German propagandists have had to pay dearly for this lack of imagination, Thus after the R.A.F. raided Berlin on April 17 they had to put out a most evasive communique, "Strong enemy formations," they said, "again penetrated to the outer antiaircraft barrage of Berlin. Only single planes, however, succeeded in penetrating through the barrage belt to the centre of the city. Four public buildings including again the State Library and about ten dwelling houses were damaged. The number of injured was small."
It is obvious from this communique that the German authorities are still harping on the idea of mass attack by aircraft in formation, But to Berliners this point of outworn tactics which enables the authorities to claim the break-up of non-existent formations must have been merely irritating. As British bombers even when they attack in hundreds never fly in formation by night the phrase "single aircraft" means nothing at all Though the German defences cannot stop night bombers they must be reckoned with and crews of British bombers do not underrate them. Every attack on well-defended German towns Wilhelmshaven, Kiel, Bremen, Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin is as carefully planned as offend sives against strong fortifications on the ground—the safest routes 10 be found, best height at which to pass guns, right tactics by which to evade searchlights to prevent gunners from getting ranges, locating landmarks to guide bombers most directly through the series of batteries ranged in semtcircles outside the suburbs. Different tactics are tried on different occasions and the experiences of every crew pooled, whole problems treated like a scientific experiment and nothing left to chance. ever he tried to climb he was driven down again. Everywhere he turned the way was blocked by a curtain of fire and for about ten minutes he went backwards and forwards til eventually he found a loophole in the defences and made his way out towards the sea. Nothing had stopped him from bombing the target.
These typical adventures. Every city in Germany is well-defended but whatever happens the bomber gets through the barrage. Formidable as a barrage can be it is not enough to check the bomber and in Germany as In Britain night fighters are play ing an increasingly important part in the defence. In Britain night fighters already have given great hope for the future but in Germany victori are all the other way and again and again British bombers, when found by night fighters, have fought back and won,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.