Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-08-18
s. AIR
POWER
BY Maj. Alex P.
de Seversky

oil Adm. NimltZ that Japan may
be knocked out of the war and
forced 10 surrender without
invasion. He held out the DOS
sibility that the far eastern
enemy may be driven 10 SUR
render before the assault in
vasion stage is reached.
The press rightly played up
his assertion as a significant
departure from recent claims of
naval strstegists. For three
years now they had insiste
that the war in the Pacific
-eeald fot-be- ended Until
triphibious task forces, includ-
ing men with bayonets, stormed
the beaches OF the japanese
home islands.
In effect, Adm. NimitZ has
conceded what airmen like the
late Gen. Billy Mitchell have
argued long ago. He has thus
provided the proof that under
the pressure OF events the logic
of the air power age is being
recognized, slowly but surely.
TNIIE crux Of the furious dis
Il pute between surface and
air minded military thinkers
has been this very issue OF
whether Japan or any nation
can be defeated without actual
invasion.
We have maintained that once
a nation is knocked out of the
war. whether we decide to
occupy or not TO occupy is a
purely political decision.
OF course, Adm. Nimitz sticks
TO his guns of naval tradition
when he foresees that the
knockout will be scored by sea
blockade and air and sea bonn
bardment," to quote the ex-
preston used in dispatches from
Pearl Harbor.
TO-DAY there is no longer any
l. such thing as sea blockade.
Germany tried 10 blockade the
British Isles with her subma-
rines and nearly succeeded-as
long as we depended on escort
vessels and other surface means
10 fight the menace. But when
the Job was turned over to air
power, the submarine threat
was quickly eliminated.
At our own end. the Allied
blockade of Germany today is in
effect an air blockade. If Allied
naval strength were no greater
than Germany's, could Hitler
conceivably open up sea routes?
Would any of his surface YES
sells venture into seas beneath
skies where Allied aviation
reigns supreme? The blockade
of Germany is maintained by
ring of air power, in the British
Isles. Africa, Iceland, the
Azores.
Adm. Nimitz. while conceding
the basic principle that Japan
can be defeated without inVa-
sion. adheres 10 an outlived sur
face assumption that the air.
plane is simply auxiliary fire
power of the navy. That as
sumption is implicit in his ref
erence TO air and sea lombard
ment' as though il were COM
bined fire power of the fleet.
TN REALITY, OF course, air
L power is strategic force in
its own right. AS the matter
stands. air power has begun its
blockade of Japan--a more eff
fective blockade than was ever
possible with surface forces. l
refer TO the fact that our long
range bombers are not only
striking at Japanese war indus
tries but are cutting japanese
exterior and interior lines OF
communication.
The admiral is dealing with
incommensurates when he puts
into one combined category air
action from distances of 1900
miles and more, and sea bonn
bardment from distances of 20
and 80 miles.
II and when we reach the
stage where We can apply sea
bombardment" against Japan.
it will mean that Japanese air
opposition has been eliminated.
Otherwise we shall be unable 10
venture INTO japanese home
waters. a.
AS long as the enemy possesses
formidable defensive air power
any reliance on sea lombard
ment' is pure self-delusion.
There can be neither sea
bombardment- blockade
for the simple reason that naval
forces cannot operate in waters
shielded by hostile air power.
JAPANESE air power must
- first be neutralized. but once
that is accomplished. Japan will
lie hopelessly exposed 10 de-
Struction by tridimenslonal
blockade from the air. Bomb
bardment of a narrow strip Of
coastllne by naval units at that
point would be lnconsequential.
Whether the admirals have
grasped the fact or not, effec-
, tive blockade in this day and
age can he applied only by air
power, because IT not only
sewers exterior lines Of COM
muniCation but wrecks interior
lines, at the same time that IT
DESTROYS the enemy's means of