WAR DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AIR
WASHINGTON, D.C.
April 27, 1942
MEMORANDUM FOR MR. HOPKINS
With reference to your memorandum of April 24 on the subject
of the number of planesin the African-Asiatic ferry routes, our records
here indicate a considersbly larger figure than the37 mentioned by you.
Since our records show shipment and initial allocation, we are notabsolutely
sure of the present position of all of these planes, but we are wiring out to
the localityto get more accurate information and I shall communicate this
to you as soon as it is received.
At the present time, excluding 37 transport type aircraft delivered
to the British in Africa under Lend-Lease, there are 53 planes carried on our
records as being in Africa and India on ferfying services.
China National Airways is charged with 8, of which 6 are knowm to
be in India East of K arachi snd with 2 C-53's somewhere around Basra en route
to them.
For the 10th Air Force in India, four planes have been turned over to
them East ofKarachi. For the Burma Road replacement operation 13 of the 25
planes are on the way and mere last reported somewhere in the Natal Division
with 12 at West Palm Beach, 9 of which are ready to go as of April 25 with 3
held up with difficulties in the extra-range tanks.
On the trans-Africa British-PAA ooeration between Bathhurst and Cairo,
there are 14 transports.
On the Lagos-Karachi run, the Ferrying Command-PAA, there are
14 planes. I am informed that some of these have been shot through to India
and China on a special secret mission, after the completion of which they
will return to their regular Division run.
General Stilwell's headquarters have recently advised us that the
condition of the fields is such that 25 planes on the Burma Road operation
is the present maximum which he can effectively handle. Operations in that
district appear to be seriously interfered with by the Japanese advance in
Burms and air attacks on all fields in that general district. A report just
received indicates that a