Evening star., 1942-07-02

experts are in this country now
studying the program with view
to duplicating it in England.
If there is one lesson that the
Army Air Forces would like to drive
home to the American public it is
the value of this flight strip program
in keeping military planes and COM
mercial planes from using the Ma
tion's war-congeSted highways for
forced or emergency plane landings.
Since the beginning of the war,
the German air forces have used its
great military highways for land
ings. They have not gone in for
fight strips adjacent to roads as
we are now planning to do on a
large scale.
Britain Could Use Plan.
"The Nazis would like nothing
better than for this country to
land planes on the highways" Col.
Hanks explained.
A we'll worked out system OF
flight strips would be of immense
military value to England, officials
said, in view of it's widely scattered
and carefully camoufaged airf1elds.
A large proportion of Raj losses
are said to be caused by crashes
and forced landings when the
planes return from night raids.
The military advantages of the
fight strip program are. threefold
and after the war is over, when
aviation is expected to expand on
a scale comparable to the automo-
bile after the First World War, the
auxiliary landing fields will be of
inestimable value to flying. That
is the day to which Commissioner
Macdonald is looking forward with
confidence in the workability of the
program.
In the first place, network OF
fight strips within short flying dis
tances of Army and Navy air bases
would provide essential dispensing
areas for squadrons of combat
planes. At Pearl Harbor and Ma
Mia, grounded Army planes were
bombed unexpectedly by Jap raid
ers before they could get into the
air. The United States would not
be caught again in this predica-
ment with an ample number OF
fight strips in operation.
The No. strip is large enough
to accommodate the flight opera
tions of two squadrons. Instead OF
basing all planes at one large air
field, the groups could be scattered
over a strategic area. There would
be no large hangers and repair
facilities to stand as targets for
enemy bombers Only single wide
strip of concrete with rights Of way
that could be utilized If the run
way is damaged.
More Bases Provided.
For coastal defense, the flight
strips also would be helpful to the
Army Air Forces in supplementine
facilities Of regular air bases and
airports. They will furnish inter-
ceptor bases to ward of possible at
tacks by enemy bombers and IA
cilitate generally in coastal all
patrol. Interceptors and bombers
based at the strip fields could easily
git thar furstest" If an Axis SUBJ
marine is sighted off the coast OF
sound detectors pick up an ap-
preaching raiding squadron.
Next, it was said, the construc-
ton of these landing areas adjacent
to public highways would provide
starting points for long flights in
volving supplies and equipment
Stores OF camouflaged supplies could
be kept at hand to send on emer-
gency notices to nearby air or land
commands.
minded officials who think in
terms of present and future devel-
opment, also stressed the value OF
the flight strips in connection with
the glider program. They are ad-
mrably suited for glider landings
and take-of1s, with sufficient space
for at least three gliders to operate
at time.
Highways Can't Be Blocked.
But harken again to the warning
Of Col. Hanks. 1--WE must keep the
planes off the highways, especially
in an emergency or an attack"
When the program was initiated
one of the greatest obstacles was
the demand that came from unin-
formed groups that the Nations
network of highways afforded ia
cilities to land military planes.
Gen. Arnold explained the situa-
ton in testifying before the Senate
Committee on Post Offices and Posi-
Roads, He pointed out highways
themselves could not be used, since
traffic would be halted for planes t
land on a highway. menaced BY
Observation-Disclosures