The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1916. THE AIR RAIDS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 6, 1 December 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1916. THE AIR RAIDS.

The failure of the recent air raids on England, and the losses inflicted on the air pirates hy the British defence against aerial attack, make us justly proud of the' work of Britain’s Flying Services. Great Britain entered the war with an efficient but woefully small Fifth Arm against an enemy who had been secretly preparing lor years, who possessed the biggest manufacturing capacity, the best aeroplane engine, the only satisfactmy first-class airship, and a greater fleet of aircraft than Britain and France combined. And now that Power, by the efforts of the Allies —efforts foi which Great Britain is entitled to a full share of credit—is at all issues defeated in aerial warfare. Germany’s aeroplanes are forced to relative inactivity; Gorman artillery can no longer depend upon aircralt co-opera-tion; German observation baloons only go up at the cost of heavy casualties, j and their much-vaunted airships are rendered almost innocuous. As ic-| gards the extent and variety of aeroplane fleet, the daring and skill j with which it is manned, its tactical employment hy land and sea, technical versatility and wisdom m the workshops, Germany is outclassed. That is the freely expressed opinion of Home writers who should know something of what is doing, and ccitainly recent happenings support thenview. The London Observer’s aviation special writer recently pointed out that the subject ol aerial warla.ro must he treated as a whole: it must not he taken piecemeal; for there is a relation between the work ol our aircraft at home and abroad. Ibe supremacy of the Allies on the Western Front is unmistakable. Even Essen has been effectively bombed. Ihe rail communications and the great military depots behind the enemy lines are given no rest. There have been of late raids by filly British aeroplanes ai a. time, and French work on the same lug scale. The blows dealt have been military blows. Ik-side them the effort of the Zeppelins are contemptible. And so it is with Britain’s defences against these murderous raids. In the hour of need it has been proved that they are- ellective. Would-be raiders are compelled to seek high altitudes, whence their chamv ol

doir.ff impnrlr.nl is rwluc«H'l to ilic smallest; mor-o bombs bavo bt*eu

dropped in the recent raids than in previous attacks, yet the loss of life and the damage to property lias been less. The mortality rate of Germany's big airships is very nearly up to the point which must put an end to these raids on England, even though the raids are perpetrated in the spirit of the gambler’s throw. They are surely becoming too costly.