Evening star., 1944-01-04

Hope Of Early A|I-0ul
Bombing Of Japan
Gen. H. H. Arnold, chief of the
Army Air Forces. today shattered
the hope of many Americans that
Japan can be brought easily to her
knees after the defeat of Germany
by all-out bombing, from bases in
China.
To his own prediction that mel
ther Japanese shipping nor Japa-
nese industry will survive the bomb
ing that is in store for them," he
added this blunt warning:
Those persons who think that
after the costly and time consuming
defeat of Germany, we can by a
simple order fly our planes to China
bomb Toxic and bring Japan to he,
knees, do not yet understand the
need for vast supply lines, we'll
equipped bases, and planes built To
fight under entirely different con-
ditions from those that prevail in
Europe"
China Most Effective Base.
Gen. Arnold, in his annual report,
declared that potentially, China
remains our most effective base for
aerial operations against Japan"
but he warned that we have not yet
assumed the offensive on the Asiatic
mainland and formidable obstacles
Of supply must be overcome still.
He admitted, however, that the
surprise and shock tactics" Of 1t
Gen. George c. Kenney's Southwest
Pacific Air Forces have shaken the
Japs out Of their groove.
when their routine is disrupted
the Japs are baffled, and baffled Japs
do not fight WELL" he said. THAT Is
not to say that Japan will fold as
the italian Fascists have, under the
mere threat of invasion" He added
There is no doubt but that Japa-
nese industry and shipping will have
to be Systematically shattered before
her armies actually crumble."
While our bombers have begun to
make their presence felt in China,
Gen. Arnold claimed, the baf1ing
question of supply still constitutes
the key difficulty in our Asiatic
strategy.
Supply Called Problem.
Supply is our problem in China" !"
he said. ITO supply our growing air
forces in that country has been per-
haps our greatest single challenge
to the efficiency of the Air Forces.
Every item of equipment for the
maintenance and operation of the
14th Air Force must be flown into
China from the outside. That is
the primary, fundamental fact of
our present strategy in Asia"
This aerial supply line lover the
most hazardous mountain terrain
in the world" he stressed, offers
problems that stagger the imagi-
nation.
Considered in terms of gasoline
alone, Gen. Arnold pointed out, "the
C-87 "a converted B-24 transport
plane now used to deliver tons of
l00-octane gasoline, must consume
315 tons of the same precious COM
modify in making the round trip
over the hump (the eastern spur of
the Himalayan Mountains) between
Assam and RUNNING.
The crews of a heavy lombard
ment group In China must ferry
over their own gasoline, bombs, re-
placement parts and everything else
in their own B-24s before and after
combat mission, he added.
Four Trips to One Flight.
Before this bombardment group
can 60 on one combat flight, it must
make four trips over the hump"
Gen. Arnold said Until such time
as we conquer the territory and build
the road into China and/or capture
a seaport, we must follow this pro-
cedure, whether it is for 40 aircraft
or. 1000"
But the problem of making sup
plies flow into China by no means
starts in Assam, the air chief re-
minded. Before the start is even
made, he said, the supplies already
have been shipped more than TO-
600 miles. To the mere problem of
fight alone, Gen. Arnold said, the
monsoon season with its heavy rain
fall and the constant menace of
malaria" add to the difficulties of
building runways and transporta-
ton.
Yet under the command of Mai.
Gen. Claire L. Chennault, the 14th
Air Force has, from January 2, 1912,
to October 81, 1943, shot down 351
japanese aircraft with a loss to
themselves of only SO. An undis-
closed number of enemy planes have
been damaged.