VITAL FACTOR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 7

VITAL FACTOR.

NEED OF AIR POWER.

How C.orman Forces Readied

North Africa

llri T i--li iilliei.it Wir.-i.--s. (Heed. !i..'ill a.mA Ul'MiY. April 11. Describing air power a- an invariable factor of success iu t lie present war, ir-('omuioiloic IV. V. (Li.l.lard, iu a broadcast, -anl : ••11,,nv ,ii,| t ' icriuan forces cross the Mediterranean.' I here i- 0n,., cxjijaiial i,,n — aii' poNver.

. I'.'O the Germans were ll.wn across. For the in, .-t part ilicn ,-r.i—cd the narrow sea in ship- ulw.m - w.iiiicl of the approach of our navy bv air reconnaissance, so that they had time to get back or go forward, alw.t.v- within : the protection of powerful German bombers and tighter forces. "A factor which stand- out i- that j German air power, extending from tier- | many across Italy ami Sieilv to Trinoli and Hcnga-i. made po»-ible that Ger man thrust in Libya. Let u- hope we . -hall learn thai it i- a ilivi r-iim of ; effort for the Germans. A- siu-h it would | be important to u-. "We have seen the same sort of 'results from air power again and again. Dominate an area Nvith the air force and you can do a great deal beneath its Wings. Had we had sufficient air power to dominate Albania and the -urj rounding waters the Italian- there might I have been starved by now for la.-k of supplies by sea. Wc had not g..t that power.

"Now Nazidom's wing- are -pleading into Grccci' and \ugo-hiNia. Iu every land battle started by the German- they put out superior air force- tir-t to down the opposition.

"Moviiijr aliowt upon the r<l of Kurnpe chequered with a t li< ni-a ml aerodromes. the (icnnaii air force po*.•■esses an essential network for molii lit v : and quick supply. It moves ~n interior lines, well prepared for tin- pnrpn-e and with the exception of l.il'va independent of the sea and shipping."' I