Dr. Charles Griffith, ETSU adjunct professor of history, has recently published The Quest: Haywood Hansell and American Strategic Bombing in World War II.
The book details the life and World War II role of one of the most important generals of World War II, Air Force Major General Haywood “Possum” Hansell Jr.
Nicknamed “Possum” because of his appearance, Hansell was
one of the most important advocates of strategic bombing in World War II.
“The main thing about Haywood,” Griffith said, “was that he believed in
daylight strategic bombing, as opposed to the general night time area bombings of cities.”
Hansell postulated that the best way to end the war was to deprive the enemy of material resources, such as artillery and aircraft factories.
He also wrote many of our country’s air war plans, and commanded the first operable B-17 missions over Germany. However, Griffith feels that Hansell “had the right idea, but the wrong technology.”
Griffith conducted interviews with Hansell’s family to obtain photographs and learn more about him. “It was emotional interviewing his family,” he said, “His wife would tear up. His sons were also very nice and cooperative.”
Hansell’s beliefs about risky daylight bombing made him a controversial figure, and he was fired in 1945 after 19 missions, but “Hansell’s tactics are still in use today. He was the `big dog,'” Griffith said.
Griffith’s book first began as his Ph.D. dissertation in World War II history at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It then broadened to produce the book.
“While I was going through documents, I found this man to be very interesting, and
realized there were no written biographies on him, so I decided to write one,” Griffith says.
The book took him four to five years to complete.
The Quest: Haywood Hansell and American Strategic Bombing in World War II is an Air Force publication, and is available through the Air University Press.
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