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7 : lie
Vol I. No . 8 1 7 Nov. 1943

ARMY
TALKS

Pattern for Air Victory

Restricted
ARMY TALKS is a classified official publication of the United States Army in the European
Theater of Operations. The material contained herein may not be quoted or republished, in
whole or in part, nor may it be communicated, directly or indirectly, to persons not authorized
to receive it, except by authority of the Commanding General, ETOUSA.

EUROPEAN TIIEATER OF OPERATIONS, UNITED STATES ARMY



'VA n1 LE O .F CONTENTS

Leavy 13ombeF Box-Score .. .. .. .. 3

Foreword .. .. .. .. .. 4

I'otVern flit. Air Victory .. - z . 44 . . 5

1' Oitfiditttilti e, . . 14

~tt+e3ttY4tlls 0* Ott biscussioli .. t . . _ 15

a ItMY TALKS :—The PURPOSE of ARMY TALKS is to help

American officers and enlisted person:rid become better-informed men and
women and therefore better soldiers.
ARMY TALKS are designed t+o stimulate discussion and thought, and,
by their very nature, thus may often 'be controversial in content. They are
not to promote or to propagandize any particular causes, beliefs or theories.
Rather, they draw upon all suitable sources for fact and comment, in the
American tradition, with each individual retaining his American right and
heritage so far as his own Opinion is concerned.
THEREFORE, the statements and opinions expressed herein are not
ilcdess'ariTy d y, nor do they tieces rfly re act the opinlo s of, the
Unikied Sta-t'es Artily.
''' IE C MATEIRIAL Musk therefore be Made- clear at each
di 3ssioii. Ail e'n trdtterifi4 ap~eftrii rri this publication has been written
i

and edited by uniformed members of the Army and/or Navy, except where
it is sated That a civilian or other outside source is being quoted.


U.S. Army 8th Air Force

1IE %I"L' BOMBER BOX-SCORE

TONS U.S. ENEMY AIRCRAFT

DROPPED LOSSES DESTROYED PROBASLES DAMAGED
AUG . '42 170 0 2 6 9

SEPT . 188 .5 2 16 29 32

OCT. 294 7 34 36 21

NOV. 669 .5 9 12 30 4

DEC . 381 13 38 65 22

JAN . '43 547 .5 18 52 34 22

FEB. 641 .25 20 70 27 II

MARCH 1666 .25 19 141 43 55

APRIL 997 .5 28 M4 43 30

MAY 2865 .5 67 340 108 167

JUNE 2458 85 304 69 121

JULY 3600 108 506 159 351

AUG . 3504 109 401 56 149

SEPT. 5400 85 262 43 115

TOTAL 23383 570 2322 748 1109

 Foreword
HE primary mission of the Eighth Air Force is to destroy the enemy's
T air forces and his industrial capacity to make war . We are doing this
today through daylight precision bombing, striking deep into the heart
of Germany's industrial resources, crippling its weapons of war hitting our
targets in spite of enemy defenses and under all weather conditions.

The men of the Eighth Air Force are fighting the Battle of Germany—and
fighting it in Germany, just as surely as our ground and air forces and our
allies are today fighting the Battle of Italy. Our men know they are risking their
lives to save the many thousands of other lives that would have been lost if
an all out land attack had been launched prior to the destruction of the enemy's
once powerful air force. This is the basis of our strategy.

Every man who contributes to these operations—no matter how remote or

obscure his work may seem—is entitled to a feeling of personal participation
in the task the Eighth Air Force has set out to accomplish.

IRA C. EAKER,
Lieutenant General, U .S . Army
Commanding,
Eighth Air Force.
 ARMY U TALKS
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

