| Show I s. s Warship Attacked Off Martinique American Air Air Armada Ready iT To 0 Bomb Axis British Told 1 T I Allied Leaders Map Offensive Plans In London as Russia Renews Renews' Plea for Second Front Against Foe LONDON May 26 UP UP-A UP A mighty might air armada born on the assembly lines of America is ready to strike directly at the axis Great Britain was assured Tuesday as two ranking United States aerial commanders joined British British British Brit Brit- ish strategists in framing plans for an offensive in western Eu Eu- rope American planes ammunition and fuel are in readiness for a huge American air expeditionary I force in cooperation with the thea I R a RAF A F offensive against the continent continent continent con con- it was understood after the arrival of Lieutenant General Henry H. H Arnold chief of the U. U S. S army air corps and Rear Admiral John H. H Towers chief of the U. U S. S navy bureau of aeronautics Air Mr Blows to Be lie First It was indicated that air attacks attacks attacks at at- tacks would be merely the first direct blows planned for American American Amerlean Amer Amer- ican lean expeditionary forces in Eu Eu- rope The presence of Major General Dwight D. D Eisenhower a tank expert expert ex ex- pert and and- of Major General Mark W. W Clark infantry specialist in the American mission was was regarded regard regard- ed as foreshadowing plans for early participation of United States force in commando raids on the held axis-held European coa coast and perhaps an allied invasion thrust designed to relieve the pressed hard-pressed Russian armies The American officers bolstered this speculation by a whirlwind series of conferences in which they were understood to have seen or arranged to see Prime Minister Winston Churchill Lord Mount- Mount batten leader of the British commandos commandos com corn mandos Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal and other British war leaders All Active Commanders It was regarded as especially important that the American mission mission mis mis- sion sian was made up of active commanders commanders com corn I manders who would be directly responsible for field operations British sources said that this permitted permitted permitted per per- the forming of a sort of super board of command for di direct direct di- di direct action There was no official hint as to whether the presence of Arnold and Towers meant the speeding up of preparations for big scale offensive blows in the west but British sources pointed out that the he position of the red army on the Ukraine front was grave It was said that the next week or two wo might show whether an allied invasion attempt this summer was essential in order to weaken Hiter's Hitler's Hit- Hit ers er's armies on the eastern front In any event it was emphasized the presence of a growing A E F Fand Fand Fend and end the building up of American air forces in the British isles pre- pre Continued on PIe Page Two Column Two T Powerful U. U S. S Air Armada Ready to Bomb Axis As Allied Chiefs Map Plans for Offensive Continued d from P Pate Pace ge One an Increasing threat to Hitler Hitler Hitler Hit Hit- ler in the west and forces him to immobilize big coastal defense units even if no invasion is attempted attempted attempted at at- tempted by the allies Pressure for invasion h however wever still is mounting in England and Leslie Hore former war secretary said in m a speech at Devenport Tuesday that a second second- front might end the war this year if f the allies are ready to seize the best jest opportunity to strike It was reported also that Russia might offer the allies bases in Si Siberia Siberia Siberia Si- Si beria from which to bomb Tokyo and other Japanese cities if they would open the long awaited second second second sec sec- ond front to force Adolf Hitler to divert some of the massed forces now desperately seeking a quick victory on the eastern front A few hours after their arrival was announced Admiral Sir Andrew Andrew Andrew An An- drew Browne Cunningham withdrawn withdrawn withdrawn with with- drawn from command of the British Brit- Brit British ish sh Mediterranean fleet to undertake undertake under- under take ake a special mission to Washington Washington Wash- Wash ington asserted that the allies at atone atone atone one time had Italy on the verge of complete defeat and that they rapidly rapidly rap- rap idly and surely would overwhelm her ler in the Mediterranean as soon as they had equality of forces Immediate speculation on the arrival of the United States mis mis- sion centered on the possibility of immediate massed airplane attacks attacks at at- tacks on the continent and statements statements statements state state- ments by British informants that it would soon be possible to attack Germ Germany ny with 1000 planes a night were recalled A British military spokesman said the Russian position on the front was serious with the Germans steadily increasing the power of their attack in the sector but that there was still not enough evidence to tell which way the battle batUe was going I He strongly discounted German Claims that three Russian armies I had been encircled saying it was most unlikely Russia had three I armies on the front Browne Cunningham in his statement implied that the time might be in sight when the allies could open a second front against Italy |
