"Today, a war is very different... than the last European war was." "Now air power is the dominant feature of military operations." "Air power can fly directly into the vital centers... of an opposing state and neutralize them." "It can destroy the cities." "It can wreck the aqueducts." "It can knock out the lines of communication." "It can destroy the food supplies... and make the people helpless to resist." "For 3,500 years, man has had the desire to fly." "And yet it was only 40 years ago... this ambition was realized- an accomplishment that was to change the destiny... of the entire world." "Two brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright- bicycle builders from Dayton, Ohio- on the morning of December 17... set up on the sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina... their first heavier-than-air flying machine." "Powered by a four-cylinder motor... developing almost twelve horsepower... with two bicycle chain-driven propellers... turning at nearly 340 revolutions per minute." "The machine, complete with pilot... weighed almost 750 pounds." "In order to launch the plane... a monorail track was designed." "The biplane "A"runs on the wooden rail "B"... and anchor wire "C" holds the plane back... to enable the motor to develop sufficient power... for the takeoff." "Everything is in readiness." "The small crowd of witnesses looks on hopefully." "Orville Wright is at the controls." "One, two, three..." "Go!" "The motor races." "It's a tense moment." "Wilbur steadies the wing." "The plane strains at the anchor cable." "Orville's hand grips the control." "The wire is released!" "For twelve seconds... the Wright plane plows through the air... in unmistakable power-driven, man-carrying flight." "Twelve seconds." "total distance-120 feet." "Man has conquered the air." "The five witnesses of this epoch-making flight... were too startled, too thrilled to cheer." "Success!" "Four flights Thursday morning... starting from level, average speed 31 miles." "Inform press." "Home Christmas." "Orville Wright." "Man's first flight." "Yet this epoch-making feat... failed to impress a disinterested public." "The only part of this stirring message... that seemed newsworthy was..." ""The Wright Brothers to be home for Christmas."" "In spite of the public's lack of enthusiasm... the Wrights persisted." "Then one day, they made a revolutionary flight." "For the first time, they were able... to turn the plane around in midair... and fly in the opposite direction." "The daring Brazilian sportsman Alberto Santos-Dumont... made the first officially recorded..." "European airplane flight." "Soon, many other intrepid airmen... were flying in triplanes, biplanes... monoplanes and multiplanes." "Fantastic in appearance, but they all flew." "Back in America..." "Gee willikers!" "It says here the Army plans an Air Corps." ""The flying machine must make..." ""an endurance flight of one hour..." ""carry pilot and one passenger..." ""attain a speed of 40 miles an hour... 'traveI ten miles and land undamaged."" "Well, doggone." "41 enthusiastic airplane builders... submitted bids of somewhat varied amounts." "I'll build a plane for a million dollars." "I'll build it for a thousand." "Mine'll cost 10 million." " $3,000." " $1,230." " $10,000." "My plane'll cost only $510." "And one shrewd bidder... guaranteed to build a plane for $45 a pound." "However, when the government demanded... a 10% forfeit be posted... all but three of these enthusiastic bidders... hastily withdrew." "The contract was let to the Wright Brothers... for one military airplane." "Six months later, at Fort Meyer... delivery was made to the United States Army." "This was the modest beginning of our Air Force." "It was only 33 years ago... that Louis Blériot took off from the coast of France... and, without instruments, made the 21-mile flight... across the English channel." "Only a few realized the significance... of this great flight." "England was no longer isolated from the rest of Europe... by an impassable body of water." "A channel flight that was to one day... prove of even greater significance... was accomplished by the Honorable C.S. Rolls." "In his own words..." "Departing from England... the flight across the channel was quite uneventful." "Reaching the other side and being recognized." "Dropped greetings." "And without stopping... returned home safely without mishap." "In the meantime, back in America... aviation saw another great advancement." "Eugene Ely made the first takeoff... from the deck of the U.S.S. Birmingham." "Two months later, Ely reversed this feat... by landing on the U.S.S. Pennsylvania." "This was the birth of the aircraft carrier." "In 1911, the first experiments with seaplanes began." "Canoe-like pontoons were added to a land plane." "Straining for the takeoff, the motor raced." "At 31 miles an hour... the plane sped across the surface of the lake... and slid up on the bank." "It was not until Glenn Curtiss added a more powerful motor... that experiments with seaplanes were a success." "That same year also witnessed... the first transcontinental flight." "Racing against a 30-day time limit... for a $50,000 prize..." "Calbraith P. Rodgers took off from Long Island... accompanied by a special train carrying spare parts." "The flight consisted