NAZI AIR RAIDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1940, Page 9

NAZI AIR RAIDS.

POSSIBLE AT NIGHT

But British Lion Has Teclh

Besides Wings. MANY NEW DEVICES. British Official Wireless. (Received 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, March 23. ■ The Parliamentary Under-Secre-tary for Air, Captain 11. Balfour, in a. speech at Margate, said the possibility of a tip and run raid bv enemv aircraft under the cloak of darkness must be faced, but during the successful, telling raid on Tuesday night at Sylt the Royal Air Force showed that the lion had teeth as well as wings.

Referring to the progress in the building up of such an air force as would ensure, mastery of the <iir, Captain Balfour recalled Sir Kingsley Wood's estimate that the output of aircraft accruing to this country and to France was greater than the output of Germany. The weekly rate of output since the outbreak of the war had shown a steady numerical increase, while all who had any knowledge of the Royal Air Force equipment knew that the effective increase—that is to say, the growth of our lighting strength force —had never been greater.

'Tlio quality of British aircraft," added Captain Balfour, "is splendid, but there is yet more to come as new types now under development, enter the service. No doubt the enemy would very much like to know tlie speed and armament of. the new products, and this, in due course, they shall know from practical experience when they meet our pilots, and to their cost.

"We are in the lead with modern devices that are of assistance in air warfare, and we intend to keep this so.''