Show Allied Air Raids Slash Boat U-Boat Base Capacity LONDON Feb 10 Naval observers estimated Wednesday th that t the capacity of ot the great gret German German Ger Ger- man submarine base at Lorient France had been reduced 75 percent per percent percent cent by allied aerial hammering but they expressed the belief that new bases were being built and mentioned Marseille on the French Mediterranean coast as the possible possible pos pos- sible site of ot a new and powerful boat U-boat home The evacuation of per per- eons ns from the old port district of ot Marseille may mean said these observers who may not be named I that Hitler Intends to expand the submarine facilities there to provide provide provide pro pro- vide a great base for pack attacks on allied shipping in the Mediterranean 1 The Germans It was pointed J out must make some preparations against the loss of ot Tunisia which would give allied ships the advantage advantage advantage tage of ot aerial cover over co convoys voys moving from Gibraltar tar to the eastern eastern eastern east east- ern Mediterranean In this event Hitler Is expected to turn his best weapon against Mediterranean shipping the shipping the submarine Would Follow Pattern The new base at Marseille It was said probably would be patterned patterned pat pat- tamed after the boat U-boat base at Lorient on the Atlantic coast of ot France Although the evacuation of civilians ci civilians ci- ci from Lorient is under way observers said aid this does not mean the Germans plan to give up the I base despite despite- the terrific punishment punishment punishment punish punish- ment it has been taking It would be a difficult job to knock out the base completely since the su submarine submarine sub sub- marine pens are under 12 feet of concrete and hard to find While the bombing of f workshops has slowed up servicing I and the Germans are known to have diverted a large number of ot boats U-boats to other ports they are still trying to keep a sizeable fleet at Lorient observers said To Evacuate Towns Towns- In addition to the evacuation of ot all but necessary from Lorient Lorient Lo Lo- rient due to be co completed Wednesday Wednesday Wed Wed- the Berlin radio broadcast a Earls aris dispatch last night reporting reporting report report- reporting ing that Brest and other French coastal towns endangered by air raids were to be evacuated by their civil populations shortly Meanwhile Hitler was having trouble in another part of his occupied oc oc- occupied domain The German Gennan radio reported during the night that large scale battles were in progress in western Croatia between axis troops and Yugoslav guerillas Th The broadcast said that German German Ger tier man Italian and Croatian soldiers had stormed mountain heights held by Yugoslav Yugoslav patriots patriots and captured key positions at and Ko- Ko The guerillas made re repeated repeated repeated re- re counterattacks but were repulsed it was reported Other sources with contacts Inthe In the Balkans reported that the Germans Germans Ger tier mans were working at top speed to fortify strong natural defensive positions in Greece Bulgaria Rumania Rumania Ru Ru- mania and Hungary against a possIble possible possible pos pos- sible united nations offensive against Europe from that tion |