of 69 short hops... and 15 crashes." "Over rivers and mountains... against insurmountable odds... bucking strong winds and treacherous air currents... losing precious moments... with indomitable courage and the will to win... the daring flyer crashed on and on." "Forty-nine days later at Pasadena..." "Rodgers arrived with only one strut... and part of the tail intact from the original plane." "Just barely missing the prize by 19 days... this modest hero confidently predicted that someday... somebody would fly across the country in 30 days." "And so, for the next few years... the flying machine continued to thrill the public... but was regarded as a novelty with no practical uses." "The airplane, at the tender age of ten... went off to war." "At first, aircraft was considered... to have very little military value... except for observation purposes." "A spirit of sportsmanship existed... between the rival pilots." "As they would pass each other... on their daily flights over the lines... they would wave a friendly greeting... and sometimes take pictures of one another... which led to an unusual development." "Sacré bleu!" "This is outrage!" "And so, the next day..." "Oof!" "The following day... being a hothead as well as a squarehead..." "Fritz took a potshot at Pierre." "Oh!" "Duels with pistols, shotguns, and rifles... led to the installation of the machine gun... successful but for one small detail" "The propeller got in the way." "Then science developed the synchronizing device... to allow the bullets to pass between... the rapidly revolving blades of the propeller." "The airplane became a formidable weapon of war." "The merciless pressure of warfare... developed highly specialized types of planes." "The dropping of grenades and hand bombs... led to a new and terrible instrument of war-the bomber." "The terrific competition of aerial combat... compelled the rapid improvement of aircraft." "More than 20,000 conflicts were fought in the air." "The forced development of aircraft... in these four years of war... would have taken 20 years to accomplish in peacetime." "Yet the war ended before the world fully realized... the military potential of air power." "As a war-weary public transferred its interest... to peacetime activities... the airplane again had to struggle for existence." "The "Fly with Me" gypsy flyer... barnstormed all over the country." "While people still regarded the airplane... as an exciting novelty... farsighted airmen were compelling the public... to look upon aviation with a new respect." "The U.S. Navy NC-4 flew from Newfoundland to England... via the Azores." "The first nonstop transatlantic flight... was made by Alcock and Brown from Newfoundland to Ireland." "First solo flight across the Atlantic" "Charles A. Lindbergh, New York to Paris." "First round-the-world flight" "U.S. Army planes circled the globe." "Flying time-15 days, 11 hours." "Post and Gatty- 4 days, 10 hours." "Howard Hughes- 2 days, 23 hours." "Altitude flights developed superchargers and deicers." "Air races improved design and advanced speed." "Power diving at 620 miles per hour... tested durability and construction of planes." "The first air mail service in 1918... grew in a short time to major airlines... with regularly scheduled transcontinental... and then transoceanic passenger and freight service." "Aviation was progressing at a tremendous pace." "Time was being compressed, distance shrunk... range lengthened, and load capacity increased." "The airplane- now flying all over the world- was the only weapon of war... to develop such great usefulness in peacetime." "Jeepers!" "President Roosevelt wants 50,000 planes a year." "Backed by 25 years of constant pioneering..." "American aviation met the challenge." "Remember, the experiment of 1914... had become a devastating force." "From the mile-a-minute plane of World War I... we're starting today with planes... flying more than six miles a minute." "During the last war... firepower was increased from one brick per minute... to 2,400 bullets per minute." "Today we're starting with 9,600 bullets per minute." "During World War I... aerial grenades and 25-pound hand bombs... grew to two-ton bomb loads." "Today we're starting with ten-ton bomb loads... of the most devastating explosives... ever conceived by science." "Today the historic flight of C.S. Rolls... is repeated daily... by Rolls-Royce-powered pursuit and bomber planes." "Departing from England... the flight across the channel was quite uneventful." "Reaching the other side and being recognized." "Dropped greetings." "And without stopping... returned home safely without mishap." "In one single night... the bomb load dropped on Cologne... was 20 times greater than the total amount... used in the last war by the United States." "Today, only a brief 40 years later..." "The Wright Brothers' first flight of 120 feet... could be made with 92 feet to spare... on the wing of the B-19." "Yet this huge 82-ton experimental bomber- designed seven years ago- is only a forerunner of what can be done." "The amazing advancement in military aviation... is due to the vision and persistence... of pioneer airmen, among whom..." "Major Alexander P. de Seversky is an outstanding figure." "He literally grew up with aviation." "His father was the first