Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 December 1941 — Page 5

, NEED AIR FOR ALL BATTLES

Lesson Learned Of Wales and Repulse.

By MAJ.

We have learned once more the thrice told les-

son that every

or by sea, must have adequate air support, must have adequate protection in the air from air attack, if it is to hope for success. It is now perfectly clear that the loss of the British battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse

directly due to

FANE IERLE

fighters arrived upon the scene when the action was over, Two hours before the attack took place Japanese scouting planes were on the horizon. The question ineyitably arises, why did not the Admiral in command then and there call for fighter protection? Was it because of pride of service, a Yeluctance to ask aid from another service for the Royal Navy? Whatever the cause, a system under which battleships can be permitted to operate thus unprotected within the radius of action of hostile shorebased bombers is certainly defective.

Co-ordination Essential

Under a different system, one in which the Navy operates its own aviation as a part of the fleet—just as much a part of the fleet as battleships or cruisers or destroyers— such a state of affairs could net exist, The fleet would provide fighter protection for its battleships whenever they were operating within the reach of enemy aircraft as a matter of course, and without any thought of inter-service friction or red tape. The loss of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse should put an end to agitation for a separate air force in this country once and for all. An excellent case can be and has been made on paper for the separate air force, but against it is the grim and inescapable fact, now once more affirmed, that it does not work in war. I would like to make it clear that no blame attaches to the Royal Air Force as an institution, and that these remarks are not intended as a criticism of that service, but rather as a criticism of the system under which there can exist such lack of co-ordination and division of responsibility—those inevitable precursors of disaster,

All Must Work Together

Attempts will be made, based on the loss offthe British battleships, to re-open the ancient battleshipairplane controversy. But such arguments are not to the point; the point is that modern war is conducted by fighting teams, fully trained and adequately equipped for their missions. If you leave out an essential part of your team, you open the way to an enemy attack to which vou will have no adequate reply. Neither battleships nor any other ships can endure the repeated and terrific blows from the bomb and torpedo which a determined air attack can inflict. Nor can they defend themselves against such an attack, especially one delivered in considerable force, by the means of their own guns. The only sound defense against an airplane is another airplane. The only sound defense against the bomber is the fighter; and the bomber is almost as helpless to defend itself from a well handled fighter as ships are to defend themselves from bombers. It is to be noted that the Japanese bombers in the attack on the two British ships could not be given a fighter escort because they were outside the radius of action of their own fighters.

Japan Learns Lesson

The same thing applies to the Japanese ships and bombing aircraft engaged in attacking Luzon. Formosa, the nearest point from which Japanese fighters can be operated, is 600 miles away. The Japanese too have learned by the loss of one battleship and serious damage to another that it is not safe even for the stoutest warcraft to come within the reach of the shore based bomber without a fighter escort. Very likely the series of small scale attacks which the Japanese are launching on the shores of Luzon are intended to feel out various possible areas in which Japanese can establish a fighter base. It is becoming increasingly clear that they are operating under a very heavy handicap as long as the defenders of Luzon have fighters and

NIN ABP

these ships against attack by Japanese bombers. The action took place only 50 miles off the Malayan coast, and 150 miles from Singapore, this is within comfortable fighter radius, as is shown by the fact that

| ordination and teamwork.

rey

SUPPOR

¥ Again in Sinking}

GEORGE FIELDING FLIOT

New York Tri

les surface operation, whether by Tail

was the lack of fighter planes to protect

ASKS EXTENSION OF WAR POWERS

VanNuys Predicts Prompt ji Passage of 1941 Act; Biddle to Testify.