PATTERN FOR AIR VICTORY

A S 1air teams of America, Great

943 nears its end, the combined power," he said, " is a war winning
weapon in its own right and l is
Britain and Soviet Russia are smash- capable of striking decisive blows
ing with increasing might and fury at a far behind the battle line, thereby
retreating foe . Slowly but surely the destroying the enemy's capacity to
perimeters of the German fortress wage war."
are contracting before the co-ordinated
Cooperation Always Included
hammerblows from the air and the
ever-increasing forces moving forward The American doctrine of total air
on the ground. power, while emphasizing the tremen-
In the heat of combat it is often dous possibilities of strategic bombing,
difficult to evaluate long range tactics has always included the idea of close
and stratagems. World statesmen, cooperation with ground forces as a
military leaders and the public often team . In our development of attack
grasp at isolated incidents for a critical aviation in the early '2os it was
appraisal of an entire campaign . If established that the air arm was not
6o U.S . bombers are lost in a single raid to be regarded as merely for support
on a German objective, there are some of ground actions.
who would denounce the entire In the successful Tunisian campaign,
American air effort as a costly and Allied long range bombers isolated the
ill-advised experiment. Axis forces by blasting away at shipping,
airfields, docks and supply depots.
The " All-out " Theory Strategic air power based in Britain,
There are others who would limit played an important, though indirect,
the Allied offensive to an all-out part by crippling or destroying war
assault from the air on the theory plants in Germany and occupied
that the enemy France. Produc-
can be bombed tion of war equip-
into submission. The material on which this issue of ment and its flow
General Henry ARMY TALKS is based was derived to the African
H . Arnold has from American and British aviation battlefront was
sources, official reports, statements of
enumerated three reduced substan-
policy by United States military leaders,
ways in which air press dispatches and other published tially. Allied
power may be accounts of the Allied air offensive in fighter intercep-
used . These are the European Theater of Operations. tion of huge Axis
The overall picture it presents should
strategically, tac- air transport fleets
give every soldier in the ETO a better
tically and logis- understanding of the part he plays in and light bomber
tically. this great assault against the enemy. attacks on tanks,
" Strategic air 1 trucks and troop


G ARM TALKS

concentrations further softened the the-clock offensive spring back to the

enemy for the final " kill." inherent air doctrines of the two
Deprived of the weapons of war, the countries.
Axis forces collapsed as soon as a America, by reason of her separation
terrific drive on the battlefield by from Europe and the Far East has
coordinated ground and air forces got expressed her air strategy for many
underway . Thousands of lives were years in terms of long-range bombard-
saved, and weeks of time. ment. American war strategists
reasoned that if a hostile force attempted
The pattern for victory in Tunisia
to invade the United States, long range
was woven from the skilful employment
bombers would sweep far out to sea
of strategic, tactical and logistical air
to bomb the approaching enemy.
power. This same pattern is now being
American bombers, therefore, were
utilized in Europe.
built to fly great distances . They were
The Air Offensive built to defend themselves against
Early in October, Lieutenant General attack since no escort planes could
Ira C . Eaker, Commanding the Eighth accompany them on the longer missions.
Air Force, said : Britain, on the other hand, is
separated from the European continent
" It is the task of the Eighth Air
by only a few minutes flying time.
Force and the RAF to destroy factories
The British concept of aerial bombing
and transport and weapons of the
is one of shorter range . Her heavy
Germans so that our invasion casualties
bombers depend more on escort and
will be cut down."
carry less armor and armament.
Instead of invasion by land and sea,
the Allies started the great offensive America's Bombers
against Hitler's Europe by air. America's two heavy bombing
The job of softening Hitler's weapons are the Boeing B17, known as
European fortress for the knock-out the Flying Fortress, and the Con-
punch is a joint effort of the Eighth solidated B24, known as the Liberator.
Air Force and the RAF. Last May, The latest model of the Fortress
the British Prime Minister told the mounts at least 12 guns and bombing
American Congress : operations, for the most part, are
", It is the settled policy of our two carried out from between 20,000 to
staffs and war making authorities to 25,000 feet altitude . The normal
make it impossible for Germany to combat crew numbers ro.
carry on any form of war industry on The other four-motored American
a large or concentrated scale, either in bomber, the Liberator, is fortified with
Germany, Italy or the occupied somewhat lighter armament than the
countries . Wherever those centers Bid. It is being used extensively in
exist or are developed they will be the Battle of the Atlantic to track down
destroyed and the munitions popula- U boats and to provide an air umbrella
tions will be dispersed. This process over the convoys . The Liberator also
will continue ceaselessly with ever- has been serving as the principal heavy
increasing weight and intensity . " bomber in the Middle East and is in
The basic operational policy of the action in the Pacific.
two forces has called for the American Britain's four-motored bombers—
heavy bombers to attack during day- the Avro-Lancaster, Handley-Page
light and the British by night. The Halifax and Short Stirling have a bomb
reasons for this division of the round- capacity considerably greater than the


