Bis Majesty's Government la the United
Kingdom hare considered la conjunction with the
Frenoh Government the policy which should he adopted
la respect of air bombardment at the outset of the
war and have decided that the Allies should not
Initiate air action against any hut "military"
objectives la the narrowest sense, i.e. Naval$ Army
sad Air Force establishments, and as far as possible
should confine It to objectives on Mich attack would
aot involve loss of civilian life*
In order to give effect to this conclusion
His Majesty's Government la the United Kingdom have
Issued instructions which are to be communicated to all
CormnanderB-in-Chief, General Officers and Air Officers
Commanding overseas commands*       These instructions
will govern the conduct of all forms of bombardment
until the restrictions therein contained are modified*
These restriction la the meantime are aot to he
relaxed on any account pending further instructions,
even la retaliation for Indiscriminate bomainj: by the
enemy.     The object of th-sse instructions is not to
define legitimate military objectives but to lay
dowa a course of action la accordance with an agreed
polioy which It may he expedient to adopt at the
outset of the war*   It will he observed that the effect
will ho to restrict bombardment mors severely than is
required by a reasonable interpretation of existing
international law*     The instructions are as follows:-
HOnly/
PRHM:NT

i
"Only the following purely military
objectives in narrowest sense of word may be
bombarded from the sea or air*     Army commanders
will conform generally to the spirit of these
instructions:
(a) Naval Forces, i.e.. warships, auxiliaries,
actually attendant on a fleet* naval dockyards,
barracks and other establishments manned by naval
personnel*
(b) Army units, fortifications, coast defence
works, barracks, camps, billets, depots, dumps and
other establishments manned by military personnel*
(c) Air units, military depots, storage units,
bomb stores and other establishments manned by air
personnel*
(d) Troop transports (whether at sea or in
harbour); roads* canals, railways used for military
communications, military roads and inland water
transport*    Trains, roads and inland water transport
are not to be attacked unless they can be reasonably
presumed to be of a military character*
(*)   Accumulations of Naval* Army or Air Force
stores (this does not authorise attacks on factories)*
(f)   Naval, a nay and Air Force fuel installations
or dumps in fields or situated within the confines of
Naval Army and Air Force establishments mentioned
in sub-paragraphs (a) to (o) above*
(Subject to note:   bulk stocks of fuel not eovered
by the above definition are not to be bombarded unde
these/
II
"these instructions).
Action against objectives ia preceding
paragraph will be subject to following- general
principless
(a)   Any bombardment of oivilian populations
is illegal.
(B)   It must bo possible to distinguish and
identify the objectives la ^question.
(0)   Bombardment must be carried out in such
a way that there is a reasonable expectation that
damage will bo confined to objectives and that
civilian populations in the neighbourhood are not
bombarded through negligence*   thus It la clearly.
Illegal to bombard a populated area la the hope of
hittlag a legitimate target which is known to be
in an area but which cannot precisely be located
and identified.
Subject to   the general policy sot out
above, Commanders mat exercise their discretion
and orders for bombardment should bo framed according
to the spirit of that policy and not necessarily to
the letter.   In particular It must bo borne in mind
that the fact of an objeotive being unquestionably
military dooa not necessarily or invariably justify
bombardment of it*   Thus anti-aircraft or coast-
defence guns situated la the centra of a populated
area could not bo bombarded with reasonable oxpootatlo
that damage would bo confined to them.    A small
detachment of troops in billets la or a convoy of
transport passing through a town or a troop-transport
M una«/
"lying alongside a commercial wharf are unquestionably
military objectives, but the bombardment of auoh
object ire a in a torn might involve risks to the
civilian population out of all proportion to the
military importance of tho target at the time and it
may thus bo unjustified.   Justification form bombard-
ment of unquestionable military objectives must
therefore depend on circumstances and must be deolded
by commanders aotlag In the spirit of these
instructions."
BRITISH EMBASSY,
WASHINGTON, CO.,
September 12th, 1939