POWER IN THE AIR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20009, 7 August 1939, Page 5

POWER IN THE AIR

DEFENCES OF BRITAIN COLOSSAL PREPARATIONS RECEPTION BY RAIDERS HIT BACK AND VERY HARD (Eloc. Tel. Copyright—United Presa Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, August 5. Air Vice-Marshal, Sholto Douglas, assistant chief of the Air Staff, speaking at a cadets camp in Sussex said: “W T e are making colossal preparations for the year of an attack in force by German bombers. On their side, the Germans are being deterred from further adventures by the knowledge that if they hit us, we shall hit them, and very hard too. “We have shown by our recent flights to Marseilles the range which our heavy bombers possess. You also have seen something - of our fightqr organisation: . • “We are confident that-this organisation Is now capable of- preventing England from being attacked from the air. Some May Get Through “Or course, we do not pretend that we will be able to stop every bomber that puts out to attack this country trom reaching its objective. In fact, it is probable that a fairly reasonable proportion will get through, particularly when the weather conditions are favourable to the bomber. "The object, however, of the fighter organisation is not to put an impenetrable barrier between the enemy bomber and its target. This is impossible of attainment. The object is to cause so heavy a casualty rate to the enemy bombing forces, that they will be compelled to restrict the scale of their attack on account of the heavy casualties and the difficulty of replacing those casualties.”