Evening star., 1950-09-25
Attack on British Unii
ByU.S. Planes Blamed
On High Officials Here
TuetieoI Air Support
Training Sacrificed for
Strategic Bombing Idea
BY Dapfd Laurence

DV DUOto AUWE CHCC
What happened in Korea wher
United States Air Force planeI
fired by mistake on British troops
causing $50 casualties in 80 min
utes. draws attention to a scandal
Of neglect and blundering judg.
ment Of the Joint Chiefs Of Stat
and the Defense Department II
the last three years that ought
to be exposed fully to view.
Unfortunately for the Ameri-
can people it is evidently more
important for congressional in.
vestigating committees to protect
the Truman administration anc
the Democratic Party from criti.
cism just before the elections thar
1t is to ferret out the men who
have failed to provide America
with air units especially trained
to coordinate ground and ali
operations in combat.
The facts are on the record. The
story is available to any commit
tee Of Congress which has the
temerity to dig it out and de-
mand the removal from high Of
fee of the men responsible for
failing to give America a tactical
Air Force.
Much Of the blame must rest
on Congress itself for not having
perceived the line of demarca-
ton between strategic air forces
needed for bombing factories and
communications far behind the
battle lines and the tactical air
units which operate closely with
ground troops very much as ar
tillery does-taking out guns Of
the enemy, throwing down a bar
rage Of bombs few yards ahead
Of an advancing column and 9TH
erwise serving the needs of the
ground soldiers. "Air support"
has been loosely used in the press
to describe both types Of opera
ton and this has confused the
public.
Congress Is Asleep.
AS q consequence, Congress has
been asleep at the switch while
advocates Of strategic bombing
were allowed to put most of the
money into the larger type of
planes that cannot be used for
tactical air operations.
Recently Gen. Jacob Devers,
who retired as chief of Americas
ground armies, was quoted in an
interview as saying that he did
not believe the same kind Of plane
could be used effectively for both
strategic and tactical air opera
tions. It was Gen. Devers who
twice in the last two years ap-
pealed to the Joint Chiefs to give
the Army a tactical Air Force.
He never advocated a return of
the Air Force to the Army but
he did say in effect that the Air
Force must not lose sight of it's
basic responsibility to provide
enough air units that could con-
stantly train with ground troops.
Accidents, Of course. will happen
when there has been no co-ordi-
mated training. It was inevitable
that British troops and others in
Korea would be fired on by mis-
take. There has been too much
suppression of such incidents hap
pening with our own troops. For
this kind of co-ordinating is a
delicate operation. This very issue
is one of the reasons why the
Marine Corps fought such a des-
perate battle behind the scenes
in Washington to keep its own
tactical air squadrons when delib-
crate efforts under the guiSe of
economy were made to abolish
them. The country should get
the full story of this some day
when various congressman cease
being politicians and really be-
come interested in Americas de-
tense weaknesses.
In Korea, the close co-ordina-
ton Of the air and ground opera
tions by the Marines has been so
effective-not only at Inchon in
recent days but on the southern
front-that the Army troops have
been begging for the same kind
Of support.
Russia Has Tactical Air.
Russia has built up a huge
number Of tactical air units to
work with her ground army. If
the Reds march across Europe
the strategic air forces now avail
able to the allies will not be ample
to do both the strategic and the
tactical air job. More than $50
billion has been allocated to our
armed services by the Joint
Chiefs and by the Defense Depart
ment these last five years and
yet America did not have a single
division of Army troops equipped
with tactical air units of their
own in the Far East or elsewhere
before Korea. Nor was there a
pool Of tactical air units ad-
equate for large-scale operations
involving several divisions.
A special kind of training and
technique is required. 1t is not
enough to know how to fly an
airplane or how to handle a
bomb rack. 1t is necessary for
airmen to be trained in ground
operations so as to be able to
understand directions from ground
directors. To separate the Air
Force from the Army on the
strategic side was right but to
separate the tactical air squad
rons from the ground troops was
one Of the worst blunders COM
mitted in our military history
all in the name of the word
"unif1cation."
America has apologized and ex-
pressed regret to Britain. But
members Of Congress who have
failed to check up on the blunders
of the top command should be
troubled in conscience today as
the tragic results of their in
difference and the Pentagon's