1938-05-17 — Page 8

BRITAIN'S

REAL AIR

we can?

blockade. this matter.

factories

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 17, 1938.

PROGRESS TO SUPREMACY

accurate strengths,

CO-ORDINÁTed plans

new

the

our

war should break out, there can

And is our industry-what crew, and ground personnel, Squadron when the "war potential" becomes an be no doubt that the decisive fac has been called our "war potential" training with the new personnel and urgent necessity. This system might tor will lie in the air. The conditions being planned and organised to main- more complicated material takes lon- well be extended.

The next point is to ensure of 1914-1918 no longer apply. Then, tain that Force in the event of war? ger than it used to do.

utilisation of the factories by never have though the war would

It is not easy to obtain been won without co-operation from estimates of relative air

labour resources, to the utmost advan- tage. Thore is a certain shortage of the air, victory was due to the ground and Mr. Baldwin was badly misled in As regards the formation of forces assisted by the sea

The position is never squadrons, a note of warning should skilled labour, but the problem is really Operations were still mainly two static and we have not caught up the be sounded. in the light of experience one of co-ordination and utilisation of actual dimensional. To-day both land and leeway lost since the War. Nor is it gained in 1918..

The efficiency of the our resources rather than an

dearth, sea forces are less relatively powerful. possible to assess what progress other Force is even more important than

There must be a large and steady re- In other words, a war will largely nations will have made in the mean- numbers. We should accelerate and

expand the units as fast as possible, tracts in existing factories and the inforcement of labour on existing con- be fought in the air, and that Power time.

We are told that in our Metropo- but not at the risk of squadrons being utmost stress must be laid on getting will win which, having obtained mas- tery of the air, can proceed to de- litan Air Force, which is responsible so diluted as to diminish the value of this labour into rapid operation. As stroy her opponent's

and for Home Defence, there are 1,500 the Force as a fighting unit. It was we know, the Prime Minister, the em- arsenals, dislocate her communications first-line machines, against Germany's the backbone of the original R.F.C.

of We which made the expansion and break down her will to war. The first-line strength of 2,500-3,000.

the ployers' organisations, and the trade union leaders are now grappling with only thing that can save Europe and are also given to understand that a Great War possible.

To send up men imperfectly trained, labour can be made available,

this question.

skilled If sufficient the world in the event of war is thè certain number of our machines are

semi- But two-thirds of our as was found in the last war, merely aerial supremacy of the British Em- obsolescent.

skilled and unskilled labour can be total are being replaced by more mo- means unnecessary casualties in men pire.

more easily obtained, but it can only dern A SERIES OF PLEDGES

types, and by March, 1939, we and machines.

be used if the skilled labour, which is In 1984 Mr. Baldwin stated that are promised an entirely modern force It is impossible to over-emphasise "This Government will see to it that of 1,750 machines, with full reserves.

the paramount necessity that the de- the key, is there.

In all this the most efficient business in air strength and air power this FIRST LINE CASUALTIES

fence policy of the three Services

organisation and supervision is essen- country shall no longer be in a posi- As regards productive capacity it is should be fully co-ordinated.

A com- tial. The greatest possible co-opera- tion of inferiority to any country said that as at present organised our within striking distance of our shores." maximum output is about 200 On November 1 of last year Sir John chines per month, with an additional shadow be- 100

the Simon defined the objective as

per month from ing "to create and maintain an Air factories when these begin to function Against Force which will form an effective at the end of this year.

is stated deterrent and insurance for peace, and this, Germany's production which, in the unhappy event of war, to be 350 per month, with an emer- about would be able to meet potential gency productive capacity of

ย enemy on equal terms."

600.

ma-

that is

BY

MAJ.-GEN. SIR FREDERICK SYKES

90-

On March 10 this year the Prime But whatever the actual figures may

of Minister said. "The policy the be, one thing is certain, and

a much Government is to create an Air Force that England must make of such character and size as, hav- greater effort if it is to obtain ing regard to all

as it is circum- called parity in the air, or, stances, including the nature of our better described, an Air Force equal war problems and the extent and avail- to any emergency.

