Evening star., 1941-01-04
RAIDS
Continued From First Page)

been of German invasion of Eng
land. New evidence that such a
threat has not died down even with
! the advent of winter weather came
few days ago when the British
admitted they had reinforced their
guard at Dover in anticipation of a
possible surprise thrust from across
the Channel
The British are constantly warn
ing their people not to be lulled into
false feeling of security.
Failure to Attack Mystery.
Military experts say the greatest
stumbling block in German plans
has been the lack of a flrst-class
fighting fleet.
Even without this, they believe
Hitler might have succeeded in an
invasion if he had attacked Eng
land Immediately after the collapse
of France, instead of giving her
valuable months to shoulder up and
expand her defenses, at the same
time peDping up civilian morale.
Why the Fuehrer waited is a ques-
ton that still remains to be an
sWered satisfactorily. unless it was
a consequence of the overconfidence
which experts say prevailed in the
German forces at the time.
If that is the reason. I can easily
understand it. for I was in France
then and the feeling was contagious
The big advantage the British
will have over the Germans if and
when Britain attempts an invasion
is the British fleet. Two things are
/ holding back the British-lack of
sufficient armored ground equip
ment and weakness in the air.
Must Dispose of Italy.
Well informed neutral aviation
. sources expect Britain to gain aerial
superiority with American asSis-
tance by next July or August. At
the same time they believe Britain
will have manufactured enough
tanks and armored cars so that she
can attempt a full-dress continental
invasion.
Some expect her to try to go in
through the German back door
via the Brenner Pass (this on the
supposition that she will have
knocked out Italy by them or via
Rumania. Others say the terrain
and communications problem would
be too difficult-especially through
the Balkans. They predict a frontal
assault from such point as Dun
kerque.
They say the British can't move
until they have disposed of the
italians. But if and when they
have this would leave the fleet free
plus large part of the Near East
ern Army. The plan would be to
push in with the fleet. land body
of mechanized troops, then with
planes cooperating push a swath
to Germany.
Man Power Not a Problem.
The problem of man power would
not arise, say these strategists. Ger
many has larger army than Brit
ain, but she would be forced to de-
| tall part OF IL 10 keep guarQ over
the population in the various coun-
tries she has occupied, they say.
And, anyway, they add, the Ger
mans defeated 100000 Frenchmen
with essentially a few tens of thou
sands of men.
Ten armored divisions comprised
the spearhead of the German ad-
vance which punctured France. 1t
was simple matter for the ordi-
nary infantry to follow up and
! occupy the territory once the panzer
divisions had won it.
The British are gaining valuable
experience in their African cam
paign against the Italians. Using
an armored division which has been
manufactured in the few months
since the costly evacuation of Dun
kerque they are successfully copying
German methods book, chapter and
verse.
Military experts now are waiting
for the day when Teuton and Anglo
Saxon clash armored snouts. It
may come in 1941.