Evening star., 1943-06-24
Nozi Plane Program
Nodded to Defense
Maj. Eliot Sees Germons
Abandoning All Hope
Of Victory
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
In one respect, at least, the German
high command already has admitted de-
feat.
That admission is inescapably implicit
in the fact that Germanys aircraft pro-
ority over bombers. This change re-
Gently has been confirmed by advices
from reliable British sources. 1t means
that Germany is turning from the Of
fensive weapons with which victory is
won, to the defensive weapons in which
there is no hope save the temporary
staving off of defeat.
This is not to say that Germany has
abandoned bomber production alto
gether. Some bombers still are being
turned out 1t Is, however, significant
that these are largely short-range me-
dium bombers, or the hybrid type called
fighter -bombers. These are tactical air
force weapons for cooperation with
ground troops, or could be employed in
a wide variety of short-range defensive
missions against an invading force. On
the Russian front, where the German
air fields are in many cases well forward,
short-range bombers can likewise per-
form many offensive missions
But it is notable that the Germans
now have no four-engine bomber in
general use and do not appear to be
developing any really long-range plane
for strategical bombing. The last four
engine type which the Germans were
turning out in any numbers was the
Heinkel IT, Production of this plane
was suspended after the heavy damage
done to the Heinkel works at Rostock
last year by the RAF. 1t is interesting
to note that the situation has so al
tered from the German point of view
since that time that the high command
has not thought it worthwhile to resume
the production of a four-engine stra-
tegical bomber.
The compelling consideration behind
this policy appears to be the necessity
for defending Germany against air at
tack, which means more fighters, both
day fighters and night fighters; and
likewise the necessity for defending Ger
many against invasion, which means
more tactical air force types for CO.
operation with ground forces The ca
pacity of the German aircraft industry
is simply not sufficient to provide neces-
sary planes of these two categories and
still have any margin left over for long
range offensive operations.
rTbara ora o5;oot;o,, .Lat 4L.r. a..
heavy strain on fighter production
capacity even SO, and that everything
possible is being done to get more
fighter squadrons into service A con-
siderable number of bombers are ap-
parently still In reserve and these are
being used on the Russian front rather
freely. That Is to say. the reserve of
machines is being passed through the
hands OF the operating squadrons on
the apparent theory that these bombers
had better be used up in Russia rather
than to allow them to deterprate in
storage. The purpose of these bombing
operations IN Russia may be to prepare
the way for coming German offensive.
or 1t may quite as easily be to break
an offensive of their own later in the
year.
The British sources above referred to
suggest that there is also German
bomber reserve of another sort-a re-
serve Of operating squadrons, fully
manned and equipped, held at central
locations ready to be moved quickly, over
the admirable German network of air
fields, to any threatened point on the
vast 7,000-mile perimeter of the fortress
of Europe. This seems likely enough.
Such an air reserve would have far
greater degree of strategic mobility than
reserve Of ground troops and would be
the natural defensive conference.-the to
the Allied advantage, conferred by their
command of the sea, to effect strategical
surprise.
What is really notable in this survey
OF German air policy is the fact that it
seems to have taken a completely de-
fensive turn. No longer does there seem
to be any thought of the Luftwaffe over
whelming the enemy. 1t is the defense
Of Germany to which the attention of
the German air staff is turned.
German factories no longer can af-
ford to turn out the big bombers which
are so expensive in labor and material.
More and more fighters to defend Ger
many's industrial centers is the first
requirement, and after that other small
and medium types to help the German
armies Withstand the shock of battle
with the Russians in the east and the
British and Americans in the west or
south.
All this is Of the utmost significance,
for it tends to confirm the opinion that
the German high command already has
abandoned hope of victory, and now
hopes only to prolong the war by stout
defense-on the chance of wringing from
the Allies some sort of compromise peace.
(Copyrisht, 1e43. by the New York Tribune. Inc }
Greece Continues