Evening star., 1944-10-05
Figures on Air Power
Tell Significant Story

Iell SIgnIfIcunt Story
More Than 10000 Planes Built
Since Dec, 1941, Writer Finds
By David Laurence.
The Army Air Forces, In Its state
ment by Gen. Arnold giving facts and
figures, tells an interesting story about
air power In this war and points q sig
nificant lesson.
Thus. the American people have been
told that airplane production in 1912
was approximately $1,000 planes ard
that production In 1943 reached nearly
$4,000, so that II 1914 production is run
ming at the rate Of 100000 this year, it
would appear that more than 100000
planes have already been built in
America since December 7, 1914.
Gen. Arnold. after describing the job
the American Air Forces has done both
against Germany and Japan, says:
ITO do this job the AAF has sent
overseas approximately $4,000 combat
and transport airplanes, more than hall
OF them being flown over, with the
remainder going by boat"
There Is no indication as to how
many Of the $4,000 were combat and
how many were transport planes, but
even assuming that nearly all were
combat planes, 1t is nothing short of
remarkable that the American Air
Forces have been accomplishing against
our enemies both in Europe and the
Far East what has been reported In the
last two years and yet only 48, 900 combat
and transport airplanes have been avail
able to them. :.
What Became of Others?
The public has had the impression
that the AAF must have had at least
100000 planes at its disposal overseas. 1t
may well be asked what became of the
other planes. 1t is known tha. the Rus
SLAMS, according to the latest pub
hshed figures, have received somewhere
near 10000 planes, and assuming that
the British received an equal number
through lease-lend, this would still
account for only about 10000 more
planes than the $4,000 mentioned above.
One answer may be that a large num-
Der OF planes are kept in the United
States in reserve, or that there actually
are not enough airfields abroad to take
care Of more air power.
Gen. Arnold's statement discloses tina.
out OF the $4,000 combat and transport
alrplanes sent overseas, approximately
24,50o were destroyed by the enemy or
by accidents. This means that so per
cent OF all the planes sent abroad have
been lost. This is an anticipated rate
In air warfare. and the United States
must have a constant flow of replace
ments to take care of such losses.
The official statement analyses the
245o0 lost abroad by the Army Air
Forces as l4,600 lost on combat missions
from all causes and $500 from "other
than combat causes"-presumably ac-
cident or submarine destruction of car
goes.
But even the loss of $500 planes over
seas from other than combat cause
would not be regarded as surpris..lo
because a total Of 1880 planes have
OnlLPC
States due to accidents.
The official statement sums I'D the
total loss OF airplanes from all cause
since Pearl Harbor at $4,000. It also
points out that $500 airplanes have
been used in training, with 48,700 beinf
the peak at any one time.
High Rate Of Losses.
1t would appear that the Army Ali
Forces had good reason to ask for more
and more airplanes all the time because
with such high rate Of accident losses
as well as losses in combat, the supply
OF planes must indeed be substantial in
order that all military missions might
have an adequate number available at
all times.
Britain has a considerable aircraft
production and there is no doubt that
the United States and Britain combined
nave outnumbered the German Air Force
lor long time. The feeling that Amer
lea has enough airplanes to use without
restraint gives the Allied Air Forces the
confidence as well as the superiority they
now have in all theaters of action.
The air effort has been costly both in
men and In planes, but it has proved a
tremendous factor in this war. Ex-
tremists have exaggerated the tmpor
tance OF air power and have endeavored
to attribute to it a decisive influence
which 1t has not exerted, but this in
no way disparages what the Army Air
Forces has accomplished. In fact, the
true measure of achievement of the
Army Air Forces has been damaged to
no small extent by the overenthusiasm
OF those who believe the war could be
won by air power alone.
A better statement of what has han
pened would be that this war could not
be won without air power, and particu-
larly without the substantial amount of
air power that has been made possible
through the huge expenditure of funds
by America for planes Of all kinds, both
combat and training.
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