of Winged Defense from a 1919 lecture given by Captain Thomas Hart on the value of submarines in warfare. With his lack of evidence and knowledge exposed, Mitchell had no chance of exoneration by the court.
While Mitchell’s court-martial proceeded into December, the Morrow Board submitted its report to President Coolidge regarding the possibility and predicted outcome of bolstering the Air Service. Unfortunately, their findings did not meet Mitchell’s expectations, as the report rejected the ideas of a department of defense and a separate air force. The only victory for Mitchell and his supporters was that the Air Service would be renamed as the United States Army Air Corps, thereby strengthening the conception of military aviation as an offensive, striking arm rather than an auxiliary service. It also encouraged future representation of military aviation on the General Staff, and advocated offices of the Assistant Secretaries of the Army Navy, and Commerce be established for the air services.
The last witnesses in the final phase of the trial delivered testimonies that continued to contradict with Mitchell’s September statements. Navy pilot John Rodgers, who …show more content…
When General Howze asked for the closing statements, Mitchell spoke on his own defense indicating that all statements made during the trial were the utmost truth, and that the defense had now closed their proceedings. After the prosecution rested, the court resided to the anteroom to determine the fate of Mitchell’s career. After an hour of deliberation the court returned to their seats where General Howze declared that the court found Colonel Billy Mitchell guilty on all counts of the charge. The accused was to be suspended from rank, and without pay, for five
While Mitchell’s court-martial proceeded into December, the Morrow Board submitted its report to President Coolidge regarding the possibility and predicted outcome of bolstering the Air Service. Unfortunately, their findings did not meet Mitchell’s expectations, as the report rejected the ideas of a department of defense and a separate air force. The only victory for Mitchell and his supporters was that the Air Service would be renamed as the United States Army Air Corps, thereby strengthening the conception of military aviation as an offensive, striking arm rather than an auxiliary service. It also encouraged future representation of military aviation on the General Staff, and advocated offices of the Assistant Secretaries of the Army Navy, and Commerce be established for the air services.
The last witnesses in the final phase of the trial delivered testimonies that continued to contradict with Mitchell’s September statements. Navy pilot John Rodgers, who …show more content…
When General Howze asked for the closing statements, Mitchell spoke on his own defense indicating that all statements made during the trial were the utmost truth, and that the defense had now closed their proceedings. After the prosecution rested, the court resided to the anteroom to determine the fate of Mitchell’s career. After an hour of deliberation the court returned to their seats where General Howze declared that the court found Colonel Billy Mitchell guilty on all counts of the charge. The accused was to be suspended from rank, and without pay, for five