ALONG THE SKYWAYS

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19759, 14 December 1935, Page 24 (Supplement)

ALONG THE SKYWAYS

BOMBING RAIDS OFFICIAL WAR HISTORY. ATTACKS ON LONDON. Those who study the latest volume bf the official history of the air war, which has just been published, will see therein a complete case made out for the effectiveness of the German strategical bombing of London during the war. Although only 270 tons of bombs were dropped during the entire period, 1,414 people were killed and 3,416 injured and, what was more serious from the purely military point of view, the commanders in France were continuously harassed by requests that squadrons of fighting aeroplanes should be released from the main battle front to be sent back to England for defence purposes. 'Much of the bombing was indis-

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criminate and it was all done with equipment which was relatively undeveloped. Yet Mr H. A. Jones, the official historian of the war in the air, writes: “On military grounds, the air attacks were overwhelmingly justified by the results,” and he goes on to point out the effect of the raids upon the output of munitions and of factories. “We have seen,” he continues, “that the German daylight aeroplane campaign against London created profound disquiet and led to demands being made on Sir Douglas Haig to send fighting squadrons home at the moment when he was. about to begin his summer offensive in Flanders.” The volume deals with both the airship and the aeroplane raids and it is noteworthy that, although fewer bombs were dropped by the aeroplanes than by the airships, they inflicted heavier casualties and more damage. Of special interest are the maps which accompany the volume and which show the courses taken by the raiders during their attacks. i