Evening star., 1940-05-27
Berlin
Continued From First Page.)


southward from Courtrai, Belgium
The spearheads of these forces
were said to be less than 18 miles
apart. If they meet, they would
form an iron ring around French
and British troops now fighting in
the area bounded by Lille, Valen-
ciennes, Cambria and Lens.
Announcement of the capture of
Calais, only % miles from Dover,
England, was accompanied by re-
ports of new German successes else
where on land, sea and in the air.
Plane Carrier Sunk.
AS outlined by the German high
command these included:
1.-The sinking of a British air.
craft carrier by bombs off Harstad,
Norway and bomb hits on a battle
ship and cruiser off the Norwegian
port of Narvik
2Damaging aerial attacks on
airports in East and Southeast
England.
3. Bombing of harbor facilities at
Dunkerque, Zeebrugge and Ostend,
during which a powder magazine
and marine depot were set af1re.
Military commentators said con-
tinued smashing aerial attacks de-
livered at the Belgian Channel ports
had cut off the last avenue of escape
for the Allied armies of the north.
These forces, they declared, have
now only two choices-surrender or
hopeless fight to complete destruc-
ton.
So intent were all commentators,
however, on the imminent posi-
bility of an assault upon England
that the task of mopping up the be-
leaguered Allied troops in Belgium
was a matter of secondary i'm
portance.
Eager to Attack England.
The army itself, confident that it
can accomplish anything Adolf
Hitler commands, was said to be
eager for the order that will send
1t across the English Channel Ger
mans spoke lightly Of the technical
difficulties which an assault upon
England might entail.
For this German Army the Chan
mel is merely brook" said Hitler's
newspaper, Voelkischer Beobachter,
this morning.
Informed quarters contended that
Germanys powerful air force, her
submarines and her fleet of little
torpedo speedboats would be ample
to protect Nazi landing operations
In the British Isles.
There were reports of increasing
activity by the speedboat fleet, which
was said to be disrupting water COM
munications between England and
France.
The announcement of the capture
Of Calais, potential springboard for
an attack upon England, caused a
wave of elation throughout the
Reich.
1t was said on all sides that Hit
ler's army had accomplished in two
weeks what Kaiser Wilhelm's troops
had been unable to do in four years.
Morale reached new high and con-
fidence appeared to know no bounds.
Declares Allies Split.
Commentators insisted that to a
degree not apparent on the surface
England and France had already
been cut off from each other and
that from now on they would have
to fight separately, each relying on
their own resources.
Germans said possession Of the
ports of Calais, Boulogne and Able
vile gave them important bases
from which they can conduct har-
assing operations that will soon vir-
tually end communications between
the Allied countries. It was pre-
dicted here that air connections be-
tween London and Paris soon would
be almost completely wiped out.
The Germans took particular
pride In the smooth functioning of
the supply service which has been
maintaining the Nazi columns on
their drive to the coast.
Allied Predictions Derided.
French and British predictions
that the German offensive would
collapse because of inability to keep
1ast-moving mechanized units sup
piled with fuel were recalled with
deriSion.
Hailed as the hero of this COM
munications coup was Fritz Todt,
builder of the Seigfried Line and the
Reich's great automobile highways.
Thousands of rail and road builders,
directed by Todt, have followed on
the heels Of the army.