Yesterday’s News B.E.F. Prepares For Stand

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 120, 22 May 1940, Page 8

Yesterday’s News B.E.F. Prepares For Stand

Strong Position Held in West of Belgium Strategic Withdrawals Made United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON, May 20. A British war correspondent with the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium says: “Fighting desperately, the B.E.F. once more stands with its back to the Channel. If ever Britain needed the stubbornness made famous at Waterloo, she needs it now- “ The B.E.F. continued its withdrawal yesterday to the positions on which it will inevitably make its final stand. The Germans bombed and strafed them continuously, but the losses were slight, although ambulance trains are beginning to arrive in the back areas, one with its carriages ri&ficd with bullet-holes. * i “The British line in Belgium touches the vicinity of Ath, abont, jlj miles each of Tournar, and from there goes northward to the 'jciielde Valley, near Lokercn, and then to the North Sea, where the French and Belgians are putting up a magnificent fight. “Farm carts and railway cars.’’ adds the correspondent, “have been thrown into barricades across the road to hold up tne tide of the German advance, which last night rolled seaward beyond Antwerp. ■'The main positions ef the British Expeditionary Force have continuously been attacked in the past week. Backward movements have twice been carried out in order to align the front with the Hank situation in France. “German tank battalions, fighting desperately, strongly attacked the British Expeditionary Force in the plains west of Brussels, but the advance is losing its momentum. “The British are holding a line stronger than anything previously occupied. “Allied warplanes are incessantly bombing the extended German lines of communication. “The men of the British Expeditionary Force are confident, i hey know they badly mauled the Germans at Louvain and threw back half-a-dozen attempts to break through. To-night, miles behind the battle lines, skies are aflame from burning munition, petrol dumps, towns, and villages. The battlefields are flooded wih moonlight. A great air battle is in progress.”

FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

Allied and German Types Compared

In radio broadcasts to neutral counties the Germans continue to boost their Me.109 fighter as the “world's !astest,” and "a German masterpiece." tn ‘fact, It is well outclassed in speed, armament, and power of manoeuvre by comparable standard single-seat fighters of the Allies which have been in service for some time. In spite of its mediocre performance the German Me. 109 has a bigger motor than either the British Spitfire or the french Curtiss-Hawk. The Curtiss-Hawk 75A is of United States design; large numbers have been supplied to the French Air Force, and this type has proved very successful against the Me.109.

The Spitfire gets its superior speed largely through superlative streamlining. The great asset of the comparatively low-powered Hawk is its easy handling. Beth the Allied fighters have a greater wing span, but shorter fuselage, than the German type. The following illustrates some points of difference between the three types:— British Spitfire ll.—Engine. 1050 h.p.. It.R. Marlin: wing span, 36ft. 10in.: length. 29ft. llin.; maximum speed, 367 miles an hour; armament, eight mach-ine-guns (rate of fire 1200 rounds a minute each gun

German Me.lo9.—Engine. 1150 h.p. D. 8.601; wing span, 32ft. 6in.; length, 32ft.; maximum speed, 534 miles an hour; armament, four machine-guns or two guns and two cannons. The speed mentioned 4 s that claimed for the machine by the Germans.

French Curtiss-Hawk 75A.—Engine OOOh.p. P. and W. Wasp; wing span, 37ft. 3in; length. 28ft. 9in.: speed, 303 miles an hour; armament, six machineguns. DIVIDED LOYALTIES There is a difference in what we used to call “patriotism," writes the Hon. Harold Nicolson. M.P. In 3914 there may have been as many or as few disloyal people as there arc to-day; but the loyal people who constituted the vast majority wer e all loyal to the same cause, the cause of their own country. Loyalty to-day is far less uniform, and there are many young men in our universities who feel, or believe that they feel, a deeper loyalty to economic theory than they do to national fact. It is this disintegration of loyalties which constitutes, the greatest differ ence between 1914 and to-day X hope shortly to be speaking at several of our universities, and to be able to decide in my own mind whether this Indignation at the outrage committed in Finland upor poor little Russia is mere escapism or something more For the moment, however. I prefer to regard it as escapism. and as such as a transitf»>nal phenomenon.

Little Theatre Society’s Gesture

At a meeting of the executive committee of the Palmerston North Little Theatre Society last evening it was decided to postpone the opening of the season of the first 3940 production, “The Soul of Nicholas Snyders,' * (Jerome K. Jerome), until Monday, May 27, in order not to clash with the patriotic concert on Saturday next. Posters, tickets, etc., had been issued before the patriotic concert was announced and the season for this mystery play will now be May 27, 28 and 29 in the Little Theatre at 8 o’clock each evening.

SWOOP ON BRITAIN

Expert DizcHMet Possibility A German “lightning swoop on Britain,” such as Mr Neville Chamberlain suggested in a recent speech to the House of Commons, could be made by air, according to the military correspondent of the Daily Mail, Lieuten-ant-Colonel T. A. Lowe. “It would be more a raid than an invasion,” he says, "but it would be a logical development of air strength.

“As a purely military operation,” he continues, “it would be bound to fail, but a possible incentive, in spite of the certainty of military failure, would be the stimulating propaganda effect on Germany and the alarming effect on the whole Empire. “The possibility of such a raid arise: from the plain lesson of Norwaynamely, that the Nazis are equippe to carry on by air a campaign whic' would normally have depended on sea communications.

“Possible methods of operations against Britain are the use of parachute troops, or of lightly-equipped troops which would land from large troop-carrying aeroplanes, or of troops in flat-bottomed boats towed in misty weather. The last is the least feasible method.

“The possibility of an invasion by troop-carrying aeroplanes can be least ignored, especially with four first-class aerodromes within easy reach of the British coast.

“Hordes of troop-carrying aeroplanes escorted by fighters and bombers might get through the defences, lancion lonely beaches, and create a situation which, although not influencin'* the war, would have tremendous repercussions.” NAZIS BOMB DIEPPE (Received 21, 10.45 a.m.) PARIS, May 20 Five German planes dropped sever?’ bombs at Dieppe on Saturday, kllin one person and injuring one. Diepp is on the north-west coasv of France U.S. 'CHANGE CALMS DOWN ((Received 21, 1.45 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 20. Sterling is quoted at 3.28£. The Stock Exchange calmed down when the Allies were reported to have slowed down the German advance. FRANCE TAKES DRASTIC STEP TO STOP PANIC (Received 21, 12.45 p.m.) PARIS, May 20. The French Prime Minister, M. Re; oaud, issued a communique to-ds warning the population to guard again:, inspired rumours regarding the German advances, by which, he said, the enemy hoped to cause the evacuation of districts which are not threatened and thus dislocate Franch industry. “The severe penalties which are applicable to deserting soldiers are also applicable to workers leaving factories without instruction,” he said. M. Reynaud announced that French Ministers were ceasing to communicate by memo, because personal contact was more efficient. NEW OFFICER OF MINISTRY OF INFORMATION (Received 21, 1.35 p.m.) LONDON, May 23 Mr W. Lints Smith, who retired i 1937 from the managership of Th Times, has been appointed chief Pres? and public relations officer for the Ministry of Information.