Evening star., 1941-02-01
Germany Can Operate
1900 Planes al Any
One Time, British Say
Attacks With Greet Fury
Expected in Spring
When Weather Loosens
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated fIeSS.
LONDON, Feb. IAN unofficial
but well-informed air observer to-
night placed the number of air.
planes available to Germany for
full operation at any one time at
about 5000 and said Germany's
total air strength, including all
types of planes, is about 10000.
This observer said three Nazi air
fleets were operating against
Britain:
Air fleet No. 2, under Field Mar
shall Gen. Albert Kesselring, operat-
ing from Belgium, Northern France
and part of the Netherlands;
Air feet No. 8, under Field Mar.
shall Gen. Hugo Sperrle, operating
in Western France from bases be-
tween Brest and the Spanish
frontier, and
Air fleet No. 5, under Col. Gen
Jams Juergen Stumpff, operating
from the Northern Netherlands
Emden, Germany, Denmark and
Norway.
In addition to these, he added
are air feet No. l in Eastern Ger
many, air feet No. 6 in Rumanie
and air feet No. 4 with headquarters
in Vienna.
Spring Mass Bombings Feared.
The weather temporarily has
dampened the dueling of Brit
aims and Germany's air forces
leaving the field of battle to cross
Channel guns, but reliable sources
predicted today that springtime ir
Europe would bring greater fury
and frightfulness than the world
has ever seen.
BY mid-afternoon the only re-
ports of actual warfare were of
renewal of bombardment Of the
Dover area by German long-range
guns on the French Coast. Inter
mittent shells Glove the Channe
fog for three hours, but no casual
ties were reported.
Mass bombing on an unprece-
dented scale, as envisaged by Brit
ish sources, might cause hundred;
of thousands of casualties ir
Britain, Germany and Italy wher
spring unleashes the rival all
forces.
Reasons for Prediction.
"The present lull is due to bad
weather." one source said. "As soon
as the weather becomes favorable
the scale of attacks by both sides
will increase in proportionate in
tensity."
Aside from consideration of the
weather, the British listed the fol-
lowing reasons for their prediction
of terrific air warfare:
/. Germany must bring England
to her knees in 1941 If she is going
to win. An air attack on a fa1
bigger scale must pave the way fol
an invasion attempt if it Is to have
any chance of succeeding"
2. Britain is accumulating all
power with the accelerating aid Of
America and will step up attacks as
fast as planes are available"
One source, in commenting on the
lack of night aerial activity, said
''the bombing you can do in such
weather as Europe has had for the
past two weeks just isn't worth the
cost. Besides the waste of bombs
in trying to hit obscured targets
there always is the risk of crash
landings and plane crackups. That
seems the principal reason the Ger.
mans are trying day raids instead
Of night now"
Invasion Fever" Boosted.
Britain's invasion fever" which
| has burned since the fall of France
was boosted a degree or two by new
statements of public leaders and tht
press.
Britons read statements by United
States Secretary of the Navy Franz
Knox yesterday that the Germans
were waiting only for the right
weather; by Lord Halifax, Ambassa-
dor to the United States, that Hitler
would "have a go at it soon," anc
by Prime Minister Churchill thai
I'VE cannot tell when, we cannot
tell how, but we shall come
through ="
Lord Beaverbrook's Daily Express
which has warned repeatedly that
invasion would be attempted, said
eff invasion that seems imminent
does not come, it will be for one
reason only-that even the great
(See RAIDS, PAGE A-3.)