Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 February 1943 — Page 20
IN MAY SEE
LUFTWAFFE'S END
Experts Believe Once Mighty Axis Air Force Can No Longer Replace Losses in Planes Or Personnel.
By WILLIAM H. STONEMAN Copyright, 1943, By The Indianapolis Times and The Chicago Daily News, Ine.
ALLIED FIELD HEADQUARTERS,
IN NORTH
AFRICA, Feb. 19.—Irrespective of what may happen on the ground or at sea, during the coming spring and summer, the chances now are that Nazi Reich Marshal Herman Goering’s once mighty Luftwaffe will be on the point of breaking by
September.
In the opinion of highly qualified experts, the Luftwaffe
already has reached the point at which it-can no longer ex- - pand either its personnel or its strength in aircraft. Axis production is thought to be : less than losses, or at best, only about equivalent to losses. At the same time, allied production is now
- so great and there are so many new pilots becoming qualified for service with new squadrons that our losses, unpleasant as they: are, constitute not § much more than. . a drop in a dish- - pan. Here in North Africa, the American army air force and the royal air force are making a great contribution toward decimation of the crack luftwaffe fighter and bomber , squadrons and toward the eventual ~ neutralization of the luftwaffe as an effective force, Up until Feb. 8, as recently announced, the enemy had lost 607 aircraft in combat, to our 250.
Yanks Destroy 343
Of the enemy losses, 343 were accounted for by the United States army air corps, 163 by the RAF, 29 by our anti-aircraft fire, and 72 at night by anti-aircraft fire and night fighters. The RAF lost 87 planes and we
lost 163, which may give some idea of the comparative size of our two “forces in North Africa. This record is remarkable considering the strictly limited number of fighter airdromes available to us near the front and the quality of the fighter planes which both we and the RAF have hitherto been using. The P-38's, P-39s and P-40’s which we have been using in the U. S. army air force are primarily bomber escort planes and irrespective of the purpose for which they were designed, cannot be expected to fight the enemy's 109-B’s.and Focke-Wulf 190’s in individual combat at medium altitudes on even terms. The Spitfires, used early in the campaign by the RAF and some American air force pilots, also were
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definitely inferior in performance to the better German types. Exactly how the expected eclipse of the luftwaffe will come is unclear, but it probably will first evidence itself through the appearance of under-strength fighter and bomber squadrons manned by badly trained crews.
Student pilots and HSIeons have already been shot down in England and here we have shot down mixed crews of Italians and Germans. As our strength increases, we will gradually be able to meet the Germans on such terms that their losses in combat will become unbearable for them. Simultaneously, we will be bombing their airdromes and making it difficult for their squadrons to take off. At the same time, our day and night bombings will continue their hammering of enemy aircraft industries, thus further decreasing their production.
“Decisive Advantage”
If this prognostication proves correct, our naval and land forces will secure an indispensable and probably decisive advantage over the enemy in the attempt Wr deliver a final coup de grace on the continent itself, Such a pleasant prosgect does not mean that the RAF and the U. S. army air force can sit on their haunches, In this particular theater, we need more and better fighter aircraft and, in the opinion of ever: goady who has hung around fightifig' areas very long, we need more close support from the air, preferably from divebombers of our own. Until our troops can go into action without the almost dead certainty of being trampled by German Stukas, Junkers 88's, medium bombers and fighters, nobody who has anything to do with the air force can be smug about the situation.
40 & 8 ANNUAL BALL T0 BE TOMORROW
The 12th annual Washington birthday ball of Voiture 145, the 40 and 8, will be held tomorrow night at the K. of C, hall, 13th and N. Delaware sts. = Ted Campbell’s piece orchestra will play and guests will include Col. Walter S. Drysdale, commanding officer of Ft. Harrison; Lieut. L. PF. Brozo, U. S. N. R.: Col. F. D. Lynch, army air corps; Capt. Elmer W. Sherwood, public relations officer at Ft. Harrison; Clarence U. Gramelspacher of Jasper, state commander of the American Il.egion; Roane Waring, Legion national commander: E. H. Brown, national chef de chemin de fer of the 40 and 8; Carl Nielson, acting
| correspondent nationale of 40 and
8; C. H. Matson, past state commander, and V. M. Armstrong, past national vice commander, Norbert Pich is general chairman of the ball, and |C. Elmer Quandt is chairman of reservations. Proceeds. will be used to finance the child welfare programs of the American Legion and the 40 and 8.
DISTRICT ROTARY WILL MEET MONDAY
Times Special
FRENCH LICK, Ind. Feb. ,19.— Wartime activities of Rotarians will be the main topic for discussion at the annual conference of the 156th district, Rotary International, MonSay at the French Lick Springs ho-
Nearly 400 rotarians from 38 counties in southern Indiana will attend the one-day meeting. Porter W. Carswell, Waynesboro, Ga., a di-
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