The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-03-23

EOIIlUO dIlu chplO- sives. By some miracle it had not blown itself up on hitting the ground as was intended. That crash landing lifted the veil of secrecy on one of the most novel employments of war weary planes yet to be devised. Instead of being scarpped, these veterans of many raids are filled with explosives, taken aloft by their crews, who set the automatic pilots to fly the planes against Ger man targets, and then bail out.
 The big Fortresses, like work horses headed for the barn, do the rest themselves, guided only by the robot brain in the automatic pilot. JUST LIKE SITTING DUCKS
 One of the tactical tricks used by U. S. Air Forces in knocking out the German Luftwaffe has been achiev- ed through sending along more fighters than are actually needed to protect bombing missions. If 800 planes are needed to protect the bomberS 600 are sent. The extra 100 stay upstairs or lag behind until the German interceptor planes make their passes at the bombers. Then the extra 100 follow the Germans back to their home bases, catch them as they slowly land, or while they are on the ground being re- fueled, and destroy them by the thousand.
 In fighter plane raids on railroads and highways, similar mass des- truction tactics are employed. In- stead of concentrating on strafing individual trucks and locomotives, Allied fighters hold their fire till they create blocks. Knocking out truck at culvert causes the next truck to slow up for detouring Catching that one and the next one creates a traffic jam, and after that every truck that comes along can be picked of.
 Going after railroads, fighter bombers drop bombs every half mile along 100-mile stretches of track. That creates real traffic tie- ups which can easily be knocked out. When work crews come out to repair the mainlineS, the fighters strafe the work crews. They cause lot of absenteeism that way. Only German defense for such tactics is to move up all supplies at night. To date, no effective means of night low-altitude bombing and strafing has been worked out.
 TANKS, PLANES
 COOPERATE
 Close cooperation between Air Forces and Army Ground Forces in Europe, for securing close air sup port on the battlefield has been achieved by creating "Fighter-Tank Teams" The commanding officer of the fighter planes, instead of riding high in fast pursuit ship, rides in a tank along with the armored forces commander. The command pilot is in radio communication with his planes, and calls in his flying boys to drop out of the sky and at tack where it will do the most good.
 
 To prevent Ground Forces com manders from asking supporting combat planes to perform impos- sible tasks, Air Forces officers have devised little jingle as guide to target selection. Don't ask us to go after anything, say the Air Forces, unless it is "Findable, Hittable, Vulnerable, Valuable
 When U. s. fighter group forma- ations were cut down from IS to 12 planes, the Air Forces found they achieved a number of highly desirable factors. Enemy fighters were divided up. In return the bombers got more firepower be- cause there was less danger of shooting into each other and more open space in which to shoot. The smaller number of planes in the group made a smaller target for anti-aircraft fire and, conversely they got more targets with less dis perSiOn