Evening star., 1940-05-23
Germans Mass
Al Coast for
Major Stroke
U-Boot and Speedboot
Crews Chompine;
Infantry Pours In
BY LOUIS P. P.LOCHNER,

hSsocidteo PreSs war correspondent
WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES
ON THE WESTERN FRONT, May
23.-I have reached the English
Channel to find German forces here
with the Nazi swastika flying.
1t seems almost unbelievable that
I should find Germany at this cham
mel. But the swastika waving from
the local commanders headquarters
leaves no doubt about it.
Crews of U-boats and speedboats
are champing to be sent on their
errands of destruction.
tMr. Lochner, chief of the As
sociated Press bureau in Berlin,
is in the dfth day of a tour with
the German forces on personal
invitation of Hitler. He did not
specify the point at which he
reached the English Channel but
apparently it was some place in
Belgium)
Here as elsewhere the roads of
approach are jammed with infantry,
more infantry, and still mere in
fantry, and with artillery ever more
formidable, backed by an air force
equipped to the last fine detail. All
are awaiting Adolf Hitler's final
command to go to England.
Attack Will Be No Picnic.
+ Everywhere one hears soldiers
singing the "Engefiand" song Young
men realized such a venture would
be no picnic.
Maybe so of each 100 ships will
be sunk by the British" one in
fantryman from Saxony said to me
in his quaint dialect,
But why shouldn't I be lucky
and be on one of the ships that
gets over?
And if not well, that Just
cannot be helped"
Another lad from Mecklenburg
rubbed his hands and declared:
"Oh, boy! Won't it be great to
march on to London?"
Just when Hitler will push the
button, however, nobody could pre-
dict.
Meanwhile, the occupation forces
have normalized life in this sector
of the front as they did everywhere
else. The Belgians go about their
work as usual. Cafes and restau-
rants are open, with Germans and
Belgians mingling freely.
Shops are open and goods are sold
for either Belgian or German money
at rate of 10 francs to one mark.
Before the German invasion the
Belgian franc was valued at 3.3
cents; the nominal rate on the
Reichsmark is 40 cents.
Bombing Attacks First.
Gernany's western armies battled,
meanwhile, to close the right wing
of their pincers about allied forces
in Northern France and Belgium
and at the same time poured other
divisions into mopping-up opera
tions behind their lines before un.
dertaking their next big maneuver.
Hitler is not likely to attempt to
attack England herself until he
has paved the way to his satisfaction
with a tried and trusted program
Of these main points:
l. Destruction of all British naval,
air and ground organization by air
raiding.
2. Similar destruction of airplanes
and vessels.
3. Combined attack by speedboats,
submarines and air bombers on
British transports and warships.
Not until the Fuehrer feels that
this has been done satisfactorily is
he likely to aim a decisive blow With
land forces.
Continuous bombing of the Bel
gian Channel port of Ostend and
the French ports of Dunkerque,
Calais and Dieppe is in line with
this in the continental fighting, the
intention being to demolish docks
to which British reinforcements
might come and from which British
and allied troops might escape in
event of rout.