GERMAN FAILURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23817, 19 November 1940, Page 7

GERMAN FAILURE

AERIAL ONSLAUGHT "ARMY MUST WIN WAR" GENERAL'S FRANK WARNING . LONDON, Nov. Jo Evidence is increasing that higher officers of the German Army are growing worried at the failure of the air blitzkrieg on Britain as a fore.runner to invasion by Hitler's army. They are wondering how Germany should set about now to defeatBritain. A revealing statement—even a sensational statement, in view of the fact that it is contrary to the trend of opinion in all other articles on the same subject in the strictly-controlled German press—is made by General Kabisch in the Koelnische Zeitung (Cologne). It is to the effect that the German air force cannot win the war. Unfounded Optimism "The war can only be won by the army," he writes. "This warning becomes necessary as the German people indulge in the optimistic view thht the war can be won by the air force. "The fact remains that the only way of winning is by taking troops into England. The people of Germany often think that dive-bombers won the war in Poland. This is quite untrue, and we must therefore strengthen our army, as the air blitzkrieg against England will not be decisive." According to reports from neutral sources the German troops in France and Belgium do not rule out the possibility of an invasion being attempted during the winter, almost certainly in foggy weather. May Throw Away Lives German officers, pointing to the enormously large number of troops still concentrated in northern France, and especially in Belgium, say—and in many cases appear to fear —that the German High Command may risk, with utter disregard of human life, 1,000,000 or more men in a series of tentative crossings in foggy weather. The, calculation is that the British forces would be dispersed to meet these and that at least one invading force would obtain a foothold, towards which the whole German Army would then converge. Such a plan would take the place of the original Gorman scheme of seizing bridgeheads by the use of parachute troops after London, as the administrative centre, and the rail and road junctions had been put out oi action. That plan has been scrapped, it is believed, because the Germans are well aware that Britain is now thoroughly defended in depth. VILLAGES BOMBED DAMAGE IN YUGOSLAVIA BELGRADE. Nov. IS Foreign aeroplanes flew over the Yugoslav towns of Monastir and Kicevo on Sunday morning. As the result of a sharp action by anti-aircraft guns and Yugoslavfighters, which went up immediately, the foreign aeroplanes were only able to drop bombs on the outskirts of Kicevo and near two neighbouring lagesThere were no casualties, but some damage yvss done.