Evening star., 1943-05-14

NOIS VI AiIiSu All GVWSt
In Shortening Campaign
Cited by War Department
Allied air forces destroyed approx
imately 1000 Axis planes in the Af-
rican campaign while losing ITO of
their own in the six months and
three days of fighting, the War De-
partment announced today.
On the first II days of this month
alone, when the Allied air force
swept everything before it, the ratio
was to /, or 300 Axis destroyed
against 40 Allied planes lost. This
ratio jumped to II to / the day that
Tunis and Bizerte fell to the British
1st Army and the United States
Army's I'd Corps.
During that brief period, the an
nouncement said, the enemy air arm
literally danced to the Allies tune. "
Discussing the significance of the
air operations, the War Department
said:
THE campaign provides the first
sistlessness of an aerial striking
force employing all its capabilities
in an integrated pattern"
Time of Operation Shortened.
TT is an example of the net results
of coordination of all types of mill
itary airplanes, their power enabling
the reduction of the size of force
required to do job and shortening
the time required tc do it,"
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur W.
Tedder commanded the Mediter-
ranean air command, the Allied air
team that drove the Axis out of
Africa.
the Northwest African Air Forces,
the RAF Malta, the RAF Middle
East and elements of the 9th Air
Force of the United States Army Air
Forces operating with the Western
Desert Air Force.
The Northwest African Air Force
created in February under the COM
mand of 1t. Gen. Carl Spaatz of the
United States Army Air Forces,
comprised American ana British ele-
ments. These operated as the North
west Stragetic Air Force, the North
west African Tactical Air Force, the
Northwest African Reconnaissance
Wing, the Northwest African Coastal
Air Force, the Northwest African
Troop Carrier Command, the North
west African Training Command
and the Northwest African Air Serv-
ice Command.
Composed of heavy bombers and
medium bombers and long-range
fighters, Gen. Spaatz' command
struck continuously at Axis shipping,
ports, harbors, bases, marshaling
yards and airdromes, whence might
come reinforcements of men and
material
16 Million Pounds of Bombs.
The total average of enemy losses
In ratio to losses of the Allies is
reduced by the fact, the War De-
partment explained, that in April
enemy air opposition was negligible
for a considerable period. There
we're just no planes to shoot down."
the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Allied planes con-
tinued bombing and strafng, their
losses due to enemy antiaircraft fire
in those attacks bringing down the
total ratio.
The record of plane against plane,
impressive as it is, the department
stated, relates only a fragment of
the air forces contribution to the
4" North African campaign, culminat-
ing IN the Axis debacle on Cap Bon.
Some idea of the terrific striking
power of the Northwest African Air
Forces was given in figures showing
1926, 800 pounds of bombs were
dropped on Axis targets.
Combined with the operations in
North Africa, the War Department
stressed also the strategic value of
the round -the-clock bombing mis-
sions of American and British air
forces from bases in England. which
disrupted production in German
war plants in Europe.
so Axis Ships Sunk.
From November until February
18, when the Northwest African
Air Force was formed, the Ameri-
can 10th Air Force made 1913 at
tacks on enemy targets, dropping
6,65s,6O0 pounds of high explosives
and augmentation bombs.
The Northwest African Air Force,
In the first two months, dropped
9576,790 pounds of bombs in 1873
attacks.
Total bomb poundage was 49,
236, 800 for the 1856 attacks, the tar
gets including harbors, shipping
naval bases, airdromes and every
form of land and military install
lations and vehicles.
In the Mediterranean and in har-
bors alone, so enemy ships were sunk,
68 severely damaged and 70 slightly
damaged in the first five months of
the campaign.
Other figures were made available
by the War Department, illustrating
the efforts of various elements in the
combined air force
The Troop Carrier Command
through March 25, carried 41,4l7
military passengers and transported
Conveys Guarded From Air,
The Coastal Air Force, charged
with defense of the entire Allied
held coastline, afforded aerial pro-
lection to friendly conveys and en-
gagged in anti-submarine operations.
The Training Command gave all
newly-arrived combat crews special
training for tactical operations pc
culiar to Northwest Africa. Like
wise the Air Service Command per-
formed supply and tactical main
tenance of organizations in the field
throughout the area.
All Of these commands, forces
and services provided the team
which effected the ultimate swift
collapse" the War Department said