Evening star., 1942-08-23
u. 5. Heavy Bombers
Get Crucial Test in
Continental Raids
Bottle Tests to Decide
Correctness Of British
Or American Views
BY ALFRED TOOMBS.

It appears that the controversy as
to whether American heavy bombers
can be used effectively in the air
assault on Germany is being settled
in the only way such arguments
are ever decided.
American flyers are taking our
Flying Fortresses and Liberators
over the continent. II these bomb
ers hit their targets and get back,
the American theories are going to
be proved. If they don't the Ameri-
can flyers are going to be wrong
and dead.
British commentators have stated
that the American Bit and B-24
were fine airplanes for certain pur-
poses. But they did not count
among those purposes the bombing
of German territory.
The American bombers will fly
further, at higher attitudes and
faster than the British They are
armed much more heavily. The
British commentator said these
points of superiority were OF no
value in Europe, however.
Long Range Not Needed.
German objectives lie close to
England-therefore long range
plane is not needed it was said.
Bombing of Germany has been
carried out at night-therefore the
protection which our bombers gained
from altitude and armament and
speed were not needed.
The American air commanders
admitted the truth of this argument,
Tnev conceded that the British
short Stirling and Halifax bombers,
carrying heavier load of explosives
than ours, might be more effective
on short night raids.
But they suggested that the high
f1ying American bombers be used for
long distance raids which would
entail flying in daylight hours.
Against this it may be pointed out
that a heavy haze hangs over
Europe most of the time. Planes
f1ving at attitudes over 10000 feet
wouldn't be able to see enough on
the ground to do any precision
bombing. 49,.
If the planes few along at alti-
tudes low enough to see through
this haze they would be open to
attack by fighter and ground guns.
No Reports Of Use.
There have been no reports re-
Gently to indicate the British nave
used the American heavy bombers
placed at their disposal for bombing
Europe. We have heard that Flying
Fortresses were used for coastal
patrol. Such patrols are generally
carried out at low attitudes.
The Americans suggested the pos
sibility of flying at substratosphere
attitudes until they reached their
detectives. coming down for the
bombing. then climbing back up for
the fight home
1t is difficult to intercept a plane
flying 6 or 7 miles in the air. The
area in which plane can hide
spreads out in cone from given
point on the ground. The higher
it is, the greater the space In
which it might be located.
It was an honest difference OF
opinion. The British commenta-
tors held that a lot of good Ameri-
can flyers would be lost to the
cause if we sent Bits and B-24s
over the continent. The Amerl-
cans held that lot OF good Ger
man targets would be left in one
piece If we didn't.
Eaker Sends Them Over.
The news that Brig. Gen. Ira c
Eaker, chief of the United States
bomber command in Europe, is
sending his heavy bombers over
Europe is indicative of the fact thai
American airmen are determined tc
prove their point-by action.
Gen. Eaker personally led the
first fight against Nazi-occupieo
France. Since, there have beer
reports of two more flights BY
American heavy bombers over Nazl-
patrolled areas.
Gen. Eaker is close persona
friend of 1t Gen. Henry H. Arnold
chief of the Army Air Forces, undel
whose guidance the American-t type
heavy bomber was developed. Gen
Eaker is one of a group of officer!
whose ideas have been incorporated
into the Flying Fortress and he i
willing to risk his life to back ul
those theories.
At least twice during the flight
In the European theater during th
last week the Fortresses have en-
countered the Nazis' deadliest ney
fighter, the Focke-W -Wulf 100. Non
of the bombers has been lost, ant
ct least one-perhaps more--of tn
fighters has gone down in flames.
Theories Against Facts.
Scattered encounters like thes
don't prove that the bombers ca
take care of themselves in dayligh
operations nor do these few raid
prove that American tactics ar
right. But they are straWs in tn
wind, significant chiefly because the
show that--in spite of theorie
which others may hold-the AAF
willing to dare and do to prove
point.
With the Germans moving the
Industry ever deeper into Europe
get away from British bombers,
may be that our heavy planes-cal
rying out daylight precision raids
will be the only ones TO reach tf
objective