NAZI BLITZKRIEG

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21191, 14 August 1940, Page 7

NAZI BLITZKRIEG

CAN BE MET BY BRITAIN AMERICAN OFFICER’S VIEWS SUPERIORITY OF AIRMEN vUnited Assn.—Elec Tel. Copyright) LONDON, August 13 A United States official Army observer returned from London is optimistic regarding Britain's ability to withstand Hitler’s blitzkrieg. The Royal Air Force, men and machines, he states, is better than the German, with the result that two or three Britons sometimes attack and rout 20 German raiders trying to find Britain’s new aerodromes. The Germans have not been successful with their Fifth Column, which Britain has “cleaned up.” Equally reassuring are Britain’s raids on Germany, which are destroying petrol and causing workmen at Essen (site of Krupp’s vast factory) to become so restless that some have been arrested as defeatists. Raids have prevented production at night and prevented workmen from sleeping.

Headlines in the United States newspapers proclaim the opinion of American observers in Europe, that the Battle for Britain is imminent. Hitler’s Main Weapon Major Reed, in the New York World Telegram, says that Hitler’s main weapon against Britain may be nothing more than shoals of “sardine submarines” of 250 tons each, and capable of short cruises in Britain’s sea-lanes from French and Scandinavian bases. Hitler is producing at least 20 a month, he says. J. W. T. Mason, military expert of the United Press, declares that Hitler’s ability to form mathematically accurate plans for the first time shows signs of flagging. His assurances to the Italian and German public that an attack on Britain is absolutely certain to succeed is poor strategy. “Hitler has given himself a quality of omnipotence which will cause dangerous repercussions in Italy and Germany if the blitzkrieg against Britain does not succeed,” says Mr Mason. “Warfare is a very uncertain form of activity, in which nobody is able confidently to forecast the result. “Indeed, all the rules of naval and military war indicate that Hitler will not succeed.”