AIR ATTACKS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22356, 1 September 1934, Page 15

AIR ATTACKS

VULNERABILITY OF PARIS LESSON FROM MANOEUVRES (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) PARIS, August SO. (Received August 31, at 9.30 p.m.) 'The general staff of the air force has * been shocked by the vulnerability of Paris to air attack, as revealed by today’s manoeuvres. “If it were really war, Paris would now be a blazing ruin,” says the official report. “ The entirs city would be a shambles, and there would be tens of thousands of casualties.”

Le Bourget aerodrome was chosen to represent Paris, and, despite a highly organised defence system, only one raider was brought down, 40 out of 176 raiding planes reaching Le Bourget and theoretically showering 90 tons of bombs on it. The defending air fleet wandered about the clouds vainly searching for the attackers. The communique says: “ There is no doubt that the manoeuvres produced a disturbing surprise. The defenders had 310 scouting planes, and there were 106 attacking planes, and it was expected that the defenders would succeed in intercepting the enemy 50 miles east of Paris, but with the aid of the clouds the attackers reached and bombed their objective.”