Evening star., 1945-10-31
Strategic Bombing

The strategic bombing survey,
made to determine the effects of
the air war against Germany, gives
us for the first time factual and
comprehensive picture of military
operation for which there has been
no precedent in any war and which
cost the United States and Britain
158,546 men and more than 10000
planes.
Some mistakes were made. The
RAF mass attacks on German cities,
prior to the autumn of 1914, had no
substantial effect on German war
production. Some of our own at
tacks, notably that on the ball-bear-
ing factories at Schweinfurt, which
cost us so heavily. and for which
great success was claimed at the
time, were failures. The accuracy
of Allied bombing, in behalf of which
some fantastic claims had been
made, actually was not too good,
especially up to 1945. But these are
relatively minor details. Taking
the picture as a whole, the air war
was a tremendous success and an
impressive vindication of the judg-
ment of the men who fought cou-
rageously and often at heavy per-
Sonal sacrifice to secure for air power
the recognition which it deserves.
The report of the survey concludes
that an error. due to faulty intelli-
gence, was made in not concentrat-
ing more heavily against the enemy's
electric power system-apparently
the real Achilles heel of the Reich.
But air power did succeed in dis
astrously curtailing German oil pro-
duction, In meeting the submarine
challenge, in crushing the Luftwaf1e
and in smashing the Nazi transpor-
tation system-each an achievement
which contributed directly and i'm
portantly to the defeat of Nazi
Germany.
After reviewing all of the evidence,
the men who drafted the report
came to the unqualified conclusion
that air power was decisive" in
Western Europe. "By the beginning
of 1945. before the invasion of the
homeland ITSELF" the report con-
tinued. Germany was reaching a
state of helplessness. Her armament
production was falling irretrievably,
orderliness in effort was disappear
ing, and total disintegration and dis
ruption were we'll along Her armies
were still in the field But with the
impending collapse of the support
ing economy. the indications are
convincing that they would have had
to cease fighting-any effective
flghting-within few months.
Germany was mortally wounded"
We should never assume that this
same pattern would be followed in
another war, for the character and
the function of air power are chang
ing. Nevertheless. we in the United
States cannot afford to miss the
overall significance of what hap
pened in Western Germany-namely,
that any nation which yields su-
premacy in the air to an enemy is
doomed.
Some will say that this obviates
the need for large armies, forgetting
that we employed 100000 men in
air combat commands alone in the
war against Germany. And they
forget, too that air power is still
in the development stage; that the
air weapons of the future will de-
mand the services of more, not
fewer, trained and quickly available
men. The strategic bombing report,
prepared by civilians, not by mill
tarists," concludes: Prevention of
war will not come from neglect of
strength or lack of foresight or
alertness on our part. Those who
contemplate evil and aggression find
encouragement in such neglect" In
brief, it is report which should be
required reading for those who op-
pose the measures essential to a
strong America.
Atomic SABOTAGE