Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-13
Air Power Now Seen
In Proper Perspective

In Proper Perspective
Has Gained Prestige in Relation
To Overall Strategy, Says Writer
BY David Laurence
Air power is coming into its own
and developing a prestige in relation
to overall strategy which 1t has not
had in the past.
Air power, to be sure, has had its
ups and downs since the spring days
Of 1898 when Prime Minister Churchill
in a public address declared that it
might be possible to win the war by
bombing alone. This proved to be an
exaggerated appraisal but, because air
warfare neyer.had been given such ex-
tensive opportunities before, the Prime
Minister-who has had more to do
with influencing global strategy than
anybody else-said he thought the ex-
pertinent was worth while.
The skeptics-namely, the opponents
Of infantry and naval warfare-did not
believe air power could effect any such
decisive result, and yet there ensued
a period in which enthusiasts for air
power in their overzealous analyses gave
the impression that, after some terrific
bombings, all the invading armies had
to do in Europe in 1914 would be to
march in on top of the ruins and
debris.
1t turns out that neither the ex-
IRENE critics nor the opponents of air
power were right. But at last all
branches of the armed services are
coming to have an appreciation of air
power which puts it in proper perspec-
tive as not necessarily the decisive but
perhaps the indispensable weapon Of
this war.
Teamwork" View.
There Is reason for qualification over
the teamwork" view that Is evolving
on all sides. Whether it be in the air
forces or in the ground forces or In
the Navy, the respect for what the
other branches of the service are doing
toward making the American team win
the war is growing all the time inside
each service.
The value of air power has been
tested now in all kinds of weather and
in a variety of circumstances affect
ing the movement of troops. 1t may
be said that, while the claims of DAM
age by the air forces may have been
much less than the sensational head
lines seemed to indicate from time to
time, there is little question but that
the bombing of factories and plants
has reduced the enemy's effectiveness
and has tended to shorten the war.
Notwithstanding the more spectacular
results achieved already in Europe by
strategic air bombing, 1t would not be
surprising if it is in the Pacific war
that air power demonstrates its real
capacity for overall damage on the
enemy. While the Navy, with its air
arm, and the ground troops Of the
Army and the Marines have been push
ing the arc of American military Aomi-
nation closer and closer to the heart
of Japan after three years Of tedious
uphill work, the air bombing of Tokyo.
has unquestionably kept the Japanese
from mounting counteroffensives or
from increasing their production to on
set losses.
There is no doubt that this country
would have faced much longer war
and a much harder road to victory If
the japanese had been able to obtain
superiority in the air. The naval VIC
tories might have been thwarted by
huge japanese air force. But, again.
without the bases won by us at such
high cost-as for instance, at Two Jima
the Super Fortresses would not be
able to operate so effectively against
Japan.
Direct Troop Support.
The work done by the air forces in
Europe in direct support OF troops in
what is known as tactical sorties will
be measured better when the full story
is obtainable after the war, but al
ready the havoc wrought against enemy
communications behind the German
lines and the help given our advancing
divisions by low-level flyers Is the sub
ject of widespread appreciation among
the other branches of our armed serv-
ices.
1t is unfortunate that Gen. Arnold,
head of our air forces, has been over
worked to the point where he recently
has had to spend much time in the
hospital taking an enforced rest. This
is the moment when he would have
liked to be more active but his coun-
trymen know that the preparations and
plans he laid down are bearing fruit
and that the organization he has built
up is carrying on splendidly.
Air power is demonstrating itself as
the absolute prerequisite of modern war
and it is being fitted into the overall
strategy by the United States joint
chiefs of staff in such an effective and
harmonious way that this development
is worthy of more notice than it is
getting.
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