1940-09-03 — Page 3

Cherry, Suprente

THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 3, 1940'

Army, Navy And Air Force After Year Of War

HUMBLING OF THE LUFTWAFFE

THE FIRST YEAR OF WAR HAS MADE IT DRAMATICALLY CLEAR THAT THE GREATEST POTENTIAL WEAPON OF TER- ROR AGAINST EUROPEAN CIVILISATION THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN HAS BEEN TRIED OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAINST A POWERFUL ADVERSARY AND HUMBLED, WRITES REUTER'S Air correspONDENT.

The correspondent adds that sooner rather than later in the second year of hostili- ties, now a few hours off, it was recognised that Germany would strain every nerve to make Britain feel the full power of the Luft- waffe.

Confidence, however, does not waver at the prospect of heavier night raids over the darkened face of Britain and repeated ham- mering at the A.A. guns and balloons shelter- ing its capital by day and night.

aren

As British fighters patrol proudly over the London this evening it is right to recall several encouraging factors.

Superiority Shown

FRENCH AREA BOMBED

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") A lone British bom- ber, apparently on the way to Italy, dropped several missiles on military objectives. in Digne, 45 miles from the Italian border. There were no casual- ties but a few fires were started by the bombs. Havás.

*******

ARMY OF OVER

TWO MILLIONS IN FINE POSITION

IN SPITE OF THE vicissitudes of the Continen- tal campaign it can now be said that the British It became clear that once par- Army, numbering 2,500,000 men, is in a fine position, ity in striking power was attained Almost from the start of the war in the air was won. To-Says Reuter's military correspondent reviewing the the war the R.A.F. shattered day their superiority Goering's dream of the Invial-shown in engagements over Bri-

is being situation after a year of war. ability of Germany's air fron-tain where during the past weeks! tiers on its leaflet ralde as of large scale German raids far as Prague and Vienna, proportion of German. machines

Norway Chapter

The Norway chapter contained

three to one,

at a

BRITAIN DELIVERS! THE GOODS

"After twelve months of war Britain is still deliver- ing goods to her overseas. customers and she will carry on in the second ¡year as she has done in Įthe first."

This confident. picture of British trade at the end of a year's war was given exclusively to Reuter yesterday by Mr. Harcourt John- stone, Secretary of the Overseas Trade Department..

He added: "Our export trade has been maintained with all parts of the world outside territories occupied by the enemy.

German bogus offers to South American countries to deliver German goods in 'September and October, 'when Britain has been defeated, cut no ice in 'face of our soild trade achievements, "Typical of Nazi

propaganda

having been put out of action by air raids: Lancashire has given

are fanciful stories of Lancashire

the answer with increased cotton production.

Lancashire's Output

The correspondent adds that much of the mili- the tary disaster on land during the past year was due to brought down to British has been the fact that armies on the continental scale had not "During the first three weeks steadily in the neighbourhood of been contemplated by Britain until as late as 1939.

of August, normally a black time for seasonal reasons, Lancashire's a stirring record of what a few large-scale

Since June 18 when the first Events from May 10, when

cotton industry delivered 50,000 formidable quality and bales weekly compared with determined young men

raids began, do 1,500 German aircraft have beeh Belgium, and onwards to

some Germany attacked Holland and dimensions,

an / under hazardous conditions certainly destroyed and probably the Maginot Line was penetrated campaign on land cannot be fore-

Javerage of 51,000' bales weekly for when "Future developments of the the whole of last year. against heavy odds.

la further 50 per cent. 'Then in France and the Low

on the Meuse, led to the complete seen but that the British Army;) Countries

Even more important is

"Britain's customers in general the R.A.F. madelloss to Germany

dhe re-orientation of the British after an great holes in the armour of numbers of trained flying person-

of such large. Army's role.

unpromising start can place orders with us in the through no fault of its own, may second year of war. with the same invincibility which appeared to nel which in the same period must Dunkirk as a "fine feat of arms decisive part, is certain."-Reuter.liver the goods."-Reuter.... Describing the evacuation from play an important and possibly confidence that Britain will shield the German army above amount to some 3,750.

de- by which, though much equip-

can

"..

