Evening star., 1944-08-04
Postwar Inquiry Seen
In Gen. McNoir Death
Explanation Of 'Batde Mistake
Needs Clari6cstion, Says Writer

Explanation Of Battle Mistake
Needs Clarifcation, Says Writer
By Dapid Laurence.
When the war Is over, and calm and
dispassi0nate study Of military mistakes
can Be made, 1t III probable that the
circumstances surrounding the death o.
1t. Gen. Lesley J. McNair In Normandy
win be fully investigated.
The famous leader OF our ground
forces was victim Of an American
bomb dropped from IN American heavy
bomber. Many other Americans Of far
less importance in rank but not less
important to their relatives and friends
have been killed In this war by our own
gunhre.
Usually the explanation Is that mis-
take was made. Also, 1t Is customarily
added that accidents and mistakes will
happen in the midst Of battle. The
public has no means Of knowing whether
the accidents or mistakes are few In
number and could really have been
avoided or whether they were merely an
unfortunate factor In necessary opera
ton.
Errors have been admitted by al the
armed services. The Navy has revealed
that 1t has fred on its own ships In
the dark or in the obscurity Of bad
weather. The field artillery In the last
war and In this war has laid down
Its barrages and has caught some of
our own men. Some Of the air trans
ports which new from North Africa to
Sicily year ago were fred on by
Allied naval vessels.
Incidents Regretted.
All these incidents are naturally re.
gretted by every ofiicer who has had
any part In them. Customarily, too,
boards of inquiry are set up to deter
mine the responsibility. The use Of
heavy airplane bombers, however, in the
form of air artillery to clear narrow
areas Of ground for infantry, a. was the
case when Gen. McNair was killed, In
PRODUCES into the discussion something
that has long plagued the critics Of
military operations.
Thus many air forces enthusiasts de.
clare that heavy bombers should never
be used along with ground troops and
only as . separate striking force In a
strategic air plan. They would confine
bombers to what is known as q strategic
air force as distinguished from tactical
air forces which operate with ground
troops.
The Germans, on the other hand, at
the outbreak of the war defeated the
French Army and terrorized the Polish
infantry by the use Of low-level dive
bombers. The Allied forces now have
dive-bombers, too. and in the Pacific,
for instance, the Army Air Forces have
been notable for the work they have
done In what Is called low-level
bombing.
The use Of the heavy bombers as a
part Of the tactical arm is, on the other
hand. . dangerous affair If the bombers
attempt to drop their loads from great
heights. 1t Is the difnculty OF apply
Ing precision bombing under adverse
weather conditions particularly that
makes 1t hazardous to let the heavy
bombers support ground troops
Emergency Operation:
But the particular operation in which
not only Gen. McNair was killed but
many other Americans lost their lives
was an emergency. The American COM
manders were using everything they
had to break through . hard series Of
positions and the end result was that
the infantry did get through and the
gains made these past few days in
France are the fruits Of that smash
ing drive.
1t has been feared that lack Of ex-
perience In the matter Of tactical air
force operations might produce just
the accidents which have been recorded.
Clearly the American Army Air Forces
have never had such big area in which
to operate with large ground forces
and 1t was inevitable that the result
would be critical one.
The strategic air forces have done
q great job in bombing factories and
military installations. The last two
years have furnished many thousands
Of opportunities to strike at inanimate
targets. The problem Of hitting NOV.
ing armies while not injuring ones own
advancing forces is something that
requires q great deal more experience
than either the British or American
air units have ever had. 1t Is costly
way to learn, and there is q tendency
to say the accidents are unavoidable.
Time alone will tell whether different
training methods might have been in
stituted and whether the emphasis on
. separate air arm, with the zeal for
separateness, has not to some extent
retarded what might have been longer
period Of training in tactical air force
operations synchronized with ground
movements of troops. -
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