World-Girdling Flight of B-52s
Demonstrates U. S.’ Air Might
By ELTON C. FAY
Associated Press
Military Affairs Reporter
WASHINGTON, UP)—The U. S.
Air Force has given the world—
and especially Russia—a spectac
ular demonstration of its ability
to deliver H-bombs to any point
on the face of the earth.
Presumably the globe-circling
flight of three B-52 heavy jet
•bombers, ended Friday, also
has impressed Congress—now be
ginning to consider appropria
tions for the armed forces.
But the dramatic demonstration
has pointed up another strategic
fact:
The United States still must
rely on overseas bases for global
opera aotx of its Strategic Air
Command (SAG) bombers.
Tanker aircraft for refueling
the three Stratofortresses had to
be deployed at intervals along
the 24,325-mile route around the
midriff of the world.
Without such in-flight refuel
ing, a B-52 can fly approximately
6,000 miles. Allowing time to ma
neuver over the target and for
evasive action shortens its strik
range to about 2,500 miles.
It is a weakness recognized by
top commanders, including Gen.
Curtis E. LeMay, chief of the big
bomber force.
It makes vital the retention of
U.S. rights to use overseas bases
for spotting its tanker planes.
Those rights depend on continued
good relations with foreign na
tions in which the bases are op
erated—'Denmark (which owns
Greenland), Morocco, England,
Germany, Saudi Arabia, the Phil
ippines, and Japan.
It also depends upon the ability
of the United States and its
| friends to protect those - bases
against enemy attack in event of
war.
Fuel and engine designers hope
to stretch the reach of planes by
improving jet engine designs and
fuels or additives to liquid fuels.
More Tankers
Could Have Sped
Flight of B-52s
WASHINGTON (A>>—If jet tank
er planes had been available,
three B-52 bombers could have
clipped about six hours from the
time it took them to circle the
globe last week. •
That is the estimate of Lt. Col.
James H. Morris of San Antonio,
Tex., who piloted one of the three
heavy jet aircraft more than 24,
000 miles in 45 hours and 19
minutes.
Newsmen interviewed Morris
and seven other air crewmen yes
terday at Bolling AFB near here.
They were preparing to take part
in today’s inaugural parade.
The thre^ B-52s returned Fri
day to Castle Air Force Base in
California, their point of depar
ture.
But Morris said the bombers
could have “kept right on going”
if that had been necessary. He
voiced the opinion that the B-52s’
range, when refueled in flight, is
limited only by the physical en
durance of the men who fly it.
During their round-the-world
journey, the B-52s were refueled
at intervals by KC-97 tanker
planes,* which are driven by con
ventional non-jet engines. To take
on fuel from these tankers, the
heavy jet must slow down and
drop to 20,000 feet—the maxi
mum altitude that can be reached
by loaded KC-97s.
The B-52s also lose time in
climbing back to their normal
cruising level which on this flight
was between 35,000 and 50,000
feet.
Harry Bridge? Wr11 Try
To Raise ILWU Dues
Because Union Is Broke
SAN FRANCISCO, W>—Uarry
Bridges has started a drive to
raise the dues of International
Longshoremen’s and Warehouse
men’s Union members to a dollar
a month because, he says, the
union is broke.
And at $1 a month, Bridges said
Friday in his column in the ILWU
bi-weekly newspaper “The Dis
patcher,” the dues still will be
among the lowest in the country
The union president said tha
“inflation has made the <dues
increase necessary ... the cost o:
operating a democratic union hai
gone up.”
Churchill’s Daughter
Separates From Husband
LONDON, UP)—Sir Winston
Churchill’s eldest daughter, Di
ana, has separated from her sec
ond husband, British Defense
Minister Duncan Sandys.
“We have parted, but I cannot
say yet exactly what we will do,”
said Mr. Sandys yesterday.
She married Sandys in 1935
after divorcing her first husband,
John Bailey. Mr. and Mrs. San
dys are parents of a son and two
daughters.
Two of the former British
Prime Minister’s three other chil
dren also have been divorced.
Hall Gives Final
Report as GOP
National Chairman
WASHINGTON, W—Leonard
W. Hall gave his final report as
Republican national chairman
Saturday and said the party must
produce candidatos “who can
stand on their own feet and win
on their own merits.”
Hall, who is retiring as com
mittee chairman Feb. 1, said the
1956 election “disproved the coat
tail theory.” This was a reference
to the GOP’s failure to fin con
trol of Congress though President
Eisenhower won a landslide vic
tory.
The retiring party chief gave
his report to a closed session of
the 146-member national commit
tee as members talked among
themselves about the choice of a
successor to Hall. 1
Ray Bliss, Ohio State chair
man, was being pushed for the
chairmanship in some quarters
but H. Meade Alcorn of Connecti
cut was reported “still on top of
the list” of prospects.
The general belief prevailed
that the new chairman would be
the man Eisenhower wants.
Scientists Set Satil
With 4,000 Bottles
To Test Currents
VICTORIA, B.C. (51—Seven sci
entists set sail today with s boat
load of expensive instruments
and 4,000 beer bottles.
The bottles (empty) may prove
just as valuable as the instru
ments to the oceanographers on
the HMCS Oshawa, equipped, and
assigned by the Navy for oceano
graphic work.
Senior man from the Pacific
oceanographic group aboard the
Oshawa is A1 Dodimeed, who ex
plained the bottles.
The bottles, with a card sealed
inside, will be tossed overboard
at intervals during the six-week
trip on Operation Norpac, a data
gathering mission.
The cards say the Fisheries Re
search Board of Canada will pay
$1 for one of them and informa
tion oh where it is picked up.
Dodimeed said “bottle tossing”
is valuable in tracing ocean cur
rents.
The Oshawa will steam more
than 6,000 miles in a trip- that
will take it near the Aleutian Is
lands and Alaska.
The trip is being carriei out
with the cooperation of the U.S.
and Japan for the purpose of
gathering information relative to
the fishing industry and wi1h. the
ultimate aim of working out a
cooperative agreement among the
three countries.
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