Evening star., 1941-04-27
England Braces Self
For Extension of
Aerial Combuts
Ry the Associated Press.

Ry the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 26. - Britain,
defeated in. the battle of the
Balkans, hurried soldiers and
arms to the danger zones of Suez
and Gibraltar tonight and braced
herself for extension of the air
battles of London and Berlin.
The R. A. F. carried out several
dav offensive patrols over the Eng
liSh Channel and Northern France
with the loss of two fighter planes.
One German plane was shot down
off the southeast coast, where day
light bombing caused some injuries
and property damage.
Shrieking sirens heralded the ap-
proach of German raiders in the
London area around midnight after
Luftwaffe units earlier roared over
the northeast coast in relays. The
capitals alert was short.
The raiders, crossing the coast
through a heavy barrage, evidently
we're bound for the northwest Of
England, since the Midlands also
reported them flying over without
dropping bombs at late hour.
NaziS Fire Across Straits.
The Germans fired their long
range guns again across the choppy
but cloudless Strait of Dover.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill
who is expected to tell the public
of Withdrawals in Greece in a broad
cast tomorrow, inspected the bomb
ruined districts of Manchester today.
Its tragedy, but they'll get it back
threefold.' he commented
The Churchill address will be
heard in Washington at 3 pm.
over Stations WJSV, WRC and
VOL, the stations said last
night
The Air Ministry told of the bomb
ing of Kiel and other German naval
bases and Berlin, and the Ministry
of Home Security arranged to con-
script flrewatchers for compulsory
service in Londons city.
Rallies in Mediterranean.
The main theater of war remains
the British Isles and their maritime
approaches" a reliable source de-
clared, but he indicated Britain was
rallying her strength for the imme-
diate task of holding the eastern
and western ends of the Mediter-
ranean lifelines, as well as in the
Atlantic.
The battle of Greece proves that
Britain is not yet strong enough to
handle the bigger and better
equipped German Army, this source
said, 80 our job for possibly another
year seems to be concentration on
air and sea combat until we have
got tanks and weapons from United
States factories and ours to tackle
the enemy in decisive fashion on
land"
The best sources were frank in
saying they expected the next Ger
man blows to be dealt at the en-
frances and exits to the Mediter-
ranean, east and west.
Forces to Be Released.
Conclusion of the Greek campaign
of which there were today only
slim accounts dealing with gallantry
OF the British rear guards-is ex-
pected to release additional forces
OF both the army and navy for
defense of Egypt from a German
thrust toward the Suez Canal.
The British still expressed hope
that Turkey would stand firm
against any axis drive southeast from
the Balkans, but they noted the
dangers in the German occupation
of Samothrace and Lemnos.
In the most important battle of
all-that of the Atlantic-the Brit
ish reported they were making some
progress in reducing their ship
losses, although they predicted in
creased attacks as the weather i'm
proves.
L. S. Patrols Welcomed.
Reliable observers speculated that
the United States patrols announced
by President Roosevelt would help
insure fairly safe conduct for supply
ships in the western half of the
Atlantic and would free many Brit
iSh warships for service on the more
perilous seas around Britain.
A long editorial in the Times of
London, headed The American
Spirit" said "the assurance of Col.
Knox that we cannot allow our
goods to be sunk in the Atlantic
gives us security for the regular
continuance of these vital supplies"
The Oxford University Press
(See LONDON, Page A-5.)