11 November 1943 7

American planes, but less armor and damage achieved . Nevertheless, it

armament. was the initial operation of an air force
The Halifax, which has taken part that within a year proved conclusively
in mos of the night raids on Germany, that it could strike any target of its
has eight Brownings, and a normal crew choosing and that American combat
of seven. crews could fight their way in and
The Stirling carries to Browning return home despite the fierce resistance
machine guns and a crew of seven. of an ingenious enemy.
These are the chief weapons of' our On the first anniversary of its
heavy bomber offensive. operations over Europe, the Eighth
How Effective Are They ? Air Force had smashed at more than
8o vital points . American bombers
What is the record to date ? How had taken off from England, bombed
effectively have these giant flying their targets, and flown on to bases in
machines of destruction been used Africa. There, they have reloaded,
against the enemy ? How well is the swung back over the Continent, dropped
combined Anglo-American bomber more bombs, and returned to their
offensive working ? bases in Britain.
Until August 1942, the burden of
bombing Germany and Nazi occupied Bomb Shuttle Service
territory was carried by the RAF.
Night raiding of Germany by British As Brig. General Frederick L.
aircraft had its inception as far back as Anderson, commanding the Eighth Air
the winter of 1941 but most of the Force Bomber Command, commented :
attacks during this period were directed " We have taken up the shuttle
at German warships . By 1942, as service across Europe, a service which
more four-engined bombers became was started by the RAF, but which
available, the RAF assaults , gained both air forces will now carry out
momentum. On three occasions it was while demonstrating beyond all doubt
possible for the British to mass as that the end of German power is
many as t,000 heavy aircraft over a but a matter of time ."
single target. While the RAF under the cover of
Two considerations dominated the darkness was laying waste to large
bombing policy of the British . The industrial areas, American heavy
first was to give all possible help to bombers, taking off at dawn, moved
Russia by striking at Germany 's trans- over the European continent in an
port system, war factories and stocks of ever-widening arc. First came assaults
materials. The second was the Battle on the submarine pens and bases of
of the Atlantic . Well over half of Brest, St. Nazaire, La Pallice and
RAF Bomber Command operations Lorient . Late in January, 1 943,
were directed against naval targets in Fortresses for the first time roared
Germany, Italy and the occupied into Germany proper to attack
countries. Wilhelmshaven . As time went on,
On August 17, 1942, a small as pilots, gunners and other combat
formation of Flying Fortresses swept crew members gained more and more
across the French coast and attacked experience, the tempo of American
Rouen . This was the start of the participation in the attack on Hitler's
American phase of the heavy bombard- Festung Europa increased rapidly.
ment over Europe . It was a modest In March, aided by newly perfected
raid in terms of aircraft used and instruments for precision bombing,