Russian... to privately own and fly an airplane." "At ten, his military education began." "He graduated from the imperial Russian naval Academy... as a lieutenant and saw service with the fleet in 1914." "With a firm belief in the future of aviation... he became a full-fledged pilot... in both Army and naval aviation... and was assigned to flying duty with the Baltic fleet." "While on a night bombing mission... he was shot down... and suffered the loss of his right leg- an invalid at 22." "Ignoring his handicap and determined to fight again... he returned to the front as Chief of Pursuit Aviation... in the Baltic, with the rank of commander." "He fought 57 aerial combats... became the leading ace of the naval air forces... and was awarded the highest honors... his country could bestow." "In 1918, he came to America... and later served as aeronautical engineer... and test pilot for the United States government." "He became a friend, advisor, and disciple... of general Billy Mitchell." "Having become a citizen... in 1928 he was commissioned a major... in the United States Air Corps." "He invented the first fully automatic bombsight... and many other instruments and devices... all contributing to the greater efficiency... of military aviation." "He designed, built, tested... and himself flew his new planes." "Among them, an all-metaI amphibian plane- in which he set a world speed record that still stands- the first low-wing all-metaI basic training plane... and the first all-metaI single-seater fighter plane... of cantilever construction... adopted by the United States Army." "In 1937... to prove long range could be built into pursuit planes... he set a new nonstop record from New York to Havana." "In an Army pursuit ship of his own design... he was the first officially to cross the country east-west... with a record of 10 hours, 5 minutes." "His planes won the Bendix race... three successive years." "In 1940, he was presented the Harmon Trophy... by President Roosevelt... for being the Outstanding Airman of the Year." "With his background as a combat pilot... aeronautical designer, engineer, manufacturer... and military strategist..." "Major Seversky's advanced viewpoint and opinions... are of vital importance to every citizen." "Under the pressure of war... the science of aviation is making terrific strides." "As soon as the airplanes- which are already... on the drafting boards of all the warring nations- take to the air, there will not be a single spot... on the face of the earth immune from overhead attack." "The enormous flying range... and destructive power of these planes will transform... the entire surface of our planet into a battlefield." "The distinction between soldiers and civilians will be erased." "And I believe that it is only a matter of time... before we here in America... will suffer our share of civilian casualties." "And so warfare becomes everybody's business." "All of us must understand the strategy of war." "No longer should it be a mystery open only to military minds." "The strategy of war is simply a plan to defeat the enemy." "In wars of the past, there were only two ways to do it." "One was to kill off his army... in order to lay hands on the source of his power." "The other was to sink his navy... and force a blockade and starve him into submission." "Along comes the airplane, and an entirely new method... of defeating the enemy becomes possible." "We can carry the war now... over the heads of his army and navy... strike directly at the source of his power- his war industries- and by destroying these war industries... automatically disarm and paralyze his fighting forces." "This new kind of warfare- a strategy based on air power- was clearly foreseen more than 20 years ago... by such great airmen as General Douhet in Europe... and our own General Mitchell here in America." "Time and again they warned that this new military force- swifter and more deadly than any in the past... equally devastating on land or at sea- would revolutionize warfare... and make the old style surface strategy impossible." "But their warnings were dismissed... as fantastic and visionary." "The military men of the old school were unwilling... to recognize this fundamental change in war-making." "They stubbornly continued... to pour the resources of their nations... into weapons that had already outlived their usefulness." "As for the airplane... they accepted it, but just as another weapon." "Just another means to bolster up... their old methods of surface warfare." "At the start of this war..." "Europe was prepared to fight along the same old lines." "England, with its undisputed control of the seas... was supposed to take care of sea warfare." "And France, with its great army... of land warfare." "France ended the last war victoriously in the trenches... so the natural tendency... was to build bigger and better trenches... culminating in that super-colossaI trench... the trench deluxe, the Maginot Line." "In these fantastic underground fortresses... were stored enough supplies to withstand a siege of years." "The military leaders assured the French people... that this mighty wall of steel and concrete... made France impregnable." "Those who dared criticize this plan of defense... were sharply reminded that the French general's