Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-15
American and British
Prize Bombers Fiji Into
Around-CIock Plan
Fortress Effective in
Daylight, Avro Lancaster
In Element at Night
BY the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Feb. l5.-When the
planes are available and the time is
ripe, the USAAF and the Raj each
intend to throw air armadas of 1000
or even 1000 bombers against Ger
many in round-the clock raids-the
Americans by day, Britain by night.
The top men of American air
operations in Britain have made
this clear in interviews during which
they explained why the projected
grand-Scale aerial assaults would be
done by separate forces night and
day rather than joint formations.
The generals feel that the idea of
mammoth dual force raids is tied
in with widespread misapprehen-
sion of the nature and functions of
the kingpin bombers of the two ma
tions-the Boeing Fortress and the
Avro LancaSter-each of which is
pre-eminent in its own field and
which, working respectively on day
and night raids, form an unbeatable
team.
Burdens Nazi Defenses.
The high Army officers summed
up the situation like this:
Granting that immense devasta-
ton could be. achieved by COM
bined force of night raiders. such q
policy would enable the enemy SIM
ilarly to concentrate its defensive
strength during the night hours.
For example, if it were required to
work only at night, each anti-air-
craft gun station could be manned |
by single crew working nights and i
resting days and, further, only |
night fighters would be needed for |
protection in the air.
Something approaching this sit
uation prevailed for Germany before |
daylight bombing raids were started |
by Americans, and the Nazis were
much more comfortable then than |
now.
Now the enemy never knows
whether he'll be attacked by day,
night. or both. and he must reserve
gunners and fire fighters and main |
tain compliments of both day and
night fighter planes.
Throws Of Production.
Also, business disrupted both day |
and night puts an increasing strain
on production and defensive ca
pacity-far more than could be done
merely by stepping up the volume
of night raids.
Converting the Fortress to night |
bombing would destroy the value |
of its precision bomb sight, which, |
incidentally, really is precision
one recent mission,
6 of 36 bombs dropped from a
height of more than four miles |
hit the roof of the target building
which measured but 200 by 400 feet.
Another disadvantage would be
the loss of the effective use of the
Fortress great armament of IL
50-caliber machine guns, reducing
the bag OF enemy planes, which in
daylight operations is proving of
much value to the Allied cause.
Still another problem on the
night use of the Fortress would be
the superchargers which enable
this plane to attain such great |
heights. The superchargers pro-
duce long, bright exhaust names
excellent sighting points for enemy
could be muffled only
at. the sacrifice of speed and eff
cheney.
Each for Particular Job.
Working day and night in rota-
ton on the same target offers an
increased chance of wearing down
enemy defenses, and at times would
enable the Fortresses with their
accurate bombing to start fires that
would guide the Lancasters to the
same objective when darkness fell.
All of which is no intention to
criticize the Lancaster, designed /
for night bombing and the best
there is at that job. The Fortress.
designed to meet the United States
need for a bomber to fly high and |
far and bomb small targets such |
as invading ships, also does its
job well.
Each plane serves the United
Nations best when sticking TO its
speciality.