8 Alt!IIY TALKS

Flying Fortresses struck at the U-boat inferno, following a visit of Eighth

yards at Vegesack, near Bremen. and Ninth Air Force Liberators . Two
Aiming at the target from over five heavy assaults shattered the huge ball
miles height, American bombardiers and roller bearing works at Schweinfurt.
scored hits that disrupted the opera- And there are many more.
tions of the submarine yards for several But the value of American raids
months. In addition, at least seven should not be reckoned only in terms
U boats in varying stages of construc- of destruction to war potential.
tion were severely damaged . The Nazis Get No Rest
attack came at the height of the Battle
By taking off shortly after the British
of the Atlantic, at a time when every bombers return from their night
newly launched German submarine assaults, American aircraft is giving
could potentially destroy some 400,000 the enemy no rest. The Luftwaffe has
tons of Allied shipping.
been forced to divert strong forces of
With mounting strength and
its fighter planes along the Western
increasing skill the American phase
Front . Authoritative estimates are
of the offensive was pressed home
that nearly 6o per cent . of the Nazi
in the months that followed . In May,
fighter strength is in the West.
German armament works in Kiel,
Collaterally, through the constant
Antwerp and Courtrai, Emden and
threat of round-the-clock bombing the
other cities felt the devastation of
German defenses are being kept in a
the B17s.
permanent state of alert . Gunners
In June the Americans went to
who have spent the night vainly trying
Huls . It was their first foray over
to smash a concentration of R A F
the Ruhr, which up to that time had
heavy bombers may have to deal with
been strictly an RAF battleground.
clouds of Fortresses a few hours
Unmindful of the intensive ground and
later . Germany 's air-raid precaution
air defenses, the Forts moved in,
personnel, indeed, is having its hands
found their .target, and put out of
full.
action one of Germany' s principal syn-
The dual offensive of the American-
thetic rubber producing centers.
British bombers is aptly described by
Long-range Bombing the publication, Royal Air Force
As the air battle of Europe pro- Quarterly :
gressed, the American principle of " In recent months we have had
precision bombing and long range two clear illustrations of how the two
operations was more than vindicated. forces work together in the execution
American planes flew almost to the of the strategical policy.
edge of the Arctic circle for a smashing " As is well known the U-boat
assault at Trondheim and Heroya. construction yards on the Baltic coast
By October, 1943, Fortresses and and the bases on the French Atlantic
Liberators had penetrated as far east- coast have always ranked high in the
ward as East Prussia and Poland. list of priority targets of the RAF,
Every blow by American aircraft the Baltic ports being among the most
was helping to shorten the war. The heavily raided places in Germany.
industrial heart of the German war These attacks had to go on if the Battle
machine and its arteries of supply felt of the Atlantic was to be won, but at
the tremendous punishment . The the same time the RAF had another
oil refineries at Ploesti, a major battle on hand—the Battle of the Ruhr.
source of Nazi fuel, were a belching It was then that the value of the


17 November 1913 9

American effort was most strongly troops and supplies. And when the
emphasized ; they undertook to attend break-through came the whole weight
to the U-boat yards and bases. " of the air was used to disorganize the
The publication cites a second enemy's retreat.
example f this team work—namely, The American and British air forces
the widespread assault on transport operating in the European theater are
and communications. well-equipped to hurl varied tactical
This assault takes a number of aircraft into any invasion front.
forms—heavy night raids on centers
of communication in Germany, raids Marauders Hit Airfields
on locomotive factories, railroad For its medium bombardment tactics,
yards, power stations, and the familiar the Eighth Air Force has relied on
train-busting exploits of the Fighter the high-speed two-engined Martin
Command . It is in the attacks on the Marauder (B.26) . This plane has
factories and yards that the Americans been used extensively since the
play a big part. midsummer of 1943 to bomb airfields,
The primary mission of the heavy marshalling yards, factories and other
bomber is to deal the solar-plexus important targets along Western
punches—blows that bring about the Europe.
cnemy's deterioration by paralyzing Serving as an aerial partner to - the
his industry, communications and Marauders is the British de Havilland
supplies . However devastating its Mosquito, an all-wood, two-engined
effect on both the enemy's material bomber . Its manufacturers claim the
and morale, the employment of heavy Mosquito is the fastest airplane in
bombers alone may not be sufficient the world. Three other formidable
to bring a military campaign to a two-engined bombers used by the
successful conclusion. RAF are the Wellington, the North
Supporting Aircraft American Mitchell (B.25) and the
A well-rounded air force has many Douglas Boston (A.2o) . Mitchells were
other weapons in its hangars . It has used in the American raid on Tokyo.
the fighter, the medium, light, dive and In the field' of fighter aircraft, the
fighter bomber, the observation plane, Allied air forces have been able to
the transport, the liaison plane, the match and surpass the best that has
photo reconnaissance plane and others been built by the enemy.
of varying size and purpose . It is their The fighter plane has varied
function to prosecute the tactical phase missions . In defensive operations the
of air war. They are the weapons of fighter 's duty is to intercept the
air support. They are also the weapons enemy and shoot him out of the skies.
of air defense. The classic demonstration of fighter
In Africa, Sicily, Italy and in the defense was the Battle of Britain
island warfare of the South Pacific, during which the heroic squadrons of
medium and light bombers smashed RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes turned
at enemy concentrations beyond the the tide against the seemingly over-
range of our own artillery. Skip- powering swarms of German bombers
bombing attack planes and fighters and thereby saved a nation.
riddled the enemy's armored columns The fighter plane also is employed
and blasted and strafed infantry concen- as an escort for the bomber . This
trations along the forward battle-lines. again is a defensive role, since the
Transports and gliders brought up fighter enters combat only when the
 10 A :LMY TALKS

