Evening star., 1940-06-23
Germans Expect
To Conquer Britain
With 100000 Men
But Control Of Skies
And Fifth Column Work
Would Be Prerequisites
BY JOHN r. WHITAKER.

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today that they can isolate and
destroy England. thus consolidating
the greatest military success in mod
ern history.
Informed German quarters say
that they can land at least 100000
men in England from aircraft and
Diesel-engined barges and snatch
victory quickly once the work of
tho bombers and the fifth column
have been done.
The bombers have already started
an attack designed to destroy Eng
lish airports and harbors. If they
succeed, some surprise move can be
expected, say the Germans, such
as the landing Of as many as two
or three Nazi divisions In Scotland
or the north Of England.
As the English turn against these
elements, the Germans think
another six or eight divisions could
be landed in force along the coast
lire from the Diesel-engined barges.
which proved their efficacy against
Norway and which the Germans
describe as an effective substitute
for naval power.
Depend on Air Control.
These barges, copied from types
first used in certain American
canals, are set with slight displace-
ments so that tanks, artillery and
camions can be run ashore directly
from the scow without chains or
harbor facilities. The Diesel en-
gines can drive the barges to shore
and hold them there with churn-
ing propellors, it is said, while me-
chanized equipment is driven of un-
der its own power.
The success of these landing ef-
forts depends, of course, upon an
absolute mastery of the skies. This,
the Germans think, they can
achieve now that their pilots, once
scarcely the equal of British or
American personnel, have been per-
fected in the only real military
school-they have actual fighting
experience, gained in Poland, Nor
way, the Lowlands and France.
Until quite recently the German
pilot disclosed the speediness of his
training. In the Norwegian cam
paign he crippled a British cruiser
and instead Of following up the at
tack until it was sunk he let the
British tow the ship to England.
His precision bombing was of, and
In designing the Stuka for him,
controls were made to pull the plane
up out of the dive, not at the split
second chosen by the experienced
pilot, but automatically, once the
bombs were released.
Contemptuous of British.
All this phase is past, German
quarters indicate, and Hitler today
has pilots by the thousands who
have learned to bomb by bombing
SO that they probably have no equals
IN the world. They have shown
In the Lowlands and France that
wave after wave of planes can
spread destruction to a degree never
known in the World War, and their
work Is based on the most pains
taking study of special maps and
plaster models Of objectives.
The Germans believe, moreover,
that they can repeat, in England,
the daring and resultant luck
which marked operations in Nor
way and Holland, where mere hand
fuls of men, counting on the sup
port of the fifth column, paralyzed
superior military forces. While the
stubbornness of the English in de-
Tending their own island is ad-
mitted, German quarters state that
London, with its curious cockney
population, softened by the life and
morality Of the city, could be
knocked of easily with the inevita-
bic confusion, thereafter, to the
whole of the English countryside.
These German quarters are prob
ably too confident, but they speak
with contempt Of the British soldier
as an amateur like the American,
with neither the genius nor the
training of the French.
Italy's Part.
If some weeks Of air preparation
against England make it possible
for Hitler to attempt to follow the
optimistic forecasts of German quar-
ters here, Italy is expected to play
an important part in German plans.
1taly's light, fast navy is expected
to keep the British fleet preoccupied
in the Mediterranean. Italy's 1T
submarines are being augmented
by mas, or mosquito boats-new all
steel speedboats carrying four tor
pedoes each so that any movement
Of British naval forces risks heavy
losses.
The British would be placed in the
dilemma, the axis powers believe, of
using only portion of their naval
strength against attempted German
landings in England, or of denuding
their potential Mediterranean allies
of the naval support almost vital to
this area.
What will the Egyptians and Turks
do once they see the Mediterranean
clear Of the British fleet? The
answer is already being prepared
by fifth-column activity in Cairo
and Ankara, it was argued here.
Italy Keeps Britain Busy.
The value of Italy as an axis
ally is greatly strengthened not
only by her fleet, the Italians insist,
but also by the fact that she keeps
Britain busy from the Indian Ocean
to the Alps. That area may be ex-
tended In the next day or two to
the Atlantic, for more than 80 per
cent Of 1taly's trains have been
taken out of service and it is gen.
orally believed that preparations are
being made for the occupation of
France.
Here again Premier Benito Mus
solini can be of service to Fuehrer
Adolf Hitler, because an invasion
Of southern France by Italy would
reduce the number of electives