HIT WHERE IT HURTS MOST

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1940, Page 8

HIT WHERE IT HURTS MOST

BRITISH TACTICS DEFENDED Z i SIR A. SINCLAIR’S COMPARISON [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] , RUGBY, September 18. A comparison between the purpose of the R.A.F. and the Nazi night bombing raids was made in a speech by Sir A. Sinclair (Air Minister), who said that the German bombers flew at about 20,000 feet, carelessly unloading their bombs on the dark mass of London beneath, while the bombers of the R.A.F. concentrated on specific military targets, and, to ensure hitting them, came down to a low level —as low as 50 feet over one very-important target. “Some people,” said Sir Archibald Sinclair, “say that we ought to repay the Germans in kind, for their attacks upon our civilians. The truth is that it would be a betrayal, of the suffering people of London, to divert any of” ous resources from military objectives.” If the air war resolved itself merely into a slogging match, the advantages which she > possessed, both in numerical strength and, above all, in the distance her aircraft had to fly, Germany would be bound eventually to win. “What we are doing is to use our available resources to xgmash up the German transport system’, and thus to slow down' the manufacture and distribution of munitions of war of all kinds, to smash up the factories in which the Germans make their aircraft or instruments, i without which aircraft could not be flown here, or the power-houses which supply electricity, to the factories, or the oil which supplies motive power. But don’t let us fall into the vulgar error of supposing that bombs fall any less heavily on Germany because they are well and shrewdly aimed. We have received information of a very heavy fall in the industrial output in the Rhineland, and the principal reason given for that is the workers’ lack of sleep.” After pointing out some of the difficulties of defence against indiscriminate night bombing, Sir A. Sinclair said that it was yet a by no means insoluble problem. “The airmen will find that their reception here is increasingly warm, as indeed they have already found over London, and I am able to look forward to the time when'the pleasure of nightbombing over Britain, and of blowing to pieces a number of humble London .homes, will cease to be- attractive to 'Goering and his aerial minions.” The Air Minister concluded by giving details of German and British air losses since August 8, when the blitzkrieg started. The R.A.F. had lost 621 machines of all types, fighters, bombers, and general reconnaissance planes. The Nazis during the same period had lost 1867, while their losses of air crews amounted to over 4000, and those of the R.A.F. to less than GOO. In the air fighting in the Middle East, during the jame period, the R.A.F. lost 15 aircraft, but destroyed 56 • Italian planes. Further, these figures of enemy losses referred only to confirmed German and Italian losses, for the > number of aircraft damaged was very large. ’ ■ c

CONFIDENCE IN R.A.F. SUPERIORITY TO ENEMY RUGBY, September 17. Reviewing the experience of the last few weeks, air experts express growing confidence in the ability of the Royal Air Force to defeat any fresh tactics which the German Air Force'may attempt, just as effectively as the answer has been found to the Luftwaffe’s daylight raids. Meanwhile, its night raids have proved to be incapable of doing any real military damage, and it is now considered clear that the German Air Force has suffered from a lack of men skilled in night-flying. Events have established that when forces of daylight raiders were sent over in such force as might effect important damage, anything up to 50 per cent, of them were destroyed. The enemy has failed to defeat the Royal Air Force in these daylight raids in spite of frequent and marked changes in the pattern of attack. High-flying bombers with layers of fighters stepped up round them were quite unsuccessful. Mixed formations of bombers and fighters spreading fanwise on reaching the English coast were turned back with heavy losses, and the few which actually got through were insufficient in numbers in any one area to undertake any concentrated bombing. The next change in tactics was the employment of large waves of bombers following one another' in quick succession. It was obviously hoped that the later waves would take the defences unawares. This has proved disastrous, as the week-end engagements, including Sunday’s colossal defeat, have shown. There is some speculation as to what new experiment in daylight raids may be attempted, but confidence is high that whatever form it may take the Royal Air Force will be ready to meet it. As for night-bomb-ing, it has so far failed in its muchadvertised aims of disorganising communications, civilian and military, and terrorising the civil population. Meanwhile, the British fighter losses have been relatively small, while half the pilots shot down have survived and are still fighting. Tfie authorities, it may be added, are well satisfied with the rate of aircraft production and with the progress of the Empire training scheme, with its vast promise of a steady flow of personnel and reinforcements.

A feature of the Royal Air Force’s constant raids over enemy and enemy occupied territory has been the low Tate of loss. The British bomber strength has scarcely been affected in consequence. The effectiveness of these regular incursions into enemy territory is not open to doubt. The extent of the raids is most readily appreciated when they are reviewed over a period of the week between September 8 and 14 inclusive. Raids on Germany and occupied territory included 42 attacks on rail systems in Germany, Belgium and occupied France, two raids on oil tanks, two attacks on aircraft works, three raids on ammunition stores, three raids on factories and a blast furnace, two raids on the Brussels power station, one on the gasworks in Ber-' lin, 15 raids on German aerodromes, three on aerodromes in Belgium, and two on aerodromes in Holland. In addition there were 44 raids on German and German-occupied docks, including Hamburg, Bakhaen, Altona, Wilhelmshaven, Kiel, Hansafen, Wis-' mar, Ostend, Calais, Boulogne, Flush- ;

ing, Dunkirk, Antwerp, and Delfzijl, attacks on barge concentrations, two raids on canal and river -systems, 11 attacks on shipping, three attacks on gun emplacements at Cape Gris Nez and three on anti-aircraft batteries and searchlights.