Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-19
BY w. H. SHIPPEN, jr.

Mounting pressure from the air is
forcing the Nazis into a bitter de.
cision between saving their war in
dustry or saving their air force fol
the invasion.
1t is the opinion of Gen. H. H
Arnold that they cant do both.
The commanding general of the far
flung Army Air Forces told his first
public press conference in more than
a year late yesterday that the Ger
mans now can spend fighters only
to ward off blows at the most vital
parts of their war machine.
This would bear out estimates that
Nazi fighter production has been
cut to one-fourth of that planned
The Germans now have so few
fighters 'they can't meet us every
time" the general said.
Forced to Spend Reserves.
Not that the German air force has
been defeated or destroyed, he
warned. Rather, the Nazis are being
forced to spend their reserves un-
der constant attack while struggling
to maintain combat units and hold
back something against the invasion.
Reserves, the general pointed out,
are a vital component of any bal
anced air force.
Smiling, confident and tanned by
the wind and sun of many CONT
|nents, Gen. Hap" Arnold outlined
for an impressive turnout of news
men the broad general picture of
air force operations in all theaters.
First, however, his aides handed out
the "box score" Of the boys on the
firing line:
Since December Z, 1941, they have
destroyed $3.50 enemy planes in
aerial combat, probably destroyed
1850 and damaged 5,546.
On the ground 1854 enemy planes
have been destroyed, in addition to
BAT probables and 1892 damaged.
Losses in Period.
Losses in the period up to May Is
were 5,718 combat planes destroyed
in the air and 236 on the ground.
Approximately 200 noncombat
planes have been lost due to enemy
action on the ground and in the air.
The USAAF flew 746,353 sorties up
to May is and dropped 468, 1871 tons
of bombs.
The general revealed further that
in the first four months of 1914 the
air forces sank 800, 489 tons of Japa-
nese shipping.
Asked if he would venture a pre-
diction as to when the Nazis might
crack under the awful weight of
bombs, Gen. Arnold shook his head
and exclaimed:
mo! I doubt If anybody can an
swer that. Some experts believed
they would crack before this. But
after we have bombed 80 cities far
worse than Coventry, after we have
hit their fighter plants, their syn
thetic oil, rubber and gasoline re-
flneries, their ball-bearing works
their railroad marshaling yards
their most vital industries, they still
haven't cracked"
Bombings TO Continue.
win heavy bombings be continued
after the invasion?"
Eyes. The Germans keep rebuild
ing. We will return again and again
until their will to resist has been de-
stroyed."
In opening the conference, Gen
Arnold said the basic No. mission
OF the AAF in Europe is to destroy
the German air force. To do this
he continued, I'VE knew we had to
hit them in their factories, depots
modification centers, flying fields
and in the air. This is quite a task
when you consider the number oil
targets and the fact that the Ger.
man air force does not want to b.
destroyed"
Large wall maps were used tx
demonstrate that the blows were
reaching all of occupied Europe with
the exception Of Czechoslovakia