Evening star., 1944-01-04
Continued From First Page. J

built to fight under entirely diff
ferent conditions from those that
prevail in Europe"
Thus far, after two years, he
suggested, we have made only a
good beginning in the sea-land-air
war against the Nipponese. With
out the coordination of air forces
he indicated, mo traditional mode
Of naval or land war could possibly
have broken the defense ring that
Japan counted on for consolidation.
I'm point of fact he reminded
"the ring is still largely intact"
Worlds Largest Air Force.
Revealing the actual strength oil
Army Air Force personnel for the
first time in many months as COM
posed of 1885 900 officers and men
with 10000 men in training daily
in the air, Gen. Arnold said the
United States now has the worlds
largest air force" This two-year
objective was reached, he declared
after the wreckage of American air.
fields in the Pacific and the
defamation" of our air squadrons.
Yet, the AAF alone, as of last
October 81, has destroyed in aerial
combat 8.478 enemy aircraft on all
fronts, he said had probably
destroyed 1855 more and damaged
another 1884. Omitted from the
total of 1887 are an untold number
destroyed and damaged on the
ground, and the score since October
has risen considerably.
In addition, he said, American
flyers of Maj. Gen. Claire l.. Chan
nault's 14th Air Force in China had
shot down 351 japanese planes with
a loss to themselves of only SO from
January 2, 1912, to October 81, 1943
In what also has become the
worlds greatest airplane production
program, American plants rolled
$500 planes off assembly lines during
November, 1943, as compared with
1T September, 1899, when Hitler
started the war, and sob in Janu-
ary, 1943.
Era of Super Planes.
At the same time he disclosed
that during the next Is months the
145, 1000 planes called for by the War
Production Board schedule will be
heavier and more elaborately
equipped than those now flying
an era of super-bombers and super
fighters. The recently disclosed
B-29 super-bomber, now in produc-
ton, will see action in 1914, he said.
In the face of a mounting
monthly production, there has been
much public speculation over in
ability to concentrate more Ameri-
can planes on critical fronts. Aside
from the necessity of thinning our
combat planes and requirements
over global fronts, another answer
was provided in the disclosure that
as of october /, 1943, a total of
26,900 American planes have been
exported to our Allies by lease lend,
including 1000 to Russia.
Significance is attached to the
fact that Gen. Arnold's report was
submitted to the Secretary of War
instead Of to Gen. George C.
Marshall, chief of staff and his
superior. It emphasizes the ap-
parent independent status OF the
AAF.
The air commander is the only
four-star general in command of
one of the components of the Army,
the heads Of the ground and serv-
ice forces being lieutenant generals
who report direct to Gen. Marshall.
Lists Steps in Program.
Referring to the date in store for
the Luftwaffe. the report deals at
length with the air offensive over
Europe. Gen. Arnold listed the
first step" in the program of stra-
tegic bombing as "the destruction of
the enemy's fighter strength" This
is dictated, he said, by the prime
necessity Of protecting our own air.
craft.
The next step was the smashing OF
assembly plants and destruction OF
carefully selected" industrial tar
gets, he added.
The near future is likely to see
the Crucial period" for the Luft-
waite, he said, "in view of the high
rate Of attrition of German fighter
aircraft on the western front" He
added:
IF the present rate of attrition
keeps up, and German aircraft fac
tories producing these fighters con-
tinue to suffer progressive destruc-
ton, a point will be reached when
German reserves are exhausted and
only trickle of requirements can
be supplied"
Although the Germans have in
creased fighter plane production, he
declared, they have not stopped the
bombers from taking total war to
the German capital,'
Planning Stressed.
Gen. Arnold attributed the sue
cess of the American concept of
bombing to the fact that it was
based on blueprint of scientific
ally calculated attrition." The gen.
eral pattern of German reaction to
the aerial blows dealt from English
bases by the 9th Air Force, he said,
shows number of especially sig
nificant trends" These he enumer-
ated as follows: