The Southland Times TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1940. The Air Battles

Southland Times, Issue 24227, 10 September 1940, Page 6

The Southland Times TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1940. The Air Battles

T ATER REPORTS of Saturday’s D air raid on London have revealed. that casualties and damage were heavier than were at first suspected. They have also shown that the defences are rapidly becoming equal to much greater strains. British people have been warned to expect a bad time, and during the months of immunity they have built up an A.R.P. system which, is now working magnificently to protect the lives of civilians, to succour the injured, to repair damaged utilities, and to prevent the spread of fires in the thickly populated areas. As was to be expected, there are moving stories of heroism, of a stoical endurance, and of an amazing adaptability under the conditions of total warfare. These men and women are facing a tremendous experience: perhaps they are too busy, at the moment, to give much thought to the wider - implications of the struggle. But they understand clearly enough that the ordeal thrust upon them by the madman Hitler falls far short of the violence and terror he hopes to inflict. They also have good reason for believing that his plans are being smashed in advance by the fighter squadrons. Until now, the German air force has been able to gain quick and spectacular results. In Saturday’s raids 400 men, women and children were killed, and between 1300 and 1400 were injured. These were the total casualties in a long series of attacks which cost the Germans 99 planes. The figures are severe enough, especially when they are added to the losses in /stores, property and working hours: they imply a human suffering which cannot be thought of without a deepening anger. But if they are compared with the results of earlier Nazi attacks in other parts of Europe they begin to seem less impressive.

Europe’s Ordeal

During three weeks of regular bombing, 70 per cent, of the houses in Warsaw were razed to the ground, and many thousands of civilians were killed. As the prelude to this destruction, the Polish air force was put out of action in less than 48 hours. According to American reports, 5000 German planes were used in the preliminary actions; and although the figures may be an exaggeration it seems certain that, in those early days of the war, the Germans used immense air fleets. (Perhaps they discovered then that such methods are too costly to be effective against an enemy who can hit back.) The Dutch and Belgian air forces were disposed of in less than 24 hours; and in Rotterdam a mere 54 raiders turned the centre of the city into a ruin, under which lay thousands of dead and wounded civilians. An official Dutch statement said that this tragic visitation was over in barely eight minutes, and it is true that bombers which have to face no air or ground defences can do a tremendous amount of damage in a high-speed attack. Such facts make it easier to assess the quality of British resistance. London is the largest single target ever exposed to bombers. Obviously, it must receive heavy blows if even a few raiders penetrate the curtain of fire and the ring of fighters around the outer suburbs. But when the casualty lists for the past few weeks are compared with those of much smaller cities over shorter periods, the achievements of the Royal Air Force move into their true perspective. Germany is hitting hard; but the cost is so heavy that after every major attack . her bomber squadrons seem to require a brief interval for reorganization. Those “rest days” are invaluable to Britain: indeed, it could be argued that, until the Germans are able to keep up a continuous pressure, they cannot hope to weaken the defences seriously. And in the meantime the Royal Air Force bombers continue their own activity. The battle for Britain, it should be noted, is also a battle for Germany.