Show Behind the War fv News s I By v Devon v Francis o Aviation o w Writer NEW YORK Wide World World World- Air raid precautions on both seaboards of Continental United States call for an examination of the possibilities of bomber attacks Sooner or later attempts to launch such attacks probably will occur In Tn that knowledge the armed services and the national national national na na- na- na and municipal governments governments governments govern govern- ments are taking precautions At the same time axis warplanes warplanes warplanes war- war planes would encounter considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able difficulty in reaching American American American Amer Amer- ican cities industrial plants and military objectives Those difficulties difficulties difficulties need not prove insurmountable insurmountable insurmountable mountable especially for token bombers bidding desperately to filter through our defenses I First of all it must be borne in mind that military men like executives running large business business business busi busi- ness houses try to effect an economy of expenditures for a given result That is to say a naval commander would not dispatch dispatch dispatch dis dis- dis- dis patch a flotilla of warships to capture an island which had no military consequence The chief of an air force would not employ valuable bombers to destroy a bridge of secondary military value The strenuous German air force attacks on England in August and S September September Sep Sep- p- p 1940 were called off becaUSe because because be be- cause they were too expensive in men and material for the results obtained If bombers were launched against either American shore it would have to be because the officers who dispatched them were convinced that the gain involved involved involved in in- warranted the risk Here another consideration enters enters enters en en- in political in-political political expediency While a bombing attack might have no military value one might be ord ordered red by a high command command command com com- mand for its political effect The axis could hope for a bad political political political cal effect by reducing American civilian morale Broadly speaking an attempt to bomb American shores would be difficult in the presence of adequate sea and air patrols Those patrols have been established established established on both seaboards Bulwarking Bulwarking Bul Bul- such patrols are secret devices to detect the approach of enemy aircraft It would be well to point out that neither patrols nor devices to thwart surprise attacks are completely infallible Surface raiders carrying aircraft and range long-range planes from distant bases flying at great altitude can and probably will slip through if it suits the purposes of the axis to attempt such bombings Mitigating against the chance of raids on either coast are 1 The difficulty of approaching with standard aircraft carriers or seaplane tenders or seaplane carriers in the face of a determined determined determined deter deter- mined opposition and 2 the thelong thelong thelong long distance which big bombers would h have hare ve to travel from bases now available to continental United States Simplifying the task of defense de against raids are the far- far flung Atlantic outposts which have been established in the last 15 months from Iceland through Newfoundland Bermuda Bermud and the Caribbean isles to Trini Trini- Trinidad Trinidad dad and Dutch Guiana Heavy range long-range bombers are ara not carried aboard ship in any surface craft known to the United States armed forces The common equipment of aircraft carriers having flight decks Consists consists consists con Con- f f reconnaissance planes planca carrying light bombs fi fighter planes torpedo bombers and dive bombers Of the types carried by surface surface sur Sur- face ships with landing decks only dive bombers would be used against cities factories and military military mili mili- tary strongholds The flying range of such planes planes- a few hundred miles miles miles- would force th the attacking carrier to approach so close to American shores that it would lay itself open to the chance of devastating attacks attacks attacks at at- tacks by defending ing sea and air forces Japan has to the knowledge of American aviation circles no nc bombers capable of flying to th the American mainland from any bases available at present It II Itis itIs is entirely feasible that as the war goes on Japan can construct super range bombers capable capa pa ble perhaps of reaching Hawai Hawaii from Japan proper striking at al objectives and returning home As for air attacks launched from surface ships against th tb the United States what carrier vessels yes ves vessels ves- ves sels other than catapult ships which the Germans possess 11 if any are not generally known The Germans may try to seize two French carriers carriers the Joffre and the of tons torn each and with complements of 40 planes The French carrier Beam Bearn of tons is se sequestered sequestered se- se at t Martinque and probably would be taken over bythe by bythe the United States if Germany acquired the remainder of the French fleet How many seaplane and aircraft aircraft aircraft air air- air air- craft carriers Japan has is ins u known Likely it is far more more mole than any figures recently pub pub- Secrets of Japa Japanese ese a all air r power have been carefully guarded 1 Despite any effects of the attack attack attack at at- tack on the Hawaiian island o of f Oahu Pearl harbor and its re related related related re- re air defense fields remain this country's bastion in the Pa Pa- Until proved differently it must be assumed that adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate air and sea patrols based bas d both in Hawaii and along the Pacific seaboard would make an anair anair anair air attack on the western seaboard sea sea- board extremely difficult Always to be remembered Is s the chance that the axis powers towers may obtain air bases with within n closer striking distance than they now possess J |