enemy presses an attack on the bomber speed and firepower . One of the fastest
formation. and most powerful fighters in operational
service is the Hawker Typhoon, whose
Fighters Look for Trouble
speed of more than 400 miles an hour
Offensively, the fighter may be used and heavy armament of four cannon
on a sweep—a tactic primarily designed or 12 machine guns make it a more
to eliminate any type of hostile aircraft than formidable adversary to the
from a specific area. On such a mission Luftwaffe. The Supermarine Spitfire
the fighter usually seeks combat over and Hawker Hurricane, two of the RAF
enemy territory. Another offensive mainstays, are still going strong.
operation of the fighter is along frontal Russia, whose air power was greatly
combat areas where it may be used underrated several years ago, has
as a bomber against targets normally developed a number of front-rank
considered wasteful for heavier
fighters and bombers . The three
bombing craft . Strafing of troops and leading fighters of Soviet design are
armored columns also are important the MIG-3, the LAGG-3 and the
duties. YAK-t . Perhaps the best known of
Reviewing the military record of the Russian planes is the Stormovik,
American aircraft, the Office of War a slightly inaccurate translation of the
Information recently reported that Russian word for assault airplane.
U .S . losses have been one to every The particular type covered by this
four of the enemy in aerial combat.
title is normally the IL-2, a single
American fighters over Europe have seat, low-level bomber.
made substantial contribution to this
over-all combat record. Men of the Ground
The world's heaviest fighter plane, A few months before Pearl Harbor
the Republic Thunderbolt (P .47), has the United States Army Air Forces was
been used extensively over the a skeleton organization composed of
Continent, escorting bombers and some io,000 officers, 9,000 aviation
operating on sweeps . Armed with cadets and 126,000 enlisted men.
eight machine guns, the Thunderbolt Today its strength has passed 2,000,000.
can fly over 400 miles an hour and Whenever a heavy bomber takes off
attain an altitude of 40,000 feet . The against an enemy target many men,
Bell Airacobra (P .39), the Lockheed exclusive of the combat crew, are
Lightning (P .38) and North American directly involved . Each is an expert in
Mustang (P .5!) are other American- maintenance of combat planes.
built fighters that have seen extensive Hundreds of others—the air base
service in the European skies. troops, the operations staffs, the supply
The Mustang, which is being men, the engineers, the ordnance
redesigned into a powerful fighter- crews—contribute directly and in-
bomber, was the first of the directly to the success of the mission.
single-engined planes based in Britain On the basis of a 2,000,000-man air
to penetrate Germany. force this means the training of some
The twin-engined Lightning has i85,000 pilots and hnnrtreds of
been in service on all the world's thousands of bombardiers, navigators,
battle-fronts, operating at all altitudes ground officers, radio m ,:n and
and compiling an impressive record of mechanics . Todsy's Army Air Forces
enemy " kills . " require 450 different technical and
British fighters also have kept pace occupational skills. . They require the
with the ever-increasing demands of assistance of specialized units drawn


