AIR FORGE MANOEUVRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19698, 26 July 1927, Page 9

AIR FORGE MANOEUVRES.

Unprecedented scale

OF LONDON DEFENCES

MOCK ATTACK PLANNED.

FIVE DAYS' PROGRAMME,

CONDITIONS OF WARFARE.

jelegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 25. 5.35 p.m.)

and N.Z. LONDON. July 25. The Royal Air Force manoeuvres will be commenced at 6, a.m. to-day and will last until Friday. They are to be carried out on an unprecedented scale. The primary aim of the manoeuvres trill be to test the air defences of London. '■ The defence forces will be controlled by £ir Marshal Sir John Salmond. More than 200 aeroplanes will take part and there will be searchlights, guns and observation posts throughout England. The general idea of the manoeuvres will be that London has been seriously bombed and that the Government has retired to Manchester, taking with it a proportion of the London air defence force in order to reinforce the local defences at Manchester. The enemy will be supposed to bo aware of this, and having had experience of the strengthened defences of Manchester will, in order to prevent further transfers, employ 11 squadrons in an attack on London from the south and east coasts daily and nightly. If London falls the victory of the enemy will be complete, as tho fall of Manchester must follow.