staff... was the greatest on earth." "In the meantime, Hitler was scheming a conquest... based on lightning speed and surprise." "His long-range artillery took wings." "Air power became the spearhead of attack... blasting clear a path for his ground forces." "Under this shield of air power... the Nazi hordes poured into France." "The mighty Maginot Line proved no barrier... against this new kind of warfare." "Only when it was too late... did the people of France realize... that their whole plan of defense was futile." "These huge land fortresses- representing a great national effort- stand only as grim monuments to outmoded military thinking." "And what about the mighty floating fortresses that Britain relied on for control of the seas?" "When Hitler hurled his blitzkrieg... across the water gap into Norway... the British navy was confident... that he had made a fatal mistake." "By cutting Hitler's supply lines... they expected to trap his forces... behind a naval blockade." "But, like the French army... the British navy underestimated... the tremendous war potential of air power." "Planes from British aircraft carriers... took to the air, but they proved no match... for the land-based aviation of the Nazis." "Britain's own land-based planes... lacked the range to come to the rescue." "So the world's mightiest navy, utterly helpless... was forced to retire to the protection... of the royal Air Force... driven back not by another navy... but by this totally new military force-air power." "Hitler planted a string of air bases... along the Norwegian coast... and, with air power... took over control of the seas in this area." "Ignoring the floating fortresses- as completely as he'd ignored the land fortresses of France- he was able to move his supplies... across this water gap unmolested." "Over 300,000 British troops cornered- doomed men facing surrender or annihilation... under the merciless pounding of Hitler's aerial spearhead." "But in contrast to Norway..." "Dunkirk was within easy reach... of Britain's land-based fighter planes." "For the first time..." "Hitler's flying spearhead met real air opposition." "The royal Air Force... gained mastery of the skies in this area... through a screen of wings from shore to shore... and under this shield of superior air power... 300,000 men were safely evacuated in four days." "The British braced themselves for immediate invasion." "After Dunkirk, Hitler realized he would have to strike... with an air force many times greater than the British." "So, for two months, the invasion waited... while he equipped a chain of air bases... to place his short-range aviation... within striking distance of the target." "And then Hitler received his first major setback." "He sent over his aerial spearhead- wave after wave of planes." "But the Luftwaffe... built primarily to clear a path for ground forces... proved no match for the royal Air Force... built for war in the air." "Outnumbered three to one... the Spitfires rode the tail of the enemy... firing eight guns to the Germans' one." "The superior quality of British men and machines... overwhelmed German quantity- blasted 2,400 planes out of the sky... and broke the spearhead of the German offensive." "In winning the Battle of Britain... the gallant royal Air Force established... a new military truth in the history of war-making- that as long as a nation controls its own skies... it cannot be invaded." "Hitler's invasion plan shattered... he decided to suffocate England... by cutting her lines of supply." "In the Mediterranean, during the era of sea power... control had always centered around the naval strongholds... of Gibraltar, Malta, Alexandria, and Haifa." "In the new era of air power... the island of Crete was destined to become... the commanding center of the eastern half... of the Mediterranean." "Recognizing the importance of Crete..." "Hitler-with his spearhead of short-range aviation- pushed step by step through the Balkans... and amassed his strength for an aerial invasion." "The British had neglected to provide Crete... with an aerial defense... and were confident they could defend it with their navy." "The world witnessed the first clear-cut duel... between sea power and air power." "The Luftwaffe went to work, sinking ships... destroying ground installations... seizing airfields with parachute troops... and finally, landing an army of occupation... in gliders and transport planes." "The first territory to be conquered... entirely through air power... another upset in war-making." "For more than two years... we had front-row seats... to watch this revolution in war-making... yet we failed to understand the lessons of air power." "In the Pacific, we left the skies unprotected." "With our battle fleet in pearl Harbor... as our first line of defense... we were prepared for traditional naval warfare... but again the first blow came from the air." "In one hour and twenty minutes... a mighty battle fleet was put out of action... by a mere 150 planes." "True, pearl Harbor was a sneak attack." "But three days later... two of the mightiest warships of the British navy" ""Prince of Wales" and "Repulse"- fully alert, dared to venture within striking range... of enemy land-based bomber and torpedo planes." "The tragic sinking of these two mighty warships... was final proof that navies... can no longer carry a war to the enemy whose shores... are adequately defended by land-based aviation." "Our naval defense of the Pacific crumpled... under the blows of air power." "Japan's lightning drive... was nothing but a faithful imitation... of the German blitzkrieg." "They employed exactly the same tactics." "Having practically no air opposition..." "Japan's spearhead of air power... cleared the path for its land and sea forces... and drove us out of one island after another... until most of the Pacific was lost." "Only then did the earthbound mind grasp... the main lesson of this war- that no battle can be won on the surface of the earth... without first gaining complete control of the sky above." "We were so impressed with the use to which... the enemy put the weapons of land, sea, and air... that we ourselves adopted the very same tactics." "Aviation was recognized as a full-fledged member... of our fighting team." "It was to provide a roof for our army and navy... and act as a spearhead of our offensive." "Now we were confident... that we could beat the enemy at his own game." "The reasoning seemed logical enough- if we have the same kind of weapons as the enemy- only more of them- how can we lose?" "With our abundant resources, wealth of manpower... and tremendous industrial capacity... why, we can build the biggest army... the biggest navy, and the biggest air force." "And with this super-colossal team... we'll smother the enemy with the sheer weight... of our men and machines." "The success of this procedure depends on two things- first, we must produce a vast amount of weapons... of endless variety." "And second, we must deliver this maze of equipment... to battlefronts that are spread all over the face of the earth." "Already nearly 100 million tons of vital supplies... are required every month, month after month... and if we step up the offensive, this tonnage will grow." "Now, can we produce and keep on producing... and if we can, can we deliver... and keep on delivering all this?" "Regardless of the courage and gallantry of our men... on the battlefront... regardless of the sacrifice and effort on the home front... as long as we follow this course... victory or defeat... hangs on the fate of our line of supply." "With this surface struggle embracing the globe... the problem of transportation becomes the deciding issue." "To grasp what we're up against... let's spread this problem before us." "In the west... the battlefront stretched over Europe and Africa." "The main theaters of war are the Russian front... extending from Murmansk to the Black Sea... the near-east, and Mediterranean fronts." "In the east, from the Arctic to the South Pacific." "Between these two theaters of conflict... thousands of miles away lies the arsenal of democracy." "This highly mechanized war... has placed tremendous demands on our production capacity... which is rapidly approaching its peak." "Ever mounting numbers of tanks, guns, planes... roll off production lines." "This vital equipment for the distant fronts... is rushed across the continent... but finally jams up in the bottleneck of shipping." "This lifeblood of vital war supplies must be pumped... through the arteries of our transport lines... over distances that actually girdle the globe." "To illustrate... when a supply ship from San Francisco... moves over the trackless miles of ocean... and delivers its cargo at Suez... it can return over the same route... or travel the rest of the way around the world." "In either case... as far as the distance in wartime is concerned... it's a tossup, and the ship is lucky... if it can deliver more than two loads a year." "Wartime distances and peacetime distances... are entirely different." "For example, from San Francisco to Melbourne... in peacetime is 6,700 miles." "But in wartime, with enemy control... jutting out its sphere of domination... the distance is almost doubled... and the enemy has twice as long to attack our shipping." "But his supply lines, being interior lines... have not changed from peacetime." "To deliver supplies to the Russian front... our navies must convoy ships over 4,000 perilous miles... to Murmansk, and from there... more than 1,000 miles overland to the battlefront." "By contrast, the Nazis can rush supplies to the same front... in a few days by direct overland transport." "Geographically, the Axis has a great advantage." "They operate with short interior lines of supply... whereas we're compelled to use long exterior lines... a 50,000-mile battlefront... every mile threatened by the deadliest menace of all... the submarine." "Against these wolf packs lurking underwater... and striking from ambush... the ship glued to the surface is a helpless target." "In order to win the battles at the front..." "Hitler must cut our lifeline of supply." "The U-boat-his major weapon- is our greatest problem." "He is building improved U-boats by the hundreds... ever growing in size and striking power... immune to anything short of a direct hit." "Every measure we take to protect... this slow-moving target will be offset... by new scientific devices in the submarine." "Soon it will be able to lurk safely below the surface... and without ever revealing its presence... accurately locate the