AIR DEFENCE

Evening Post, Issue 66, 15 September 1936, Page 7

AIR DEFENCE

POWER TO RET/PATE

THREAT TO SE^CRAFT

No matter how efident defence, active and passive, m^ be it would be impossible to stop ail raiders entirely, wrote Major C. CTjVner & the "Daily Telegraph." Of a#ven number engaged some propopon, if only a small proportion, would .et through. What is necesssy is to build up the defence to such a strength that the casualties linflict^ in ihe first and sec" ond attempts vi*uW be heavy enough to discourage my further efforts of the kind.. .TRt. combined with the power to wa£ a vigorous retaliation. Should sufflcr to avert catastrophe. The. vuineability of warships to air attack is acnitted. It is serious enough to imposed necessity for heavy, hamperinp and costly armour and armament but a fleet of which only a small pr portion is so protected is a very vu3erable fleet. Already we are told th^ the main base of the British Fleet *ay have to be removed to the ■west-** few hundred miles further iromthe bombing bases of a possible eneryAmour, after all, Is but a partial prelection. Heavy bombs from a great heght have a terminal velocity excfiding 1400 feet per second. Armourpercing bombs are used. Moreover, it .:; is not necessary to score a direct hit. Depth bombing is to be reckoned with, and the explosion of a heavy bomb below the water line near a ship Will probably disable it for a time. .Accuracy of bombing is increased by what is called "pattern bombing," a formation of machines releasing their bombs simultaneously so that the "salvo" covers a big area. From heights even exceeding 10,000 feet one or two hits are usually scored in thi/way, so that the proportion of hits, if reckoned" in relation to formation, and not to single bombs, is high enough. It is not necessary. to.destroy a war-ship.-If it can be disabled and compelled to return to dock the bombing process can be continued there.