BOMBING BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 23615, 29 June 1940, Page 6

BOMBING BRITAIN

NO EASY TASK ORGANISATION FM KFINCC GERMAN LOSSES IN FRANCE [By Sbnbx.] . In the past few days there hare been several raids by German planes over Britain, and the hot welcome given the attackers has pointed to the fact that the next stage of the German attack is not going to be easy. It would be simple, of course, if Britain were like Holland, . possessed of only a few flying fields and only a few) hundred aeroplanes. But the last nine months have been used to build up • highly-developed defensive organisation in Britain, and the toll laid upon enemy t raiders will be heavy. ■ V r At the same, time, the British bombing fleet is powerful, and • such threat* - as were used against President Hach* to obtain the surrender of the Czechs—the threat to bomb Prague—cannot be brandished lightly. , An intensive bombing attack on London. w<*ilct be answered at Once by reprisals upon Munich, or Cologne, and the Nazis, whatever their ultimate aims, have no desire to see their oWn cities laid in ruins. , •

Consequently, it is probable that the contest—as always with Bowers 'respected by. the Germans foe their 1 strength—will be fairly closely kept to legitimate military objectives, armament factories, oil stores, and especially harbours and railway lines; Now, these are precisely the points Which are most strongly defended,' and at which the heaviest toll is likely to be laid upon the Germans.

Thus, while the German bases' are much nearer- than they were last winter, and the use of dive bombers will therefore make the attacks more dangerous (dive bombers could not be used in the early stages of the war because of their lack of ranged the Nads have yet to prove that they can maintain an intensive air attack against Britain in the face of . the inevitable losses which will have to be endured. Regrettable as is the surrender of France, there was one thing which the French did for Britain, and that was to indict, tremendous losses on the Nad air fleet. : While the machines lost in the . many encounters above the western front may already have been replaced, the re. placement of their crews- is,,quite .another matter. '

Moreover, it must be remembered that the crash rate, heightened in the German air force because of the lack of thorough training,given to the crews, would be up. to three times as high as the losses in action. Thus it is clear that the 1 Germans paid a tremendpiis price for their successes in Belgian* and France, and that they can iU-affdrd to_pay that price again. * Yet, as the early raids in force hare proved, they must be-willing to pay heavily for any successful raids, both in losses of men and material. In the raid bn Friday of last week some hundreds of bombs were and there were only six casualties. . Most of the bombs fell in open country, which is what may be expected of bombs, for even in towns there are more open' spaces than buildings.. -¥':‘v,v;' In the lengthening shadow df" the; German air -threat'-Britain has already Amoved to tighten, .her air,. defences* After the Norwegian failure Mr Win. ston Churchill disclosed the fact thalj new anti-aircraft guns- were being sent to points in Britain . in . order tq strengthen • the home front. - Military methods have also been brought intq operation in the A.R.P. system, which has now been transformed Into a system of regional defence. , To-day a general is the chief of.the operational staff of this organisationThe inspeotor-geaeral is awing-domman-der. Operational plans - are now laid on army lines. There are arrangements for the instant transfer of large numbers of the personnel of the organisation from one point to another in the event of need. The fundamental change in the preparations to meet attack is that to-day each unit ,is prepared to support another! unit,, noli merely as between townandtown and country and country, but as! between region and region. When it .is realised that to-day Britain is: divided iftioi TJ. defence regions, each self-governing, tha scale of the preparations will be understood. .- --j- - ■/ ■■

The new chief of the operational staff of the organisation is General Sir Hugh" Elies, who won fame ns the commander of the Tank Corps in, the-World War* Under him are 12 experienced organisers and administrators, most of them with military knowledge. General Elies is not to meet a single attack on on<* district, hut he will come into control if an attack involves'more, than on» ■area. ' "

lie guiding plan of the new defeaca system is flexible. It is prepared for an attack anywhere, its reserves are all highly mobile, and it is built up from voluntary workers, who outnumber th« permanent staff by six to one. - Experience has shown that with proper organisation a civilain population can endura very heavy bombardments, and so far it is apparent that the Anderson shelters are capable of reducing casualties very considerably if . they are properly' erected and used in due time. Another factor working in favour of Britain is the fact, that daylight raid* are expensive, and that for night bombing a higher degree of training is necessary than the Nazi airmen have been given. That means that'theß.A.F. can hit much harder in the dark hours than the Germans hit back. For som* reason (probably the. desire to shorted the training course) they have npt brought their air crews‘to the degre® of skill at which they could be said to be fully capable of night attacks. Finally there is the degree of excel? lence of the R.A.F. fighters, the moral advantage of possessing a *upenop weapon and superior skill, and the fact that behind the air force the great Empire Air Force plan, which is expected to cost Britain £6,000,000* week when it is fully operating, despite delays du® to lack of machines. is.now .hemnmng to send its hatches of highly-skilled air crews to help In, the defence of th® island fortress, which is the heart of the Empire, against the ambitions ol Nazi Germany.