"

relevant

tive effort is needed to speed up the work in hand. It must be ensured that there are no departmental delays, and that employers use their skilled labour to the best advantage. Costs

constant. will require very close and serutiny if they are to be kept at a reasonable figure. It is important, also, that, while reinforcing labour there is no unreasonable increase in cost.

VIRTUE OF FLEXIBILITY Turning to ground defence, it is necessary that anti-aircraft weapons, guns and searchlights alike, shall keep pace with defence in the air. defence is four-fold-squadrons interception, defence and counter-at-

Air

for

ability of our aggregated. resources, Here I would interject that parity, first-line will constitute an effective weapon for does not necessarily imply

In bined General Staff should at once be tack; ground defences, guns and sear- our purposes.

equality in numbers of machines.

work chlights; ancillary services, like These are reasonable words. But fighting between equally matched air set up whose duty it will be to

insure balloon barriages; and air raid precau- the public wishes to know to what forces, it is calculated that first-line out all strategical plans and

The tions. In all these, especially in extent they are being translated into casualties will probably average 50 against dispersion of effort.

Even under details of the programme of each in- production of anti-aircraft guns, much facts. It is equally important to avoid per cent. per month. the extremes of alarmist rumours and war conditions, aircraft cannot be dividual Service to carry this strategy acceleration is required, and the sup- and personnel must undue complacency.

turned out under six months. Unless, into effect (in the case of the air, the ply of material

200 character of squadron, the type of be kept in step. But it must never RELATIVE STRENGTHS

therefore, we have a reserve of

to the be overlooked that the real defence Discussions as to whether air par- per cent. We shall not be able to machines &c.) must be left ity is definable or how it should be. keep our Air Force up to strength at Naval, Military or Air Staff to deal lies in the counter-offensive, the inter-

with.

ception and destruction of the attack- defined do not seem to carry us very the end of the first six months of war;

It is also of great importance that ing force. far. The practical question would ap- casualties will progressively overtake.

air Most important of all, it is essen- pear to be: Are our plans designed production unless productive power is the strategy and tactics of the

should be, of a "forward" character tial to ensure that our Defence Forces, to give us an Air Force of the right commensurately increased. size and kind, the most effective for Then there is the question of Service that is, based on the best that science when reconstituted, are turned to the Scientific best advantage. We must not only our purpose and equal to any emer- personnel. The greater the complexi and technique can give.

must gency? Are we taking all possible ty of the machines, the more intensive knowledge, strategy and tactics cannot have the best weapons, but we

work too closely together. This is be able to use them. The character- steps to get that Force as quickly as must be the training of the

now recognised.

istic of air power is its flexibility, and this must be utilised to the full. There has perhaps been an undue, tendency to-treat-the-Metropolitan-Air-Force-

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Sino-Japanese Hostilities (Documented) Mongolia and Chinese Turkestan

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pilot,

"FACTORIES AND LABOUR

"The first question is, has the aircraft and other air units as though they industry been organised and prepared were divorced from one another, and to effect a large increase in output if this, with the increasing range of air- labour is made available and on a low craft, is unsound.

IMPERIAL AIR FORCE

cost basis? If it were case of establishing new factories the delay In conclusion steps should be taken would be calamitous. It may there to form

In fore be assumed that the Air Minis- addition to local defence, we have a

an Imperial Air Force. try has laid its plans on a really large far-flung Empire whose protection is a scale, that extensions of factories have vital necessity. The last war found been made, shadow factories equipped us fighting on a number of subsidiary and orders for tools and materials fronts-Gallipoli, Salonika, the Suez.. placed to cover greatly increased pro- Canal, Palestine, Mesopotamia duction.

East Africa. The Imperial. Air Force After the existing factories, the should be formed on the principle of shadow factory is of prime importance dispersal in times of peace and con- as a "war potential." Firms get the centration at any threatened point in experience and plant necessary in or the Empire when war appears to be der to turn cover to war conditions imminent.

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Handle

and

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 17, 1938.

JAPANESE