30 JANUARY 1942, Page 4

The question usually phrased " Why aren't we bombing Germany

to hell? " is still worrying a good many people—naturally enough. I have been making some enquiries into that on my own account, and the answer really does seem to be the one word " weather." Only once before in the fifteen years during which statistics have been kept in their present form has the autumn and winter been as bad for bombing as in 1941-2, and our men and machines have enough else to contend with in the shape of fighters, searchlights and anti-aircraft fire (the density of the German " flak " and searchlights is greater than ours—why?) to be exposed wantonly to inordinately had weather, with the certain loss of brave men and valuable machines. The Air Minister has given the strongest public assurances that our policy is " to hit Germany as hard as we can and as often as we can," and the fact that we have been steadily piling up aircraft while weather has been restricting operations will no doubt increase both the number and the volume of the blows when they come.