INVASION FORCES

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 January 1944, Page 6

INVASION FORCES

GERMAN AERIAL STRENGTH

NEW YORK, January 20. The Germans announce that they have evacuated civilians from Heligoland as part of a plan to defend Heligoland from invasion. They also announce that Marshal Rommel, who recently carried out an inspection ■■ of the coastal defences, has made Heligoland a strong defence barrier. The aviation writer of the German Overseas News Agency says: “Germany is fully aware that the Allies will have air superiority during the invasion operations. German experts however, doubt whether the Allies will have sufficient aeroplanes to make a landing a success from the start. This aspect will not be changed by the mass use of bombers because giant bombers are of little use for tactical operations. German quarters have full confidence in the air defences prepared for the invasion.” The London journal “The Aeroplane” estimates that the Luftwaffe may be able to concentrate 2500 aeriplanes of various types in the west to meet the Allied invasion of Europe. This figure may be reached provided the Allies’ diversionary tactics do not force the German High Command to disperse its flying forces. “The Aeroplane” says: “The present enemy fighter force lined up against the British and American air fleets in Britain consists of about 1200 aeroplanes from a force of 1700 to 1800 day and night fighters, including about 150 two-motored rocket-carry-ing types. It is estimated that 400 fighters are on the Russian front and that the remainder is spread over the Balkans, Italy, and southern Germany.” “I am convinced that no mass revolution could be organised in Germany,” said Admiral Thomson, chief Press censor, in a speech. “The German soldier will continue to fight until his officers tell him to quit, which won’t happen until the German Army is driven back across its own borders. The German generals will then organise a strike on the home front and try to persuade the people it was not the army but the home front which was responsible for the surrender.” GERMAN PEACE OFFER NEW YORK, January 21. Diplomatic circles learn that Germany made peace proposals to Britain several weeks ago through Spanish channels, reports the “New York Times.” Britain ignored the proposals. The Germans are reported to have offered to remove Hitler, to let the High Command take over, and to withdraw German armies from all occupied countries, except Austria, on the epndition that Britain and the United States did not interfere in the German struggle against Russia. Washington circles did not know whether this is the basis of the “Pravda” report of June 17 that “two leading English personalities conferred secretly with von Ribbentrop. The object of the meeting was to eluicidate terms for a separate peace with Germany.”