Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-07-12
Cooperation Is Shown
By Naval Air Report
Wing Arm Has Played Integral
Part in Sea Power, Says Writer
By David laurence

Fart in Sea Power, Says Writer
By David Laurence
BY, coincidence the Nays carrier air
strike against Japan comes just at the
time that the comprehensive report by
Artemus l.. Gates, Undersecretary of
the Navy, is released with some hitherto
undisclosed information on the conduct
of the war by the Nays air arm.
The public reads of many kinds Of
airplanes being used In the general at
tack against Japan-planes that are
flown by the aviators of the Army,
Navy and Marine Corps-but it Is not
always apparent to the layman the exact
purposes which each air arm performs.
Thus at the moment only what might
be called defensive operations are in
| progress from the newly acquired bases
at Okinawa-that is, strikes are being
made at japanese airfields from which
the Japanese might possibly fly SOUTH
ward. The Army Air Forces, In rela-
lively small numbers, under the overall
command of Gen. Macarthur, are oper-
ating from Okinawa and it may take
several months before Okinawa becomes
| the effective base against Japan that
| England was against Germany. 1t takes
time to build fixed bases.
Precision Bombing Job.
| Meanwhile, the Navy is roaming the
Pacific close to the shores of Japan with
its floating bases known as aircraft car
riers. From the decks of these carriers,
protected by battleships, cruisers and
destroyers, Navy and Marine Corps
planes that are designed to do a pre-
cision job of bombing on particular
targets are being flown. 1t is possible
for the United States Navy carrier
planes today to fly across any or all
sections of Japan, striking first at the
eastern shores of the island empire and
reaching into the Sea of Japan near
Korea. These carrier planes, if sufi-
| GENTLY numerous, could do as much
damage as the B-29s of the Army be-
cause the carrier planes fly at lower
attitudes and can select their industrial
| targets.
But fortunately every conceivable kind
advantage against Japan. So while the
B-29s must DE content at present to
make the long round-trip from the
| MarianaS until such time as Okinawa
| bases are ready, the Navy is doing its
| part in the softening-up job for the
eventual landing of Gen. MacArthur's
| forces on Japan.
| &c
Air Service, as revealed by Mr.. Gates
in his formal report to the Secretary
OF the Navy, cover not only operations
in the Pacific, where the Nays avia-
tors paved the way for Gen. MacArthur's
return to the Philippines, but anti
submarine operations in the Atlantic.
More than half the submarines sunk
by our Navy were sunk by naval air.
craft.
| Personnel of 100000.
Including the Marine Corps person.
mel, naval aviation now has a person.
mel Of 10000, of which more than 81
per cent are on carriers, in air groups,
sQuadrons and feet service units. This
is an amazing number-larger, In fact,
than the combined personnel of the
Army and Navy before the war.
Mr.. Gates stresses the fact that naval
| aviation is a specialized arm of the
Navy but an integral part neverthe-
| less. He quotes Lord Keyes, Admiral Of
the Fleet Of the British Navy, now re-
tired, who wrote recently of the naval
successes, of 1914:
The success of the battle for the
| Philippines was only made possible
because the United States Navy had
been free to develop its own naval
aviation. 1t has been done with amaz-
ing skill and enterprise and on a gil
gantic scale. Furthermore, it has
shown that in the complex business
Of waging war on the sea, 1t cannot
be set down as a maxim that any
one factor can be exclusively deci-
sive."
Pointing out that naval pilots were
called on at Okinawa to blast forth
fed positions over hills and around
corners in addition to targets beyond
reach Of ship or shore-based artillery
Mr.. Gates declares that ''the close
air support furnished our assault forces
on Okinawa was as effective as that
used in the Philippines and on Two
Jima."
Spirit of Cooperation.
Mr.. Gates report is significant In
opposition to the current agitation for
consolidated or separate air force
He says:
Naval aviation, proudly including its
component, Marine aviation, is, of
course, an integral part of the Navy
and operates in conjunction with the
surface and subsurface forces. 1t is
not an autonomous or separate fight
ing organization nor should it be. In
inviting your attention to the accom-
/ plishments of naval aviation, over
which have had supervision for al
most four years, I fully realize that
the surface and subsurface navy
would also present imposing records. >
There is in the Navy spirit of CO.
operation between all its branches be-
cause all component parts feel their
dependence on one another and be-
lieve In cooperation rather than sep
aration. This Is healthy contribu-
ton to the effectiveness of sea powe,,
as whole toward the final victory
in this global war.
!