approaching victim." "Our shipbuilding industry tries desperately... to meet the challenge, but faces a tragic contest... between launchings and sinkings." "Every ship that goes down is a triple casualty... of wasted material, labor, and human life." "With millions of tons of our production... going to the bottom instead of to battle... a tremendous strain is put on our industrial heart." "As long as we cling to a strategy... based on surface warfare... the advantage is on the side of the enemy." "Hitler's strategic position resembles a wheel." "The hub-his powerful industrial center... which grinds out the implements of war." "The spokes-his supply lines... that support the fighting fronts... the rim of the wheel." "Our surface strategy seeks to crush this structure... by striking at the rim from all sides... millions of men and machines... in a clash of steel against steel." "Should we concentrate enough force... to attack at any one point..." "Hitler can quickly shift his power... and reinforce the threatened sector." "No matter where we strike..." "Hitler can strike back swiftly... with the right force at the right place." "Should we strike from all sides with superior force..." "Hitler will contract his wheel." "The spokes become shorter, the rim thicker... the whole structure stronger and more nearly impregnable." "To successfully attack, we must use a superior force... and attempt to knock out Hitler's equipment... faster than he can replace it." "Tanks destroy tanks... and our supporting short-range aviation... plays an important part... by destroying more of Hitler's equipment." "But with his factories unmolested... he can quickly fill the gaps... by moving his supplies short distances over dry land." "By contrast, our replacements must be carried in transports over those thousands of perilous floating miles... constantly under attack from the enemy." "As long as we fight on the surface of the earth..." "Hitler has all the advantage." "But with the strategy of air power... the advantage is ours." "Air power ignores the battlefronts of the rim." "By direct and independent action... it strikes at the hub." "With this all-important source of enemy power knocked out... the whole structure will collapse... and our surface forces... will move in and clinch the victory... with a tremendous saving in human lives." "This is the real teamwork." "This is the true role of air power." "The present air offensive against Germany... is the beginning of such strategy." "Already more than 50 industrial targets... have felt the sting of bombardment." "The Royal Air Force has blazed a trail." "They are giving the Nazis a thorough lesson... in the proper use of air power." "Now, this is no accident." "Back in 1918... in the very midst of the last war... the British people had the wisdom and courage... to take a bold step." "They divorced their Air Force from their Army and Navy... and set it up as a separate and independent branch." "The entire air potential of the country was unified." "As a result, the Royal Air Force... has been able to go ahead and develop its strength... free and unhampered." "American airmen have not had the same opportunity." "They're still part and parcel of our Army and Navy." "But recently, under the pressure of events... we have combined our air strength... with that of the British." "And now some of our own airmen... together with the Royal Air Force... are planning and carrying out real air strategy." "As the United Nations surround Nazi Europe... with a ring of air bases, the present-day bomber... such as the British Sterlings and Lancasters... and our own Flying Fortresses and Liberators... with their striking radius of 1,000 miles... will be able to reach every spot of the Axis anatomy." "Air power at last will be in a position... to score a major decision- to bomb the enemy into submission... to knock Germany out of the war." "But whether this happens or not... depends not on air power... but again on those same lines of supply." "Air power planted on these distant bases... far away from its main source of supply... is only as good as the supply lines by which it is fed." "If these lines... can supply the needs of this ring... present-day bombers with their striking radius... of 1,000 miles will be able to do the job." "But in the Pacific, they haven't got a chance." "Let's take our ring and move it over Japan." "If our bases were this close, it would be a simple matter." "But Japan's sphere of domination... is three times that of Germany." "Japan is far beyond our reach." "All military men agree that Japan cannot be defeated... until the source of its power is destroyed." "They all agree that Japan itself is the target." "But they all disagree on how to get at it." "Some pin their hopes on Siberia... others on direct assault from the sea... with aircraft carriers." "Some still cling to the island-by-island approach." "Some say China." "But they could not strike on a big enough scale... to knock Japan out." "China is isolated, cut off from outside help... on one side by impassable mountains... on the other three, by the enemy." "The kind of air offensive that could smash Japan... would require millions of tons of material- bombs, gasoline, oil, replacements." "All these vital supplies must be brought in from the