INVASION OF IRELAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 38, 14 February 1941, Page 6

INVASION OF IRELAND

REAL POSSIBILITY

THE BATTLE MAY BE ON

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, January 3

An air invasion of Ireland accompanied by a "diversion" attack on Southern England to draw off fighter forces is a very real possibility, says the air correspondent of the "Sunday Times." The battle of Ireland is probably already being fought by the R.A.F. in the course of its persistent attacks on Brest, Cherbourg, Lorient, and Bordeaux, he states. ! These are not only the ports used | by submarines, surface raiders, and big seaplanes for making raids on British shipping in the Atlantic but are also the bases from which any force bent on the invasion of Ireland would be most likely to set out. The attention given them by R.A.F. bombers is thus, intended to serve the double, purpose! of opposing the German counterblockade and-of ••scotching" plans for a descent on Ireland. |

Although the Navy and the R.A.F. would be able to render prompt and efficient aid, an attack on Ireland, from the German point of view, would closely resemble in its tactical problems the Norwegian campaign. The enemy could probably count on a degree of help from inside in the "Quisling" tradition, and the bases for the attack are much the same distance away. Fortunately, the area of operations is much nearer British aerodromes, so that fighter squadrons could fly to the main battle area—as they did at Dunkirk.

Ireland is the weak spot in the air defence of Great Britain. Although Northern Ireland is strongly garrisoned and is the base of a number of units of the Royal Air Force, the neutrality of Southern Ireland leaves a long and vulnerable coastline open to invasion.

German troops in Southern Ireland would be no closer to England than they are at present in France, but they would command bases from which traffic from America could be almost cut off, and such baJes would form a third front for attacks on England, already threatened from France and Norway.

Even if Germany could land troops in Ireland the maintenance of a force there would not be easy in the face of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Nevertheless, an invasion of Ireland may well seem more attractive to the enemy than a direct attack on England at present. It would be consistent with Hitler's policy of tackling big problemfe by means ol comparatively easy, stages. .