Evening star., 1943-11-03
New Spaatz Command
Hera|ds Big Bombing
OF Reich From South
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Formation of a new all-American
Mediterranean air command under
1t. Gen. Carl A. Spaatz was inter-
preted here today as heralding the
imminent WhipsaW bombing of Ger
many on what may prove to be an
uncomfortable scale.
Significantly, the announcement
was made at Algiers yesterday few
hours after part of Gen. Spaatz's
command-the new United States
18th Air Force-had battered the
Messerschmitt assembly plant at
Wiener Neustadt with heavy bomb
erS
Official comment was lacking on
the Algiers announcement, but one
of the principal objectives of the
campaign in Italy has been to ac-
quire air bases within easy striking
distance of Central Europe and Ger
manys Balkan satellites.
Creation of the new 18th Air
Force, to be teamed with the vet
eran 18th of Maj. Gen. James H.
Doolittle and to concentrate 'on
long range, strategic bombing" can
only mean that the number of
bombers at Gen. Spaatzs disposal
has been greatly increased and that
he is now ready to match the aerial
blows from Britain with comparable
assaults from the south.
Will Divide Nazi Strength.
In the view of officials here this not
only will multiply the destruction of
German war industries but also will
reduce the cost in American heavy
hombers by forcing the Germans to
divide their fighter strength, now
concentrated in the west, to meet
the threat from the south.
The Nazis have been building air
fields in Northern Italy, presumably
as fighter bases to intercept the ex-
pected daylight assaults by Medi-
terranean bOmberS.
A number of factors were left un-
explained by the Algiers announce
ment, among them disposition or
present makeup of the Northwest
African Air Force, and whether
Gen. Spaatzs new command eX-
tends to the 9th United States Air
Force in the Middle East.
AS to the latter, the heavy bomb
ers of the 9th Air Force for some
time have been attached to Gen.
Doollttles strategic air force for
operational purposes, and presum-
ably will continue to operate under
Gen. Spaatz's command.
The Northwest African Air Force
was created early this year for the
Tunisian campaign by merging the
18th Air Force with the British
Western Desert Air Force, and also
including other units. Withdrawal
of the 18th Air Force to be part of
Gen. Spaatzs new command leaves
the larger organizations status in
doubt, but the tactical air force and
other components may continue to
operate under British command in
the Mediterranean theater
Organized 9Th Air Force.
In naming Gen. Spaatz. 81
yesr-old Pennsylvania. to be Amer
lean aerial commander in chief in
the Mediterranean theater. Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower gave recog-
milton to the efforts of a veteran
eirman who was credited with
evolving the strategic-tactical aerial
teamwork which characterized the
Northwest African Air Force.
Gen. Spaatz had headed the
Northwest African Air Force
through the Tunisian. Sicilian and
Southern italian campaign.
Cen Sraatz was the organizer of
the powerful United States 9th Air
Force now operating in Britain.
He built the 9Th Air Force from
nothing to point where it was Just
beginning to feel its strength when
he vas called to Africa to take over
the then somewhat feeble 18th Air
Force and the RAF which had been
hammered badly by the Germans.
Gen. Spaatz was one of the first
25 men in the United States Army
to earn his wings as a pilot, in 1916.
He went to France as a captain.
where his genius for organizing
found him in charge of an aviation
instruction center for Americans at
1ssoudon Later he served at the
front, shooting down three German
planes and winning the Distin-
euished Service Cross.
After the war, Gen. Spaatz served
In varied sections of the United
States studying flying, and in 1929
won the Distinguished Flying Cross
In 1940 he went to England to view
effects of the German air raids and
study countermeasures.