THINK MOVE AHEAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 145, 20 June 1940, Page 21

THINK MOVE AHEAD.

HOW ALLIES FAILED. A DEFENSIVE MENTALITY. HEED FOR ATTACK INITIATIVE (By BRIGADIER-GENERAL E L. SPEARS, M.P.) LONDON, May 20. Public interest is thoroughly aroused on the question of possible parachute and troop landings from aeroplanes in this country. The response to the Government appeal for enrolments in the Local Defence Volunteers proves this—aa does my postbag. I have been as dismayed at jits size as I was interested in the suggestions many of the letters contained. It is, however, essential that the public should not lose their sense of proportion and give the Government the impression that its main task must be to provide passive defence. No battle and no war was ever won by such means. We have, in fact, had too much of it as it is. Why, for instance, the German attack was allowed to gather its strength unhindered passes comprehension. The modern German attack requires to be smashed in ite incubation stage, like many other kinds of pests. The German formations shquld have been attacked by our aircraft as they formed on German territory. Aix-la-Chapelle and Trier should have been bombed aa soon as the attack threatened. The German armoured columns must collect tefore they smash their way through and then spread out fanwise. The point to make for is the handle of the fan. Our mentality so far has been a defeneive one, and must be changed. The best, perhaps the only way to safeguard this country is to paralyse the German offensive in France. Fighters are Vital. Before dealing specifically with home defence, I should like to place before the public a few facts that I think they ought to be made aware of. The spearhead of the German attack m open warfare is the bomber. These aircraft not only machine-gun the defenders, they drop bombs on them, a portion of which have delayed action. The result is a continuous series of explosions, behind the last of which the tanks appear. These drive straight ahead in an endeavour to reach zones where they are unlikely to be faced with anti-tank guns. This is a form of attack that is very hard to cope with. The best means of protection is the fighter aeroplane. Ours have been extraordinarily successful against the German bomber. It would be nothing short of criminal folly to keep unused reserves of fighters in this country if by so doing we run any risk of either the B.E.F. or the French Army being beaten in the field. The armiee in France provide the real protection of thie country. Were they to be defeated, all the fighters we possess could do no more than parry enemy attacks. The big bomber, whicfc is the fighters' prey, will in all probability only attack this country by night, when it is practically immune ■fronv fighter attack, and our best defence is afforded by. searchlights, anti aircraft fire and balloon ban-age combined;!- '\ ". /■ " - ■ .••'',' It i» necessary t*.,take the 4>ig view these daye, to grasp the nettle. It eeeme clear enough now, for instance, that, in the Norwegian operations, a bold and early attack on Trondheim would have secured us that place and Narvik ae well. Speed Essential. The testimony of experts who have studied Russian parachute manoeuvres bears out the contention that speed is essential in dealing with this form of attack. Parachute troops should be tackled within twenty minutes;" of landing. To give them longer than this is extremely dangerous. If they are numerous they will have had time to assemble and set up their automatic weapons. Under favourable conditions for the attack the parachutist may, if given anything over this time, secure a landing ground where troop-carrying 'planes can land. . From the moment this has occurred the position ie serious. The German troop-carrying 'planee carried, although our/ experte" find it hard -to believe, ie many as forty men per machine on the flight from Denmark to Norway. '■' ( A few, euch troop-carriere would, especially if, some of them carried light guns or. a light tank, as some Russian 'planes do, present a grave problem. This would be truer still'if 'several landings took place at the same time. The whole scheme of defence should, therefore, be based on the enemy being tackled practically on landing. Thu can only be done if there are a great many people pursuing their ordinary . avocations, all over, the countryeidej who, ar* armed and ready to tackle th« invaders without lose of time. Flyjng columns should be organised in etch - village and small town, anc measures taken to raise the alarm. l< is of the greatest importance thai cycliet* and motor cyclists should form part of the defensive organisation foi the purpose of warning neighbouring posts and telling them where" the land ing nas taken place. The fowidere' firsl care will be to cut telegraph,, and tele phone wires within their reach. " ' Britain's scheme of defence inlghi well include one or more reserve uniti per county. These should be large] bodies than the local groups and bi drawn from more important localities These reserves would be rushed by buses or lorries to the points of landing. The defence organisation should als< include a certain number of armourec trains, kept permanently at strategic centres. They should mount a gun oi guns. Such trains can easily b< organised. A few trucks, protected bj sahdbags, and any old engine with i protected cab would do until something better couk , be provided.

The New Danger. These eoiild be manned by volunteers living or working near where the trains were permanently stationed. Our railway system » to well developed that such trains might prove to be very effective. Whatever syettm of defence is adopted by the volunteers it must be very flexible; end the men in charge of detachments should have enterprise, authority, and be used to handling men and dealing with unexpected situations. We nave not seen the end of the ruses and expedients the Germans will resort to. The devil in his role as tempter never adopted more varied and unexpected stratagems than the Nazis. The battle on the Meuse has revealed a new danger. It is»nowJknown that it is possible for columns of tanks or armoured vehicles to pierce the defence

and penetrate very far into the interior Such a danger does not threaten this country, unless a landing were affected or many tanks were landed from the, air, which is a contingency hardly worth considering. The danger in France is, however, a real one, and a parry should be devised at once. Although isolated armoured columns will soon- run out of petrol, they may do much damage meanwhile. Our 'planes have delayed tank columns by destroying houses in villages for the purpose of filling the roadway with debris. Such a device can only hold up the column for a very short time. Bombs dropped from 'plenes are very inaccurate. The real enemy of the tank is the land mine. The volunteers might form sections of able men who are good shots and who would be prepared to serve in France. These would man fleets of cars carrying land mines. Circle of Mines. . Stationed well to the rear, on being notified a tank column had broken through, they would be rushed to the | road down which it was reported to be advancing. A culvert or bridge would be mined, and a double line of mines would be laid, ringing the ground to either side of the road or in ditches. The culvert would be exploded as the first tank reached it. Following machines would at once endeavour to deploy and would detonate { the other mines. A double circle is desirable, so that the impression of a j real minefield should be given. When faced with this type of obstacle .the tank crews must get out and reconnoitre. They could then be picked off by the riflemen in ambush. Other columns, armed with anti-tank guns in so far as they could be spared, might co-operate with the mine-laying columns or act independently against the same or other objectives. Volunteers serving abroad would, of course, have to wear uniforms. Such method*, of dealing with a new danger should be studied forthwith. They only apply to comparatively small tank formations which may get through. For massive tank advances quite different means need to be employed. In so grave an hour, the temptation is, for those who are merely onlookers, to stop thinking about anything except the tremendous battle now koing waged, to suspend action and just await news. This ie wrong. As the struggle must be continued until victory, however long delayed, is achieved, it is incumbent upon us all to steel our wills and prepare for the next phase.