Evening star., 1943-08-21
New Naval Air Comba
Division Is Headed
By Admiral Mccain
BY the Associated Press.

In move designed to intensity
the Navy's aerial hammering of
the enemy, a new air operations
division began functioning today
under Vice Admiral John S. Nc
Cain.
Admiral Mccain as deputy chief
of naval operations will have charge
Of all naval aviation matters leading
toward actual combat, while avia-
ton materiel and supply will be ham
died by Rear Admiral Dewitt Clin-
ton Ramsey, newly appointed head
OF the Bureau of Aeronautics.
Announcing establishment of the
new operations division at press
conference yesterday, Secretary OF
the Navy Knox said:
I'VE think this will systematize,
and we hope it will intensity air
warfare. We now have a bu-
reau to supply the planes and a de-
partment to operate them"
Ramsey Back From Pacific.
Admiral Ramsey, back, from a tour
OF duty as commander of a carrier
task force in the South Pacific, par
ticipated in the same press confer
ence and told reporters that Japa-
nese aircraft carrier strength now
may approach ours" He added,
however:
Il think the enemy is loath to
bring his strong surface forces or
carrier task forces down to the
South Pacific area. They just don't
want to take pretty bad licking
our situation has improved greatly
there in recent months"
OF the aviation changes, Mr..
Knox said the aim is Ito increase
the responsibility and autonomy of
the aeronautical organizations in
procurement of finest aircraft types,
perfecting training and supply sys-
TENS and other administrative func-
tions so vitality important to the
prosecution of the war"
He explained that the growing
importance of the air arm had out
distanced the growth and scope of
the Bureau of Aeronautics, primarily
supply and materiel branch.
Five Divisions Transferred.
Under the transfer of air func-
tions, five divisions of the Bureau
of Aeronautics directly concerned
with operations. will be transferred
70 the Office of the. Chief of Naval
Operations. They are the Planning
Division, responsible for long
range picture Of the air war and
procurement of equipment, person.
mel, training, flight and air lnforma-
ton divisions.
Secretary Knox described the or
ganizational changes as "a move for
further recognition of the air arm
and a plan designed to increase its
efficiency, tying it in more closely
with operation
Asked If the japanese air force
should be considered as weak, Ad-
miral Ramsey replied:
Il believe we have underestimated
the japanese airplane productive
capacity. They show an ability to
astounding"
To inquiries about enemy task
forces he said that although the Jap
anese lost two of their best first
line cruisers in the battle of Midway,
their strength has improved ma
terially since"
Asked whether 1t could be as
sumed that the japanese have strong
task forces farther north in the Pa
cific, Admiral Ramsey replied en-
phatically, They certainly do"
Admiral Ramsey remarked that
newly manufactured planes and otn-
ers from theaters of war less i'm
portant at present were moved in by
the japanese to replace losses, but,
he said, they are not improving
their st ength."
Com .,ined surface strength and
prepcnderance of air strength of
Allied forces in the South Pacific, as
we'll as the long enemy lines of COM
munications, he added, contributed
to preventing movement of heavy
carrier task forces to the South Pa
cifc.
Questioned about the japanese ap-
parent productive ability, he said
that an estimate of a monthly plane
production OF $50 enemy planes
would be a minimum figure"