Evening star., 1945-07-16
5000 Land Planes
Can Attack Japan in
Day, Gen. Giles Says
py the associated Press.

GUAM, July 16.-American land
based air power in the Pacific can
hurl 5000 planes at Japan in a
single day by co-ordinating tactical
and strategic air forces which now
are being realigned for the great
preinvasion assaults on the home
land, 1t. Gen. Barney M. Giles said
today.
Reporting that the first contingent
of 9th Air Force B-29s under 1t.
Gen. James H. Doolittle will arrive
by the middle of next month" Gen.
Giles, the new strategic air forces
deputy commander, added the point
ed comment that in Japan itself
there is nothing left as an individ-
ual target" that Is worth even a
] 1,000-plane raid.
Under the new alignment, Gen.
Giles explained, fury of the B-29
program is about to be doubled"
Super Forts will concentrate their
full destructive weight where it
will put Japan out of the warmaking
business as fast as possible"
All Forces Consolidated,
The 2fSt Bomber Command on
Guam and old B-29 groups in China
and India are inactivated; all are
consolidated under the new USA-
STAF-official designation of United
States Army Strategic Air Forces.
Gen. Doolittle's planes, after mid
August. will be increased rapidly
until his full force is in action,
Gen. Giles explained.
After Super Fortresses begin
operations from Okinawa bases
there will be number of valuable
targets within range on the Asiatic
mainland" he said. Presumably
Northern Japan, thus far untouched
except by the Navy, will also come
under B-29 attack.
Gen. Carl A. Spaatz, with Gen.
Giles as his deputy, heads the con-
solidated strategic forces.
Under USASTAF will be two air
forces composed of very long-range
bombers and long-range fighters to
protect them" Gen Giles said.
One is the goth Air Force, which
will continue to operate from Mari
anas bases, with support of Psi
Mustang fighters from Two Jima
(Now operating independently as
the 7th Fighter Command, the Two
Mustangs formerly were part of the
7th Air Force) Maj. Gen. Curtis E.
lie May Of the old 21st Bomber
Command heads the new goth Air
Force.
New Airfields Prepared.
The other strategic air force will
be the 9th, under Gen. Doolittle-I
including B-29s and PATS based in
the Okinawa area. Transferred to
its staff will be headquarters per
sornel from the old goth Bomber
Command, which started American
operations against Japan, Gen. Giles
said.
Associated Press Correspondent
Richard Gushing reported today |
from Okinawa that new airflelds
there already were taking shape
land from the frequency of arrival
of new and eager air units, the
SISppSO-up O14C11oiNC AlOAl eLAAo
threshold island impends."
Under Okinawa's new air organi-
zation, Gen. George c. Kenney's |
Far East Air Forces are operating
Army tactical striking units; I'd
Marine Aircraft Wing planes are
defending the island, and Fleet Air
Wing planes under Navy command
are blockading the Yellow and East
China Seas.
Brig. Gen. Thomas D. White, ar
irving to take command of the 7th
Air Force under Gen. Kenney, heads
a force composed chiefly of Central
and South Pacific veterans-with
some new units thus far unan-
nounced, Mr.. Cushing reported.
Gen. White, whose wife lives in
Arlington, Va, is a 43-year- -old West
Pointer who has seen the Air Corps
grow through 81 years in which he
has been associated with it.
Will Flatten Homeland.
1--WE intend to f1atten the enemy's
homeland with all the weight we
can muster" he said. Given time,
the air war ought to be the de-
ciSive element in bringing Japan to
our terms"
Planes of the Okinawa Tactical
Air Force shot down 625 japanese
planes during the Okinawa cam
paign and flew 1892 combat sorties,
Mai. Gen. Luis E. Woods of Wash
ington, D. c., told a press confer
ence today in reporting completion
of his job as tactical air commander.
The 21st Bomber Command said
today that nearly 1000 Super For
tresses had made emergency land
ings at Two Jima since an advance
base was set up there early in April.