ONLY BEGUN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 134, 8 June 1944, Page 5

ONLY BEGUN

ALLIED NAVAL TASK Suicide Attacks By Nazis May Be Expected N.Z. Press Association —Copyright Rec. 11 a.m. LONDON, June 7. Hitler and Doenitz. the Nazi Naval Commander-in-Chief, wisely decided to avoid naval action in the early stages of the invasion, but it is to be expected that they will order hit-and-run suicide operations as the German position becomes more desperate, says the Combined Press correspondent aboard a destroyer off the French coast.

The Allied Navies have only begun their big job, which involves the constant ferrying of troops, guns, tanks, ammunition and food for many weeks. They must be prepared for ruthless attacks by 100 to 200 U-boats and about 100 E-boats.

German reconnaissance must have revealed to Berlin that the Allies intend to have French ports working as swiftly as ports in Italy have been brought into operation.

First Operations Succeed

"We have broken the crust. We have started off on the right foot and caught the enemy on the wrong foot. Now we must try not to give him time to regain his balance," said Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay at a Press conference. He added: "The lack of German resistance to the landing operation has been amazing. We expected to get 90 per cent of the invasion troops over, but to date we have put 100 per cent ashore. "There have been ship losses, but they are not of any consequence and have not affected the landings. We have passed through the defended beach zone and made it possible for General Montgomery to fight the land battle."

It is announced at SHAEF that total Allied naval forces engaged in invasion operation include more officers and men than were in the Royal Navy at the outbreak. Personnel in the Royal Navy in 1939 totalled 133,000.