The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1943-09-17
. BEHIND THE SCENES
IN WASHINGTON .

ly being used by U. S. troops at
home on maneuvers, were taken
away from them and rushed to
the support of the British.
Bombers were flown directly
from the United States. Aircraft
carriers shuttled across the At
lantic and planes were flown
from their decks TO land at bases
on the west coast of Africa and
hop across the continent 10
Cairo. Other aircraft were ship
ped Grated, unloaded at Takor-
adj, to be assembled there and
flown on east. All this air
strength was eventually formed
into the u. S. Ninth Air Force,
which strafed German supply
lines across the Mediterranean
and later bombed Sicily, Naples
and other points in Italy.
Large u. s. ordnance and air
craft bases we're established in
Eritrea, the Nile Delta and the
Levant states for use in case the
British should be driven back
still further east from Egypt,
but as General Montgomery
Eighth Army took the offensive
and drove the Germans west, u.
S. support of these bases was
withdrawn and they were turn
ed over to the British.
Aid to Russia through Iran
has been continued, however.
the overall shipments to Russia
by all routes amounting to 5000
planes, 2,400 tanks. 10000 jeeps,
10000 trucks, 1000 motor
cycles, 10000 field telephones,
100 600 sub-machine guns, 49,
900 tons of explosives, as well as
munitions, food, raw materials.
P-40s FOR CHINA
In the Asiatic theatre, one of
General Marshalls revelations is
the first account of how the or
iginal 100 P-40 pursuit planes
were supplied 10 China for Gen.
Claire Chennaults Flying Tigers.
When the Chinese became des-
perate for lack of aircraft in
January, l941, General Marshall
proposed that the British turn
over to the Chinese so Of their
planes being manufactured by
Curtiss plants in this country, TO
be followed by IS in February
and by IS more in March. In re-
turn for this, General Marshall
allocated TO the British 300 more
P-40s, for delivery in June. The
100 planes reached China in mid
summer of l94l.
When the japanese advanced
through Burma TO capture Lash
10, terminus of the Burma Road
into China, an aerial supply line
was established over the Him
alaya Mountains. But by the
summer of 1912, large amount
of equipment had been accumu-
lated in India which could not
be moved into China by air. II
was therefore decided TO move
the Chinese troops to the equip
ment. Two small Chinese armies,
with a great willingness 10 fight
but with little equipment, had
withdrawn into India after the
loss of Lashio, and these have
become the nucleus for COM
plete tactical force.
Strengthening Of u. S air
forces in India and China during
the past year has permitted in
creased raiding of Jap positions
from Burma 10 French lndo-
China, and have served 10 force
a dispersion Of Japanese strength
across a southern front OF $500
miles from Burma 10 the Sol
onions. Losses inflicted on the
enemy have been so heavy as to
threaten their air power and the
efficiency of their sea forces.
Strategy for continuing this
campaign was planned when
Lieut.. Gen. Joseph Stilwell and
Mai. Gen. Claire Chennault were
called TO Washington in April,
1943, for conferences with the