outside, and with the only means of delivery by air... the task becomes impossible." "To reopen surface supply lines... we must drive the enemy out of Burma..." "Thailand, and Indochina." "This means another major war- 2,000 miles through steaming jungles... hacking our way inch by inch... struggling over formidable mountain barriers... crawling through fever-ridden swamps... years of exhaustive fighting." "And even then, our bases would still be dependent... on the longest, most vulnerable lines of supply... on the face of the globe." "The Japanese are just as aware of this as we are." "The instant any attempt is made... to use these air fields for bombing raids... against the Japanese homeland, the jaws will close... launching off another surface struggle for air bases... with the odds all in favor of the Japs... whose supply lines are much shorter than ours." "Any such attempt will only prove the superiority... of land-based aviation over carrier-based aviation." "The land-based plane has the advantage of size... range, and bomb load, because it can take off... from a runway two or three miles long." "By contrast, the carrier's runway... is only a fraction of this size." "Therefore, the plane itself has to be much smaller... which in turn reduces the range and bomb load." "To destroy Japan with these small doses of TNT... would require not a hundred but thousands of carriers." "Long before our floating airfields could bring... their short-range aviation within striking distance..." "Japan's powerful land-based planes... would reach far out into the Pacific... and our carriers would be under constant merciless attack... not only from above, but from the surface... and from below." "Aircraft brought on these floating bases... must share the same fate as the fleet itself." ""Land-sea-air team to clear path to Tokyo." ""Island to island amphibious drive to whip Japan."" "Japan has already fortified its new empire... with a chain of island strongholds... converting every one of them... into a powerful, unsinkable air base." "Experience has proved that to invade... and reconquer any of these islands... is far too costly in life, substance, and time... for while we exhaust ourselves attacking the outer fringe... the enemy feverishly rakes in the loot of his stolen empire" "oil, copper, iron, tungsten, tin, rubber." "Gorging on this new lifeblood... his war industries... the heart and vitals of the beast... out of reach and unmolested, swell in size and power... forge more bullets, guns, tanks... bombs, planes, to strengthen his defenses... more weapons of death and destruction... to expand his sphere of domination." "Whether on the continent... island by island, or on the high seas... this long and exhausting struggle... is nothing but a fight for air bases... so we can bring our short-range aviation... close enough to strike at Japan." "What is the solution?" "Long-range air power." "When we increase the range of our bombers... we automatically decrease the surface struggle- double the range, half the struggle- so the longer the range, the shorter the war." "By increasing the striking radius of our bombers... to 3,000 miles, we will be able... to reach Japan from the bases we have today." "But with this range... air power will no longer have to depend... on these distant bases." "It will be able to strike directly... from continental America and free itself... of all dependency on overseas supply lines." "From the great industrial heart of America... our overland supply line... the highway to victory, runs to Alaska... and Alaska points straight at the heart of Japan." "Bombers that can take off from our own shores... fly across the ocean... strike at the enemy, and return non-stop... are not only possible but practical." "It is not longer a question of whether it can be done... but of making up our minds to do it." "The science of aviation is ready to give us... powerful, long-range combat planes... far exceeding anything in the air today." "They'll be heavily armed... and bristling with large-caliber cannon." "Their size and stability will provide a steady platform... for scientific range-finding and gun-sights... to assure accuracy of fire." "Small, single-seater fighters will find themselves helpless for their guns are not maneuverable." "They're fixed and can only fire forward." "So while the small fighters... are jockeying to get into position... they're under the constant and deadly fire... of the combat plane... which is always in firing position." "With scientific accuracy... the big plane will blast the enemy out of the air... before he has a chance to use his guns." "These powerful combat planes... will destroy enemy air power completely... not only in the sky... but on the ground at its source." "Once complete mastery of the air is achieved... enemy war industries will lie helplessly exposed... to systematic destruction." "The science of demolition is keeping pace... with the development of aviation... the bombs forever growing in size and destructive power." "The industrial districts of all nations... depend on huge dams for their main source of power." "Our Boulder Dam, Japan's Nagayo... and those in the German Rhineland." "These solid structures suffer relatively minor damage... when hit by one and two-ton bombs... but