Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-08
Arnold
fContinued From First Page

British and American armed serv-
tces-air,, ground and sea-in North
Africa he called one of the finest
examples of coordination in the
history Of warfare.
The operations in North Africa
present "a lot of problems" Gen.
Arnold declared.
eve had to secure airdromes," he
sid, I'VE had to make over civilian
aTdromes into military airdromes,
with longer runways; we had to set
up depots for both supply and re-
pair; and the operations are OF a
highly specialized nature.
"Our logistics problem is quite a
complicated one, because of the dis
tances involved and the peculiar
operating conditions"
Gen. Arnold said the Armys
Iockheed P-38 pursuit plane, twin
engined, high speed. high altitude
fighter, armed with 37-millimeter
cannon and several machine guns,
was getting its first real test in
North Africa.
I'VE have had P-38s in England
since August" he said, but for some
unaccountable reason the Germans
refused to close in and fight with
them. We didn't know how good
the P-38, was. We knew it had been
operating IN the Aleutians, where
1t gave a good account of itself
against both zeros and other jap
afaeSe types. ~ SIC
s'In North Africa for the ffst
time they have been able to get
into combat with German planes,
both Messerschmitt 109s and Focke-
Wulf 1905. So far they have done
fairly wen-very well in some in
stances"
Praises Heavy Bombers.
Gen. Arnold praised highly the
combat record of the Air Forces
two heavy bombers, the Boeing Bit
Flying Fortress and the Consolidated
B.24 Liberator. One recent raid by
nine B-24s on an oil refinery at
Bangkok, Thailand. he said. involved
round trip of considerably more
than 1000 miles. something of a
record even for this war. All re-
turned safely"
Last month, he said, the Air
Forces total personnel had passed
the 100000 mark, and I'VE have
built up our airplane strength in
proportion"
I'VE are getting these planes in
impressive but not in satisfactory
numbers" Gen. Arnold said. by
not satisfactory I mean not as fast
as we want them, nor as fast as
We need them to meet our require
ments.
However, I think it can be truly
said that we are outproducing all
our enemies Our strength in the
air is growing; theirs is decreasing
There is every indication we are
now shooting down Japanese air.
craft faster than they are building
them. Mr.. Churchill told you re-
cehtly that We are combining with
the British to do the same thing tt
the Germans; the Germans have a
wasting air power.
Naxi Planes Shifted From Russia.
2'To continue to meet us on even
terms, because of their production
capacity, the Germans have to de-
stfoy two of ours for every one Of
their own lost"
Gen, Arnold said he believed vir.
tually all the German planes ir
North Africa came from the Russian
front.
Gen. Arnold said he thought
the Germans, as well as the Jap.
anese, got one of their biggest sur.
prises of the war when they learned
their fighters could not shoot down
the American heavy bombers.
The prospect for new American
fighter types is bright, Gen. Arnold
said. The new 2.000-horsepower
high-altitude Republic P-47 Thun.
derbolt is in production. although
not yet delivered in numbers to the
combat zones. A much improved
Bell P-39 Airacobra, making tina.
deadly medium altitude fighter into
-high-altitude pursuit ship, also is
in production, and the North Amer
lean Psi Mustang is expected to
be one Of the best planes of 1913,
he said.
1--WE have the planes and the per-
sonnet available to counter any
move the enemy may make" he
added. What Is better, we are
now undertaking offensive moves OF
our own.
"Of course. there will be heard. Bit
ter fighting ahead OF us. We will hit
difficulties and have many troubles
perhaps temporary setbacks. But we
will not slacken any Of our efforts.
Gen. Arnold said there had been
no change in the air forces 194a
goal of a total strength of approx
nately 2.500;O00 men. The flight
trimming schools are now training
pilots at a rate Of better than 10000
. year, he said. and other air forces
schools are turning out mechanics
at . rate Of more than 100000 a
year. scheduled to reach q rate Of
900, 900 year by next spring.