AIR POWER HELD INADEQUATE

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26179, 1 August 1950, Page 7

AIR POWER HELD INADEQUATE

SUPPORT OF ALLIED GROUND FORCES

10 -30 P.m.j NEW YORK, July 31. S ine Alhed air power in Korea, in ute of its superiority over the North oreans, has not been strong enough J? give the ground forces adequate ractical support,” says the “New York *ynes military editor, Hanson Baldwin.

w Allies learned in the Second World War that massive continuous round-the-clock air attacks from the wont to several hundred miles in the rear were necessary to hamper an greatly. Such attacks were not initially possible in Korea. Rain and low overcasts have made close ground •upport hazardous and often impossible.

/Most of the Allied airfields are 100 jnues away in Japan, and this has cut the time that fighters, particularly jets, can spend over targets. “Jets are better as interceptors than as ground support planes. The pilots are not especially skilled in ground support work, and liaison between ground and air until recently has left much to be desired. “And, most important.” says Baldwin. “the air power available is limited to 300 sorties a day. which is a relatively small number to cover a front 200 miles long. “The air forces are hampered, too, because they are strictly curbed from operating near the North Korean and Manchurian frontier. This curb is .a sound political one. intended to avoid incidents that might spread the war into a world conflagration, but it protects vital North Korean communication and concentration points. “The North Koreans have developed Rreat skill in moving supplies and troops at night. There are continuing rivu’ets of men and supnlies coming down all the roads from the north, and thes° meme at the fighting front mto a torrent.” . . He adds that the Allied air strength J increasing and that-air power win have an increasing influence upon the Korean campaign.