Salt Lake Telegram | 1942-08-15 | Page 2 | U. S. Loses 104 Planes to 190 for Nips

I U. U S. S Loses 1 4 Planes to for Nips WASHINGTON Aug 15 UP Lieutenant General Henry H. H Arnold commander of ot the army air forces disclosed Saturday that 1110 U. U S. S army planes have met 1159 1459 Japanese craft in aerial combat combat com corn bat and have shot down 10 of them with a loss of ot American I ships I The figures did not include operations op op- opI I of ot the American volunteer volunteer volunteer volun volun- teer group in China which up to the time It was disbanded disband cd on July 4 shot down Japanese planes with a loss of 84 of ot its ships Including Including In In- In- In eluding the A V G results the score would be Japanese planes shot down against a loss of ot American craft These figures included only verified verified verified ver ver- ver- ver losses of both sides Planes destroyed on the ground in bombing bombing bombing bomb bomb- ing or strafing attacks were not taken into account Streaming to England Arnold said that a steady stream of ot American pilots and planes is being sent to England The pilots complete their training on the other other oth oth- er side in order that they can learn British techniques He also said that in every way We Can we are standardizing MI ou r ou-r our r We Can we are standardizing MI ou r ou-r our r g equipment with that of our al allies allies al- al allies lies for interchangeable opera opera- The air commander at a press conference described the problems of airplane production as something something some thing like eating buns with jam First one then the other runs out As an example he said we once had 50 planes sitting on the ground for lack of generators This problem lem was soon solved but was immediately Immediately im Im- mediately replaced with another one Arnold several times referred to American pilots as youngsters Asked about it It he said that in fact is what they are Ve We e Want ant ant Young Men len We Ve want young men at their prime Older men tend to become become become be be- come a little too cautious for modem modern modern mod mod- em ern aerial combat he said He said the ideal age for pilots was around 27 years Except for the American volunteer volunteer volun volun- teer groups group's record Arnolds Arnold's figurea figures fig fig- ures urea on results of or aerial combat with the Japanese included only actions by the U. U S. S army air forces Corces since our entry into the war December 7 1941 The A V G went into operation several weeks before that Navy and marine corps fliers have shot down many additional planes which were not included in Arnolds Arnold's tabulation Arnold said that the Curtiss P 40 type pursuit planes were beIng being be be- ing unfairly criticized He said American planes compare favorably favor favor- favorably ably in combat with planes of any other nation