It seemed certain that if Bri-R.A.F. attacks night after night ment was lost, the force remain- tain could reach parity in numon military, objectives, in Ger-led intact and was quickly rearm bers in time-and such parity many, Italy, Belgium, Holland, ed to meet the possibility of Bri- now in sight-the war in air was as good as won.

the Norway and German occupied tain being invaded," the corres- All that has happened since the causing considerable

France have unquestionably been pondent declares: blitzkrieg and the counter-

dislocation "The urgency of the situation, blitzkrieg on Germany and her war machine.

to German industrial life and to-- quickly -produced "new" men and cupied territories has underlined

new methods and to-day the this assertion of R.A.F. sup-

British field forge has arrived periority in men, and aircraft,

Proud Record

Experts to-day discount

Huge Reservoir

Meanwhile the Empire air train-craft production and large orders ing scheme is now in full opera-placed in America for all kinds of tion and already in June the first aircraft, guarantee for the future ex-contingents of Colonial and Colon-a huge reservoir of aircraft and cessive optimism but they are ial trained pilots and crews be-crews built and trained under far from pessimistic. They point gan, to take their part in the peaceful conditions which to the proud record of the R.A.F. fight for Britain The Empire air never be available to the enemy.- during the first 12 months of training scheme, and Empire air-British Wireless.

war, to the rapid growth of Britain's air fleet and to the almost unlimited supply of cager and well-trained men to

fly

it both in Britain and in the Do- minions-Reuter.

It has been in the air that the most serious fighting of the first year of war has taken place and! it has been in the air, significant- ly enough, that Britain's most outstanding successes

have been

gained.

In the early days of the war!

the R.A.F. were mainly concern-

ed with dawn to dusk escort for

shown by the amazingly few ships]

NAVY COMES THROUGH WITH FLYING COLOURS

will

AFTER A YEAR of intense activity and strain convoys, the success of which was the Royal Navy has successfully countered every which were ever attacked while enemy attempt to reduce its power, the German fleet in convoy, and extensive recon- has been greatly weakened and Britain's offensive naissance lights over enemy ter- ritory for: U-boats.

power by sea is infinitely stronger than it was a year ago, despite losses, says Reuter's naval correspon- dent.

Aid To France

To counteract to some extent,

the numerical superiority of the These losses include one battleship (Royal Oak), German air force the RAF sent two. aircraft-carriers (Courageous and Glorious), to the help of the French army three cruisers, 30 destroyers, 14 submarines. and air force more squadrons

than had been promised in the

winter and as events grew worse A large number of these have tain's ports, open the R.A.F..more than doubled either been replaced or are in tra

their assistance to the extent of process of replacement by the seriously weakening" Its ; own accelerated, building programme, home defences. LA

and in addition the strength of

worldwide

Air Menace

During the retreat British the Navy in auxiliary craft of all The Navy's most perilous task fighter pilots found themselves types has beer vastly increased during the year has been to meet, from dawn to dusk carrying out The convay system, ha az every form of alr six or seven sortes daily. It was aufed that at no time has the thanks to re-equipment with the attack, but during these encounters and danger point been reached in latest A.A. weapons this menace perhaps even more clearly losses of merchant shipping has been countered with heavy during the week of terrifle, Dritish losses ilmine-sweepers losses to enemy aircraft with the air battles over Dunkirk at the for over a year nrbunt to about result that the German air-force time of the retreat of the BEF, 80, including slips which went to now treats Biltish ships with that the world witnessed the su- Dunkirk to rescue men from the respect and recent attacks have periority of British machines and benches. But despite the enemy's taken the form of inaccurate ́ ́ men over their Gefiän uuversür- Indiscriminate use mines, but bombing from a great height.

sweepers are uble to keep BrRouter

les

.

BRITISH BEER

IS

BEST

McEwan's

Red Label

SPARKLING BEER

BREWED & BOTTLED

IN EDINBURGH

DODWELL & CO., LTD.

QUEEN'S BUILDING-

*20636--2002)