within a
few miles of the Saar Basin, within 180 miles of Essen, and within 150
miles of Frankfurt. Another portion was based on Norfolk, where a group
of super-Handley Page machines were established for the specific purpose
of attacking Berlin, a distance of 540 miles, and the naval bases within
400 miles. It was obvious that though aircraft from England would have
to cover greater distances, they would not expose themselves to the
strong hostile defences in rear of the battle front.

Three instances of the Independent Air Force's action may be cited. On
the night of August 21st/22nd, two Handley Page machines dropped over
one ton of bombs on Cologne Station, the raid occupying seven hours. On
the night of August 25th/26th two Handley Pages attacked the Badische
Aniline und Soda Fabrik of Mannheim; bombs were dropped from a height of
200 feet, direct hits being obtained in every case; and the machines
then remained over the town, which they swept with machine-gun fire. On
August 12th the first attack was made on Frankfurt by twelve D.H.4
day-bombers, every machine reaching the objective and returning safely
in spite of being attacked, over Mannheim and throughout the return
journey, by some forty hostile fighters.

During the five months of its existence the Independent Air Force
dropped 550 tons of bombs, 160 by day and 390 by night. Of these 200
tons were dropped on aerodromes, largely by the short-distance F.E.2b's,
as a result of which, hostile attacks on Allied aerodromes became
practically negligible. Theoretically, machines of the Independent Air
Force should not have been utilized for attacking purely military
objectives in the Army zone, such as aerodromes, and their co-operation
with the Army for this purpose shows that their true role was either not
appreciated or not favoured by the French and other Commands.

There is ample testimony to the spirit of demoralization which pervaded
the civil population of the towns attacked.

"My eyes won't keep open whilst I am writing," reads one captured
letter. "In the night twice into the cellar and then again this
morning. One feels as if one were no longer a human being. One air
raid after another. In my opinion this is no longer war but murder.
Finally, in time, one becomes horribly cold, and one is daily, nay,
hourly, prepared for the worst." "Yesterday afternoon," says
another, "it rained so much and was so cloudy that no one thought