17 November 1943 11

from the ranks of other components of supply means providing everything

the American armed forces. from a tiny screw to a complete Bra
and all such special equipment and
Ground Crews Important ordnance items necessary to make the
It is unfortunate that the role of the matter of flying an airplane profitable
men on the ground has been eclipsed to the war effort.
by the achievements of those who The repair function is just as varied.
perform in the skies . Like the pilots Repair keeps the blood stream of an
and the combat crews, ground forces Air Force flowing . There actually are
of the AAF have more than proved two groups of service men—those
themselves under fire. stationed at the base (usually termed
In the festering jungles of Bataan, a the ground crew) and those men at big
few valiant men kept battered P4os repair depots.
flying to the end with little more than
baling wire, determination and the One Out of Two
application of Yankee ingenuity. At Ordinarily, a minor overhaul is
other remote outposts they had no performed at the bomber station . The
lathes at first, no pneumatic riveting tough job goes to the depot.
machines, no skins for patches, no At one advanced air depot mechanics
bearings, no motor parts. Yet they made one good Fortress out of two
kept the planes in the air . They rebuilt wrecks . They managed to get the nose
bombers between dusk and daylight and front section from one wreck and
with improvised tools and materials the rear section from the other. They
salvaged from wrecks . And most of put these two sections together and
them had never seen the inside of a the plane is back flying again with the
machine shop until they joined the Air name " Odds and Ends " painted on
Forces . The courage, skill and perse- its nose.
verance of ground Forces have enabled The two basic functions of Service
American aircraft to assume the Command—supply and maintenance—
offensive in every theater of war. involve a bewildering assortment of
In England, the successful American collateral jobs, ranging from special
air assault of Europe has been made schools to train mechanics to the
possible largely through the efficiency establishment of an airline in the United
of Eighth Air Force Service Command. Kingdom to move supplies and per-
Service Command performs a job sonnel with the utmost dispatch. In
that on the one hand is fantastic in its addition Service Command operates
size, diversity and scope and on the rest homes—really resort hotels—for
other monotonous and drab in many combat men ; vast trucking lines to
respects. haul supplies and bombs to any spot
Service Command is a combination in England ; a courier service to
state university, mail-order house, rail- rush important messages from point
way express, corner drug store, hotel to point ; and many other functions.
resort, universal repair shop, gunsmith, Actually for every Eighth Air Force
gas station, armory,warehouse, commer- plane that flies there are 22 Service
cial airline, personnel placement bureau. Command men needed on the ground,
Basically, Service Command per- and these 22 men represent the
forms two functions : (I) Supplying most unsung, unbemedalled, almost
the Air Force and (2) Maintaining unknown, behind-the-scenes outfit in
and repairing airplanes and other the world.
equipment . This sounds simple, but Service Command has the biggest


12 ABl11Y TALKS

air force installations . It hires thousands is found in the work of the mobile
of American civilians for specialised repair unit. This unit, usually consisting
work ; it has thousands more British of two huge trailers on wheels, can go
civilians, and at one camp there are anywhere in England to do repairs.
400 RAF personnel working side by One Fortress landed in an oats field
side with U .S . supply men just to and a mobile unit moved in, replaced
speed up the flow of material . Here, the four motors, made other repairs
the RAF and USAAF have pooled and otherwise rendered the ship ready
their supplies, and each can call upon to fly.
the other for items not in stock.
Decline of the Luftwaffe
Another example of how Service
Command functions is seen at one The scientific utilization of air-power
huge depot. This sprawling establish- by America and Britain may be seen
ment is equipped to do anything, even in sharper relief when placed against
to building a complete 817, or B24, the background of German Luftwaffe
from the stock of parts on hand. operations. When the Germans entered
the war they possessed the world' s
Planes are brought here for extensive
repair. Nearly every engine in a greatest air force . As late as 1940
plane goes through here at some time. victory through air power was still
within Hitler's reach . Yet something
Repair Depots went amiss.
The motors come in at one end and In the measured judgment of history,
are torn down, cleaned and each part the Luftwaffe's failure in the Battle of
is placed on a dolly . The dolly moves Britain resulted from an entire mis-
from inspector to inspector, who conception of both the potentialities and
makes notes as to what is to be done limitations of aerial warfare.
to the engine. Nothing gets by these
inspectors, who use magnaflux equip- German blitz technique in Poland,
ment and many other checking devices. Norway, Holland and France, the
Worn parts are machined and damaged coordination of ground and air forces,
parts are replaced . The dolly, mean- had proved successful hastening the
while, is moving down the line and the conquest of those nations . German
building of the sub-assemblies starts, strategists reasoned that the same type
each mechanic fitting, re-grinding and of air warfare would work in Britain.
testing the parts . By the time the Their technique of strategic bombing
dolly has gone three-fourths of the of England was the same type of
length of the building, the parts have helter-skelter bombardment and front
been boiled down to 20 or 30 major line strafing employed by the Luftwaffe
on the Continent.
sub-assemblies . A few hours later
these are assembled, and the motor is This mistake in strategy and tactics,
block-tested. If it passes the rigid combined with the magnificent defense
inspection it goes back to the front lines. of the Royal Air Force, lost the Battle
Many are the ways to repair battle- of Britain for the Germans . German
damaged aircraft . The bomber station bombers dropped their explosives over
itself can do most of the minor repair. wide areas on the theory that if enough
If it is more serious, and necessitates bombs were released some would strike
a week's labor, the plane likely will vital military objectives . Not only did
end up at an advanced air depot, they fail in this purpose, but their
where virtually everything can be done. failure was written off- in a staggering cost
Another successful repair method of aircraft and trained flying personnel .


