HOCK WAR IN AIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19699, 27 July 1927, Page 11

HOCK WAR IN AIR.

ATTACKS ON LONDON.

eight bombing raids. v*. _ * - jiw BEACH OBJECTIVES. !AJ,RRT DEFENCE FORCES. jJSEFUL LESSONS RESULT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. • ' ' (Received July 26. 7.40 p.m.) and N.Z., LONDON. July 25. The mock warfare in connection with the Royal Air Force manoeuvres has aljeady provided valuable lessons. The "enemy" has made a series of most 'daring raids from the east and south in a Continuous attempt to break the defence cordon around London. Low clouds aided the "attackers, but all the raiders were quickly detected, thanks to small fighting planes. Within 10 minutes of the first appearance of each "of the raiding squadrons their direction was traced out. and they ■wer# met by superior forces of defending [planes. It is not'yet known what "casualties' 1 the raiding bombers experienced, but they ecored some success upon their targets. These were the Duke of York's School at Chelsea, and a stores depot at Kidbrooke. The "enemy" scored at least one direct hit on the Duke of York's School from a height of 15,000 ft.. the results being registered by a camera obscura. . Defence Orders lrom Secret Room. The methods of defence included an artillery barrage, as well as squadrons of aeroplanes working in the inner zone. The cjefence was conducted from a maplined room, of which the whereabouts was kept, a profound secret. From there io/ders were flashed by wireless. As the position of each attacker was jioted a black disc was placed on a map showing its height and the direction in which it was moving. There were eight raids during the day. Some of the "raiders reached their objectives without being intercepted in the jnorning. This necessitated a rearrangement of the plans of defence later. None of the attacking squadrons reached their objective without sustaining several "casualties." In one case a squadron crossed the coast at Havant at 8.14 a.m., attacked the Chelsea area at 9.30 a.m., Bnd at 10.5 a.m. the umpire noticed that the machines were only 300 yards from the Chelsea target. This attack was obscured by low clouds, and a .patrol squadron failed to intercept it, so the raid was an "enemy"-success.

Encounters with, the Raiders. Another raid from Shoeburyness at 8 a.m. failed owing to low clouds. Such a raider travels one mile while a ghell from an "Archie" is olimbing to it. This being so, it is difficult to see why any .raid should fail. A- squadron which crossed the coast at at mid-day, attacked Chelsea at 1 p.m., and inflicted severe "casualties'' on the defending aircraft and others. "Ihese attackers were beaten off in the afternoon.' , .Another squadron at 3 p.m. bombed Chelsea from a height of 15,000 ft. A patrol searched for it for two hours without making contact with the raiders. Each bombing force was accompanied hy a photographer, whose pictures will b«" built up into-a mosaic map. In addition, from each machine photographs .were taken as bombs were dropped. The photographs will be used to ( test the accuracy of the work. Bad weather defeated the night raids. The defence fighters were in readiness from 10 p.m. to set out at a moment's notice against the "enemy," who was reported to have crossed the coast. Before 11.30 p.m., however, the rai3ers encountered low clouds and drizzle, and were forced to give up before approaching !he capital. They returned without the Home defence forces taking the air.