Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-17
Idle 2 Years
British Army
Could Invade
RAF Gould Soften Coast
by Nightly Bombing
BY PAUL MALLON

w Anglo-American threat TO
invade Europe has caused Hit
Ter 10 keep half a million troops
in France and the Lowlands,
and station a million more in
Central Germany as ready re-
serves.
As soon as Britain is able
10 put a thousand planes over
the French coast every night,
the promised blow is likely TO
fall.
Air superiority of some such
overwhelming nature is an OBJ
vious prerequisite TO fulfillment
of the Anglo-American promise
10 create such a second front
this year. But this requirement
will not hold if Hitler starts
weakening his western defenses
10 bolster his Russian front.
The moment he does that, the
British may logically move in
on him.
Thus the announced threat
serves its purpose of the great
aid to Russia even now.
MANY Americans are asking
A'1 why the British have not
established this front before,
with the only large inactive
army of this war concentrated
on its small island for nearly
two years. The London explana-
ton that there is insufficient
shipping is hardly convincing, as
barges could do the job and the
British have navy.
The answer may be found in
the air where most of the an
Swers in this war have been sup
piled. The Germans could not
invade Britain after Dunkirk be-
cause they were unable to obtain
sufficient mastery of the air.
Up to the bombing of Cologne,
the British had not been able to
show any ability TO manipulate
the clouds over the continent,
and even Cologne did not show
enough.
They must do that every night
before invasion can have reason
able military prospects of sue
cess.
THE American public seems to
Il suspect large A Ter C an
troop concentrations have been
amassed in Ireland. Actually
only four conveys have been
sent over as officially an
nounced. What the British need
to make a second front is not
land troops but air reinforce
mentS.
Meanwhile Ireland serves as a
good place for training Ameri-
can troops, in view of the
crowded condition of American
training camps. Also these
troops can relieve British for
fighting in Libya and India.
The landings in Ireland there
fore do not necessarily forecast
immediate invasion.
CONFUSING accounts of the
~ fighting have come out OF
Russia. Every time the NaZis
have attacked any place the last
two months, Moscow-has indi-
Gated the Nazi spring drive was
on
Hitler has been working with
unusual deliberation to clear up
three points of his line before
ramming his massed power, in
final desperation, at the Donets
Basin and Rostov.
He has been trying to clear
the Crimea at SevaStopol and TO
straighten out his long circular
line at Kharkov, as necessary
preparations for his big effort.
Both actions are designed TO
shorten his front and relieve
troops for the main bout.
There seems 10 be no secret
as to where his power is massed
or where it will strike. 1t is
Centered between Kharkov and
RoStov and its object is RoStov,
Stalingrad and the Caucasus
oil fields.
The third part OF his deliber-
ate plan. as so far developed, is
to capture Kronstadt and, If
possible. Leningrad in the north.
With KronStadt gone, the Rus
sian Baltic fleet would have no
place to land. II Leningrad
can be captured, Hitler might
work up to the Murmansk rail-
road and eliminate the main
line of Allied supplies into Rus
Sia
This northern sideShow could
be continued after the big south
ern drive starts. But the out
come at Kharkov and Sevastopol
should be evident before the
Germans open their big south
ern push east.
THE tricky Rommel has
Il slipped out of more British
/ traps than any one since George
Washington. The British still
have some supremacy of the air.
tanks and ground troops. and
yet betting has been running
only $3.50 here lately that they
will keep the only successful
Nazi general out of Tobruk.
So far the British have lost
more tanks than the Germans,
but their dwindling tank superb
ority will be greatly strength