Evening star., 1940-03-21
New Bombing Style
Set by British
In 5y|t Raids
Attack Lasting Hour
After Hour First of
Kind in This War
BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ETvnT

BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDING
ELIOT.
The British air raids on the Island
of Sylt are the most significant
operations yet conducted in this war
by the allies. They present charac-
teristics which distinguish them
from all of the various tip-and-run
affairs which have preceded them.
1t has long been recognized that
bombing attacks in order to produce
any real effect must have the same
quality of continued effort which is
required for the same reason of an
artillery bombardment. The Ger
man operations against the British
coastal positions have in general
been conducted with very small
forces and at intermittent times and
varying places.
L, Was quite clear from the begin
ling, as has been repeatedly pointed
out in these articles, that these
proceedings were experimental in
nature and not intended of them
selves to produce any considerable
effec. except such as good luck
might bring them. The same is to
be said of such attacks as the Brit
lsh have heretofore made on Ger
man coastal positions.
British in Earnest.
But this attack on Sylt is entirely
different 1t was kept up by con-
tinuous waves of bombers, hour
after hour. 1t was just such series
of air raids on Barcelona and Cam
ton which were by far the most
effective previous bombing opera
tions of which we have records.
Obviously this time the British were
in earnest; they risked a consider
abe force and tried for really worth
while results Judging from the
very incomplete reports received
from Danish sources. they have
done no small amount of damage.
1t is, of course, much too early
to say whether this attack heralds
a change of policy toward the con-
duct of the war on the part OF the
British government. 1t is always
possible that it is in an Isolated
affair, intended merely as a re-
prisal for the German air attack
on Scapa Flow, the amount Of dam
age effected by which is as yet per-
haps not fully known. If this at
tack on Sylt is indeed reprisal for
Scapa Flow, it is quite probable that
the amount of damage there effected
is greater than that stated IN the
official British communiques.
Weighing all the factors involved,
however, it seems likely that the
attacks on Sylt represent at least
one result of various pressures upon
the British government for a more
active conduct of the war. These
pressures arise in part from popular
impatience, crystallizing as a result
of the Finnish debacle, but repre-
senting months of growing feeling
that the war was not being prose-
cuted with sufficient vigor and that
little was being achieved in return
for the strain and sacrifices which
were being demanded of the British
public. Within the government it
self, also, there are known to be
differences of opinion as to the rela-
tive value of an aggressive attitude
and the policy Of "sit tight and de-
pend on the blockade" which has
hitherto characterized British STRAIT
egy.
r. A. F. Prayers Answered.
The Royal Air Force, which pos
sesses by all odds the most efficient
and progressively minded staff Of
the three British fighting services,
has long been an advocate of greater
activity, and has repeatedly begged
to be given a chance to show what
it can do. 1t would appear that its
prayers have, at least in part, been
granted. 1t may very we'll be that
decisions as to future policy may, in
some measure, depend on the results
the Royal Air Force is able to obtain
at Sylt.
Differences of view in this matter
of offensive strategy are, of course,
not confined to Great Britain. A
similar controversy has been raging
in France, although there is no
definite indication that Paris and
London are at loggerheads over
this matter. The resignation yes
terday of the French government
resulted from vote in the Chamber
of Deputies which was accompanied
by call for acceleration and exten-
sion of the war against Germany
position which the Senate has