Evening star., 1944-09-06
Brereion 5 Air Army
Believed Poised for
Landing Behind nazis
BY w. H. SHIPPEN, Jr.,
Aviation Editor. The Star.

4AC ACW dApOiAiC duIy VI LII.
Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, it was be-
lived here today, is all set to Jump
over and land behind any strong
defense line the Nazis may be able to
establish as they fall back on their
homeland.
Mobile. swift. powerful and self
contained. Gen. Brereton's Army
was organized to take immediate
advantage of any situation which
may develop to halt the forward
surge of Allied land forces before
barriers like the Siegfried Line, the
west wall or some nattiral defense
position. ,1s
Should Give Nazis Pause.
The existence of such an armada
massed in a single striking force
must be taken into account by the
Germans when they decide how
much of their remaining strength
can be committed to permanent"
defense positions. Guns dug into
stationary positions are apt to be
overwhelmed by the kind of fire
power the Allies have mounted on
wings and wheels.
All airborne units in the United
Kingdom have been merged into the
new army on wings, which now en-
bodies all the essential compo-
nents - transport planes, gliders,
supply and service forces, engineer
units, airborne infantry, paratroop-
ers, guns and light tanks, commu-
nication equipment and personnel.
The leader of this force has been
placed on a command level with
heads of the air and ground forces.
He reports direct to Gen. Eisen-
hover and his deputy, Air Chief
Marshal Tedder, and participates in
overall strategy planning.
Composed of Veterans.
Built around a nucleus of thou
sands of officers and men who are
veterans of airborne campaigns in
Africa, Sicily, Italy and France, the
army is quite capable of hitting be-
hind the enemy's most vital defenses
and holding the position. experts
here believe.
This highly-complex organization.
according to the current issue of
Aviation News, did not spring forth
full-blown to meet the present situa-
ton" AS matter of fact, it rep
resents the combined experience Of
Allied forces in this war, plus a
great deal learned from the Ger
mans since they seized the Island of
Crete with an airborne force
The airborne army as now con-
stituted is regarded here as the full
fillment OF promise made more
than two years ago by Gen. Henry
n. Arnold, chief of the air forces,
In announcing formation of the 1st
Troop Carrier Command. The gen.
eral said then the projected army
would exceed anything the world
had ever seen in equipment and fire
power.
Fine Record in Test.
This 'lusty infant of World War
II" had it's first test in strength last
June S when almost 1000 transports
with some 100 gliders in tow headed
across the Channel for six drop
zones" behind six Pathfinder planes
which blazed the trail. Two Amer
lean airborne divisions, co-ordinated
with a British airborne division,
landed their troops with an aircraft
loss of only 212 per cent.
This preliminary force had been
built up around veterans from air
borne landings in Africa, Sicily and
Italy. Additional lessons were
learned from the successful opera
ton in September, 1943, which
helped turn the Japs back from
Port Moresby, New Guinea.
Shortly afterwards, full division
was flown over the lofty Owen
Stanley range and supplied by air
Such heavy equipment as steel
landing mats, earth moving ma
chinery and asphalt was flown in
by transports which evacuated the
sick and wounded on return trips.
The New Guinea operation, it was
said, demonstrated the value of air.
borne forces which now seem poised
for the supreme test.