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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0375.PDF
APRII 5, '913- more carefully and sec that we had now to have the mastery of the air as well as of the sea. At the moment we were outclassed and outmatched, and we were starting late. In these circumstances he regretted the_ First Lord had not taken more money for this purpose, as he might have done. On Monday, when the debate was resumed, Mr. Eyres-Monsell said that, with regard to airships, his fear related chiefly to the defence of the dockyards, arsenals and magazines, and in that connection the statement of the Government was most unsatisfactory. The only crumb of comfort came from the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, who said he had this danger in his mind. In the matter of airships, the Government had grossly failed to provide for the adequate defence of the country. Mr. Churchill : With regard to aviation, it seemed unreasonable and unfair to sneer at the Home Office regulations. It was very- necessary that regulations should be made, and no one could complain that they were not of a thoroughly comprehensive and sufficiently drastic character. The powers retained under them were of a far-reaching character, and the Admiralty were very glad they had been made as the result of pressuie from them, because they were an essential part of the Admiralty's policy in dealing with the unjustifiable intrusions from foreign aircraft. A little of the ingenuity which had been devoted to pouring ridicule l/yeS? upon these regulations would have been much more profitably occupied in scientific study of the very difficult problems connected with the air and the effects of aircraft on warfare generally. The proposals which had appeared in the newspapers that an aerial service should be established apart from the Army and the Navy found no support so far as the Admiralty was concerned. It was absolutely essential that airships and aeroplanes which had to work with the Fleet should be under the absolute control of the Admiralty and the Fleet officers commanding the different squadrons, MM they could never allow any third departmert 10 come between them in what would be a permanent and continuing factor in naval arrangements. Later, Mr. Long said, when we realised how far behind Germany this country was in the provision of air services, he wondered that the First Lord had not announced greater activity in this direction. If the right hon. gentleman came I > the conclusion that it wis necessary to do more, he hoped he would not hesitate to ask lli< House of Commons for the necessary provision. Mr. Churchill said it was not a question of money at all. Mr. Long expressed the hope that the other difficulties, whatever they were, would l«- surmounted, as it seemed to him that if half that was said about this new method of warfare was true, the very existence of the country might be threatened. ® ® ® ® AIR STRATEGY OF THE NORTH SEA. THE German airship fleet of 13 dirigibles, 5 of which are capable of a speed in excess of fifty miles an hour, is stationed at various points throughout the country, but the greater number of airship bases are situated, the Daily Telegraph states and as the map shows, along the coast of the North Sea, or further south inland, whence, secure from attack, they could traverse Holland or Belgium, and reach the English coast in from five to six hours. The black circles represent the radius of action (an out-and-home journey) of the large rigid airships from their bases. This radius of action has been calculated on a basis of a 600-mile flight each way, \r-Kr~ S A 0 S T R I A Strmmt Airtfnfi/tadiut jimmtAt/t f "X Arrthtp Sialtfrnt with VomUCHI SPECIALLY PttMSCD TOR £fc» fi»U| (Mfflr*** B>CE0QW'[Ml.'*33.STP!AND.U)l.0ON W.C AIR STRATEGY OF THE NORTH SEA.—An illuminating map published by the courtesy of the Daily Telegraph showing the possibilities of the German air fleet in regard to the British Isles. 381 C 2
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