLIGHT               058

 

024                 APRIL 26, 1942       MEMO -  GEN. GEORGE TO WAR PLANS RE ANTI-AIRCRAFT                          059

 

025                 APRIL 27, 1942       MEMO -  GEN. GEORGE TO WAR PLANS RE  PBY’S FOR BOLERO                     060

 

026                 APRIL       1942        MEMO -  GEN. GEORGE TO AIR PLANS RE AIRFIELD CONSTRUCTION       061

 

027                 APRIL       1942        CABLE DRAFT -  RE  P-38’S  &  P-39’S                                                                       062

 

028                 APRIL 27, 1942       PARAPHRASE OF MESSAGE  -  GEN. CHANEY TO GEN. ARNOLD                    063

 

029                 MAY        1942          PHOTO OF BANGOR AIR BASE                                                                                    064

 

030                 MAY 2,    1942          BLUIEWEST, GREENLAND MESSAGE                                                                       065

 

031                 MAY        1942          KALDADARNES, ICELAND  AIRPORT DESCRIPTION                                         067-068

 

032                 MAY        1942          KEFLAVIK, ICELAND  AIRPORT DESCRIPTION                                                    069-070

 

033                 MAY 4,    1942          ACTION ASSIGNMENT MESSAGE (GEN. ARNOLD)                                              071

 

034                 MAY 5,    1942          GEN. SPAATZ  MEETING NOTES                                                                                 072-073

 

035                 MAY 8,    1942          EXECUTIVE TELETYPE                                                                                                   074

 

036                 MAY 10,  1942          MOVEMENT ORDERS                                                                                                      075-077

 

037                 MAY 11,  1942          MOVEMENT ORDERS AMENDMENT                                                                          078-079

 

038                 MAY 12,  1942          WEATHER CHECK LIST FOR BOLERO ROUTE (CAPT. GORDON)                        080-081

 

039                 MAY 12, 1942           INSPECTION TRIP NOTES BY CAPT. GORDON                                                       082-084

 

040                 MAY       1942           INSPECTION TRIP REPORT BY CAPT. GORDON                                                    085-089

 

041                 MAY 14, 1942           MOVEMENT ORDERS – THIRD AMENDMENT                                                         091-093

 

042                 MAY 15, 1942           EISENHOWER MEMO RE FIRST CONTINGENT TO ENGLAND                           094-095

 

043                 MAY       1942           OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS – P-38  ENGINES                                                       096

 

044                 MAY       1942           P-38 FERRY TANKS                                                                                                          097

 

045                 MAY 16, 1942           WEATHER ANNEX #3 (AMENDED) TO BOLERO FERRY PLAN                          098-099

 

046                 MAY 16, 1942           SIGNAL OPERATION – FIGHTER DIRECTOR VOCABULARY                             100-102

 

047                 MAY       1942           PILOT’S PROCEDURE – D/F FOR EMERGENCY HOMING                                    103-104

 

048                 MAY       1942           RADIO COMMAND CALL WORDS – VOICE ONLY                                                  105-106

 

049                 MAY       1942           AIR FIGHTING PRINCIPLES                                                                                          107-113

 

050                 MAY 19, 1942           SECRECY REFERENCE – BOLERO FERRY PLAN                                                  114-115

 

051                 MAY 22, 1942           REPORT REVISIONS – ACTION COMMITTEE FOR BOLERO                              116

 

052                 MAY 23, 1942           STATUS REPORT – PREPARATION FOR FIRST BOLERO MOVEMENT            117-118

 

053                 MAY 24, 1942           CINCLANT TELEX – NAVAL SUPPORT FOR BOLERO                                          119-120

 

054                 MAY 25, 1942           CINCLANT TELEX – NAVAL SUPPORT FOR BOLERO                                          121-122

 

055                 MAY 25, 1942           TELEX PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE TO USAAF FERRYING COMMAND                        123

 

056                 MAY 26, 1942           MEMORANDUM – TRAINING PROGRAM                                                                  124-130

 

057                 MAY 27, 1942           OPERATIONS CHECKLIST                                                                                            131-133

 

058                 MAY 26, 1942           RAF MOVEMENT ORDER RE TRANSFER OF USAAF GROUPS TO UK          134-138

 

059                 MAY 30, 1942           8th  FIGHTER COMMAND CONFERENCE                               139

 

Begin REV.  May 20, 2007  --  Plans during June & July 1942  (Completes the set)

 

060                 JUNE  3, 1942          STRENGTH REPORT                                                                                                        227

 

061                 JUNE 10, 1942         RECOMMENDED ROUTING OF PLANES                                                                   140

 

062                 JUNE 15, 1942         PLANE LOADING PLAN                                                                                      141 -   142

 

063                 JUNE 17, 1942         ROUTE  BRIEF                                                                                                        143 -   148

 

064                 JUNE 18, 1942         BOLERO FERRY PLAN                                                                                        189 -   203

 

065                 JUNE 18, 1942         BOLERO FERRY PLAN – COMMUNICATIONS ANNEX                              197 -   211

 

066                 JUNE 18, 1942         BOLERO FERRY PLAN – WEATHER  ANNEX                                               212 -  216

 

067                 JUNE 18, 1942         BOLERO FERRY PLAN – AIRDROMES  ANNEX                                                      218

 

068                 JUNE 18, 1942         BOLERO FERRY PLAN – TRAINING  ANNEX                                               219 -  226

 

069                 JUNE 18, 1942         BOLERO FERRY PLAN – FLIGHT  CONTROL   ANNEX                              172 -  173

 

070                 JUNE 18, 1942         BOLERO FERRY PLAN –  CONTROLLER INSTRUCTIONS                       228 -  233  

 

071                 JUNE 18, 1942         BOLERO FERRY PLAN – EMERG. EQUIPMENT LISTS                              196 & 204

 

072                 JUNE 18, 1942         BOLERO FERRY PLAN --  ENROUTE FACILITIES                                       234 -  242

 

073                 JUNE 22, 1942         OFFICER ASSIGNMENTS TO ENROUTE FACILITIES                                            245

 

074                 JUNE 23, 1942         SIGNAL INSTRUCTIONS- PILOT CALL SIGNS                                             246                                                    

075                 JUNE 25, 1942         PILOT  FLIGHT  ORDERS                                                                                    -           -

 

076                 JUNE 25, 1942         1ST FIGHTER GROUP FIELD ORDERS #1                                                       255 -  261

 

077                 JUNE 27, 1942         MEMO TO COL.  JOHN GERHART                                                                    267 - 269

 

078                 JULY        1942        PILOT CALL SIGNS – 1ST FG  -- REVISIONS                                                   249 -  251

 

079                 JULY   3, 1942          B-17  REPORTS                                                                                                                  271

 

080                 JULY   6, 1942          OPERATIONS ORDERS                                                                                                   274

 

081                 JULY 11, 1942         WEATHER CRITERIA MEMO                                                                                         275

 

082                 JULY 18, 1942         ENROUTE  RADIO  CHECKLIST                                                                       276 -  277

 

083                             ???                 OIL OBJECTIVES OF GREATER GERMANY

                                                            (Unrelated, but interesting item found with BOLERO data)