BRITAIN’S AIR DEFENCES

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 29

BRITAIN’S AIR DEFENCES

TRAGEDY MARS MANCEUVRES. A MOCK WAR. LONDON. July 25. The mock war has already provided valuable lessons. The enemy made a series of most daring rAids from tho east and south in a continuous attempt to break the defence cordon. Low clouds aided the attackers, but all of the five raids were quiel’y detected, thanks to the small fighting 'planes. Within ten minutes of the first appearance of each of the five raids the direction was traced out, and the raiders were met by superior forces of defending ’planes. It is not yet known what casualties the raiding bombers experienced, but poor visibility enabled them to score some success upon the targets, which were the Duke of fork’s School at Chelsea and the Stores Depot at Kidbrooke. The enemy scored at least one direct hit on the Duke of York’s School from 15,000 ft, the results being registered by camera. The obscured methods of the defence included an artillery barrage, as well as squadrons of aeroplanes working in the inner zone. The defence was conducted from a room of which the whereabouts was a profound secret, and from which orders were Hashed by wireless. As the position of each attacker was noted a black disc was placed on a map showing the height and direction it was moving. The manoeuvres were marred by a tragedy at North-oft ncrodrom'. When the 17th squadron was returning. Flying Officer Anderson collided with the next machine, and crashed, and was burnt to death in sight of hundreds, who were unable to approach the blazing machine. The other pilot managed to land safely. Later reports indicate that there were eight raids during the day, and of these several reached their objectives without being intercepted in the morning, necessitating a rearrangement of the plans for defence later. No attacking squadron reached its objective without several casualties. In one ease a squadron crossed the coast at Havant at 8.14, and attacked Chelsea area at 9.30. At 10.5 the umpire noticed that the machines were only 300 yards from the Chelsea target. Desipte the fact that the attack was obscured by ’ow clouds, the patrol squadron failed to intercept it, so this raid was an enemy success. Another raid from Shoeburyness at 8 o'clock failed owing to the low clouds. Remembering the speed of modern aircraft, and that such a raider travels a mile while a shell from “Archie” is climbing to him. it is difficult to see why any raid should fail. A squadron which crossed the coast at Bognor at midday attacked Chelsea at 1 o'clock, inflicting severe casualties on the .defending aircraft and others. The attackers were beaten off in the afternoon. A squadron at 3 o’clock bombed Chelsea from 15,000 ft, the patrol searching for two hours without making contact with the raiders. Each bombing force was accompanied by a photographer, whose pictures will be built up into a mosaic map. In addition each machine took photographs as it dropped bombs, and the photographs will be used to test the accuracy of its work. Bad weather defeated the night raids. The defence fighters were in readiness from 10 o'clock to set out at a moment's notice against the enemy, who were reported to have crossed the coast before 11.30. The raiders, however, encountered low clouds and a drizzle, and were forced to give up before approaching the capital. They returned without the home defence forces taking the air. SUCCESS OF THE RAIDERS. LONDON AN EASY TARGET. LONDON, July 26. The air war is going more and more against the London defenders. The raiders have repeatedly penetrated the defences, found their objectivs, bombed them, and returned to their bases. Already London has been proved to be easily bombable by day or night, and had the attack been a real one large areas would have been laid waste. The defending ’planes have been aloft all day, but layers of clouds have prevented the discovery of the raiders. Pilots who attacked German raiders in wartime report that they have particularly missed the assistance of anti-aircraft batteries, which in actual warfare enormously assist pilots in locating hostile machines. The upper layers of clouds are so hig-h that the bombers are able to attack their targets from 15,000 ft. Out of the six raids launched two failed owing to the weather, two reached their objective without being intercepted, and two were engaged in combat and adjudged to be destroyed. LESSONS FROM MOCK WAR. MI CH YET TO BE DONE. LONDON, July 28. London continues to be bombed freely from the air. Major Turner, the Daily Telegraph correspondent, with the characteristic dispassion of an expert, observes: “That raiders penetrate the defences causes no surprise; they would get though with greater or less success despite any defence scheme humanly contrivable. At best there is only reasonable hope for a scheme which will convince a potential enemy that it is better to stay at home. Failing that, steps must be taken to minimise the damage. to hinder his aircraft and reduce their number, and keep them occupied in their

own territory. The manoeuvres show that the defences are almost complete in some districts, but much remains to be don© in others.”

Major Ashmore, commanding the ground defences, predicts that in the event of war half of the inhabitants of some villages, including the womenfolk, would be required to serve at listening posts, working dav and night shifts.

The Daily Herald predicts that a sequel to the manoeuvres will be a campaign to increase the Air Force greatly. Manoeuvres are also in progress in France and they have been marred by a disaster, two machines colliding at a height of 3000 ft. One pilot was killed, and another seriously injured. DEAN INGE IMPRESSED. AN ARRESTING ARTIC - E. LONDON, July 28. The great mimic air war is revealing more and more the startling intelligence that London would be wiped out and a million inhabitants massacred within a few hours of the declaration of var. This is contrary to the hopes of experts. Very valuable lessons on the aerial defence of London have, however, been learned. So far two many raiding squadrons have avoided the defences, which arc working with the utmost war-time -efficiency. Great searchlight stations, however, have been remarkably efficient In picking out the raiding ’planes. Commenting on the manoeuvres. Dean Inge, in an arresting article in the Evening Standard, says: “It is war with the gloves off. I am amazed at the civilised worlds ready acquiescence in the appalling belief that the next war will sec the promiscuous massacre of non-combatant men, women, and children. There is something radically wrong wi'.li civilisation which thus deliberately returns to the worst traditions of savagery. It is retrogression to a point far beyond the Greeks and the Romans. We have to go back to the Book of Joshua for anything approaching the horror that responsible statesmen say we must expect in the next war.

Referring to how wars are caused, he says: “We must remember that there is one diabolical Government, that of Russia, which would not shrink at massacring three-quarters of Europe if the remaining quarter could be subjected to the miseries inflicted on their own people. The bitter truth must be spoken until this nest or hornets is smoked out. Disarmamci * in Europe is impossible. Italy is said to be a menace to peace, but in my op'nion Mussolini is only indulging in the dangerous game of sabre rattling.’’ LYDON'S DEFENCES INCOMPLETE. LONDON, July 28. A high Air Force authority, reviewing the mimic air battle, points out that the defensive system has only been in operation two years, and will not be completed for eight years. Actually only a quarter of the system is in existence. It is extraordinarily complicated, requiring i long time to train the men. While it was too early to draw definite conclusions, it could authoritatively be declared that London was by no means wiped out, because many bombers which appeared over the capital were technical casualties. The Air Force had learned a valuable lesson, which would aid the completion of aerial defences.