Times Special WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.—Prompt passage of the “War Powers Act of} 1941” was predicted today by Senator Frederick VanNuys (D. Ind). As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator VanNuys introduced the measure. Chairman Hatton Sumners (D. Tex.) of the House Judiciary Committee introduced a similar bill in the House. Both were drafted by the Justice Department. As U. S. District Attorney in Indianapolis during the first World War, Senator VanNuys is familiar with the Act. The present draft was made from the powers conferred on President Woodrow Wilson, he said. Title I of the bill would re-enact the Overman Act giving the President power to redistribute functions of various governmental agencies in whatever manner is best for the war effort. Title II allows the President to| authorize agencies to make contracts without competitive bidding or performance bonds; amend contracts, and make progress payments. Title III revives the provisions of the Trading with the Enemy Act. Title IV limits the entire act to six months after the war is over or at any earlier date designated by the President.

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they have none; a lesson which the Norway campaign had already taught. However, the supply of fighters in Luzon is by no means on the scale which the Germans possessed in Europe, and probably no reinforcement which the garrison could receive would be more welcome than additional fighter squadrons. In a small way, the principles above set forth have been further demonstrated at Wake Island. Here the Japanese have lost a cruiser and a destroyer which rashly ventured within reach of the comparatively limited air force possessed by the Marine garrison of the Island. And it is to be noted that in their surprise attack on Oahu the first consideration of the Japanese was 2 to knock out the long range bomb- ¥

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ing force of the garrison, and that not until this was accomplished did they commit their main forces to ¥ the attack. Once more let it be said, these|} experiences, in the opening days of % our entry into the war, should make it abundantly clear that what we need now is unity of purpose and RB effort, implemented by thorough co-

Air Force Part of Team

We need more co-ordination, not less. We need greater centralization of responsibility. Above all we must realize that no surface operation of any kind can be considered without constant reference to the factors of air attack and air defense. : Air co-operation is not enough. The air force must be a part of the}! team, and the team must have a single commander who by training and experience will be accustomed to dealing with the air factors in his task just as he is with every |: other essential consideration thereof. The air forces for their part must be loyal and understanding parts of the team in which they serve, not mere associates called from afar to help others whose problems and needs they scarcely

comprehend.

Future Commuter to Use

Helicopter,

By DAVID DIETZ

Seripps-Howard Science Editor A “mechanical hummingbird” is opening up a vast new field in . aviation, according to its inventor, * the famous Russian-born airplane * designer, Igor I. Sikorsky, engineer- ‘ ing manager of the United Aircraft « Manufacturing Corp. Mr. Sikorsky’s bird is the first "successful helicopter in history. What part it may play in the present war depends upon how rapidly its potentialities can be developed and, ol course, upon how long the " war lasts. But Mr, Sikorsky envisions hun- , dreds of thousands of Americans flying helicopters from country homes to city offices in the years ~ after the war. - Like the hummingbird, the new machine can land on any spot large enough to hold it. It can take off from a standing start, rising verti- » cally. It can stand still in the air, = hovering over one spot. ~ The helicopter differs radically * from the airplane in that it employs neither wings nor propellers. - The present model, which Mr, Sikorsky calls the VS-300, has a light ‘ open metal frame, reminiscent of . the fuselage of one of the pioneer a airplanes of 30 years ago. This is surmounted by an arrangement of blades like a windw mill, turning in a horizontal 4 The windmill, known technically as ; screw, is connected direct It takes the place and propeller. Two at the tail of the take the plage of the rud-

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Sikorsky Thinks|

der and enable the pilot to steer the craft. The nearest thing to the helicopter in the past has been the gyrdplane or autogyro developed between 1919 and 1924 by the Spaniard, Juan de la Cierva. The autogyro has a windmill arrangement in place of wings, but no power is applied to this. The power is applied to the usual sort of propeller. Speaking before the December

Mr. Sikorsky described some of accomplishments of the VS-300 made some predictions. During the summer, he said, i set & new world’s record for ma chines of this sort, staying aloft 1 hour 32 minutes and 26 seconds. The previous record had been held by an experimental machine constructed in . He said the ViS-300 had repeatedly landed and taken off in ordin backyards, often within 10 feet tree. ON several occasions it hovered in the air, lowering a to which objects were attached to be hauled up into the machine. He said he believed in the

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