ce. The majority of the defense force was sent out to the Western Defense Command. The First Air Force only 337 planes including fighters and bombers. With the use of CAP, military aircraft and personnel were not needed to perform non-combat flying missions. This later expanded to include the use of CAP in courier service and transport and training as well as non-flight related jobs such as communications. The Coast Guard, who was responsible for patrolling the waterways, was ill-equipped to handle the job of aerial patrol of the coast. During the war the Coast Guard only owned 70 aircraft, some of which were helicopters. CAP lost more aircraft than the Coast Guard owned at 90. The Red Cross was also in need of CAPs resources to assist with transport of supplies and personnel.During CAPs coastal missions, crews flew more than 24,000,000 miles over the Atlantic. The most accurate records are of the coastal patrols due to the scrutiny of the Army and Navy over the reliability of the organization and its members. However, the numbers speak for themselves. By the end of the coastal patrol CAP had spotted 173 German U-boats, dropped bombs and depth charges on 57, and officially sank or damaged 2. There were other successes with its other missions. In Arkansas, CAP flew 69 missions totaling 17,000 miles to assist areas damaged by floods. This was in a two week period. They spent over 25,000 hours on official search missions for the Air Force. These successes did not come without a price. All totaled, 64 CAP members died in the line of duty. Although the majority died performing coastal patrols, many died performing the various other missions during the war.By no means was the CAP able of accomplishing its tasks by itself. The coastal patrol itself was supported by several agencies. The First Air Force handled most of the bombing of the U-boats for the air. The Navy and the Coast Guard attacked from the sea. The Ar...
