3 British war chiefs Eisenhower’s aides
They’ll head land, sea and air forces – ‘happy over entire setup,’ says general
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Editorial: U.S. evolves strong economic program for the home front
Important developments have come thick and fast on the home front in the past few days. The combined effect should be greatly to strengthen our economic defenses.
First came the introduction of the “National War Service Act of 1943.” of which Rep. Wadsworth of New York and Senator Austin of Vermont were the co-authors. It is significant that two Republicans took the play on this issue in Congress. In fact, it only serves to emphasize the fact that this is no partisan matter.
Objections have already been raised to it by labor leaders and by former President Hoover. But even though it may have weaknesses we cannot get away from the basic fact that if the government has the power to draft men into the Armed Forces and send them to risk their lives in battle on foreign soil, it also certainly should have the power to draft them into vital war work at home on the success of which we must also depend for the achievement of victory.
Such a step is drastic and radical. That we concede. But the same thing is being done in Britain. Certainly, it should be worthwhile to surrender some of our liberties temporarily in order to win this war; for if we do not win, those liberties will be lost indefinitely.
Then came President Roosevelt’s order establishing the 48-hour week in 32 industrial cities throughout the country. Here again objections are being raised. And it is no doubt true that labor will benefit greatly by the payment of time and a half overtime for the hours above 40 that are worked in the plants involved. Yet this policy should free great numbers of workers who could then be placed by the War Manpower Commission in areas where vital war industries are desperately in need of additional men.
Also, the 48-hour order followed by only a few hours the decision of the National War Labor Board reaffirming its “Little Steel” wage formula limiting any wage increases to compensate for higher living costs to 15% over the levels of Jan. 1, 1941.
This should be a cornerstone in the fight to prevent inflation, and Economic Stabilization Director James F. Byrnes, in his address following the promulgation of the 48-hour week order, made it clear that these things were all part of the government’s economic program for the home front. Furthermore, Mr. Byrnes, who is now one of the two or three most powerful figures in the government, made it clear that he would see that the “Little Steel” wage formula is maintained.
It will be conceded that if John L. Lewis should be able to break through that ceiling the Administration’s efforts to block inflation will collapse with consequences, the seriousness of which can scarcely be overemphasized.
Mr. Byrnes addressed himself to all the important groups in the country to labor, to industry and to agriculture and urged that all stop contending for special advantages. He called for common sacrifices, and urged that we all struggle to hold the line against both inflation and deflation. It is to be hoped that his words are heeded.
There has been a general call for the government to take a strong stand in domestic and economic policies in relation to the war. Now that this has been done the administration is entitled to support and to an opportunity to demonstrate the results which it hopes to achieve.
The Pittsburgh Press (February 11, 1943)
Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
A forward airdrome in French North Africa – (Feb. 10)
It is hard for a layman to understand the fine points of aerial combat as practiced at the moment in North Africa. It is hard even for the pilots themselves to keep up, for there are changes in tactics from week to week.
We will have some new idea and surprise the Germans with it. Then they’ll come across with a surprise maneuver, and we will have to change everything to counteract it. But basically, at the moment, you can say that everything depends on teamwork. The lone dashing hero in this war is certain to be a dead hero within a week. Sticking with the team and playing it all together is the only guarantee of safety for everybody.
Our fighters go in groups with the bombers, ranging the sky above them, flying back and forth, watching for anything that might appear. But if they see some Germans in the distance nobody goes after them. That would be playing into the enemy’s hands. So, they stick to their formation above the bombers, making an umbrella.
The German has two choices – to dive down through them, or to wait until somebody is hit by flak and has to drop back. Then they are on him in a flash. 'When that happens, the fighters attack but still in formation. Keeping that formation always and forever tight is what the flight leaders constantly drilled into the boys’ heads. It is a great temptation to dash out and take a shot at some fellow, but by now they’ve seen too many cases of the tragedy of such actions.
One group leader told me:
If everything went according to schedule, we’d never shoot down a German plane. We’d cover our bombers and keep ourselves covered and everybody would come home safe.
The fighter pilots seem a little different from the bomber men. Usually, they are younger. Many of them were still in school when they joined up. Ordinarily they might be inclined to be more harum-scarum, but their work is so deadly and the sobering dark cloud of personal tragedy is over them so constantly that it seems to have humbled them. In fact, I think it makes them nicer people than if they were cocky.
They have to get up early. Often, I’ve gone to the room of my special friends at 9:30 in the evening and found them all asleep. They fly so frequently they can’t do much drinking. One night recently, when one of the most popular fighter pilots had been killed right on the home field, in an accident, some of the boys assuaged their grief with gin. They said:
Somehow you feel it more when it happens right here than when a fellow just doesn’t come back.
When they first came over here, you’d frequently hear pilots say they didn’t hate the Germans, but you don’t hear that anymore. They have lost too many friends, too many roommates. Now it is killing that animates them.
The highest spirits I’ve seen in that room were displayed one evening after they came back from a strafing mission. That’s what they like to do best, but they get little of it. It’s a great holiday from escorting bombers, which they hate. Going out free-lancing to shoot up whatever they could see, and going in enough force to be pretty sure they’ll be superior to the enemy – that’s utopia.
That’s what they had done that day. And they really had a field day. Them ran onto a German truck convoy and blew it to pieces. They’d laugh and get excited as they told about it. The trucks were all full of men, and “they’d fly out like firecrackers.” Motorcyclists would get hit and dive 40 feet before they stopped skidding. Two Messerschmitt 109s made the mistake of coming after our planes. They never had a chance. After firing a couple of wild bursts, they went down smoking, and one of them seemed to blow up.
The boys were full of laughter when they told about it as they sat there on their cots in the dimly lighted room. I couldn’t help having a funny feeling about them. They were all so young, so genuine, so enthusiastic. And they were so casual about everything – not casual in a hard, knowing way, but they talked about their flights and killing and being killed exactly as they would discuss girls or their school lessons.
Maybe they won’t talk at all when they finally get home. If they don’t, it will be because they know this is a world apart and nobody else could ever understand.
Völkischer Beobachter (February , 1943)
Der unersättliche Dollarimperialismus –
USA. Fordern Abtretung weiterer Stützpunkte
Das Leih- und Pachtgesetz als Mittel zur Ausplünderung der Verbündeten
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U.S. Navy Department (February 12, 1943)
Communiqué No. 278
South Pacific.
On February 11:
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During the morning, a force of Marauder medium bombers (Martin B-26), with Airacobra (Bell P-39) and Lightning (Lockheed P-38) escort, attacked Japanese positions at Munda. Bomb hits started fires in the target area.
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During the evening, Marauders, with Airacobra and Lightning escort, bombed enemy positions on Kolombangara Island. A large fire was started and one enemy plane was shot down.
Brooklyn Eagle (February 12, 1943)
Commandos take Tunisia strongpoints
Throw Axis troops back near Bizerte – 8th Army on move
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