The Wanganui Chronicle THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1943. JAPAN’S AIR FORCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 64, 18 March 1943, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1943. JAPAN’S AIR FORCE

THE Japanese air raid on Darwin has proved to be a costly failure, for the enemy lost two bombers and twelve fighters out of 25 medium bombers and 24 fighters at a cost of four Allied fighters from which two pilots were saved. This, however, is no isolated experience for the Japanese. The Japanese have lost air dominance in the Western Pacific, and in consequence of their wide spread of commitments they cannot now easily stage mass attacks. In the initial raid on Darwin on February 19, 1942, 72 bombers accompanied by fighters were sent over in the morning, and 21 bombers in the afternoon. If the Japanese were increasing in air strength they would not reduce their attacks to one-third of the initial effort. If Japan was expanding its air force it is to be expected that it would use that strength now while conditions are relatively near to equality and before the disparity widens as it will do in the future to Japan’s disadvantage.

The air force possessed by the Japanese at the commencement of their hostilities against the Allied nations was not very large, but. because of the Allied commitments in other fields the Japanese had it all their own way in the Western Pacific. They were too strong for the American Air Force in the Philippines, and for the Royal Air Force at Singapore, and the Dutch Air Force in Malaya. Owing to the geographical disposition of these countries the Japanese were able to attack each in turn as a separate unit, union between the defenders not being possible. At Midway Island the Japanese suffered their first real setback in the air. and since then they have been the underdogs in air combat. Having lost Guadalcanal) they started to bomb the Henderson airfield, but gradually these attacks were reduced until they almost ceased. When the American bombers attacked Rabaul the fighter force has been known to take to the air, evidently more for safety than for the purposes of offering a defence. Even against unescorted American bombers the Japanese Zeros appeal - to be inadequate jis defenders, and now that the Spitfires .have made their appearance in North Australia the casualty list of Zeros and other Japanese planes are to be expected to become longer. At the other end of the Pacific, the Japanese have failed to maintain their air strength in the Aleutian Islands and the Americans visit and bomb the enemy bases at Kiska at will.

It is possible that the Japanese are conserving their air strength in order to be in a position to defend Japan proper. But this does not alter the fact that they are losing in the war of attrition through inferiority in air strength and that losses are. likely to increase in every theatre of war in which the Japanese are engaged. It may be also that the pressure from India upon Burma has caused the Japanese to send more of their air strength to this theatre of war, but if this is the explanation it is clear that the Japanese are not meeting the Allied challenges as a whole. It is well established that disparity in the air increases in a geometrical progression, and as the Allies can outbuild and ottfman Japan’s air force it is only a question of time when the air situation for Japan will be hopeless.