Evening star., 1940-11-17
Longer Air Ranges
Seen as Aid 10 Britain
In Battling Nazis
English Planes More
Suitable for Distance to
Mediterranean Front
Nv JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
Shifting of the theater OF the Eu-
ropean war from the English Chan
mel to the Mediterranean and other
fronts may mean the difference be-
tween defeat and victory in the
aerial duel between the German air
power and the British Royal Air
Force.
The increased air ranges involved
In the transfer of hOStilities, In the
opinion of authorities here, may
work to the serious disadvantage OF
the Nazi air command and in favor
of a British air force bolstered by
the new types of warplanes which
will be released during the next few
months under the new $3.50 pro-
gram of American assistance an
nounced by President Roosevelt.
The German Luftwaffe is an air
force composed of airplanes de-
signed for a specific purpose-the
carrying on of war within Europe,
where the distances involved are
relatively small and where opera
tionS could be conducted from pre-
pared bases.
This air force has not yet been
called on to conduct operations over
any very great ranges and observers
here are inclined to believe any
attempt to do so would involve a
great loss in efficiency of the Ger
man warplanes. This is indicated
BY the nature of the air war against
England. where the only really ef-
fective German air raids have been
carried on against the portions of
the British island closest to the
newly won German bases in France
and Holland.
Distance Curbs Efficiency.
Although it would be very much
to the advantage of the Germans to
blast liverpool and other British
west coast ports out of useful eX-
istence, German raids against those
areas have been noticeably ineffec-
tive, in almost direct ratio with the
Increased distance from the Ger
man bases.
The British, on the other hand,
have been compelled to operate con-
sistently at very much greater
ranges tina nthe Germans, except in
the case of raids on the Channel
ports and possible "jump-off" points
for any attempted German invasion
OF England The raids on Berlin
have been over ranges far greater
Aan any of the distances flown by
the Germans in regular operations
against London.
The British. moreover, have con-
Quoted raids from England against
Northern Italy. involving ranges
greater than any the German pilots
have been called on to fly in any
Of their major campaigns to date.
The longest British raid of the
War-involving perhaps twice the
distance flown in the most extensive
German raid on record in this war
was conducted against the Skoda
armament works at Pilsen, in for
ner Czecho- -Slovakian area, during
the night of October 27-28. Judg-
ing from the distance flown, it was
thought likely here that the British
may have employed four -engined
bombers, two new types of which
are known to have gone through
the trial stages.
Flying Fortresses" Wanted.
The anxiety of the British to OBJ
tain American long-range bombers
Of the Boeing Flying Fortress" type
reflects their knowledge of the i'm
portance of long-range operations in
the spreading type of warfare which
has replaced the original Nazi at
tacks within Europe.
To achieve overpowering air su-
periority, the Germans began seven
years ago to prepare for the type