DEFENCES OF LONDON.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLII, Issue 12823, 15 April 1916, Page 3

DEFENCES OF LONDON.

l>)iriii:r his unsuccessful candidature for Mile Kml. Mr I'emberton Billing, who now silf «" «h«-- lloUse " f Commons for Ea«t' Hi-rlfonl. outlined a for the detente of London. Mr Wiling was lor some time :i squadron-commander in the Boval Naviil Air Service He resigned tha't piwitioii in order to enlist the support of the Uritish public in .his contention of the need of a more vigorous vrusade again-t Xrpwlin raids on London and on other I'nuHsh centres. His scheme for the defemi- of London by night « as lows:--A lleet- »f delemlinu aeroplanes is iieccs,sarv Kadi, machine must be so armed as to be capable of destroying an airship at a raii"c ecpial to the range of it*, own searchlight, which must not be less than one mile. It must also carry a searchlight driven independently of the engines. It must have at least a speed of 80 miles an hour, in order to overtake airships. It must he able to lly as slowly as 35 miles an hour in order to economise fuel and to render accurate gunfire and night lauding possible. , It must be able to carry fuel lor i£ hours' cruising at slow speed, to enable it to chase an airship to the coast. It must be able to -climb to 10,000 ft in not less than 20 minutes. It must be'-fitted with control gear for two pilots, to allow one to relieve the other, and in the event of a gunner not being carried, each or either pilot must have" equal facilities for working guns, bombs and searchlight. The engines must be silenced. The pilots must have a. clear view arc of fire above, in front and below. , The. defending fleet must consist of at least .60 such aeroplanes, ready continually to lly at one moment. Therefore 150 such machines at least must exist in an undamaged condition. Fifty pilots must alwavs be on duty, with 25 in reserve. The "fleet should be under the absolute and independent command of a young and keen officer who has had active service experience. It should be divided into ten squadrons of five machines each, which squadrons. should be stationed at aeroI driMiies adjoining the main road, rail and ! river approaches to London; at a radius , of approximately ten miles from the centre. I of London.- Adequate landing places should be provided in London parks, in | case of machines being compelled to descend by accident or bjr enemy fire. These arid the defence ' aerodromes I should be adequately lighted and permit voflandmg at night, and there should be a properly concerted and consistently praetised.and rehearsed system of interchange 'of,"light Vrigtiala* between aeroplanes and "aerodromes;;so that the aerodrome lights wpl beinied'only when, required for land'ingi ,to. prevent the aerodromes from

I.econiin- landmarks i'<ir tlie emmiy. There must \>v a direct tcl<:)ihonc intercommunication between all aerodromes and t!ic central control office.. v-i-cnco the officer commanding will direct operations without interference from other official quarters. Searchlights must be multiplied exceedingly and all'nuti-aircraft guns mustbe removed to the roast and its neighbourhood because enemy aircraft- fly at their lowest near the coast in order to pick up bearings from coastal contour. .Given a- free hand, there exist- officers quite capable of procuring, manning, organising, and directing the entire system of defence as outlined in general above. In these circumstances it would be advisable to return to the normal lighting of London and districts, and not only would the fear of aerial invasion be materially reduced, but an invading fleet would be engaged and beaten before reaching the metropolis. The same general system should prevail and the same aeroplanes may 4>e used by day. and owing to its being possible to work shorter spells of patrol less fuel need be carried, which will naturally increase the climbing ability ivliich is a great factor in daylight fighting. In addition to these Machines each squadron of five patrol -Mchines should have attached to it five high-speed "pusher" fighting machines to act as "destroyers"' against the heavier-than air machine.