St. Clair Streett (October 6, 1893 – September 28, 1970), known as "Bill", was a United States Air Force (USAF) major general and writer who first organized and led the Strategic Air Command (SAC). Streett served as aide to air power advocate General Billy Mitchell, and was viewed by General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold as his own personal "troubleshooter".
Earlier in his career, Streett served in France during the last stages of World War I. In 1920, he was awarded the Mackay Trophy and the Distinguished Flying Cross for leading a squadron of U.S. airmen on a pioneering air voyage from New York City to Nome, Alaska and back. Streett wrote of his squadron's difficulties in an article for National Geographic. Streett assisted Mitchell during the famous bombing demonstration against battleships. After participating in several air races, he made an exploratory flight to extreme altitude during which he experienced frozen flight controls, and then wrote a story about the adventure for Popular Science.
During World War II, Streett commanded various training units in Hawaii, Florida and Colorado, solving logistical, training, and personnel problems. In Washington, D.C., he led the Theater Group of the Operations Division in the Office of the Chief of Staff where he expressed grave misgivings about the role of General Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific War—some two years later Streett was sent to the South West Pacific Area to work under MacArthur commanding the Thirteenth Air Force during its first offensive drive.
With victory certain, Streett returned to the United States to organize for Arnold the Continental Air Forces (CAF), and then to expand its operation across the country. Streett retained command when the CAF turned into the SAC, and continued to experience friction with MacArthur. After retiring from the United States Air Force in 1952, Streett was named to the Sarnoff Commission, a presidential formation tasked with trimming unnecessary military spending.
Early career St. Clair Streett was born on October 6, 1893, in Washington, D.C., the first child of Shadrach Watkins Streett and his wife, the former Lydia Ann Coggins.Arlington National Cemetery. St. Clair Streett. Major General, United States Air Force. Retrieved on November 22, 2009. Streett was named for his grandfather, Dr. St. Clair Streett of Maryland. St. Clair is a family name originating from the mid-18th century when a Martha St. Clair married a John Streett in Maryland.
St. Clair Streett joined the United States Army after high school. By 1916, he was a sergeant in the Signal Corps, Enlisted Reserve., This is after the start of the World War I in Europe 1914-1918 and before America's entry into the war. In December 1916, Streett signed up as an aviation cadet and was trained at the Curtis School at Newport News, Virginia and at Wright Field in Ohio. America entered the world war in April 1917. On September 27, 1917, St. Clair Streett was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Signal Officers' Reserve Corps.
In December 1917, Streett was posted to Issoudun, France, as an air training instructor. The majority of the United States Army troops and pilots would arrive later, in 1918. He was then assigned to the 5th Pursuit Group operating out of Lay-Saint-Remy Aerodrome, France. Later, after the Allied victory in November 1918, he served in Germany with the American occupation forces, and returned to the United States in August 1919. On July 1, 1920, Streett was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Regular Army Officers' Reserve Corps, Air Service.
Pioneering flights
The Alaska Flying Expedition
In early 1920, Streett made a five-week, survey flight to assess field conditions in eleven states.Maurer, Maurer. Aviation in the U.S. Army, 1919–1939, Part 301. United States Air Force, Office of Air Force History. Diane Publishing, 1987, pp. 121, 244–245, 261–262. Then, at the suggestion of General Billy Mitchell who wished to strengthen the American air presence in Alaska Territory,Cloe, John H. (2000) Top Cover and Global Engagement: A History of the Eleventh Air Force, p. 6. Anchorage: Alaska Quality Publishing. (pamphlet) Streett commanded The Alaska Flying Expedition, an exploratory flight made by the Air Service between 15 July and 20 Oct. 1920, from Mitchel Field on Long Island to Nome, Alaska.Captain St. Clair Streett, U.S.A.S. Flight Commander, "The First Alaskan Air Expedition", The National Geographic Magazine, May, 1922, pp. 498-552. Dubbed the Black Wolf Squadron for the logo painted on the fuselage sides of their four De Havilland DH-4B biplanes, the eight men flew round trip in 112 hours of flying time, dividing the route into 18 legs across the northern United States and the western provinces of Canada, then north to Fairbanks, Alaska via Dawson City, Yukon. The flight reached Nome on 23 Aug. 1920 and returned to Mitchel Field on 20 Oct. 1920. An advance party prepared landing fields, stocked fuel and provisions to replenish the flyers and their aircraft.
Afterward, Streett speculated, "Some day this trip may be made overnight—who knows?"Borneman, Walter R. (2004) Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land, p. 293. Harper Collins. For this pioneering effort demonstrating that Alaska could be linked by air to the United States, Streett was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Mackay Trophy, the later given to the "most meritorious flight of the year" made by a U.S. military airman.Aerofiles.com Awards: Mackay Trophy. Retrieved on January 3, 2010.
