"RAIDING" PLANES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20012, 10 August 1939, Page 6

"RAIDING" PLANES

MIMIC BATTLE TESTING OF DEFENCES WIDE AREA OF ENGLAND WARTIME CONDITIONS BIG BLACK-OUT PENDING (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.l (British Official Wireless., Reed. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY. Aug. 9. It has been officially announced that the black-out which was to have taken place to-night in the area comprising London and the midland, eastern and southern counties has been postponed for 24 hours, since the weather forecasts indicate widespread low cloud, which would make satisfactory observation impossible. The black-out will definitely be carried out to-morrow night between 1 the hours originally fixed' —from midnight until 4 a.m., except in London, Where it will begin at 12.30 a.m. Every effort has been made in connection with these air exercises to reproduce war conditions and for the great black-out covering 28 counties, an appeal has been issued for the co-operation of all to ensure that the authorities- get the full value from the exercises toward complete preparedness. The signal for opening the mock war over England- was the War Ministry's announcement that relations between Eastland and' Westland were very strained, Eastland being an imaginary territory somewhere in the North Sea and Westland- certain areas of the cast and south-east of England. "Invasion" from South Soon after zero hour last night, Royal Air Force Eastland 'bombers crossed to the French coast and swept back towards England's coastline, where the ground defence and- aircraft were ready to receive them. There the Eastland! bombers kept up a continuous serie's of "raids."

Aeroplane crews waited in relays to take over ptenes as soon as they were refuelled. From one Eastland aerodrome, Fairey battleplanes, flying to .the French coast and returning at a high altitude, in many cases avoided the defending fighting planes. The Observers' Corps, however, noted nearly every "raid" and flashed a warning >to the anti-aircraft batteries, whereupon the Westland air position immediately sent up their fighters. Cloud anil Rain During the night the weather was in favour of the defenders, but this morning low cloud and rain spread from the west, enabling the Eastland planes to pass over the coast and get very close to their targets without being identified. Occasional "raids" on -the Eastland bases by the Westland- bombers were reported by look-outs at aerodromes and the entire personnel, donning gas masks as they ran, sheltered in the gas-proof trenches. Decontamination squads were at work immediately after the "raids." The official account of the air exercises states that soon after 9 a.m. numbers of "raiders" began to converge on London. Eight formations moved up the Thames Estuary and some swept up the front of the southeast counties. They met a sturdy defence by the fighters and anti-aircraft batteries. Some of the "raiders" succeeded in circling round London to the west, where they, had' a hot reception- in the neighbourhood of Uxbridge and Surbiton. ' .....