AERIAL WARFARE

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20986, 13 December 1939, Page 9

AERIAL WARFARE

NEW PHASE NOTED BRITISH EFFICIENCY MINISTER’S GRATIFICATION (Ofllulal Wireless) (Received Dec. 13, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Dec. 12 The Air Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood, in his first statement on the war in the air since October 10, noted a new phase in air warfare, which began on October 16, with a raid on warships in the Firth of Forth by enemy aircraft. Since that date, though there had been no great air battles, there had been steadily increasing activity. “We have had to deal with a series of reconnaissances and raids, some by single aircraft and some in force,” said the Minister, “and we thus have been able to test out the strength of our defences and the efficiency of our organisation. We also have been able to try out in Britain and France our aircraft in combat with the enemy.

“The results and conclusions which we have been able to draw from them, though of necessity provisional, are certainly encouraging. We have been able to satisfy ourselves by actual operations that the various elements of our air defence—antiaircraft guns and searchlights, fighter squadrons, balloon barrrages for close defences, and the units of the observer corps have been successfully welded into an efficient and adaptable system, under the operational control and command of one Commander-in-Chief”. More Strenuous Phase Probable The Minister expressed great satisfaction with the results of this sys- j tern of unified control and added: “This phase of the war in the air may be drawing to a close and we must be prepared to face, perhaps soon, perhaps in i the Spring, another and more strenuous and difficult chapter”. j Superiority Over Germany The minister stated that the fighter squadrons had taken such a heavy toll that superiority over t German aircraft, both in bombers and fighters, might justifiably be claimed. Speaking in praise of the coastal' patrols, the Minister said 57 attacks j had been made on submarines, in j 19 cases of which there was certainty ' of substantial damage being caused, i but the patrols’ duties were more' far-reaching than either attacking ! submarines or defending against air attack. Many ships owed their safety to the units of this command. Turning to the bomber command, the Minister spoke of the recent raid on Heligoland, which he described as a particularly difficult and dangerous operation. Not only did the aircraft successfully reach their objectives and score direct hits with heavy bombs but all returned safely, having been attacked by twenty Messerschmitts, two of which pressed the attack and were brought down. Flights Over Germany In reconnaissance flights the Royal Air Force had visited Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Munich and Nurnberg, in many cases more than once. The Royal Air Force prestige was very high and it was no surprise that nearly a third of the men registering for service ! expressed preference for the Air Force. Turning to production, the Min- i ister said that though the numerical i output was more than twice that of a year ago the increase in the efficiency of war weapons represents “not a twofold but a manifold accretion of strength,” and new and more powerful types would shortly operate against the enemy. In reply to a question the Minister said he had given careful consideration to the question of German flights over the Shetlands and the Orkneys, and he hoped that “next time we had a visit very favourable results would ensue.” The Dominion Squadrons Dealing with the Empire units of ! the Air Force, the Minister said: “A ! full squadron of the latest fourengined flying-boats will soon be operating as a unit of the Royal Aus-

tralian Air Force, and a squadron of the latest bombers is being formed with a New Zealand personnel, i “South Africa has largely expanded its air training organisations in firstline strength and has carried out valuable coastal reconnaissance in Southern Rhodesia. It is bringing the existing unit to full strength and is manning two additional squadrons.” i British Ascendancy in Air The Minister concluded: “We can Ibe confident that our air defence | system is sound, the strength, both l defensive and offensive, is growing steadily, so that every day we are in a better position to establish ascendancy in the air.”