Support Command

Biggest danger in the idea of a separate air force, according to ground-gripping Army men, is that an autonomous air arm would go its own sweet way, leave the rest of the Army up in the air. Last week The Army Air Forces, closer to independence than the air arm ever was before, tried to calm such fears. It announced the organization of five Air Support Commands, designed specifically to back up ground forces with everything from reconnaissance to bombing support.

Planned for months, the Support Commands clearly showed Air Forces' recognition of its dual function: 1) operation as a separate striking force; 2) operation with the land forces as aerial cavalry (reconnaissance), infantry (machine-gun attack) and artillery (bombing).

For overall operation (and with a view to independent action), the air arm is divided into Air Forces, four for the continental U.S., three others for the Caribbean, Hawaii and the Philippines. Included in each Air Force is an Interceptor Command (high-speed pursuit planes), plus bombers and reconnaissance organizations. The new Air Support Commands will be part of the four Air Forces in the continental U.S., whose areas are laid out to cover the same areas as the four field armies.

The Air Support Commands will work, in maneuvers or in battle, under the direction of ground commanders. One of the

Commands will be attached to each of the four field armies when they take the field; the fifth will be attached to the Armored Force. To do a job of cooperation comparable with the German Luftwaffe's, they have a lot of give-&-take education ahead of them.

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