Evening star., 1941-04-10
Force Of Big Bombers
Held by R. A. F. for
Devastating Attacks
Nearly 100 4-Ensined
Planes Moy Be Ready
For Spring Campaign
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

Germany, heavily involved in the
Balkans, may be given shocking
surprise at home when the British
turn loose what may be the worlds
hardest-hitting bomber force, COM
posed of British and American four
engined long-range bombers.
Although there is no military
secret more carefully safeguarded
than that of the big bombers, there
are indications that the British have
been conserving them for con-
certed effort. There are three types
of long-range, four-engined land
plane bombers in the hands OF the
ROYAL Air Force today, with another
coming into production.
That the Germans may be aware
of the menace represented by these
big ships is indicated by the fact
they have not diverted much air
protection from the western front
to the Balkans.
Flying Fortresses Delivered.
American deliveries of 20 Boeing
B-17C Flying Fortress bombers and
2s Consolidated Iberator bombers
of the four -engined types are near
ing completion. The last OF the
Flyine FortreSses can be delivered
within a week if British crews are
ready to take them away, it is un-
derstood. Consolidated deliveries
also are we'll along. the first of
them having made the crossing IN
February. 1t crossed the United
States nonstop from the factory at
San Diego Calf, to New YORK at
an average of 270 miles per hour
without being pushed at any stage
The r. A. F. also Is taxing DE.
Everies of two British four-englneo
bombers. The earliest OF them, the
Short Stirling, with four Bristol
Hercules engines, went into produc-
ton last fall and has been through
her service trials in action against
enemy territory.
There has been no official indica-
ton from any source OF the num-
bers of four -engined bombers now
available. Assuming, however, that
the British themselves have built
no more of them than the United
States has authorized for delivery,
there should be nearly 100 OF the oig
planes available before the close OF
the spring campaign.
Could "Conventry" Area.
Even 30 of them would make pos
sible q more serious concentrated
attack than anything the totaltar-
ians have experienced. The Dig
four-engined ships can reach any
objective on German-controlled Ter
ritory with an average OF at least
four tons of bombs per plane, OF
900 tons for an all-out attack with
90 planes. Using 500-pounders, such
a British formation could plaster
eny objective the bomber command
might choose with ,280 bombs, more
than enough to bring the full mean
ing of Coventry" home to any Ger
man industrial area or military oo-
jective.
The British have been developing
o new type of bomb of tremendously
destructive character, which also
had its trials in a recent German
raid Pilots who dropped the new
bombs described the razing OF great
areas of industrial structures ana
told of entire buildings flying
through the air"
A concentration of the four-en-
rined bombers with the new bombs,
in the opinion of qualified American
observers, might give Germany
rrimmer taste of modern warfare
than even England has known to
date.
35-Ton Machine.
The Short Stirling went into pro-
duction in England last fall unoer
pressure of a program so urgent
that reports were received here that
all requests to view the new giant
r. A. r. bomber" were refused on
the ground that the Minister for
Aircraft Production would not per
init anything which might interfere
even In the slightest degree Win
the rate of production.
The Stirling weighs about IS tons
and is heavier than our Flying For
tress and Liberator types. 1t is de-
signed for high-altitude flying, with
a reported top speed greater than
800 miles per hour. /
American authorities contend that
the Liberator is faster than the
Short Stirling and that the later
Boeing B-17D and E models will be
better ships, particularly for ex-
tremefy HIGH attitudes