Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1941. PLANE v. WARSHIP.

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 January 1941, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1941. PLANE v. WARSHIP.

feature of the discussions in the United. States on the proposals to aid Britain, has been the fear expressed by supporters,,and Isolationists alike, of the possibility of the British navy being defeated, or surrendered. Such. a development has been used as argument by friends, Colonel Knox, Mr. Cordell Hull, Mr. Stimson and others, and by less ardent speakers, such as Senator Wheeler. The former have used the possibility of such defeat to strengthen their appeals for speedy full help to Britain, to prevent what would be a disaster to her and the U.S.A. The latter have suggested it was not much use sending armaments to Britain, if she were doomed to defeat.

In the Empire itself, these anxieties have been ridiculed, because it is.not' thought-there is.any chance of a British naval reverse of any proportion. Conscious of I

the size of the fleet and the huge . resources, British patriots refuse to visualise a German triumph, and so far, this refusal has been justified. The events in the Mediter-

ranean, where a strong force of enemy aircraft attacked British naval vessels,' inflicting serious loss, must arouse British people from apy complacency, reminding them that the aerial factor cannot be dismissed lightly, when estimating respective sea-strengths. There is, of course, no need to go to the other extreme, and to dread German dive-bombers robbing Britannia of her supremacy on the waves, but it is advisable to realise that the British naval men are not safe and comfortably afloat on ships that are immune from destructive attack. It is not flattering the naval men to estimate that they are in

no serious danger owing to superiority in material and personnel. On the contrary, they face additional danger, from aircraft, especially in narrow seas.

In pre-war days, much controversy took place as to whether the plane had made warships of secondary importance, even prominent naval leaders expressing doubts as to whether the ships could withstand aerial attack. However, the Admiralty officials had confidence that such onslaughts would fail, and laid plans accordingly. Till the Mediterranean affair, this belief had not been weakened, despite losses of smaller warships due to aerial offensives. The large vessels had proved able to beat off aerial opponents, and even when a battle-cruiser was hit, little damage was caused. The lessons from the Mediterranean encounter will be learned, and the British tactics amended in any way-considered desirable.

The Axis losses in planes in the attack on the Illustrious and other ships are given, as at least 12 destroyed, with others more or less damaged. No mention has been made of losses to the Fleet Air Arm, which was fortiinate if none was incurred. The British naval men displayed characteristic courage and fortitude, and, doubtless, they will be eager to have another meeting with the enemy. The German pilots, too, displayed great bravery. It has long been realised that a “suicide” squadron of pilots, indifferent to death or destruction, so long as bombs were effectively dropped on naval targets, would prove difficult to deal with, and no surprise will be felt in official circles that some degree of success attended the German dive-bombers’ attack in the Mediterranean. Many engagements of the kind would have to occur before the British fleet was seriously embarrassed, and meanwlfile, the toll taken of the enemy, might be decisive. There is a. limit to the number of pilots that Germany can spare for such death missions, and far greater results would have to be attained before the course of the war was really affected. The convoy that the British ships were escorting, got through successfully. The most that the enemy could claim was a draw, whereas impar-

tial judges would award the honours to the British. Regret for the loss of the cruiser Southampton, and for those who were killed in the encounter, will be accompanied by pride in all the British seamen and airmen engaged in the historic test. The promotion of Admiral Cunningham and his chief assistant in the Mediterranean is an official acknowledgement of great services rendered, that will be endorsed throughout the Empire.