Evening star., 1943-10-19
Arnold Says Germans
Know They Will Lose
# Bombinqs Continue

The Germans know now they
have got to stop American long.
range bombing of their war plants
or they are doomed" Gen. Henry H
Arnold, chief OF the Army All
Forces, declared yesterday in ar
extremely frank discussion of the
operation of our precision bomber.
over Europe-particularly the de.
struction Of ball bearing plants al
Schweinfurt last week which cost us
60 heavy bombers.
I'VE can expect losses, even heavier
losses, until the Nazis have reached
the end Of their rope in ingenuity
to beat down these attacks" Gen
Arnold continued. I'VE know we
have achieved superiority over them
IN the air. Month by month that
superiority Is being increased. We've
got to measure the costs in results
achieved, not planes expended. With
all our losses, planes available to
the Air Force and trained crews still
are steadily increasing"
Gen. Arnold cited Field Marshal
Goerings warning to the German air
force last week that daylight
bombers must be attacked at all
costs, as significant evidence of the
destruction wrought on war plants
by the American bombers. He dis
closed figures showing how the in
creaslng range of the bombers has
blasted out of existence so many
German airplane production plants
that the German fighting planes
ready for service now have been
reduced to less than 1000. He
believes the Germans lost 10000
planes from December to October /.
Calls in Writers.
Gen. Arnold had invited to Air
Forces headquarters in the Penta-
gon Building over two score report
ers, news executives, radio COM
mentators and columinists. In each
chair was found schooldays- style
tablet and sharp pencil. The gen.
eral, flanked by aides with charts
and pictures, sat near the head
OF long table. AS many guests
as could sat around the table.
Others occupied chairs that lined
the walls.
Il just want to talk" the general
began with a smile. He did, for
almost an hour, declaring,
/. The main objective of the Al
lied air war over Europe is to make
it easier for ground troops to go
In, in the final dash, and save thou
sands of lives.
2. The loss of 60 bombers at
Schweinfurt is incidental to destruc-
ton Of the ball-bearing factories
there. Regardless of our losses,
I'm ready to send over replacement
crews for every one lost and at the
same time keep building up our
strength"
3. Second only to the bombing of
specific objectives is the aim to
destroy the German air force.
4. The Allies are getting the upper
hand in the air in all theaters. I'm
not saying the war is over, or about
over, or anything of the kind"
Target Lists Prepared.
5. A special committee of experts
intimately familiar with German
industries before the war makes up
target lists for the bombers. Each
target is given priority rating for
bombing in order of Importance.
s. Long g-haired" German scien-
fists are racking their brains for
new weapons and ideas-rocket
guns, aerial bombing of bombers
etc. 1--WE got the ball bearing works
at Schweinfurt, but German brains
are still working"
7. The Germans have drawn on
their fighter strength everywhere to
concentrate on defense against the
hombers, stripping Italy and leaving
relatively few in Russia.
8. Japan now must have her fifth
or sixth team" in the air over the
Southwest Pacific.