when a ten-ton delayed-action bomb is dropped, not on the concrete structure... but deep in the water behind the dam... its explosion will multiply the pressure of the water... far beyond the structural strength of the dam... and crush it like an eggshell." "With this important source of power knocked out... the war industries of the entire region... will come to a standstill." "Scientific bombing is destined to conquer Hitler's submarines, not by attacking them one by one... as they roam the Seven Seas... but by striking right at their source- the breeding grounds in Germany proper." "Today, the U-boats are protected from ordinary bombing by thick roofs of reinforced concrete." "However, science is developing an armor-piercing bomb... employing the rocket principle." "As it nears its target, a rocket in the tail ignites... driving it down with such terrific speed... it can knife its way through steel and concrete." "industrial districts within reach of this air power... will be on the receiving end of other gigantic bombs... that contain an auxiliary charge in their tails... backed by a counterweight." "As the bomb nears its target... a secondary explosion takes place... driving it away from the counterweight... which explodes into a shower of incendiaries." "Driven down like a shot from a cannon... this bomb by its very size and penetration... will explode deep underground and cause a local earthquake... completely demolishing everything over a wide area." "This is the coming reality... and we must face the fact... that it is a two-way proposition." "No nation has a monopoly on this kind of air power... and when it comes... there can be no real defense against such an attack." "Bombers will always go through... and the only sure defense will be a vigorous offense." "It's a question of who destroys who first." "Right now, America holds the answer... not only because of our superior science... and industrial power... but because at this stage of the war... our strategic position is such... that we can shift our industrial effort... into long-range air power..." "But the enemy cannot, and this is why." "He has overrun vast territories... and subjugated millions of people against their will." "In order to suppress rebellion and harness slave labor... to develop his newly-acquired resources... he must maintain a huge army, and a huge army requires... a huge number of supporting aircraft." "So his entire industry must keep on grinding out... this same kind of aviation." "He cannot afford to disturb his production... and start building long-range air power... until he has consolidated his gains and digested his loot." "That takes time, and that time is ours." "Today, the enemy is sprawled on the ground... and while his greedy tentacles... are clutching the loot, his body lies unprotected." "Why spend our precious time trying to loosen his grip?" "In the struggle, it can only lead... to the complete devastation of the lands we're trying to free." "Why not use this time to forge the dagger... that can strike at the heart of the beast?" "Once we give up the idea of trying to regain... the lost territory inch by inch... we can hold the enemy... with surface forces much smaller than his." "If we use our short-range aviation to provide... undisputed control of the skies over our forces... our present positions cannot be invaded." "Any further expansion on the part of the enemy... will lead to his exhaustion, not ours." "So by conserving our efforts on land and on sea... we can throw the vast resources of America... into long-range air power... and strike the decisive blow through the air." "This cannot be accomplished... simply by building a lot of huge airplanes." "We could have swarms and clouds of them... and still not have real air power." "What we must do is unify... the entire air strength of our country... into one formidable force under a single air command." "This is a major undertaking, but it is a move... that is bound to come sooner or later." "Because air power is swiftly emerging... as the dominant force in war or in peace... this move will either be forced upon us... by the march of events... or it will come through the foresight... and native intelligence of the American people." "In the past... they have never failed to act promptly and wisely... once they understood the problem they faced." "And so, in this crucial hour in the destiny of our country... they will not hesitate to break the chains of habit... and free themselves from the earthbound past." "Only then will our aviation leadership... be free to plan and carry out real air strategy... that will bring us victory in the shortest possible time... with a minimum investment in human lives." "Only then will the creative brains... and productive talent of our aviation industry... be free to forge the real weapons of air power... that will carry total destruction to the enemy." "Our gallant airmen have already demonstrated... their skill, their resourcefulness... and their courage." "Born to this aerial age, they understand war in the sky." "America should not hesitate to place its destiny... in the hands of these men... for with the strategy of air power... they will make the enemy fight on our terms... against the weapons of our choosing... at our time, but on his soil."