OLD TACTICS, SAME END

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 221, 17 September 1940, Page 6

OLD TACTICS, SAME END

, The Nazis ha&e tried mass daylight raids before, with disastrous, results. On one day, August 15, they lost 169 'planes, and in seven days 516. After that a change of tactics was noted, and the mass raids Were replaced by the attacks of small groups. Then London, in particular, had to endure great night raids, apparently intended to terrorise the population. If that was the intention, the new tactics failed of their main purpose, but incidentally they caused loss of life and much damage to property. The continuance of such raids was made difficult by London's tremendous antiaircraft barrage, and it then became a question of what tactics the Nazis would try next. It is surprising, and encouraging, to find that they have tried nothing new. Instead, they reverted on Sunday to mass daylight raids, with consequences most gratifying, though not to them. Perhaps they hoped, after the comparatively minor attacks on Saturday, to catch a great many people out of doors and the defenders napping. If so, the number of 'planes they lost must be the measure of their disappointment and frustration. The total of 187 for the day can only make us marvel at the Nazis' blunder in thinking that reversion to tactics already proved expensive l would somehow be worth while. No doubt much damage was done, but —was it worth 187 'planes and a greater number of pilots? Of that, Hitler and his advisers must be the judges, but it seems reasonable to suppose that the surest way of destroying, in advance, the p'rospects of invasion will be for the Germans to use up their 'planes at Sunday's rate. For it is still most difficult to understand how an invasion plan can stand a chance while Britain commands the sea, and Germany hasn't managed to snatch mastery of the air.