AIR POWER IN ADEN

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1931, Page 8

AIR POWER IN ADEN

CLEARING THE YEMEN PROTECTORATE. BRITISH PRESTIGE ESTABLISHED. LONDON, December 23. Proof of the value of “atr control” is to be found in a lecture delivered before the Royal United Service institution by Squadron Leader the Hon R. A Cochrane on the work f the Royal Air Force in Aden. Before the Air Force took charge, the Imam of Zeidi, with a trained army of 6000 men, thirty guns, four aeroplanes and 10,000 Arab irregular troops, drew so close to Aden that leading inhabitants of the district nearby were forced to withdraw within the defences of the city. Some of them remained there as refugees for several rears, unable to return to their own territory because of the threat of the invader.

At that time the British force in Aden consisted of one British infantry battalion, one Indian battalion, the Aden troop of camel corps, and one flight of the Royal Air Force. With this fqrce the British were unable to contemplate attacking the Imam. In April, 1928, defence of the territory was banded over to the Royal Air Force. One entire bombing squadron was sent to Aden, attended by a section of Royal Air Force armoured cars. The Aden troop was disbanded, the Indian battalion sent back to India and local levies were trained to take the place of the Britsli contingent.

DISLODGING THE INVADOR. The Royal Air Force began immediately t)ie task of driving the Imam out of the A’emen protectorate. Warnings were dropped from aircraft, but the Imam knowing that ground forces could not dislodge him 'from the strong ly built stone towns and villages, failed to appreciate the change caused by Llie introduction of aircraft and disregarded the warnings. Bombing began. Not much material damage was done to the towns, but the Imam’? military activities stopped suddenly. In many villages bis garrisons took refuge in neighbouring bills. There they were safe from bombing, but machine-gun lire from aircraft made their lives uncomfortable. At the end of three weeks of bombing the main objectives of the expedition were gained. A single recrudescence of Zeidi liveliness was dealt with instantly by air power; the Imam withdrew to his own .and and forbade fuither raids on British territory. British casualties were one officer killed and one aeroplane crashed. The only cost to the Government of the expedition was the value of bombs and ammunition worth about £BOOO. No Zeidi raid has occurred since 1928. In January, 1929, trouble broke out in another part of the British protectorate, but before the end of the month the Royal Air Force took effective action which ended in the refractory tribe paying compensation. British prestige is now high in the protectorate. Officers travel with small escorts and prepare landing grounds near the larger towns. Intelligence and political officers travel by aeroplane to visit tribes which were inaccessible till the aircraft arrived in the country, making journeys over difficult terrain in a very few hours which would occupy days on the ground.