WAR NEWS A WASTING ASSET

Evening Star, Issue 24990, 8 October 1943, Page 4

WAR NEWS

A WASTING ASSET

JAPANESE AIR FORCE NOW ON THE DEFENSIVE LONDON, Oct. 7. " The Japanese air forco is alveady ■a wasting asset, and its losses are not being balanced by new construction," s:iid Air Chief-Marshal Sir Richard Pen-so, air officer commanding-iu-chief in India, in an interview with the ' Daily Telegraph's ' New Delhi correspondent. " The lack of some essential raw materials," he added, " must be a factor, and the general position must be aggravated by the shortage of shipping. It can be seen from the way the Japanese are conserving their air force how desperately necessary it lias become not to expose it to further losses. Our attacks have denied the Japanese the use of many advanced Burma airfields. They havo "withdrawn their aircraft to more distant bases in Siam, Indo-China, and .Malaya, which at present are beyond our reach. This policy of playing for safety shows a very different spiritfrom that in .which Japan entered the GROWING SUPERIORITY. " Like the Luftwaffe in Europe," said Air Chief-Marshal Peirse, "the Japanese air force is heavily ■•outnumbered by the It.A.F. and the United States air forces in East Asia and the Pacific, and our superiority is constantly growing'. It is most likely that Japan will soon be compelled to concentrate her aircraft construction mainly on fighters for defence. " Germany employed a ratio of about 60 bombers to 40 lighters while she was on the offensive, but now that the Allied attacks have forced her on the defensive she has reversed the ratio. We may compel Japan to do likewise. This switching of construction cannot be done quickly or'easily. There-will be an interim period of acute shortage and difficulty for the enemy." Air Chief-Marshal Peirse said he was well satisfied with the results of the British and American monsoon aiv offensive over Burma. " The cumulative effect of the attacks against communications has been tremendous," he said. "' The railways have been so heavily hit that the enemy, for his considerable transport needs, has beeu forced largely to rely on river craft, even sampans, and we are destroying hundreds of these every month, most of them being loaded with vital supplies. Our attacks have also had an important effect on morale. The manning of river erafthas beconie a highly dangerous occupation, and it is becoming evident that the enemy is finding it more difficult to get the Burmese to do the job." JOINT ALLIED PLAN. .Referring to Lord Louis Mountbatten's command, Air Chief-Marshal Peirse said: " Do not think that, because there lias not been a supreme command, our forces have not operated under united direction. Everything We have undertaken has been part of a joint plan worked out by the American commanders and myself. Our advanced headquarters are located side by side, and we know at any given moment exactly what each other's planes are doing." The correspondent adds: "There is no secret about the extensive training of parachute troops which has been going on in India for months. The effectiveness of 6ueh troops in Sicily and New Guinea shows that they will in due course be used in this theatre against the Japanese."