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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 1532.PDF
684 FLIGHT. JUNE 27, 1935. OUR FIRST LINE In the Event of War, the Royal Air Force would Probably be Engaged in Hostilities Before Any Other Service : This Article Explains the Constitution of Britain's Air Defence and of the R.A.F. in General By MAJOR F. A. de V. ROBERTSON, V.D. JL IR expansion is the topic of the day. No person in / \ this country wants war, and no Power in Europe, X \ it may safely be said, wants war, but all people want to feel strong enough to make an air attack upon them a very risky adventure. Countries and seas can be made reasonably secure, but no person knows what would happen if his homeland were suddenly attacked by air. This has caused a general nervousness in Europe. Limitation of air armaments has been pro posed, but very little progress has been made with prac tical plans. Britain for over twelve years kept her Air Force at the smallest possible numbers, but her example was not followed, and now that force has to be trebled in a very great hurry. Only if we are at least as strong in the air as any neighbouring Power can we feel any sense of security. The decision to increase the Royal Air Force has been welcomed by the British people, but very few of them know much about that Force. It is recognised as our first line of defence, because, if war should come, the Air Force would probably be fighting before the Navy had fired a shot and while the Army was still mobilising. The organ isation of such a Force must surely be an interesting study to all, and particularly to the young men of all classes who are anxious to join it. Let us examine its scheme of defence and also its composition. The reader will be hard to please who is bored by such a subject. Far too much has been made of the saying that there is no defence against air attack, and that counter-attack is
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