Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1940. AIR ATTACKS ON BRITAIN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 290, 14 September 1940, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1940. AIR ATTACKS ON BRITAIN.

Mr Churchill has again placed the war position clearly before the people of Britain, not minimising the danger or exaggerating the strength of the nation's defences, material and moral. As recently the Prime Minister issued the warning that heavier air fighting was to be expected this month, so now he gives a plain statement of the object of the German activity. If Hitler is to even attempt to carry out his threat that Britain will be invaded, the Germans must first attain mastery in the air. Even to embark troops faced with uncontrolled menace from the air would be fatal. Hitler must try to force a decision now, because with every week the margin of his numerical superiority in the air rs narrowing. Nevertheless his attempt to batter down civilian morale will fail as completely as did his attempts to blast shipping away from the Channel and to wear down the air defences. The Luftwaffe is going the pace that kills. Present ratios of losses need not be continued for long before the Royal Air Force will win superiority in numbers as well as in quality. In their ineffective offensives, the Germans have been employing a, larger proportion of the;r total force than the British. The Royai Air Force has yet to exert its full striking power. On the defensive side, Mr Churchill is confident of its ability to meet a largely-increased scale of attack, even to two or three times the weight of anything yet experienced. On the ground the anti-aircraft artillery and the balloon barrage are functioning effieciently, and in their first major test the Air Raid Precautions services performed magnificently. At the same time, Mr Churchill finds it necessary to voice the grave warning: “No one should blind himself to the fact that a full large-scale invasion «s being prepared with all the usual German thoroughness and method; and it may be launched at any time now. There is -no doubt as to the outcome, but before victory can be achieved Britain will be called upon to face trials and dangers that will call ro-th all the courage and endurance of a free vigbrous people. ,