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 |