U.S.A. AIR FORCE

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1944, Page 5

U.S.A. AIR FORCE

FEATS UP TO DATE Commander’s Anticipations (Rec. 11.10.) WASHINGTON, May 18. General Arnold, U.S. Air Chief, addressing a press conference said the United States Army Air Forces, from December 7, 1941 to May 15. 1944 had destroyed 20,174 ’planes. They had lost 6,154 ’planes. He said: “We have destroyed 16,510. We probably ''have destroyed 4,658. We have damaged 1,432 on the ground. We have lost 5,718 combat ’planes in the air, and 236 on the ground, and two hundred non-combat ’planes on the ground. Sustained bombing of Germany cut her aircraft production to one-fourth of the enemy plans. The present Luftwaffe combat strength is about, the same as it was six months ago, but the Germans no longer have any worthwhile reserves. The Germans now defend only the targets that they deem to be vital, as, for example, synthetic oil refineries, but even s at these occasionally the fighter defence forces number about two hundred, compared to the early days of the war, when as many as four hundred fighters attacked our bombers.”

Asked whether Germany could be bombed out of the war, General Arnold replied: “I do not know what an air force can do. There has never been an air force with the power we can use against Germany.” Referring to the Pacific, General Arnold said: “We have increased our efforts, and are striking from several directions. However, the strategic bombing practised in Europe does not yet fit into the Pacific. The long, over-water flight is a factor. The problem of converting our war effort from Europe to the Pacific is treImendous. The difference in logistics is terrific. The character of the 'planes and the training is not the same. The establishment of bases to accommodate the vast air strength we have In Europe will be a major problem.” He asserted that none of the Pacific problems was insurmountable. In fact they would all be solved long before an assault took place. General Arnold admitted that the super Fortress 8.29, was one of the answers to Pacific problems, but ’he refused to give details. “I would rather that the Germans and Japanese got the information the hard way,” he said. “The 8.29 programme involves the highest degree of secrecy.”