The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY -26, 1922. AIRCRAFT FOR DEFENCE.
The recent experimental aircraft attack on warships, which was carried out. during the King’s visit to the Fleet, has been the means of again drawing particular attention to the possibilities of armed aircraft both in attack and defence. The Dominions should be keenly interested in aircraft as a means of defence from enemy raids, for the two effective methods of protecting the far-flung portions of the Empire from enemy operations are submarines and armed aircraft. As to the results obtained in I he mimie attack on the Fleet, there appears to be a divergence of opinion, consequent on the air force being able to operate on warships whose locality was well defined beforehand. but. which could take no steps to put. the aircraft out of action. This is inevitable in peace time experiments, and the operations were nothing more than exercises in accuracy in registering hits under favorable circumstances. ■ There is really nothing remarkable in aircraft being able to penetrate a smoke screen, swoop down and discharge their dummy missiles at short range, when there was no danger of being blown to pieces by anti-air-craft guns on the warships. The Admiralty has. in view of the unauthorised and inaccurate' reports published- issued an official statement on this one-sided battle, and while the first cabled report stated that the aircraft had secured many hits on vital parts of the warships, yet the Admiralty contends that,' despite the favourable conditions under which the air craft worked, “the number of hits obtained by the aircraft on the battle line was small, and of minor tactical importance,” and that the conditions were so unreal as to convey no practical lessons. It is interesting to note that the attack in question was one of a series, henee there is evidently a recognition that aircraft; will, m the future, be one of the chief factors in Empire defence, the only point at issue being whether a wellequipped air force should be provided as a first ’line of defence, or whether the army and navy shall control their own air branches. It would seem that, as a general principle, there must be eo-opera-' tion by the air force with both the army and navy, and yet there are strong reasons why there should be provided a separate air force for use in protecting the units of the Empire. When replying in the “economy” debate in the House of Commons recently, Colonel Amery (Financial Secretary to the Admiralty), while agreeing that Britain must build two capital ships, in order to maintain a one-Power standard, admitted that co-operation between the Admiralty and the Air Force must, be fully adequate. It would seem equally important that the Army should have an adequate air force as part of its complement, in the same way as it has artillery. From the Dominions’ point of view it would obviously be a great advantage to have an adequate and effective air force, together with a sufficiency of submarines to meet all emergencies. The expense would necessarily be considerable, but the protection would be real, and that is more than can be said for the system of maintaining military establishments and a large number of officers who mostly fill in time and become a burden on the taxpayers. When it is remembered that, on the outbreak of the Great War, Britain only possessed 170 aeroplanes, none of which was equipped with machine guns or bombs, some satisfaction may be felt that at the present time there are 359 aeroplanes available for ggryiee with ih.e Navy, exclusive
o£ two reserve squadrons, comprising thirty-six machines. There is a strong trend of expert opinion that any future big war will be fought out by aircraft. .Snell a contingency is certainly probable, therefore it would seem only fitting that the Motherland and the Dominions should turn their attention to that arm of defence and attack, and develop it to the utmost. Commendable progress is being made in civil aviation, but it appears to be a. certainty that no part of the Empire will be sufficiently protected unless it possesses an air force thoroughly trained and equipped. In the meantime the Admiralty may well pursue a progressive policy in perfecting its air force in all sorts of manoeuvres, and in improving the machines and their equipment. That way leads to Empire security from danger.
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Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1922, Page 4
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734The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY -26, 1922. AIRCRAFT FOR DEFENCE. Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1922, Page 4
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