At Dunkirk the Germans learned what the position would be when they of posed a fighter force of sufficient size with good equipment. They suffered heavy losses at Dunkirk, and in the following period Britain was able to repair and replace wastage, so that when the Battle over Britain started the fighter force was in good shape. The Germans came up against a force of excellent quality on familiar territory with all the facilities essential to its operation.
From this it seems clear that the day of day bombers has gone, at any rate when it is used as an independent weapon of attack. It may still tave its uses in land fighting at short range when protected by fighters.
It must return to the part to which the Germans originally allocated it. that is, for ce-operation with a land army. The increasing efficiency of the offensive and defensive measures against night bombers, and the extinction of day bombers as an importent threat to British cities. mark two noteworthy developments in air strátégy and demonstrate that the Luftwaffe loses much of its power and prestige once it meets with res! opposition.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.