7.
 
produced in quantity, is a 2-motor dive bomber with a range 
of 2,200 kilometres and a speed of 610 k.p.h., and carries 
one ton of bombs on its full flight range, but double that 
amount of bombs on more than half range. It has 7 heavy 
machine guns. Stalin speaks of it as "a very good bomber".
               He said he has three types of long range bomber. 
One, a 2-meter bomber which is quite slow, doing 440 k.p.h.
with a range of 3,000 kilometres.  Second, a 2-motor bomber, 
just in production, with a Diesel engine;    range 5,000
kilometres, carrying one ton bomb lead=, 2 tons at 4,000 
kilometres range; speed 500 k.p.h. Third, a 4-engine 
bomber, just now getting into production; range 3,500 kilo-
metres, carrying 3 tons of bombs. He said they had at 
present about 600 heavy long range bombers.
     He said that his total production of planes at 
present was 1800 per month; by January 1st, this would 
increase to 2500 per month. 60% of these would be fighter 
planes, and 40% bombers. This was exclusive of training 
planes, now being produced at 15 per day. The Russians
had approximately 3500 training planes. Stalin said the
training course for pilots was 8 months.
            He expressed considerable interest in training 
pilots in America and left me the impression there would soon 
be a shortage of pilots. Stalin said the German claims of 
Russian air losses were absurd. The Russians lost more 
planes than the Germans at first, but he thinks the advantage 
is the other way now. He would not indicate the number of 
losses other than there were a "good many on both sides".
            He stated there had been some damage to aircraft 
factories but that there had been considerable disbursle of 
the machinery before the destruction took place.    (I saw 
two factories, which I was told by our Ambassador were 
aircraft factories, just outside Moscow completely destroyed).
            Stalin repeatedly stated that he did not under-
rate the German Army. He stated that their organisation was 
of the very best and that he believed that they had large
 
 
                                                             .....