NAVAL AIR FORCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1943, Page 4

NAVAL AIR FORCE

OPPORTUNITIES IN PACIFIC DISCUSSED BY AMERICAN MINISTER. — COMPLETION OF EXTENDED TOUR. (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received This Day, Noon.) SYDNEY, This Day. “Naval air power has changed and will continue to change the strategy of all naval warfare,” said the United States Assistant-Secretary of the Navy for Air, Mr Artemus L. Gates, on the eve of his departure after a visit to the South-West Pacific area. Mr Gates completed a tour of the war fronts m the Pacific, in which he visited many units of the United States Naval Air Force. He came to the South-West Pacific area to study the work of tlw American Army Fifth Air Force bombers which have set such a remarkable record for sinkings of ships since they began operation in New Guinea last August. “After all, the prime task of the naval air force is sink ships.” Mr Gates observed, “and we want to see if we can learn anything from these Army lads, who have done extraordinarily well.” Mr Gates, who was a naval airman in the last war, added that, from being merely an auxiliary part of the Navy, the United States Naval Air Force had now grown to a position of first importance, both as regards size and effective striking power.