The Waikato Times THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1941 INVASION SEASON REACHED

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21517, 4 September 1941, Page 4

The Waikato Times THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1941 INVASION SEASON REACHED

With the return of the “ invasion season ” Britain is taking careful stock of its defences and discussing the chances.of Germany succeeding where she failed under much more favourable conditions a year ago. However confident the British people may be that Germany’s striking power has been damaged by heavy losses on the eastern front, or that if an attempt is made to invade the British Isles it will be smashed, nothing is being left to chance. Germany s strength still cannot be gauged accurately and Britain cannot afford to take risks. There is too much at stake. Germany’s losses of both men and material have undoubtedly been exceedingly heavy, but her current productive power is enormous and she is calling upon the whole of Europe for manpower to replace Germans in industry. It so happens that the approach of winter in Russia coincides with conditions most favourable for a German invasion of Britain. Assuming that the Russians succeed in holding up the German offensive until the winter, and that winter results in a reduction of activity on the eastern front, will Germany find it possible to transfer a substantial portion of her air force to the west ? Or has she sufficient air strength to attempt an invasion independently of conditions on the eastern front ? The Royal Air Force has been maintaining a constant reconnaissance of the greater part of Germany and the occupied territories, and the amount of aerial opposition, encountered seems to indicate that Germany has seriously weakened her western forces in order to fight the Russians. Against this, however, British authorities have repeatedly warned the country that it must expect a renewal of the aerial assault. It might reasonably be asked whether a Nazi victory over the Russians, or at least the assurance of victory, is not a condition precedent to an invasion of Britain. Can Germany contemplate undertaking two major operations on opposite fronts simultaneously ? If he is prepared to accept such a risk, Hitler must be finding himself in a desperate position. Early victory is essential to his plans and there will come a time when he will be forced to risk all in a last gambler’s throw. It should be remembered that a successful invasion of Britain would entail much more than a battering aerial attack. Even if the Royal Air Force were driven from the skies and the Royal Navy defeated Britain would still be a very difficult nut to crack.

There is no room for doubt that following the defeat of the Luftwaffe a year ago Hitler has recast his plans to include an invasion of Britain at about the present time. But in the meantime the necessity had arisen to conquer Russia. The order of the two invasions was reversed and that is an outstanding achievement that can be claimed by the Royal Air Force. Hitler calculated that he would dispose of the Russian resistance within a few weeks. According to the Nazi plan Russia should now be prostrate and the Luftwaffe should have been preparing or ready for the final assault on Britain. Is it any wonder that while the British people strain every nerve to strengthen their own defences and give what aid they can to Russia they turn anxious eyes to the eastern front in the hope that winter snows will take the sting out of the German offensive and render an invasion of Britain impossible or incapable of success ?