Evening star., 1950-12-29
Strategic Air Bombing
To Have lis Turn Now
In Battle for Korea
Enemy to Get Goine-Over
On l00-MiIe Supply Line
From Munchuriun Border
BY David Lasevence

All pOWer-dQQ SpeClllCdlly StId-
tegic bombing-is going to have
It's turn now in Korea.
The great feat of the United
States Navy. in accomplishing
without a mishap the evacuation
of 250,000 troops and civilians
through the port of Hungnam
means that the same curtain of
naval fire could be used at any
other seaport in Korea if it should
become necessary to redeploy
troops again. Fear of being pushed
out of Korea precipitately can be
dismissed.
Bolstered by this new conf
dence. the military effort of the
United Nations can be concen-
trated on the use of air power
against the Chinese offensive.
Meanwhile. our ground troops will
play a defensive role.
The so-called strategic air war;
fare-which means the bombing
OF enemy communication lines and
supply stations-has not had an
opportunity heretofore to prove
itself in Korea because the enemy
forces until recently have been
relatively small and supplies have
been moved over short distances
mostly at night.
Could Turn Battle Tide.
Now, however, with a North
Korean Chinese army massed
along or below the 38th Parallel,
estimated to number around 500.-
600. there must be sizable supply
line and flow of ammunition over
a distance of nearly 100 miles
south of the Manchurian border.
This enables the U. N. command
ers to organize strategic missions
and give the enemy a going over
which can turn the tide of battle
The amount of air power avail
able to the U. N. is considerably
more than that of the enemy
though it is confidently expected
that Soviet Russia will not be
able to refuse the pleas of the
Chinese Communists for more and
more air support.
Air power in Korea comprises
not only the heavy bombers of
the United States Air Force but
also the bombers that fly from
the decks of the several big naval
aircraft carriers roaming up and
down both coast lines. All the
air effort is co-ordinated from
Tokyo insofar as strategic mis-
sions are concerned. but the planes
used to protect the movement of
our own troops are in direct touch
with the ground command.
Since the beginning of the war
IN Korea, air power has encoun-
tered much unjust criticism in con-
r1ection with its failure to stop the
North Korean advance last sum-
mer. The difficulty was not with
this instrument of war but with
the conditions that existed in that
particular area. Heavy bombers
cannot do the job needed for
close support of ground troops,
and they never were intended for
that purpose.
About the only valid criticism
Is that the United States Air Force
did not previously give sufficient
attention to ground-air operations.
The answer given to this was that
the funds were not adequate. The
calculated risk was taken that
strategic bombers to carry the
atom bomb deserved higher pri-
ority.
Air Power Built Up.
Since the outbreak of the Ko-
rean war. however, adequate funds
have been available and steps have
been taken to build up the air
power needed for close support of
ground troops. At the same time
more funds have been furnished
for strategic air warfare, too.
The planes of the United States
Air Force in the Far East are not
numerous enough to DO all the
Jobs that are required of them,
but there are enough available to
take care of the targets behind
the Chinese Communist lines. 1t
is unfortunate from a military
standpoint that bombing of the
real bases across the Manchurian
border is not permitted to U. N
airmen. Now, as the Chinese lines
have heightened, the enemy tar
gets have suddenly increased. The
United States Air Force, flying
from a few fields in Korea, and
the United States naval all
forces, flying from the decks Of
carriers, should be able to ac-
complish considerable destruction
and perhaps disorganize the Of
fensive itself.
In any event, the next big news
that Americans will look for is
the effect in the next several days
and weeks of the use of heavy
bombing planes north of the 150-
mile U. N. front. Another phase
Of the war will be carried on by
heavy gunfire from the warships
Of the Navy, which are able tc
drop shells far enough inland te
destroy some Of the main railroad
lines.
But it is to be largely the All
Forces show from now on, ano
there are high hopes that strategic
warfare will demonstrate that
while 1t alone cannot win a battle
= 1t can disrupt an opposing army
offensive and enable ground troop,
TO, capitalize on the disorganiza-
ton Of the enemy.
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