Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...

YOUR ENEMY
"On the occasion of cngaging an enemy plane in combat,
uvc your tuming .ibilitv to the utmost. You should make it
impossible for other cucuiv planes to enter combat. In case
the cncmv comes in to attack from an opposite course, it is
usually d{sachantageous for one to plan to fight on the opposite
course. In this case, it is best to ]m\'cr the nose of the
plane and pass the cucmv at fnll speed. Then, without letting
him get C\,,'ay, counterattack hy executing a chandelle."
Annoyed. [up.mc«: air commaudcrs ;HC greatly exercised
ahont thc increa:,ing uruulxrs of Jap aircraft destroyed on
the ground. A recent order to all conuuandcr«, describing
these on-the-ground losses ;IS "most rec;;rettable," declared
that in cases where shelter imtillations arc not complete, .rll
flvablc aircraft must he withdrawn hefore the raid starts.
. As for those airplanes which remain on the ground, these
measures were ordered:
1. Drain out the fuel,
2. Unload and disperse the equipment carried in the airpluucs.
especially pyrotechnics.
,. Disperse the planes, conceding them a\yay from the
field.
Oil defenses. Prior to its occupation by the Soviets, Ploesti
was one of Hitler's great pri/,c,. Froiu it, installations the
Germans got much of the oil that kept the ]\;~II.i war machine
running. ]\;0 "onder it \\:\S a favorite target for Allied
strategic homhing. And 110 wonder the Ccnuuus protected
it with an cluborntc svstcm of air defenses.
Because the 1'loest'i dcfellocs reprcscnted one of the Ccrm.m-,'
best efforts, an examination of the measures used is
in teresti ng.
Act ivc defense \I'as 11lliJt arollllcl fighter aircraft, alltinircruf
t hatterics and searchlight