U.S. OBSERVER CONFIDENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 5 December 1940, Page 5

U.S. OBSERVER CONFIDENT

BRITAIN’S ABILITY TO WIN RECENT DECISIVE AIR BATTLES EFFICIENT DEFENCES I [U.P.A.-By Electric Telegraph-Copyright] ; NEW YORK, 3rd December, i The United States’ official observer, Major-General Chaney, who has returned from Britain, described the air battles of August and September “as decisive as Marathon and Waterloo.” i “I do not believe that Britain will lose the war,” he said, “unless she becomes careless or overconfident. The German planes are good, but the present fortress warfare will never bring Britain to her knees. ; “The United States’ observers have gained secret technical information worth a hundred million dollars,” he added. He expressed the opinion that Britain needs at least 1 00 destroyers, with merchantmen, aircraft and munitions from the United States, and also bases from Eire. “The air battles of Britain can be divided into three phases. The first began on Bth August and featured wave j after wave of bombers escorted by I fighters. They attacked shipping and aerodromes, but they spared port facilities that could be used for an invas"The second phase, which began on 18th August and finished on 15th Sep_ tember, was destructive but the German losses were immense. “In the third phase are the concentrated attacks which are now continuing. "Britain was overwhelmingly victorous in the first and second phases, largely due to their ground detection facilitating the fighters’ work and also permitting the Archies to shoot down one-seventh of the total German casualties.” Major-General Chaney stated the opinion that the quality of the German petrol was high, while in some features their engines were superior to those of Britain and America. On the other hand their bombsight was not good, and also the Messerschmilts were incapable of further improvements due to their inherent limitations. He added that American planes were inferior in armament compared with the British and German. “I am optimistic of the outcome of the war so far as Britain is concerned,” he said.