Evening star., 1942-12-09
u. S. Flyers With 9Th Army
Play Vital Part in Victory
Rommel Rout Aided
BY Bombing Of Axis
Ports and Shipping
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE.


WITH THE BRITISH 9TH ARMY
IN L1BYA, Dec. 9-There is one
thing want to be sure to emphasize
before leaving this cockpit of the
Mediterranean. 1t is that our air.
men who are operating with the
British 9th Army have played an
absolutely vital part in the great
victory already won over the Axis.
They are entitled to this credit
and the folks back home have a
right to know about it.
NOW this article isn't calculated
to be disclosure of virtue which
some one is trying to hide from the
world: Nobody is trying to suppress
1t, but on the contrary the prowess
OF our boys is being sung across the
L1byan desert by our Allies.
Still, fine exploits frequently get
pigeonholed as merely part Of the
days work in a great war like this
and I propose to advertise this one
bit-juSt in case.
The Americans and the British
are working hand-in-hand and give
credit to each other freely. For in
stance, Air Vice Marshal Sir Arthur
Cunningham, commander of the
Royal Air Force and Allied units in
the western desert, tells me our air.
men are doing "magnihcently."
Learned the Ropes From Allies,
Our own Col. William H. Crom,
assistant. chief of staff of the Amer
tcan Air Forces here, gives another
side OF the picture. When I told
him was writing about our men
and asked him if he had ANYTHING
he would like to contribute, he re-
Piled
Yes, there is. I take it that
when this war is over, Britain and
the United States must cooperate
In big way abroad to maintain the
peace. I want to say word for our
Allies. When our young men of the
57th Fighter Division arrived here
they were green. They we're mex
perienced in the tricks of the desert.
The British knew this type of fight
Ing and they were generous.
"The Royal Air Force and the
South African Air Force made
flights with our fighters to teach us
the ropes. They handled our people
for two or three sorties until we
knew our way about and acquired
the technique peculiar to desert
warfare 1t was a fine thing for
our British comrades to do
I am told by 1t. Col. Cornelius v.
Whitney of the intelligence staff,
who was with the American Air
Forces through the whole campaign,
that this same United States fighter
group was considered among the
top dogs on the desert. I am also
indebted to this scion of one of
Americas famous families for this
appraisal of the work of the Yankee
forces:
"Our efforts in the historic often
sive which Gen. Sir Bernard L.
Montgomery launched at Ell Ala
metn on October % have been di-
vided into three categories-those
by our heavy bombers. our medium
bombers and fighter -bombers. The
so-called fighter bomber is a COM
paratively new development 1t is a
fast, light fighter which carries one
or two bombs. The Germans
named it 'Jabo,' but the derivation
Of this catchy term isn't apparent.
Superior in Heavy Bombers.
"All these departments played
great part in the assault which pre-
cipitated the Axis panicky 700-mile
flight to Ell Agheila where Marshal
Rommels Africa Corps now is pre-
pairing to make a stand Military
historians undoubtedly will give our
heavy bombers high ranking. In
this class we have had considerable
numerical superiority over the Brit
ish and thus the vital task of sink
ing enemy warships, transports and