"Minions of the Moon"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24783, 6 December 1941, Page 4

"Minions of the Moon"

These words from the *' Book, of Wisdom" (chap, v., 21) are well chosen to introduce the current English bestseller, Bomber Command, the story ol the great planes, and great flyers, whose hazardous task has been one ot the most important, and most successful; in the war against the Axis. Tne tale commences at one minute after noon, when the war was an hour old and a Blenheim took off from Wytpn to " see what the Gentian fleet was doing," and it covers; in axunning account of every phase of bomber warfare, the first two years of the conflict. It is.the saga of " the gentlemen of the shade, the minions of the moon,'! who in 22 months flew 24,000,000 miles and, on terms of numerical inferiority with the enemy, competed with him over land and sea in a ceaseless struggle which has brought the Command to its present position as a great offensive weapon. The duties of the Bomber Command have been multifarious. Attacks oh the German fleet and seaplane bases, the'"leaflet" raids—in the early raids, by the way, the bomber crews endured unbelievable hardships in Norway, Belgium and Holland, the bombing of the "invasion ports," minelaying, and assaults on all types of military, naval and industrial targets, are described. '

Disafreemente , The. account of the battles of Flanders and France reveals in parts tragio differences of opinion with the French authorities." :

There was not complete agreement oh the dispositions of the bombing forces and the uses to which they were to be put, while the Comite de Guerre at the outset ruled that because casualties might be caused to the civilian

population, bombing.attacks on enemy concentrations in Germany were not to" be ; made unless ■ the Germans launched them upon the/Allies. This decision at once limited, the possible objectives to enemy columns on the march. It was pointed out to General Gamelin that such targets were quite unsuitable for our heavy bombers, which had been designed for an entirely different purpose General Gamelin remained unconvinced The German attack opened in force on May 10, 1940. The Allied Commander-in-Chief still refused to allow objectives in Germany; or German troops on the move in their own country, to be bombed. It was not until the afternoon of the 10th ,that the Advanced Air Striking Force hombed German, columns advancing through Luxembourg, and not until the next day that attacks were made on enemy troops and lines of ■■■ communication by the British medium and heavy bombing forces;.

Moreover, owing to lack pi timely information it was often impossible for the pilots to be given exact targets Which meant that they had to find objectives for themselves This increased the risk of casualties There were also the civilian refugees. These streamed along; mingled with the enemy columns in unbelievable confusion. The order? were that they should not be bombed and the pilots took great risks to avoid doing so This living screen was of great assistance to the enemy, and he deliberately exploited it. "Operation Dynamo" Then came " Operation Dynamo," the code name given to the evacuation of Dunkirk. The bombers laboured night after night to put down a curtaini of bombs round that port, and their efforts were particularly vigorous- towards the end, when the French Northern Army was being taken off. The Royal Navy was finding it very difficult to carry on in face of. the enemy's artillery bombardment, and asked for bomber support At short notice a considerable striking force was collected and, despatched, which, according to the signal from the admiral in charge of- "Operation Dvnamo," carried out its work most efficiently and was a vital factor in the success achieved. Untiring efforts could not save the situation in France, and the Germans achieved complete success apart from their failure to trap any large part of the British Army. The attack, however was made regardless of casualties. By June 4 it was estimated that the enemy. had lost 2847 aircraft destroved i" the air and on the ground, including 400 troop carriers. Nothing more be achieved by the Advanced Air Striking Force or by Bomber Command Both had thrown themselves into the battle regardless of losses They had drooped hundreds of tons of bombs on objectives chosen for them by the French High Command. More than 1000 tons

The Story of the Bombers . Bomber Command: The Air Ministry Account, September, 1939-July, 1941. (H.M. Stationery Office). 2s 9d.

had fallen on the railways oi France and Northern Germany alone. Their casualties also had been very, severe. On May 10 the Advanced Air Striking Force had 135 bombers serviceable During the.next five days they lost 75 of them. From May 10 to June 20 the Bomber Command lost 40 per cent, of their first line strength/The pilots and crews had done their utmost. Raids into Italy * Evidence of the panic caused in Northern Italy by the raids that took place after the Italian entry into the war is overwhelming. It seems beyond doubt that the population thought the entry of their, country into the 1 war would be never more than a gesture, which would bring some of the spoils gained by Germany within their grasp. It brought instead bombs'from the Royal Air Force. The first time Turin was attacked the population rushed for the scanty, ill-constructed shelters, only to find them packed with the crews of the anti-aircraft guns „ and searchlights appointed to conduct the defence. A number of'their officers were subsequently shot for cowardice. By >the end of August there was* real panic in Genoa. Its poorer citizens fled daily, raid or no raid, at four in the afternoon to tunnels, where they remained until the ; following morning. The richer citij zehs of that and other towns soon had to be prevented by the police from using their cars during air. raids, for they fled in such numbers as to cause serious congestiqn on the roads and in the country villages. ~. .. . The morale of the inhabitants of Southern Italv was for a time quite unaffected by the bombing of the northern towns. They believed that j they were living out of range, and no bomber could reach them. The attack on Naples on October 31 came, therefore, with; all the greater shock.' The ' same symptoms of panic ;were immediately apparent, '•, : t -, One of.the-greatest Achievements of Bomber Command was helping, to stop the; invasion.. There is abundant evidence" that', it was intended. No less oo' barges of a carrying capacity of vtons, with another 4,000,000 tons Of shipping, were assembled at the invasion ports, which sustained over 500 attacks. How many men were killed and drowned and how many boats were wrecked it cannot be calculated, but one fact remains—no invasion took place. In . the: Battle of the Atlantic the Bomber Command has ■ a gigantic •task. Its part is to harass the enemys craft—Konddrs, submarines, surface raiders—in their bases, not: only in France but also along the northern shores of Germany in th* places where they are being built, attacking craft— kondorSj submarines,

Things to Come For the future, the prospect is bright, and the account states that we can look with confidence to the Stirlings! the Halifaxes, the Manchesthe Fortresses, and the rest, of which there are great expectations These aircraft are to deliver the Overwhelming onslaught. "' When that day comes, as come it will, the Battles and Blenheims, the Whitleys, the Wellingtons, and the Hampdens must not be forgotten. It is the purpose of this record to keep them in mind. They have carried the weight of our bombing attacks* for the first year arid a-half of war ; and they are still playing a very important part. They have proved themselves to -be stout aircraft, stoutly flown by a force which, beginning as a sturdy adolescent, is now on the threshold of manhood." As for the crews: Their/hearts are high. They have learnt skill and resource flying in 1 aircraft which, when the war be-: gan, were the finest of their kind. Now new types of greater power are in their hands, bearing > new bombs of a more deadly fashioning. By day they will go out in these i new aircraft with their comrades of Fighter Command ever farther into the confines of the foe. By night they will take them ; " aloft incumbent on the dusky air" to the farthest town and city of Germany. No chosen target can escape them. The Germans are waging war as they have always waged it: without mercy, respite, or limit, with no rei gard to place or person. Perhaps they may regret the consequences. Perhaps they are already doing so. One thing is certain. Bomber Command will allow no pause, no breathing space. Our attack will go on, fierce because it is relentless, deadly because it is sure. This publication which is issued by the Ministry of Information, is very finely and even elaborately produced, at a modest price The illustrations are striking, and, at times, beautiful and all splendidly printed. McG