Evening star., 1936-02-02

| chief OF the General Headquarters Ali
Force, detachments representing five
| air force organizations in various parts
of the United States have been con-
| centrated In New England to conduct
combat exercises without the benefit
| of heated hangers, barracks or the
comforts Of home.
Airplanes and men will be out In
the open during most of the two weeks
strenuous test of men and planes, of
engine heaters, sleeping bags, skis,
standard fuels and oils, electrical sys-
TENS. bomb release mechanisms and
other factors subject to cold weather
failure or loss of efficiency.
Officers and men of the General
Headquarters Air Force are finding
very little of peace and quiet in peace
times. 1T is the policy of Gen. An
drews to make the new air force a
highly mobile unit capable of operat-
ing under any set of conditions which
might be encountered in the defense
Of the country.
New Situations Frequent.
"Under this policy" the War De-
partment has explained, "the person.
mel of the air force find they do not
have time to get into the rut of gar
rison life, as they are constantly being
confronted with new situations which
take them away from their home sta
tons in all kinds of weather"
The New England maneuvers will
prove the antithesis of the soft life
some laymen suppose to be the lot of
the time Army. One of the
purposes of the test is to permit an
observation of the efficiency of men
working under very trying conditions.
To this end, officers, men and equip
ment will be stuck right into the thick
of the worst New England Winter
has to offer.
The detachments in the field will be
forced to rely upon available standard
and special Winter equipment. No
extra arrangements are being made in
the way of special equipment designed
for this expedition. The units will
get what the Air Corps has on hand
for them and nothing more: just as
they would in the case of actual war.
General Andrews and members of
his staff. in their reconnaissance trip,
selected airdromes which would fulfill
the climatic conditions of the test and
yet be suitably located from tactical
point of view They chose Burlington
Airport, Burlington, VT; Concord Air
port, Concord, N. H., and Mitchell
Field. Long Island. Mitchell Field,
Regular Army base, is to be the supply
base for all units.
Participating Groups.
The participating organizations are
of the goth Bombard-
ment Squadron, Langley Field, Va;
18th Attack Squadron, Barksdale
Field, La; 55th Pursuit Squadron,
Barksdale Field; 61st Service Squad
ron. Mitchell Field, N. Y, and 1st Pur-
suit Group, Selfridge Field, Mich.
The maneuver was divided into three
phases During the first. which began
yesterday and will continue through
the bonlbardment aviation,
based at Concord. is Stimulating at
tack on Mitchell Field. which is being
defended by pursuit and attack.
The second phase, beginning about
Tuesday and lasting for three days.
will involve a defense of Mitchell Field
by pursuit against bombardment and
attack based at Concord.
The final phase. lasting through
the last week. will find the scene
shifted to Burlington. which will be
defended by pursuit against lombard
ment and attack raids from Concord.
The tactics of the maneuver," it
was explained. ''are to be secondary
to the test of the equipment, The
tactical situations merely give the men
toward which to direct