Bombers: Proof to Come

Airmen watched the test of a new technique in the air offensive against Germany. Americans in Britain were determined to use their heavy bombardment planes--Boeing B-17s--on day raids on the continent. The first samples were good.

The tests were made in a welter of polite doubt. Peter Masefield, No. 1 lay authority in Britain, wrote in the London Sunday Times that it would be a tragedy to squander American lives in U.S. heavy bombers over Germany--either by day or by night. The New York Times quoted him, repeated his suggestion that the U.S. craft--Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24s--be assigned to coastal duty. The New York Herald Tribune got the same sentiment from R.A.F. men. News services picked up the British contention, broadcast it far & wide.

Unimpressed, the U.S. Air Force in Britain sent its B-17s over German-held territory, not once but six times during the week. The results were not conclusive, but they were encouraging.

In the raids they lost not a single Flying Fortress on some 60 plane missions across the line. In five of the flights there was no proof that the U.S.'s high-flying bomber carried its own protection against German pursuit, for British pilots in Spitfires went along, gave the Fortresses an adept and able defense. But in the sixth raid nine Fortresses went out beyond the range of their fighter escort, plowed on alone over the North Sea.

They found what they were looking for. Four of them were jumped up by 25 of the Germans' new Focke-Wulf 190s and Messerschmitt 109s. They fought them on their own. And one page of what will have to be a book of proof, was complete. Gunners in the Fortresses knocked down three German planes, damaged at least nine more. But U.S. airmen and especially Bomber Commander Ira Eaker were interested in something more than that the Fortresses had beaten off an attack against overwhelming odds. They were most interested in the fact that again all the Fortresses got home (although one carried a dead copilot, a grievously wounded commander).

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.