Evening star., 1940-06-02
By JOSEPH s. EDGERTON.

Inc united SCdteS mas uCtle 10
fear from attacks across the Allan
tic by present combat types of Ger
man airplanes, even the best of
the present long-range Nazi bomb
ers, on the basis of accurate re-
ports of German airplane perform
ance In the hands of Allied and
American military observers.
These figures lend support to the
arguments of Col. Charles A. Lind
bergh and Maj. Afford j. Williams,
jr., who have warned their fellow
Americans against hysterical fear
of immediate German attacks from
the air within the Western Hemi-
sphere.
Although the present German air
force may not be formidable op-
ponent over long distances because
OF the restricted ranges of its COM
ponent airplanes. there is no as
surance that the Germans may
not-in fact, that they have not
already started the production of
longer range bombers and fighters
against day when they may seek
objectives farther removed than
France and Great Britain. Military
observers do not discount rumors
that the Germans are working on
four-engined, long-range bomber
types. The Germans themselves
have limited of the existence of a
giant air carrier capable of carry a
3O-ton tank, said to be held in re-
serve for the attack against Eng
land.
Reduces Ocean Barrier.
Should the Germans have carried
such air giants to the production
stage, the Atlantic would not prove
SO formidable barrier to its new
planes as to those which now form
the backbone of German air power.
The moral, according to military
observers. is that, even though this
country may have little to fear from
the existing German air force, un-
less 1t can be transported to the New
World and based within striking
range, there Is no telling what the
Germans may be preparing and,
consequently, no real guarantee of
safety except in the pushing of our
national defense plans to a maxi
mum.
1t is pointed out that, even though
the German airplane shadow
factories still may be tied up with
production of bombers, fighters
and the "Stuka" dive bombers of
types now carrying the war against
the Allies, these same German
plants, If swung full blast to the
production of new long-range types
could, probably for many months,
outbuild American plants in a COM
petitive race.
German airplane plants were
built up between 1894 and 1887 for
rate of production yet unequalled
by any other nation and possibly
any group of nations. American
aeronautical leaders have declared
that the American aircraft industry
could not hope to build up to the
German production figure in less
than II months after definite types
OF airplanes were frozen for mass
production methods.
Were the German plants to begin
production of long-range bomhers
and convoy plants to the full ca
pacity Of their existing factories, a
year would elapse before American
plants could begin to equal their
production rate, tn the light of
present opinion in the industry.
Even then, American manufacturers
are allowing themselves only a
year in which to duplicate the Ger
man plant construction program of
three years prior to 1887
Performances Gauged.
A study of the known or rea-
sonably accurate estimates of Ger
man combat plane performance
characteristics is illuminating
Very accurate figures have been OBJ
tanned by the Allies, some of them
before the war and others by ex-
animation Of German planes shot
down since hostilities began and so
made available for scientific study.
Among the German bombers
now blasting the Allies ashore and
afloat are such standard models
as the Heinkel He 111k. Mark v
model, used extensively in attacks
on British ships and raids on the
English coast; the Junkers Ju SO,
largest of the present bombers known
to have been used against the
Allies; the older Junkers Ju 86K,
used in great numbers against Po-
land: the Dornier Do II and the
Dornier Do 215-the latter two
listed as reconnaissance bombers."
Among the Stukas, or dive
bombers, which are smaller single
engine types. are the representative
Junkers Ju 81, the Heinkel He 118
and the Henschel HIS 1913. The
Henschel HIS 126, though listed as a
reconnaissance-bo bomber, also is a
single -engined ship of much similar
type.
There are several types of Ger
man flying boats and seaplanes.
among them the Blohm and Voss
HUI l39 mine-layer, used freely in
mining British and Allied waters
This is the military version of the
four -engined twin-float seaplane
used by Deutsche Luft Hansa for
airmail service across the South At
lantic during the two years prior to
the war. There is more than mere
suspicion that the airmail plane
was the original design for the
mine-layer and that airmail service
was merely its proving-ground and
pilot-training run.
Other Fighters.
Among the German fighters are
the standard Messerschmitt Me 100,
q single scatter which, by Allied
rating, has a top speed of 354 miles
per hour; the Heinkel He ll2, rated
as a long-range convoy fighter; the
new Messerschmitt Me 10, q two
engined fighter carrying crew Of
two men; the somewhat similar
Dornier Do %, and the Focke-Wulf
Fw 1893 single-engine fighter driven
nv a niIsher nropeller