Evening star., 1943-05-12
u. S. Air Attacks in 7unisiu
Duplicated for Newsmen
Secrets Of Stunning Blows Revealed at
OrIondo's School Of Applied Tactics

| pOSlClFc UlOOp anu 1IOllG lucIlIlllCd.
ton, but also is concerned with ut
most bombing accuracy.
I'VE may bomb our own troops if
We do not have positive identifica-
tion,' Col. McKinnin said. recalling
that area bombing, such as that
used in the final rush against BIZ
zerte, where an area of 1000 yards
wide and miles long was pulver-
lied, may prove the most effective
against an area marked for a ground
force breakthrough.
Col. McKinnin emphasized that
dive hombers, because of their ne
cesSity for straight dive interval
during which they come under con-
centrated protective fire. are being
outmoded. I'VE are leaning to fight
er-bom5ers," Later we saw the A
36s used in this way.
High altitude bombing is not too
effective" he said. Low altitude
bombing is much more effective. It 81
our job to pave the way for ground
force progress"
Bostons Steal Show.
The A-20s stole the show. These
Boston jobs roar in without warning
at low attitudes and get away so
fast they are almost hitproof. They
skim so low and are so maneuver-
able, and SO heavily armed that it
may be low altitude fghter-bombers
will play big part in winning this
war, softening up the enemy rear
for ground forces to push through
the hole made by their bombs.
Nor is skip bombing effective only
against fixed targets An APO moves
much faster than a tank. A skip
| bomber tank is out of action, It's
the end for the men in the steel
turtles if an A-20 has bombs and
gets down close.
Dropping down to theoretically
bomb the airport at Leesburg, Fla,
We were attacked (again theoreti-
cally) by P-40 fighters, which had
been hanging up over the field as
protective umbrella. Our pilot
bombed and strafed the field, and
saw the P-40s. Then he poured the
coal to the A-20, showing her up
close against the 3O0-mile- Ian hour
mark.
Effective Killer.
The so caliber guns of an A-20
toss 30 slugs the size of a mans
thumb per second. 1t isn't hard to
understand why Heinie breads the
roar of an A-20, nor to realize why
this low-level attack airplane is
breaking up troop concentrations
miles in the enemy rear.
That fire power will kill a lot of
people quickly" said an air force
colonel
Not the least of the show so far
was explanation of complete air
craft detection system, using the
newest electronic devices, including
the very secret radar; assignment of
interception aircraft to attack the
enemy, and view of a completely
| typical filter center, where all infor-
nation regarding the supposed
enemy air invasion was sifted and
fighter planes assigned to intercept
Here dt Orlando, at cost of more
than 100000. Norman Bel Geddes
is installing a model of a typical
combat area terrain. Here every
thing in tactical disposition of a
combat area Is shown, complete with
attack disposals
But we learned that air power
alone will not win the war 1t was
explained by ground force colonel,
L. j. Compton, who said that COM
plete coordination of all arms will
be needed to bring the war to a
successful conclusion. Col. Compton
is an example Of the cooperation
of air and ground forces in tactical
use of the air arm.
All Elements Needed.
complete coordination of the
ground force, the Air Force and the
Navy will win this war" he said.
In the ground forces we never like
to attack frontally but if the ter
rain makes that necessary, as at
Ell Alamein. we must have artillery
or air power to accomplish it. And
don't forget-the 1nfantryman likes
to see friendly aircraft overhead.
"The dogface, fighting in the mud
and duct, can't understand why the
air force or the armored force
doesn't operate in bad weather when
he does, pushing through marshes
and through mine fields"
Plotting one of the Bits which
brought the newsmen here was
Capt. John F. (JacR Hurley of
Washington, a graduate of the Uni
versity Of Maryland