AIR SUPREMACY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 82, 6 April 1944, Page 7

AIR SUPREMACY

STRUGGLE IN THE WEST

THEUWEST FIGHTERS

iAn 'Official announcement made by the 'United .States wmy >headauarters in Britain in January that the longrange, sharflihitting 'North American Mustang Fisl fighters had ibeen operating in that theatre since December appears ?to give the Allies 'the advantage over <the Germans «in 'this <c»tegpry of planes, says a message to the "New York Times'."

"In this case 'advantage' meahsWore than the fact that one fighter can best another. Any improvement in our escort fighters means added efficiency for the big bombers they escort and greater damage to enemy targets. Many air warfare experts feel that fighters at this stage of the war may determine the length and costliness — if not the final outcome —of the conflict. a . . "If United States long-range fighters, such as the Mustang P-51 and perhaps improved successors, can beat down the Luftwaffe fighters, defending industrial targets behind the line, thus permitting heavier and heavier Allied bombings, then the end of the war will probably be hastened. This superiority of Allied fighters over German fighters would also mean that the Royal Air Force's night attacßers would have fewer enemy planes to bar the way to targets. NECESSITY FOR ESCORTS.

"Deep penetrations of Germany in daylight by unescorted bombers are about over. German defences on the ground and in the air have made such attacks cost more than they are worth. A fighter escort is almost as necessary now as the bombs in big bombers. German air experts are reported to have estimated that the Allies will need 6000 fighters to maintain air supremacy during the invasion attempt. To achieve this the Allies will need to keep 500 fighters in the air all the time. Two hundred of these would be devoted to knocking down defending fighters that try to get through to the Allied bombers. Another 300 would be needed to protect ground troops from attack by German planes, according to the Germans.

"The three chief American fighter types now operating in this theatre are the P47 Thunderbolt, the first in action, the twin-engined P3B Lightning, and the Psl Mustang. The Germans are reported to have improved the FWI9O and the MEIO9, and even produced new versions with greatly improved performance. "There are reports that tne FWI9O is now powered by an in-line aircooled engine with more power than the radial air-cooled power plane originally used. There1 also are reports that this plane mounts one 30 mm. cannon, two of the Germans' favourite 20 mm. guns; two 13 mm. guns, and two more of unidentified size. It is said the German planes can carry this weight of fire power to a high altitude. "It is believed that the Germans have mor^ fighters than they have shown at any single time, /.lcluding the recent big battles over Brunswick, Oscherseleben, and Halberstadt.

"The Germans have changed fighter types few times. IJiey did the same in World War I, when the Allies at one stage were changing fighter types about every thirty days. "The British have greatly improved the Spitfire and Hurricane, which saved the country during the Battle of Britain, but they have not yet brought out a new military fighter."