INVASION PROSPECTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 June 1943, Page 3

INVASION PROSPECTS

DISCUSSED BY ENEMY PROPAGANDISTS MOST MADE OF DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED. REFERENCES TO NORWAY & SOUTHERN EUROPE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 3.

The Axis Powers are more openly discussing the probabilities of an Allied invasion. They admit ■"that invasion is possible, but claim that the Allies are not likely to achieve more than costly footholds. The Berlin radio says a British-Ame-rican invasion of Southern Europe would be an extremely risky venture, because transport difficulties would be similar to those the Axis armies experienced in North Africa. The British and Americans,/night nevertheless succeed in crossing the Mediterranean and effecting a landing. British and American chances of invading Norway, the enemy radio added, are far from good. German air reconnaissances are keeping the Norwegian coastal waters and also British invasion ports under constant observation. Any BritishAmerican invasion fleet would be reported early enough to enable the German authorities in Norway to take effective counter-measures. The British and Americans might still succeed in obtaining a costly foothold at some points on the Norwegian coast.

AMERICAN VIEW OPERATIONS OBVIOUSLY BEGAN. . WASHINGTON, June 2. “The invasion operations in Europe have already definitely begun; quite obviously, we are leading off with the air weapon,” said Brigadier-General Daniel Noce, the expert in landing operations, who was recently appointed to the General Staff of the European Theatre of Operations, United States Army. General Noce added: “Each step of everything that hag happened, and is happening, was planned months ago. We are on schedule with this operation.” He said that the next phase would be the final phase in which land, sea and air power would be combined —and the end would be unconditional victory.

HITLER DOESN’T KNOW WHERE BLOW WILL FALL. WIDE CHOICE OF OBJECTIVES IN EUROPE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, June 3.

“We have now come to a great crisis in the war, and in the next four months four tremendous issues will be decided, upon the fate of which the outcome of the war will depend,” the Minister of Economic Warfare, Lord Selborne, said in a speech in London. The four issues were the Battle of the Atlantic, the impending German attack on Russia, the Allied bombing offensive, and the impending Allied invasion of the Continent. Referring to the invasion of Europe, the Minister said: “Hitler doesn’t know where it is going to come. He doesn’t know when it is going to come. The secret has been well kept, like that of the landing in North Africa. The whole under-belly of the Axis is exposed, and the whole topside of the Axis is also exposed. The attack may come in Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy, France, Belgium, Denmark, Holland or Norway, but Hitler doesn’t know.”