The article
was written by Gen Carl Spaatz and was entitled: “Strategic Air Power –
Fulfillment of a Concept.” The piece is a testimony to Airpower. A
few quotes from it to interest you:
“Fortunately
for us, neither Hitler nor the German High Command understood the strategic
concept of air power or the primary objective of a strategic air
offensive. The Germans had air supremacy on the continent. They
also had air superiority in numbers over Britain; but they were unable to establish
control of the air, and this was essential to carry out sustained operations.”
Comment:
Saddam Hussein, too, did not understand this … as well as some present and past
US political leaders.
“Strategic
bombing is thus the first war instrument of history capable of stopping the
heart mechanism of a great industrialized enemy. It paralyzes his
military power at the core. It has a strategy and tactic of mobility and
flexibility which are peculiar to its own medium, the third dimension.
And it has a capacity, likewise peculiar, to carry a tremendous striking force,
with unprecedented swiftness, over the traditional line of war (along which the
surface forces are locked in battle on land and sea) in order to destroy war
industries and arsenals and cities, fuel plants and supplies, transport and
communications – in fact, the heart and the arteries of war economy – so that
the enemy’s will to resist is broken through nullification of his means.”
“The first
and absolute requirement of strategic air power in this war was control of the
air in order to carry out sustained operations without prohibitive losses.”
“Another
war, however distant in the future, would probably be decided by some form of
air power before the surface forces were able to make contact with the enemy in
major battles. That is the supreme military lesson of our period in
history.”
The piece
is long – 13 pages on my computer. And there are a few spots where the
ink has faded … probably from too much copying.
You can
find it at: http://www.afa.org/EdOp/2012/Spaatz_Foreign_Affairs_1946.pdf
As always,
tell me what you think.
For your
consideration.
Mike
Michael M. Dunn
President/CEO
Air Force Association
Michael M. Dunn
President/CEO
Air Force Association
1 comment:
I would like to get updates from you. Keep blogging
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