The Waikato Times SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1940. NAVY STILL BARS THE WAY

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21224, 21 September 1940, Page 8

The Waikato Times SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1940. NAVY STILL BARS THE WAY

Britain’s enemies have never had greater cause to regret the strength of the Royal Navy than now. In both major theatres of war the Navy is destined to play an important and perhaps decisive part in the struggle. For that reason the success of British building and the addition of 50 American destroyers to the fleet are of firstclass interest to the Empire and correspondingly depressing to the enemy. Mastery of the open seas is more evident than ever, and it is probable that Germany and Italy have by now despaired of ever reaching a decision of the war by destruction of the British Navy and the mercantile fleet which it protects. That fact should always be remembered when the debits against the British cause in this war are under discussion. Most conspicuously, the Navy is effectively barring the way across the English Channel which it is Hitler’s chief ambition to take. No doubt the Air Force with its mobility and the guns and the troops that line the British coasts are a serious deterrent, but as it was in Napoleon’s day, it is the Navy that strikes terror into the heart of the dictator as he fumes and stutters in rage on the French coast. Those grey ships that threaten to mangle his strange Armada if it dares to leave the “ invasion ports ” are to him unapproachable and implacable. He would dare to face the assault from the air and would be prepared to lose legions of men in attempting to gain a foothold on English shores, but only the wildest desperation will drive him to risk that additional menace that will descend upon his transports if they attempt to leave the French coast. Italy, too, is singularly unfortunate that the only practicable road from Libya to Alexandria lies along the Egyptian coast within reach at most points of Britain’s naval guns. Along that three or four hundred miles of burning sand the invading army will be exposed to bombardment from the sea wherever it comes within range. Already naval guns, in addition to the delaying land forces and the Air Force, are taking their toll, a toll that will become more severe as the lines of communication lengthen. Italy is jubilant because the Libyan army is driving the British back, but the invaders have the disadvantage that as the British advance forces fall back they make progress doubly difficult by destroying the road and “ salting ” the few wells that might supply water to the Italians. And in another way the Navy is severely hampering the Italians in the Mediterranean. Italy at home has large numbers of men, now almost demobilised, who might be of the utmost value if they could be transported to Egypt. But they can venture out into the Mediterranean only at extreme peril because the Navy is always waiting and watching. Since the Mediterranean Fleet has been reinforced it has been scouring the sea in search of the enemy. Occasionally it overtakes and despatches a stray Italian, but for the most part it is being left in undisputed possession of that vital waterway. If ever the Italian army in North Africa needed the co-operation of its own navy it is now—to drive off the bombarding warships and supply the army with reinforcements.