AIR WARFARE

Grey River Argus, 17 January 1940, Page 7

AIR WARFARE

“NOT YET STARTED!’ British Official Statement [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, January 15. An Air Ministry spokesman says: The air War has not yet started. For this reason, little more is known of he respective merits of the opposing forced than before the outffieakffiUhe war The results ,of preliminary skirmishes are In some respects anpressive; Our bombers have sus tained losses, but for every . ualtv two or three enemy fighters have been shot down. Not a single fighter has been lost by Britain.'™ e _ number -, of bullet strikes is surpris ingly small. On the contrary it has found that German bo ™ a surprising amount of lead and are rather more difficult to bring down than was expected. Britain is stifi confident that she could bung to _ standstill a large-scale air 9j in a comparatively short time, not without some casualties in industrial output and civil population. Ph German machines in some respects are' inferior, owing to the false impression caused in the Spanishwar from which it was concluded that the bomber's greatest ea/eguard «as speed, and, as a result of this, the original Heinkels and Dormers were practically defenceless. Germany is nowdoing her utmost to overcome the deficiency. German raiders Britain are flying at great heights It is understood that bombers attacking from 30,000’feet on a clear day can achieve 50 per cent, accuracy. The greatest surprise of the air has been the effectiveness of , the Th^ er " OS . planes’ self-sealing tanks. The pros, nect of raiders being forced down without petrol, after their are punctured, is now almost non R.A.F. fighters could bring an enemy air offensive °n. Britain to a standstill, in a comparatively short space of time, by the losses which would be inflicted. on the r a^ ia S bombers, is the opinion held in autn critative London circles. Although tribute is paid to the efficiency of the self-sealing petrol tanks carried by the Heinkel bombers, which increases difficulty in shooting them down, in their spasmodic appearance over British shores, it is pointed out that neither British aeroplane design nor armament is standing still, and British fighters will shortly'be able to shatter these tanks which at present, though riddled with bullets do not leak sufficiently to prevent them reaching home again. The skill and courage of the nightflying German, pilots is fully recognised, and it is appreciated by men ot the fighter command that neither British industries* nor the civil' population, will be safe until the full offensive breaks out, and the percentage of losses, which the enemy will suffer, affects the morale of German pilots. . , „ , British towns have so far been spared devastation by air raids, against which precautions of civilian defence were taken, but the preparations made in the first days of the war have not been relaxed. The civilian defence organisation stands ready. A million and a-quarter volunteer workers are at' their posts and training goes on. , The remarkable record flight by machines of the R.A.F. Bomber Command last Friday night, over Southern Germany and as far as Vienna and Prague has . captured the imagination of the public. The “Daily Telegraph” contrasts this flight of over 1000 miles, over German territory and 1000 miles back without a single casualty in machines or men, with the vain attempts all last week of German bombers to elude the British coastal defences. Referring to the dropping of leaflets on Vienna and Prague, during this reconnaissance flight, the "Telegraph” says: “Even where Hitlerism rules the truth of the facts will seep through into men’s minds. From this most brilliant survey flight of the war, it will become known to the Germans that the Fuehrer cannot defend them from the air power of the Allies, and that the most remote part of the Reich is not safe when Britain and France choose to strike.”

The “Telegraph” continues to point out that the range of a Wellington bomber, with a full war load, is far greater than 2000 miles and recalls that Britain already possesses a smaller type of bomber, which has done over 7000 miles non-stop.

Referring to this flight the “Manchester Guardian” says: “In no other war in history has such a tremendous sweep of reconnaissance into enemy territory been carried out.” Elsewhere, the says: “That British aeroplanes could have flown so far unmolested, and have dropped leaflets, will certainly have aroused intense, even if concealed, enthusiasm in Vienna and Prague. If similar flights can be made over Warsaw the effect would also be very great. The effect of this flight on the German authorities has apparently been real, for, according to the Zurich Press report, the German military authorities have decreed that thorough black-out conditions are to be enforced immediately throughout Austria, and although the reason given is economy in coal, all' Vienna realises that the real' reason is the recent British flight over Vienna." It is believed that British planes flew over North-west Germany last night. The German wireless stations were silent for some time.

R.A.F. BOMBER DESTROYED [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, January 15. A Royal Air Force bomber failed to take off in Scotland and crashed. The bombs exploded, blew the plane to pieces; and shook houses for six miles around. The five occupants jumped clear unhurt, before the crash. Bomber’s Collision WITH SCOTTISH ELECTRIC TRANSFORMERS. REMARKABLE ESCAPES. (Received January 16, 5.5 p.m.) ’ * ' LONDON, January 15. The scene of • a bomber explosion, which followed a collision with an electric transformer carrying three thousand volts, was in Scotland, on a Fifeshire farm. The ceilings of three houses' collapsed. A number of trees

were uprooted. Windows were shattered. The crew of the bomber plane threw themselyes out at the command of the pilot while the machine was skating over a field at eightj?. miles an hour. The pilot, who was strapped in, was the last to leave. He sustained a slightly cut forehead. The others were unhurt.

British Bombs EXPLANATION OF DAMAGE ON DUTCH ISLAND. (Received January 16, 9.40 p;m.). LONDON, January 15. The Copenhagen correspondent of' the “Daily Telegraph” says:— At the request; of German authorises, the Danish .Island, bf.Romb. was blacked out, : and 'Danish neutrality marks were . not. illuminated, before the British aerial, .bombs fell bn the Island during, the Brjt’sh raid on Sylt Island, on’’January 10. The Germans' contended “that?' Romo Island formed a signpost to Sylt. ' ’ , 1