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as well as many others, an air force cannot operate with success from floating or seacraft airdromes against an air force firmly established on land airdromes. There is nothing whatever to fear from so called naval airplane carriers, because not only can they not operate efficiently on the high seas but, even if they could, they cannot place sufficient aircraft in the air at one time to insure a concentrated operation. Consequently, a hostile air force will seize land airdromes from which to launch its attacks against its intended victims. In selecting its primary objective due consideration will be given to the hostile air power, its airdromes, shops, supply points and communication systems.

With this brief survey of the conditions in the Pacific, let us pass to a consideration of the defense of the Hawaiian Islands in particular. In our discussion we shall assume that Japan is the adversary and that no matter whether the position of the Hawaiian Islands is used as an offensive point on the line of operations along the southern route against Japan, whether it is used as a flank position in an offensive operation by the United States along the northern line, or whether it is merely

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