"While the possibilities of large-scale attack on merchant shipping by submarines can be more or less accurately foreseen and defensive measures planned in the light of experience, there is little beyond theory to advise us in considering the defence of sea-borne trade against air attack, writes the Naval correspondent of the "Sunday Observer."
"What has happened in Spanish waters and in China in the last two years may be an accurate foreshadowing of the effect of air warfare on sea traffic, but the operations have been too spasmodic and the amount of shipping involved too small to warrant the deduction of lessons. The effect, in sum, has been slight.
The number of ships sunk is infinitesimal: the amount of damage done to ships and the casualties inflicted on personnel have been far less than had been expected, and although wharves and ware-houses have been damaged in the ports work has proceeded without any serious interruption. And, as usual, lhere has been no lack of merchant seamen quite willing to face whatever risks there were.
When we come to consider our own problem in the light of this experience it is permissible to assume that the damage done to our shipping by hostile aircraft will not be quite such a massacre as was promised by the air-minded enthusiasts of a few
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.