NOT ENOUGH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 241, 13 October 1942, Page 5

NOT ENOUGH

TO ACHIEVE VICTORY VALUE OF AIR POWER RUSSIAN AVIATION OFFICER QUOTES STALINGRAD. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Reed. 7.45 p.m.) New York, Oct. 11. Some British and American military authors are trying to prove that aviation is the sole force capable of achieving victory, and also that land operations can be replaced by air attacks, writes Major-General Zhuravlev, who is a high member of the Red Air Force, in an article in Red Star. “This is devoid of all sense of reality." he states. “The war will be decided by armies of millions equipped for the land as well as by air arms. The air arm must accomplish its task in co-ordination with land forces." The Luftwaffe’s failure in the Battle of Britain, and also at Stalingrad, he continues, proves that an air force cannot secure a decision. Aviation is unable to reach full victory on any front, and cannot even create a front. Maior-General Zhuravlev said an Italian authority declared that three thousand-bomber raids would smash any city's resistance, hut Stalingrad was resisting after receiving the equivalent of nine thousand-bomber raids. The Moscow correspondent of The Times says that Major-General Zhuravlev was replying in particular to the American Majors Seversky and Drake, who are publicising the view that Germany can be smashed from the air.