A PEN PORTRAIT OF SIR ARTHUR HARRIS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23917, 8 April 1943, Page 4

A PEN PORTRAIT OF SIR ARTHUR HARRIS

BOMBER COMMAND'S CHIEF

Heavy air raids on Italy, and particularly the 80001b bomb, have done more to break Italian morale and fighting spirit than all the military and naval disasters they have suffered in this W There have been stampede evacuations from the northern cities and from Rome itself. The southern cities are tremblingly awaiting the deluge of fire and high explosive that has already blasted Genoa, Turin, and Milan into ruins. At least 7,000,000 Italians have been directly and indirectly affected, and the country’s war potential probably halved. .. , , . „ And all this was accomplished in a total of eight weeks’ bombing, and by a force which has had to reach its targets all the way from England and is therefore, only a fraction of the strength we shall shortly be able to mount against the Duce’s rocking cmP1 To Air Marshal Sir Arthur Travers (“Let them have it—right on the chin”) Harris, Commander-m-Chiei ox Bomber Command, the results of these Italian raids must be a special gratification. .... .. They are a vindication of the theory that he has followed as steadfastly as if it were a rule of law. For Air Marshal Harris believes in the bomb. He believes it can destroy nations, can end and prevent future wars. For that belief he has fought against every kind of opposition, not only among the politicians and the public, but in the R.A.F. itself. An Open-Minded Man For an officer of high rank, Air Marshal Harris is singularly open-minded on almost every topic except that one subject of the power of the bomber. For many years : before the war he commanded bomber squadrons and groups without any of the usual breaks into other sides of the R.A.F.’s activities. And it was always his ambition to command Bomber Command. All his work and waking thoughts were devoted to the end of planning the weapons he could make of it. From the moment he attained command He made things hum. On his insistence, changes were made in bomber priorities; on his orders drastic changes were made in operational planning. And by personal precept and constant driving at his single purpose he has made the whole of ms command—officers and men—believe as furiously in the same view. Who is this man whom a pressman once referred to as “a ginger-mous-tached killer” (that expression, fulsomely meant, disturbed Hams intensely. He is no more “killer”minded than any other professional soldier. No more a “killer” than any man who uses a tool as it was meant to be used). • . „, . .. “Bert" Harris, as he is called in the R.A.F. (and the very fact that he has a nickname like this is a tribute to his very real human qualities), was born at Cheltenham on April 13, 1892. When he left school he went farming in Rhodesia, and when the war broke out in 1914 he served under General Botha in South-West Africa. In 1915 he came to England and joined the R.F.C. Soon he was given the command of the first night-fighter detachment for the defence of London against, the Zeppelins and raiding Gothas.

(From an Article In “London Calling.”)

Later he went to France, whw.i was awarded the D.F.C. By ioj? ? was commanding bomber sauadJ and had settled down to his life’s wS His one boast is that he has quaffl at various times as pilot in everyth of aircraft—day and night fighters S ing boats, float planes, light and h** bombers, and transport aeroplanes has flown over Africa, Inf?*. Middle East, and North Ame'CSps this day he always flies himself 5 visits to his commaryis and statvll His working day begins -at, 9 o’clock the morning at the well-hidden hL quarters of Bomber Command.™ which he arrives in a car driven)! himself. He carries a chauffeur c as a passenger. It begins with a ir,S culous check-up with his staff on nS made for the next forthcoming and then the assignment of nlan*S for the next raid after that.

Selection, of Targets The actual targets to be attacked., named by the War Cabinet. who's turn, have been in conference with’fc Air Ministry and other department! such as the Ministry of Economic fare. But usually Harris can mafe. selection from the number of thJ submitted. Four or fiye differentT gets may be planned by his staff y Harris keeps his‘ ultimate selection S himself until the afternoon of th. of the raid. 6 “I Then he names it, and the order goa out, in code, simultaneously by (Li? phone to the various groups he ha. detailed to carry out the attack. Tv guiding principle which governs hh method is ruthlessness.

Harris invented the “pathfinder* technique—volunteer crews picked for their raid experience who go ahead to light up the target, so that the main bomber force can achieve its effect without waste of time in hunt, ing for the target. Harris was the sponsor of the mass-assault, principle that put a thousand bombers over Co. logne in 90 minutes. His was the phrase (do you'omen, her it?): “When the storm bursts over Germany the Nazis will look back to the days of Luebeck, Rostov, and Cologne as men lost in the raging typhoon think back to the gentle zephyr of a past summer.” Now the Italians, the weaker segment of the Axis, are feeling the weight of bombing power. That good military strategy. Hammer the weaker section with your maximum force, for a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

As I write, the Italians are''already reeling, and it is only the beginning, The raids on Italy were a direct support to our landings in North Africa As the terrain of Tunisia and Tripoli tania is finally conquered, from airfields there our bombers will flood oul over the short journey to Italy,’ dovetailing their attacks with Harris’s raidi from England. ■ , The North African Command and Bomber Command will work in closest concert to bring about' the to! proof of Harris’ dictum that bombinj can win a war. _ ' . ■ Last summer Harris said: If I could put 20,000 bombers over Germany tonight it would not be in the war tomorrow. If I could put 1000 bomber over that . country each operations night it would be out of the war b] the autumn." .