In de eerste plaats de samenwerking jagers luchtdoelartil
lerie. Deze vereischt een nauwkeurige afbakening van het terrein
van actie en van de te volgen methode.
Generaal Ashmore meldt dienaangaande
„Our pilots came in for a great deal of the fire from the ground."
(1917).
„But one squadron, No 37, while flying on its regular patrolline,
came under a heavy fire from the anti-aircraftguns, two of the
machines being badly damaged by shell. There was still a good
deal to be learnt in combined defence work." (1917).
„Careful arrangements were made to ensure that the gun fire
and our pilots should really cooperate t|nd should not interfere with
each other as had happened so often in former attacks. This en
tailed defining a fixed line dividing the two areas of activity.
We called it the green line. During such time as any hostile
formation is approaching London, all guns outside the green line
will normally have priority of action, that is to say, while crossing
all gun areas, any formation of our machines will fly to a flank
to give unrestricted action to anti-aircraftguns. If, however, at
any time, while the hostile formation is crossing these gun areas,
the patrol leader considers he has a really favourable opportunity
to attack, he will do so, and the anti-aircraftguns will stop firing.
Inside the green line our machines will always have priority of
action, that is to say, all anti-aircraftguns will give preference
to our machines and will fire only up to that time when it becomes
plain that our pilots have seen the enemy and are in a position
to attack him." (1918).
Uit het vorenstaande volgt dat een soepele regeling werd toe
gepast, waarbij het gezichtsverband de voornaamste factor was,
terwijl voorts de conclusie kan worden getrokken, dat de lucht
doelartillerie zich dient te onthouden in al die gevallen, dat voor
de jagers een gunstige kans aanwezig is.
In de tweede plaats zouden wij reeds hier de aandacht willen
vestigen op de kans voor de naburige bevolking op verliezen door
eigen vuur van luchtdoelartillerie, welk gevaar niet denkbeeldig
is, zooals moge blijken uit de volgende uitlatingen van generaal
Ashmore „The fire of the anti-aircraftguns caused some casualties
(10 killed, 55 wounded) among our own people, but none of the
Gotha's were damaged." (1917).
„Increased knowledge among the public of how to take cover
from shell fragments, reduced the average casualties, raid by raid,
from our own anti-aircraft fire, to less than half those caused
in 1917."
Overigens komt deze kwestie vanzelf ter sprake bij de lucht
bescherming.
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