INVASION STILL LIKELY

Evening Star, Issue 23684, 18 September 1940, Page 7

INVASION STILL LIKELY

Mr Churchill Repeats Warning Britain’s Strength Increasing Steadily Serious Injury Inflicted on Enemy by R.A.F. (British' Official Wireless.) press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright EUGBY, September 17. (Received September 18, at 10.30 a.m.) Mr Churchill, in a brief statement in the House of Commons, ■aid: “ The deployment of German barges and ships in preparation for the invasion of Great Britain and Ireland continues steadily and we must expect Hitler to make an attempt at what he judges the opportunity. All our preparations must therefore, be maintained in a state of vigilance. The process of waiting keyed up to concert pitch day after day is apt in time to lose the charm of novelty. There is no doubt that it imposes a heavy strain on all concerned, but we must not underrate the damage inflicted upon the enemy by the heavy and prolonged nightly bombing upon his concentration of shipping and upon all focal points of his assembly of troops. Undoubtedly serious injury has been done to his ships and barges. “ Meanwhile our strength develops steadily by land, sea, and above all in the air. Sunday’s action was the most brilliant and fruitful of any fought upon a large scale by fighters of the R.A.F. up to the present. The figures have already been made public. To the best of my belief, and 1 made searching injiiiries and several cross-checks, they are not in any way exaggerated. “ Neither side has yet employed more than a portion of its forces, but there is good reason for believing at present that very grievous inroads are being made upon the enemy’s superiority of and that we may await the decision of the prolonged air battle with sober but increasing confidence. “ The German attacks upon the civil population have been concentrated mainly upon London in the hope of Terrorising the citizens into submission, or to throw them into confusion, and »lso in the silly idea they will put pressure upon the Government to make peace.” Mr Churchill added that during the first half of September about 2,000 civilians, men, women, and children, had been killed and about 8,000 wounded by air bombardment. “ The deliberate and repeated attacks upon Buckingham Palace and upon the persons of our beloved King and Queen are also intended, apart from their general barbarity, to have an unsettling effect upon public opinion ”he said. They have, of course, the opposite effect. They unite the King and Queen to their people by new and sacred bonds of common danger, and they steel all hearts to the stern, unrelenting prosecution of the war with so foul a foe.”