THE COMING SHOWDOWN IN THE AIR
Williams, Major Al
The Coming Showdown In The Air By MAJOR AL WILLIAMS WE ALL missed the boat for a quick, decisive war. We missed it because we didn't plan for the dominant role of airpower. And the Germans missed...
...They are actually designing their fighter planes to accommodate two 500-pound bombs...
...Stressing the production of fighters, however, logically meant a decrease in the production of bombers...
...Their bomber production is down, and they have evidenced a new air war policy of depending upon lighter, faster bombers...
...No, convertible fighters and bombers that are far faster than the orthodox bombers which were classified as "heavy...
...Does this trend of building convertible fighter planes which can be used also as bombers mean that airpower is driving along its original speed line, or does it mean that the next stage of air warfare will be decided on the basis of who is right between the ultra-giant bomber and the fast fighter-bomber...
...We know now, and suspected at the time, that if the Germans had continued their air pressure against England for another few days, England would have been out of the war...
...Its 500-pound bombs are destructive, but unlike the heavy bomber, when the fighter-bomber finds itself in a tight position, it can jettison its bombs and droppable fuel tanks and give a mighty good fighting account of itself...
...Fast Convertible Warplanes Airmen were certain the Germans would concentrate the major portion of their aircraft production upon fighter planes...
...These are questions uppermost in the minds of airmen...
...The Germans are waging a defensive air war...
...In addition, the Germans failed because, while they lacked the daring to drive home their one chance to knock England out of the war via the air, they dare.d to play all their blue chips on a quick decision, without making adequate provision for a war of attrition in the air, in case the original plan went wrong...
...They continue to attack London and strategic points in England...
...What type of planes are they using for these missions...
...Who Is Right...
...Heavy bombers...
...The fighter-bomber is fast, but not fast enough to evade detection...
...This conclusion was based on the fact that the Germans would sooner or later be forced to wage a defensive air war...
...Did the Germans learn anything from their mistakes...
...In the first place, the decreased bomber production will naturally force the Germans to find some method for bombing critical enemy targets...
...They have concentrated upon the production of fighter planes...
...This means fighter-bomber planes of ultra high-speed carrying drop-pable fuel tanks to provide them with range...
...And the Germans missed it because, while they did plan for a quick, decisive war spun to a finish by airpower, they failed to gamble and drive home their air campaign right after they had broken the nexus between the French and British land armies, during the battle of France...
...But the fighter-bomber is a real dual-purpose airplane...
...And fighter planes of the orthodox types, such as the Focke-Wulf 190 and the Messerschmitt Me-109, were essentially designed as defensive fighters...
...It must be remembered that the modern fighter plane is so much faster than the best heavy bomber that the fighter must crisscross and sally off ahead and to each flank in order to remain with the bomber formation and to keep its engine warm enough for immediate and intensive fighter operations...
Vol. 7 • December 1943 • No. 49
