GENERAL IN DISGRACE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 216, 9 June 1944, Page 5

GENERAL IN DISGRACE

Invasion Date Clue , LONDON, June 7. The correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain at S.H.A.E.F. says that one of America’s best-known major-generals was demoted to lieutentcolonel and sent home for indicating in advance the day of the invasion. The officer was one of the commanders of the U.S.A.A.F. in Britain. He is alleged to have made the disclosure more than two months ago at a cocktail party when a woman guest, who reported him to the security police, said she heard him say: “On my honour, the invasion will take place before June 13.” The U.S. War Department disclosed that the offender was Major-General Henry J. F. Miller. Commander of the Ninth Air Force in Britain since October 1943.

LUFTWAFFE MYSTERY’ Unexpected Absence From Beach-heads (Received June 8, 10 p.m.) LONDON, June 8. The invasion, from the viewpoint of the air war, has so far been italicized by one ‘big surprise—where has the Luftwaffe been? In the long weeks before the invasion began it was known the Germans were storing up a force of bombers and fighters which it was expected would be used to make every attempt to smash up the landing forces at their weakest stage—when on the water. But throughout the long day of historic June 6 very few of the Germans’ aircraft were seen. ‘The ports will be bombed' by the Luftwaffe before the invasion,” it had been thought, and again “there will probably be another air battle like that fought during the Dieppe landing,” but the bombing of the English ports and beaches, black with craft, did not eventuate and the landings were carried out with virtually no more than pin-pricks from the air. It was also anticipated that at least on the night of June 6-7 German bombers would be used on a large scale against the bridgehead, but this did not occur either. More on Second Day. On the second day more combats were reported, but still nothing like had been anticipated. On the first day the weather' was hot altogether favourable in that sky studded with low clouds. One pilot said: “It would be the easiest thing in the world for the German aircraft to have nipped in and out of the clouds, but they never came.” . ' To give some idea of the magnitude .of the Allied air effort on the morning of the invasion, no fewer than 30,000 airmen had been over the bridgehead between dawn and breakfast-time, and at one period of the day there were no fewer than 7000 aircraft air-borne at the same time. It is thrilling to be on an airfield —any airfield—on the South Coast at present. The sky is never really free from the drone of aircraft. You can see fighters' taking off, roaring above the airfield resembling giant wasps, for the Allied air superiority is such that all aircraft in addition U their R.A.F. rondels or U.S.A.A.F. white stars have broad white and black lines painted at right angles on the wings for easy identifies- ,

tion. Or you can see other squadrons forming up in a wide circle, or again still more squadrons, bunched in neat, tight, formations, tearing across the sky toward France, or again you can see squadrons returning, breaking formation and circling the airfield like wasps round a jam-pot. Yet the pilots and ground crews are taking everything remarkably calmlj’. They buzz with excited chatter while being interrogated, but once in the dispersal areas they lounge, reading papers, smoking, chatting, and there and in the mess seem to treat their share in the great operation as an everyday occurrence. It is in the late evening, after they have flown on four patrols, that you. can see they are sleepy, with their faces slightly drawn, and their pale eyes redrimmed. As they chat, waiting for the last instructions of the day, they recount some glimpses they had of the bridgehead. One pilot, for instance, saw a solitary tank come out of a wood into a clearing, then a moment or two later another tank suddenly appeared on the other side of the clearing. For two minutes they manoeuvred, firing nt one another till one suddenly slumped like a boxer hit on the jaw. crumpled on its side, and a stab of black smoke shot up into the air.

Though the Luftwaffe has thus far disappointed the fighter pilots b.y its .nonappearance, nobody expects this position to last for long. It is the general opinion that the opposition will—certainly should—eventuate in the next few