INVASION COUNTER

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1944, Page 5

INVASION COUNTER

German Plans ALLIED WARNINGS.

[Aus. & N.Z. Press Assa-1 LONDON, May 19. The “Daily Mail’s” Stockholm -correspondent says: The Germans are massing considerable numbers or gliders and transport planes along the English Channel coast. Planes for carrying infantry and shock troops, including six-engmed Dorniers capable of carrying 100 men with equipment, medium-sized gliders that can transport 20 to 40 men, and Junkers 52's are being concentrated in carefully camouflaged aerodromes. The young energetic General Student, the man who was largely responsible for the German air-borne attack against Crete, is in command, assisted by others who helped him in the I Crete operations. The Germans already appear to have enough gliders I assembled along the Channel coast to Ibe able to send over at least one di - I vision of airborne troops for an attack against Britain. It is thought that the Germans might aim at such a counter-blow against us. as soon as we start the invasion of Western Europe. They might try flinging a division- of nicked troops across to Britain to make an aerial commando | raid with the object of disorganising the flow of our forces to the ContiI ne-nt, giving Rommel more time to i bring up reserves to counter our ilandu?"s. Berlin radio .announced that the German anti-invas'on commanders in the west are : Commander-in-Chief, Field-Marshal von Rundstedt. Supreme Commanders,' Army Groups, Field Marshals Rommel >and Blaskowitz.' Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, Field Marshal Sperrle (this is the first time Blaskowitz has been mentioned as a Field Marshal). Mr. Stimson warned the public of Nazi invasion propaganda designed only to confuse the Allies, in the hc-pe of impeding military .operations. He said the enemy was likely to distort and exaggerate actual events and even invent incidents. “When the moment comes for telling news, we shall try to tell it speedily and adequately?’ he said. “During the past fe-w weeks, the Nazis have been busy setting the invasion dates, one date one week, and another date the following week, so that when the dates came and went they could claim the Allies had not da’red to make the attempt. The day will come but it will not be one the Nazis selected. It is hoped the public will be alert to enemy, tricks and will remain cool and patient waiting for the day.” AUSTRALIAN NEWS SERVICE. SYDNEY, May 12. At the half-yearly meeting. o£. the 1 Australian Associated Press, Mr. F. Lloyd Dumas, acting-chairman, said 3 The cost of collecting and transmitting- the Australian Associated Press service to members now exceeds £150,000 a year. It is doubtful if any previous great event in history has been so well prepared for by the newspapers and news agencies as the coming invasion of Europe. The Association has in addition to its own staff of men the benefit of the services of leading world news agencies, such as Reuters, Press Association, Associated Press, United Press, and. such newspapers as “The Times,” “Daily Express,” “Daily Telegraph,” “Daily Mail,” and of the “New York, Times” and “Herald-Tribune.” All these organisations have their representatives accredited and posted to various strategic points, and they will operate on sea, in the air ana op land. They combine to provide ari extraordinarily complete cover for the Australian and New Zealand newspapers.” The cost of operating the A.A.P. was a high figure for countries with combined populations of only eight and a-half millions, but the) Australian-New Zealand newspaper readers receive a world news service that would compare favourably with that of any country .in the world.