| Show Behind the War News I Major Maior Eliot Says IQ By MAJOR GEORGE FIELDING ELIOT In considering the effect of aerial bombardment from the viewpoint of Its ability or lack of ability to gain a decision In war it may be Instructive to examine the record of ot Malta The main Island of Malta which Is the only one which need be taken into account is some 17 miles long by 8 83 broad broad- a total of 91 square miles It contains a population of approximately approximately approximately ap ap- ap- ap proximately It has a large fortified harbor with a naval dockyard and several air airbases bases Its weather conditions are generally good throughout the year with excellent visibility Malta lies about 6 60 miles from the coast of Sicily about miles from the mainland of ot Italy and about miles from iron the coast of Africa All of these surrounding territories north south east and west are in the hands or under the control of the axis powers Hostile aviation is based in all of ot them except to the westward In Tunisia The ranges permit the use of dive bombers as well as level bombers bombera bomb bomb- ers era and also allow close fighter escort for all bombing formations forma forma- No conditions could be more ideal for a conclusive proof of the contention of air warfare enthusiasts that air power alone and unaided is capable of achieving decisive results There is plenty of ot incentive for the axis leaders to do their best to reduce Malta While the island remains in British hands it remains a long sharp thorn in m the side of the axis chiefly by reason of ot the threat which it offers to the communications com corn of Marshal Rammel's Rommel's Rommel's Rom Ram mels mel's army in North Africa As long as British reconnaissance aircraft can operate from Malta they can locate convoys proceeding proceed proceed- ing from Italian ports to Tripoli and Benghazi and as long as British submarines and bombardment bombardment bom hem aircraft can operate from Malta they can attack these convoys under far more favorable conditions than Is possible possible possible pos pos- sible when operating from Alexandria Alex Alex- andria Yet with everything in fri their favor the most intensive efforts on the part of the axis air forces have not sufficed to knock Malta out as a British base nor even evento evento evento to prevent its periodic reinforcement reinforcement reinforcement reinforce reinforce- ment and supply by convoys coming through the Mediterranean nean from Gibraltar During the months of March April and May of this year when it was absolutely necessary to the axis plans that Rommel should receive supplies and re reinforcements reinforcements reinforcements re- re in large quantities the Germans were driven to the costly expedient of keeping up continuous day and night air at at- tacks on Malta and by so do doing they did succeed temporarily ig in 1 preventing for the most Part pait I Ithe the actual operation of British submarines and aircraft from the island But they were only able to do this as long as they kept their continuous air attacks going and the moment tj that these were relaxed Malta again aga became an operating base From the point of ot view ol those who maintain that all aU Germany Germany Ger Ger- many can be ma made e helpless b bair by air bombardment alone this U Is not an Impressive record fe From September 1941 to June 1942 a total of to tonj of bombs has been dropped oa n this small island or an of tons per square mile Actually the concentration ia ithe Ill i the vital areas of the island wi wai much greater than this sine sin the enemy of course concentrated concen his major effort on th thair air bases the naval base th the thi i harbor and the city of ot Valletta The heaviest weight of bombs bomb In one day was tons During Dur ing this time there 1 have ave bee been almost separate raids ta II the Island by enemy air for formations forma forma- of varying sizes During the first four months of 1912 1942 Malta was visited by a enemy aircraft of aU types A great part of the thi bombing has been by dive bomb ers and hence rather more I aS curate than level bombing v Yet et the British flag still flies ab ve Malta and British aircraft aj and d submarines continue to operate from the island striking w with telling effect at the axis c convoys con con- n voys striving to bring supplies supplied j to the Nor has all this bomb bombing g broken the spirit of the inhabitants inhabitants inhabit inhabit- ants who it must be resh remembered n- n are not English but Mal Mai- tese Instead it has stiffened d their spirits In the Miss Mabel Strickland daughter daugh ter of a former prime minister of Malta The nazis lit a torch among our people which burns buim with the white heat of righteous anger against the Italians who have sold themselves to the German German German Ger Ger- man overlords The bombing i Turin was balm on our wounds a It may of course be contends that Malta is a fortress and no noa oa a center of Industry and tha th it is against Industrial center cent r that air power can ha have vet ri it it greatest effects This is a p poin in which must be taken Into cOnsideratIon con cn there are few abic absolutes absolutes lutes In war and It would UJ l foolish to underrate the ver verj great power of the air weapon D But it will be equally tc overrate it and disastrously put our whole faith in it f th neglect of other and equally necessary nee essary means of warfare Against this tendency the record of Malta Is certainly a power poW r. r ful antidote 4 WI |
