NAZIS’ AIR TACTICS

Evening Star, Issue 23683, 17 September 1940, Page 10

NAZIS’ AIR TACTICS

SMALL DAMAGE IN AUGUST EVIDENCE OF NEUTRALS [By Sejtbx.] The adoption of indiscriminate bombing by the Nazis in their attacks on London marks a further phase of the air war, and its reason is readily apparent. First, these tactics are easier to the German air force, which has not been able to press constant attacks against selected targets as the Royal Air Force has done. Second, by continuing them they hope to bring about disorganisation of life in London, which they have failed to. do in other parts of the country. There is now ample evidence from neutral sources that the earlier German attacks almost completely failed to achieve their objective, and that they failed by reason of astonishingly poor bombing, in the middle of August American newspaper correspondents were permitted to visit English west coast ports, the choking of which had been claimed by the German official communiques. They concluded that “ German bombers have done surprisingly little damage in Britain, and the chances of an Englishman being hit by a bomb at present are hardly greater than his pf being hit.by lightning.” In fact, at one west coast port which was visited (presumably Bristol) the greatest damage had been inflicted not by Nazi raids at all, hut by a thunderstorm. The first raid against this port, which has been a primary target of the Germans in their “blockade” of Britain, was made on June 15. Between that date and August 14 there was an average of more than one raid a day, yet not a single bomb had struck the docks, the loading machinery, or damaged any paid of the harbour, although these were obvious most important targets. ... The most serious damage in Bristol, according to the ‘ Chicago Tribune,’ was that “ a piece had been knocked off a railroad station,” and that some small houses had been wrecked. The American United Press listed the complete harbour damage as costing less than £IOO and a few hours’ work to repair, said that some bombs which had fallen in a field did not injure the aircraft factory at which they were aimed, that five persons were killed and 30 or 40 injured in one attack, some houses damaged, and two new bunkers blown in a golf course. Yet on 14 occasions since May 11. said the United Press, the-Ger-mah radio or stations in German-eon-trolled territory had claimed “ very great material damage to Bristol, and many oil depot explosions with parts of the city in flames.” ' Factories were operating at full blast, the dock area of 1,000 acres was uninjured, and grain and meat ships were unloading in the normal fashion. Another message referring to the same port, without naming it, said that Bristol, receives 1,000,000 tons of oil and 1,000,000 tons of grain yearly, and onethird of all the copper, tobacco, and cocoa consumed in Britain. One correspondent found the facts to bo “strangely inconsistent with the German record on the Continent ” or with an intention to, enforce the blockade seriously. . , . The indifference_ of the people to air raids was emphasised by the fact that the Lord Mayor greeted the party of correspondents on the steps of the town hall in the midst of an ajr raid alarm, and entertained them in the reception hall, drinking toasts in sherry while the bombers roared overhead. These facts reveal the ineffectiveness of the German air attack on Britain up to this month as seen through unbiased eyes. They also help to explain the gradual transition to the present methods. For following these raids the Germans embarked on their mass daylight attacks, and when these were routed thev adopted the last course left to them, the scattering of small bombs over a wide area by planes which fly high and fast, above the range of the anti-aircraft guns and the spotting power of the searchlights, and the effort, to create disorganisation by this means. From one point of view this is, of course, a tribute to the fact that the Nazis are already worsted in the air. But it is not without its cunning. For, while these assaults are maintained, the Germans, as Mr Churchill has said, go ahead with their massing of ships and barges at bandy ports for an attack on Britain. The air raids, continued day after day, are designed to create disorganisation in the London area, and also to deflect onr planes from their policy of attacking military objectives so as to give those plans for invasion more freedom. The failure of these tactics is already evident in the intensive attacks on coastal objectives made bv a’Royal Air Force which is not being used merely for reprisals on German .cities. . . The new attacks create a fresh problem for the air-raid defences, but one which will be met. High-level patrols of fighters are likely to be created, ami there may bo other ways in which the upper air can bo made dangerous to raiders. The task of the Fighter Command is always one of guessing the plans of the enemy. As one Vice-Air Marshal said recently to correspondents, “ When Jerry gets an idea he sticks to it until we knock it out of his head.” The Fighter Command has now had plenty of practice against German air methods, and is used to such tactics' as a feint at one place and a real blow at another. Always, there are fighter squadrons in band to head off these new attacks. In fact, the outstanding feature of the past few mouths has been the growth of British fighter strength. To-clav it is accepted as a first principle that if the Nazis see British fighters present in sufficient numbers (say, two Spitfires to three Mcssersebmitts) they* will withdraw. In opening the attack the Germans have often used 10 to 15 bombers escorted by 50 or CO fighters so as to draw as many British fighters as possible. The Fighter Command sends one section against the fighters, another to engage the bombers. The big raids of las”t month were conducted on the one principle of simultaneous attacks at various points which grew hotter and hotter, until finally, far from the original points, a new mid bv hundreds of planes was begun Yet they all failed. That Britons are able to endure this air'warfare there is no doubt. Londoners listened to an open-air band last month as raids on the dockland were carried out. and during the hot encounters over the south-east coast which opened the big fighting people hunted for shell fragments as souvenirs.