17 November 1943 13

Three major blunders may be seen as those of the Allies are increasing
as the root cause of the Luftwaffe 's in strength.
failure to complete the victory it so
Nazis Turn to Defense
nearly won. The first of these blunders
was the German conception of air units The most outstanding fact is that
whereas in 1939 the emphasis was on
as an auxiliary of the Army. Because
attack aircraft, now it is on the defensive
of that, production was concentrated
machine. The most notable absentee
on lightly-armed day bombers of
from both lists is the heavy bomber of
comparatively short range . They were
either the Fortress or Lancaster class.
effective and devastating when used in
conjunction with ground troops against These war-winning airplanes have
never been part of the Luftwaffe's
weak defences . When they had to
production policy, and although
fight independently they proved
relatively few He 177 heavy bombers
inadequate.
are now being turned out they appear
to fill no important group of the
Germany's Second Blunder
German Air Force's strength.
Second of Germany's blunders in What was at one time vaunted as the
the use of air power was the con- strongest weapon of air attack—the
tinuation of the daylight air attack dive-bomber—may perhaps be symbolic
on England after poor tactics and of the Luftwaffe's failure . The dive-
unsuitable equipment had revealed the bomber, as represented in the German
Luftwaffe's inferiority to R .A .F. Fighter Air Force, was a low-performance,
Command in the Battle of Britain. highly vulnerable airplane, useful for
Had the enemy switched over to night only one purpose—cooperation with
bombing against England in July, 1940, ground troops, or naval units under the
before more than 2,000 aircraft and cover of air superiority. The rigid and
5,000 experienced aircrews had been narrow functions of the dive-bomber
lost, the War might have run a very epitomize the whole outlook of the
different course. German Staff on the use of air power.
Finally, the third factor which Lack of versatility has proved the
reduced the Luftwaffe from the World's enemy's undoing in this war as in the
most powerful Air Force to an " also last. That same lack of flexibility is
ran " was the invasion of Russia and certain to prove a final and overwhelm-
the enormous losses inflicted by the ing handicap now that the Luftwaffe
Red Air Fleet and the Russian winters is driven on the defensive and faced
of 1941-2. with superior and growing forces.
The result of all this was that With the emphasis on defensive
although Germany began the war with aircraft, the Germans are still providing
an operational strength of some 4,800 powerful opposition to the Allied aerial
aircraft, with little short of 4,000 more invaders . In the opinion of Major
as immediate reserves, by the middle General William E . Kepner, command-
of 1943, although the first line strength ing the Eighth Air Force Fighter
had been maintained by prodigious Command, there is no evidence of any
efforts, this had been done only by marked deterioration in either the
reducing the reserve to less than I,000 planes or pilots sent up by the Luftwaffe
aircraft . Production is therefore not to beat back our bombers . He expressed
meeting the losses, Germany has not the belief, however, that when the
enough aircraft to go round, and the Luftwaffe cracks it will disintegrate
available forces are declining as surely rapidly.


14 ARMY TALKS

Preparation

Reasons for the Topic : It is the purpose of this issue of ARMY TALKS
to make available the document-2d facts of the war in the air in this Theater.
This 1 epic should also stir the imagination and stimulate thinking of all who
participate in the discussion . Thousands of men will owe their lives to the
success of air warfare, and at the close of the war thousands will earn their living
by helping to develop air power for the future.

