Evening star., 1941-01-08

base of opera Maj. G. Fielding Eliot
tions for the blockade and air at
tack on Germany. If the Germans
fail to do so, they will find them
selves overmatched in the battle
of production, and thereafter the
war becomes matter of how long
they can hold out under the steadily
increasing pressure of blockade, of
air attack and of the reorganiza-
ton under Anglo o-American direc-
ton of the nom European world.
The Germans now are increasing
the scope and activity Of their own
counter blockade. This is by all
odds the most hopeful means at
their immediate disposal for weak
ening British resistance. It's weapons
are the submarine and the off,
shore aircraft, operating against
British shipping, the one aiding the
other, and bombing aircraft oper-
atlng against ports, railway Gen.
tiers and industrial facilities. AS
additional aircraft become available,
the tempo of this attack gradually
can be stepped up, but other
weapons and means are also avail
able. Surface raiders can be used
in increasing numbers; Germany
has four battleShips, two pocket
battleships and three or four heavy
cruisers well adapted for such tasks
and the possibility of some units Of
the italian feet breaking into the
Atlantic cannot be disregarded.
Might Try Naval Blitzkrieg.
At the right moment, the Ger
mans would hardly hesitate to sacri-
flee the whole Of their remaining
surface navy in one grand blitzkreig
against the British sea lanes 1t is
of little use to them lying in port
serving only the negative purpose
of OBTAINING a certain number of
British capital ships in home waters
At critical period Of the war, the
loosing Of all these ships to at
tack British conveys might very
we'll produce a complete cessation
of arrivals in British ports for a
considerable time
This critical moment may not
be the moment when Germany
launches a full scale invasion OF
Great Britain. Indeed, it is quite
probable that the chance of such
an invasion is gone-at least until
British resistance has been worn
down by other means. The defense
organization Of the Island of Great
Britain has been brought to a high
degree of excellence. Deep de-
fensive zones of Notifications girdle
all the shore lines; an army of not
less than IS fully equipped divisions
plus at least two tperhaps more)
armored divisions, is available
backed up by at least an equal
number of formations not yet fully
trained and equipped but available
as a reservoir Of requirements, and
home guard steadily growing in
numbers and efficiency. Consider
ing British command Of the sea
and the high efficiency and per-
formance of the Royal Air Forces
an invasion of Great Britain ap-
pears an enterprise offering only
the prospect of a bloody and per-
haps finally decisive defeat unless
some means can be found to cut
down the present ability Of the de-
tenders to deal with it.
Might Bring Army Into Play.
These means cannot consist
wholly in submarine, surface raider
and air attacks against communica-
tiors. These must be co-ordinated
with other types of attack. And
one means which is very likely to
make its appearance Is one in which
the powerful and well-equipped
German Army can make itself felt
This might be in a series Of raids
against key points; ports, railway
centers, large industrial centers.
Let us suppose that the Germans
have available, as they easily might
have, about thousand troop
carrying planes. They might begin
fire-bomb raid at some selected