General Billy Mitchell
Following this successful publicity flight, Streett was appointed assistant to General Billy Mitchell, the deputy chief of the Air Service. When Mitchell formed the 1st Provisional Air Brigade in May 1921 for the purpose of demonstrating that a bomber could sink a battleship, Streett was closely connected. Mitchell sent Streett to Air Corps headquarters to inform his superior Charles T. Menoher that the battleships could not be sunk as planned, with the bombers flying at . Streett informed Menoher that Mitchell intended to break the rules and fly much lower to ensure a newsworthy sinking, but that the Navy should not know of this change. During the June and July bombing demonstrations, Streett flew in the back seat as navigator in Osprey, Mitchell's personal DH-4B heavy bomber as they bombed from heights of about . Mitchell also planned to sink the target ship with several very close near-miss explosions that would cause severe damage to the ship's hull below the waterline. The US Navy's rules for the bombing limited the actual number of direct hits allowed on the target ship. The US Navy had intended to inspect the damage to these ships after the bombings, and US Navy gunfire to learn as much as possible about the effects of shell & bomb hits on battleship armor and structure. The target ship, the former German World War I battleship Ostfriesland was sunk with only a few direct hits, and several intentional very near-misses. The US Navy leadership was shocked and angry over the target's sinking. In late July after the battleship Ostfriesland had been sunk, Mitchell carried out a 19-bomber mock raid against Manhattan. About the stunt, Streett wrote an article entitled "14th Heavy Bombardment Squadron Attacks New York City" for the Army and Navy aviation magazine U.S. Air Service.
During this time, Streett wrote an article about the Alaskan venture entitled "The First Alaskan Air Expedition" for the National Geographic magazine, with the issue appearing in May 1922. In July, he became commanding officer of the headquarters detachment at Bolling Field.
Air races Flying an Army Orenco D on November 27, 1920, Streett finished in fourth place in the first Pulitzer Trophy Air Race, held at Mitchel Field on Long Island.Aerofiles.com The Pulitzer Trophy Races. Retrieved on January 3, 2010. On October 14, 1922, Streett participated in the third Pulitzer race flown out of Selfridge Field near Detroit but an oil line burst in his Verville-Sperry R-3 and forced him to abandon the race on the fifth and final lap.Boyne, Walter J. (2001) The Best of Wings magazine, p. 12. Brassey's.
In January 1924, Streett was named assistant chief of the Airways Section in the Office of the Chief of Air Corps. In this role he helped gather prevailing weather data, airfield locations, maps and reports of flying conditions for the Air Corps men undertaking the first aerial circumnavigation during March–September 1924. He planned for and ordered caches of oil and fuel to be kept at likely locations during the multistage voyage. Streett's preparations were praised as "very complete and of greatest assistance" in carrying out the feat.National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. First Round-the-World Flight, March 22, 1924. Retrieved on January 3, 2010. In September 1925, he entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Langley Field, Virginia, graduating the following June.
Altitude
Streett was transferred to Selfridge Field, Michigan, in August 1926, and appointed commanding officer of the First Pursuit Group Headquarters. He was assigned to Wright Field, Ohio in March 1928 as test pilot and chief of the Flying Branch. Flying the XCO-5 on October 10, 1928, Streett and Albert William Stevens achieved an unofficial altitude record for aircraft carrying more than one person: ; less than short of the official single-person altitude record.National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Aeronautics and Astronautics Chronology, 1925–1929. Retrieved on January 3, 2010. At that height they measured a temperature of , cold enough to freeze the aircraft controls. With frozen controls, Streett was unable to reduce altitude or to turn off the engine until some twenty minutes later when it ran out of fuel, after which he piloted the fragile experimental biplane down in a gentle glide and made a deadstick landing. An article about the feat appeared in Popular Science in May 1929, entitled "Stranded—Seven Miles Up!"Armagnac, Alden P. Popular Science, May 1929. "Stranded—Seven Miles Up!" Retrieved on November 22, 2009. During July 1932, he was on special assignment as assistant in the preparation of data on performance tests of aircraft.
Streett spent the following three years at service schools. He entered the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, In August 1932. After graduation In June 1934, he began a course at the Chemical Warfare School at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, which he completed in August. He was then transferred to the Army War College, from which he graduated in June 1935.
Streett's next assignment was with the War Department General Staff where he served as a member of the Miscellaneous and Operations Section of the War Plans Division. He became a student at the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island, in June 1939, and in July 1940 reported to Hickam Field, Hawaii, for duty as commanding officer of the 11th Bombardment Group, where the group operated B-18 Bolo medium bombers. On December 1, the 11th was redesignated a heavy bombardment group, and Streett prepared them to receive B-17 Flying Fortress heavies, the first ones arriving in April 1941 with Lieutenant Colonel Albert Francis Hegenberger to command them.Turner Publishing. (1997) 11th Bomb Group (H): The Gray Goose, pp. 15, 39. Turner Publishing Company. Streett shifted to become plans and training officer for the Hawaiian Department at Fort Shafter, and then was attached to the Army Air Forces division of the War Department as deputy chief of operations.
World War II