How decisive will be the effect of air power in the present War ? Can the
Air Force break the backbone of enemy morale and opposition before the Field
Forces enter for the final assaults ? Furthermore, is the cost in planes and air crews
offset by the saving of life in attacking infantry and mechanized units ? The
air forces operating in this Theater have already achieved spectacular success
and will proceed to greater accomplishments in the future offensives . In a
Theater that must bide its time and train for what is to come our Air
Forces are the only forces engaged in active combat at this time . It is believed
that every man in the army is eager to learn all that he can of their activities, of
their hazards, and of their triumphs . The current issue of ARMY TALKS is
authoritatively written to give an overall picture of the problems, and the strategy
of air power today.

Preparation for Discussion : Study the pamphlet with care, making neces-
sary notes and marginal jottings . Then make a brief outline of the three or four
main points you intend to stress, under which you can list the subordinate points
or facts you plan to present.

Choice of Topics : There is entirely too much in this pamphlet for one
discussion period . Select carefully the topics you desire to emphasize and
subordinate the others unless they come up naturally in the course of the dis-
cussion . One of the aspects of air power that may be raised in the course of the
discussion is its future application, and its conversion from war methods and
purposes to post-war civil aviation. What scope will civil aviation hold for army
flyers, and how will army experiments and techniques be best utilized to advance
aviation in peace time ?

Divisions for Discussion : The discussion material may be broken into

some such divisions as the plan for air victory by the United
Nations ; the role of the Eighth Air Force in that plan ; the method of co-operation
in this Theater between the American Army Air Force and the R .A.F ., types of
planes and their use in the offensive ; the collaboration of service and ground
crews with flying personnel ; the reasons for the failure of the Luftwaffe ; the
part in future operations to be played by air power.

The discussion leader should maintain an objective, factual and unprejudiced

attitude towards the topic . None of us can be too well informed on the tactics
and strategy used in the greatest air battle of this war, a battle which is continuing
day and night, and one which is growing in momentum and intensity with every
passing hour.

Printed by Newnes & Pearson Printing Co., Ltd ., Exmoor Street, N. Kensington, London, W .ro.


I November 1943 15

QUESTIONS FOR '1'11E DISCUSSION

Q. : How essential is the SOS ETO to the Theater Air Forces ?
How important is the SOS in supplying ammunition, gasoline, sea
and rail transport facilities and other goods and services ?

Q . : Can air power alone defeat Germany ? In other words, given

sufficient time, can we bomb the enemy into submission and save
the lives of thousands of our soldiers ?

Q . : What was the reason for the failure of Germany's blitz on

England ? Was it due to the courage of the besieged, the superior
skill and strategy of the RAF, or was it due to faulty strategy on the
part of the German High Command ?

Q . : Does the Nazi regime produce a more skilful fighting man

and a more daring flyer than the USAAF or RAF ? What would
available figures tend to indicate ?

Q . : Is there a steady and growing deterioration in the German

Air Force ? Are the pilots, navigators and bombardiers less well
trained and less effective today than Iraq there a year aga ? Two yetis
ago ? Is there any noticeable detertnr*t I* German atrpltnvs ?
Are new types of bombers and fighters being produced by the enemy ?

Q . : Can Germany defend her territory and overcome bombardment

by USAAF and PLAt through the tactics and air strategy of her lighter
commands ?

Let us keep constantly in mind that free, hard-hitting and provocative

discussion is one of the essential parts of the way of life we are fighting to defend
and maintain. The topic of this issue of ARMY TALKS gives us material
on one of the most powerful single weapons we have to maintain that right
and that way of life.

The discussion leader's initial talk should be concise, illuminating, and

provocative of the discussion to follow . It should be calculated to stimulate
and draw out the interest of the group . Good discussion is a social function
in which all may participate ; it can be steered and guided without being
dominated.

Vol . 1, No . r of ARMY TALKS should be referred to as the guide and

Handbook for, Discussion Leaders ." It will take several sessions to
assimilate and put into practice the suggestions made.

Whatever you do, do not READ this pamphlet to the men.

Requests for additional copies of future or past issues of ARMY TALKS
should be nee to your Special Service Officer.
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