WAR IN THE AIR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20119, 13 December 1939, Page 5

WAR IN THE AIR

GENERAL REVIEW INCREASING ACTIVITY ORGANISATION TESTED SATISFACTORY RESULTS NEW PHASE PREDICTED (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Tress Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. noon. IRUGBY, Dec. 12. The Air Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood, in the first statement on the war in the air since October 10, noted a new phase in air warfare which began on October 'l6 with a raid on warships in the Firth of Forth by enemy aircraft. Since that dat?’ though there had been no great air 'battles, there had •been steadily increasing activity. “We have had to deal with a series of reconnaissances and raids,• some iby single aircraft and some in force,” he said, “and we thus have been able to test out the strength of our defences and the efficiency of our organisation. We have also been able to try out, both in Britain and 'France, our aircraft in combat with the enemy. Conclusions Encouraging “The results and conclusions which we have been able to draw from them, though of [necessity provisional, are certainly encouraging. We have been able to satisfy ourselves by actual operations that various elements of our air defence, anti-aircraft guns and searchlights, fighter squadrons, balloon barrages for close defences, and units of the observer corps have been successfully welded into an efficient and adaptable system under the operational control and command of one commander-in-chief.” Sir Kingsley Wood expressed great satisfaction with the results of this system of unified control, and added that this phase of the war in the air “may ; be drawing to a close and we must be prepared to face, perhaps soon, perhaps in the spring, another and more strenuous and difficult chapter.”,