<text id=00he0412><title>Headquarters at Langley</title>
<history>US Air Force: Events History</history>
<article><hdr>Headquarters at Langley</hdr><body>
<p>In March 1935, the GHQAF became a permanent, instead of a provisional, organization. All tactical aircraft from the nine Army Corps areas were assigned to the GHQAF, which made its headquarters at Langley Field, VA. Its three operational wings were based at Langley, Barksdale Field, LA, and March Field, CA.
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<p>It was more form than substance. The GHQAF had no heavy bombers, and didn't get any for more than two years after its formation. The first batch of 13 service-test Y1B-17s, ordered in January 1936 and delivered between March and August 1937, was earmarked for the GHQAF. Planned procurement of heavy bombers for 1938 was an additional 29 B-17s, production models this time, with 11 more scheduled for 1938. But by September 1939, when war broke out in Europe, only 13 B-17s and the sole XB-15 actually formed the long-range, heavy bomber striking force of the GHQAF.
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<p>That didn't seem to worry the Joint Board of the Army and Navy. It remained unconvinced that there was any need at all for advanced bombers with longer range and larger capacity than the B-17 offered. In June 1938, with another world war about 15 months off, the Board opined that the B-17 was as far as the United States needed to go in bomber design. There was no requirement the Board could see for greater ferry range, increased combat radius or larger bomb load.
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<p>On the eve of battle, the Air Corps still had to win its primary fight. It was soon to do so, but only with the help of the Germans and the Japanese.
