AIR BOMBING

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1936, Page 2

AIR BOMBING

• TERRORS MINIMISED. BERLIN, July 20. German strategists discount the growing popular belief that the next war between two great Powers will be charactised by mas s air raids in which cities the size of Berlin will be wiped out. The public of (Germany, like that of other European countries, is almost persuaded by; air-protection propaganda and gas-mask drills, that the first hours of the next European conflict will bring ruin and holocaust to the cities. ' x Military quarters, calculating the probabilities coldly, think otherwise.' Strategists, point out that the aggressive force of any individual air power is the number of machines which it can afford to lose in one battle. Jt is explained that the science of resisting air attacks has made; such rapid strides since the World War that “surprise” raids are practically put 01 the question. The moment a hostile air lleet leaves its own territory listening posts pick up and follow' it across every inch ol the country over which it flies. Anti-aircraft- guns of machine-gun rapidity and capable of firing to great heights will take their toll of an invading air force before it eveii reache.-* its goal, ii it gets past the opposing air forco Those that reach their distant object and drop bombs must again fight their way hack home ' The chances of running the gauntlet a second tim© will be even smaller • than in the approach. Granted even that a. sizeable enemy fleet crosses into the territory of another country, it means thatj unless an equal number of replacement maeh iues are handy, the.air force of the ag I pressor is weakened s v that much 1 Therefore the aggressive air power leaves itself open to connter-atttack. Assembling an air raid fleet of j-uOO planes, it is estimated here, would leave too big a hole in any one force. Tt is pointed out that modern antiaircraft and fighting machines have removed from future wars the Zeppelin Under modern conditions, a Zeppelin is considered not to stand any! chance of survival, no matter how fast it is or how high it flies.