Evening star., 1944-05-20
The Army Air Forces

1he accomplishments of the United
States Army Air Forces, as reviewed
the other day by General Arnold,
should make every American feel
both grateful and proud. Since
December 7, 1941, up until last May
Is, operating in all parts of the
world, our AAF fighters and bombers
destroyed in combat $3.50 enemy
planes, probably destroyed 1850
more and damaged 5.546. In addi-
ton, on the ground, they destroyed
1854, probably destroyed 347 and
damaged 1,432-all at loss to them
selves of 6.154.
This statistical picture which
does not cover the impressive
shooting record of our naval avi-
ation-tells merely a part of the
story. No figures are available to
measure the full extent of the dam
age done to the enemy by bombing,
but we get some idea of 1t from the
fact that our Army Air Forces, to-
gether with the Royal Air Force,
have so pulverized Germany's pro-
ductive plant that the output of
fighter planes is reliably estimated
to have been reduced to one-fourth
the total planned. As a result, as
General Arnold says, the Nazis must
now choose between trying to coun-
ter our attacks on their war indus
tries and saving the Luftwaffe to
cope with our coming invasion. They
cannot do both; their air power has
been too badly hit for that.
General Arnold makes clear that
this dilemma is growing steadily
more acute for the Nazis. For al
though there is still considerable
doubt that the Reich can be cracked
by bombing alone and although the
Germans are highly efficient in re-
pairing shattered plants, our AAF
strength, both in terms of numbers
and weight of attack, has yet to
reach its peak and, with the British
and Russia air arms, Is now capable
OF striking hammer blows in every
corner of Europe. In other words,
no matter where he may go on the
continent, the ehemy cannot escape
our Allied assault, so that he faces
the prospect of suffering attrition
that will mount progressively until
both his war industry and Luftwaffe'
are reduced to negligible factors and
his land armies thus are deprived of
indispensable support.
All this suggests that our Army
Air Forces are moving toward the
climax of their operations in Euro
pean skies. Their main job has
been to knock out the Luftwaffe by
direct combat and by the precision
bombing of plants vital to Nazi
plane production. This they have
done SO we'll and so brilliantly that
they are now nearing the cleanup
phase in which they will be called
upon to go all-out in making victory
certain for our invading armies.
After that, they will be able to turn
their full attention to the Pacific,
where they have already hurt the
enemy more than a little and where
we can be sure their exploits will
add further glory to their name.
Such glory, however, does not
come effortlessly or without sacri-
flee. The Army Air Forces are the
mightiest In the world not merely
because of our wealth, our produc-
tive capacity or our planning genius
but because of the heroism and self
lessness of the men who fly our
fighters and bombers and who are
willing to die in them to keep harm
from the Nation Our pride in this
power, therefore, is inseparable from
a sense of deep debt. a thing which
holds true for our armed services as
a whole, land, sea and air.