Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-06
Nazis May Invade
Britain With a New
Weapon: SeasIeds
Secretly Built Croft, Very
Speedy, Might Transport
$4,000 Men in q Night
By LELAND STOWE,

CHICAGO Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
BUCHAREST, July 6.-When NaZi
Germany throws its empires armed
might against the British Isles, 1t
may astonish the world with the
use of new naval weapon of dan
gerously high-seas fighting potenti-
atty. It seems possible that in the
course OF a single night 50,000-or
even 100, 000-crack German troops
may be thrust across the narrow
English Channel in seasleds capable
Of dashing to selected spots on the
British coast at 40 knots.
According to extremely reliable in
formation obtained in another Bal
kan capital, the Germans have been
secretly building hundreds of sea-
sleds over the past six or eight
months, or more. They have also
been building an unknown number
of motor torpedo boats, such as were
first developed by Italy and which
are equally fast. Several foreign
governments have learned about the
Nazis' pronounced interests IN the
seasleds construction, but just what
they were intended for has not been
clear.
Light and Very Speedy.
The German seasleds are stream
lined, seagoing greyhounds with
great capacity for speed, and very
| light craft. One naval expert has
assured me that these seasleds can
be armed with machine guns and
anti-aircraft guns, and probably
transport 40 or so soldiers in addi-
ton. These seasleds are so surface
skimming that they could probably
pass over minefields with compare
tive security. He also believed that
warships or destroyers' charges
would have about as much chance of
hitting them as if they were aiming
at leaping porpoises.
Here is one Interpretation of how
the Nazi seasleds might conceiv-
ably be used to put strong landing
force on the British Isles. The sea-
sleds are SO speedy they can cross
the channel in 40 minutes or less.
Therefore, fleet of 1000 seasleds
could probably make two round trips
in the course Of single night, even
at this time of the year, at the rate
of so men per seasled. Even allow
ing for considerable losses, it might
be possible. it is said, to land more
than $4,000 men on the English
shore.
1t May Sound Mad, But
If the Germans unleash their sea-
sleds in this fashion, it is confidently
expected that they would co-ordi-
nate their attack with an unprece-
denied aerial assault upon all vital
ports and defense centers in Britain
and, simultaneously, attempt to
paralyze the British feet by shower
| ing it with hundreds of bombs, para
chute troops accounting for thou
sands of additional troops, would
presumably be dropped at the same
time. In this fashion the surprise
weapon of the seasled might be
| counted on to operate as a powerful
force in shattering British resist
| ance.
To old-fashioned naval men, the
| "seasled invasion" theory may sound
rather mad, but so did the use of
parachute troops until the invasion
of Holland and Belgium was
launched. This report is given mere
ly for the record and "in case" but
it is fact that Nazi Germany has
constructed hundreds of seasleds in
recent months for apparent use as
a military weapon. 1t is also a
fact that some experienced naval
men envisage the possibility of sea-
sleds being used as high-speed troop
transports for the establishment of
a German invading force in the
British Isles. 1t should be inter-
esting to observe whether. this is
simply matter of speculation.
Some people think the answer will
be known before very long.
Copyright, 1910, by Chicago Daily News, Inc.