"IN GOOD SHAPE”

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21356, 26 February 1941, Page 5

"IN GOOD SHAPE”

BRITISH AIR FORCE MEET NAZI ONSLAUGHT BIG OFFENSIVE LIKELY (United Press Assn.—tier. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Feb. 24 The dispositions of the German air force in relation to operations it may , be contemplating are being dis- j ■cussed in London. Especially it is ’ being asked does Germany’s air | strength permit of sufficient concen- J tration in the Balkans to support ! any military operations she may | have in mind there, and if so what i bearing has this on the undoubted | recent diminution of enemy activity j over Britain ? It is clear that the Germans have j moved some hundreds of machines ! to the Mediterranean, including a \ number of Junkers 87’s and long- i range reconnaissance aeroplanes. | Seme long-range fighters have also I been shifted, although probably not | a iarge number. It is unquestionable that the Ger- ! mans have gone into Rumania with a balanced air force sufficient for full j strategic and tactical co-operation j with land forces. The lessened air onslaught on Britain, however, cannot be credited to decrease in the attacking ! strength. The incidence of bad 1 weather is held to be solely re- ! sponsible for fewer German raids, ! as it is also responsible for lessened j British offensive air activity. No doubts are entertained that largescale attacks on London and other ■ targets will shortly be resumed. As regards the possibility of daylight attacks, it is agreed that Britain has a much stronger fighter force than when she beat the German onslaught last autumn and the force is steadily expanding. “We are in very good shape to give the Germans battle,” sums up the situation.