AERIAL TACTICS

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1940, Page 7

AERIAL TACTICS

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. British Official Wireless.

METHODS IN BOMBING NAZIS INDISCRIMINATE BRITISH SCORE HEAVILY

Rec. 5.5 p.m. Rugby, Sept. 18. A comparison between the purpose of the Royal Air Force and the Nazi night bombing raids was made in a speech to-day by the Secretary for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair. German bombers, he said, flew at a height of about 20,000 feet, carelessly unloading bombs on the dark mass of London beneath, while bombers of the Royal Air Force concentrated on specific military targets and to ensure hitting them ] came down to a low level — as low as 1 50 feet over very important targets. "Some people," said Sir Archibald Sinclair, "say we ought to repay the Germans in kind for their attacks upon our civilians. The truth is it would be a betrayal of the suflerlng of the people of London to divert any of our resources from military objectives." No Mere Slogging Match. If the air war resolved merely to a slogging match, with the advanta,ges which she possessed both in numerical strength and, above all, in the distance her aircraft had to fly Germany would be bound eventually to win. "What we are doing Is to use our available resources to smash up the German transport system and thus slow down the manufacture and dlstribution of munitions of war of all kinds, to smash up factories in which the Germans make their aircraft or instruments, without which aircraft could not be flown here, or power houses which supply electricity to factories, or oil which supplies the motive power." said Sir Archibald Sinclair. But do not let us fall into the vulgar error of supposing that bombs fall any less heavily on Germany because they are well and shrewdly aimed. "We can win only by clever fighting and by landing every blow where it hurts and weakens most. Indiseriminate bombing of German civilians would only increase suffering and misery and would not protect our people. German industrial production as the result of Royal Air Force attacks is reliably reported to have fallen 39 per cent. Lack of sleep has shaken the morale of German workers." Not Insoluble Problem. After pointing out some of the difficulties of defence against Indiseriminate night bombing, Sir Archibald Sinclair said lt was yet by no means an Insoluble problem. "German airmen will find that their reception here is increasingly warm, as indeed they have already found over London, and I am able to look forward to the time when the pleasure of night bombing dver Britain and of blowing to pieces % number of humble London homes will cease to be attractive to Goering and hls aerial minlons." he said. The Minister concluded by giving details of German and British air losses. Since August 8, when the blitzkrieg started, the R.A.F. had lost 621 machines of all typcs, fighters, bombers and general reconnaissance planes. The Nazis during the same period had lost 1867, while their losses of air crews amounted to over 4,000 and the R.A.F. to less than 600. In air fighting in the Middle East during the same period the R.A.F. lost 15 aircraft but destroyed 56 Italian planes. Further, these figures of enemy losses referred only to conflrmed German and Italian losses, for the number of aircraft damaged was very large.