| Show J. J W. W T. T MASON SAYS j Flanders glanders Retreat Proves Planes Plane Cant Can't Nav Naval 1 Units By J. J W W. T. T MASON IASON United Press War Var Expert The s success of the retreat of the allied forces from Flanders is reaching proportions that show the great power of naval cooperation in coastal defense has not been destroyed by attacking attacking attacking at at- at- at tacking airplanes Operations of the Anglo- Anglo French warships Dunkerque and eastward are being brilliantly brilliant brilliant- ly directed The supplementary protection afforded them by the allied counter offensive in the theair theair theair air has slowed down German attempts attempts at at- attempts at- at tempts to surround the remnant British and French divisions to toa toa toa a point where it has been impossible impossible impossible im im- im- im possible for Hitler to spring his trap The success of the allied retreat re retreat retreat re- re treat across the channel channell in the face of a German aviation blitzkrieg blitzkrieg blitzkrieg blitz blitz- krieg marks an important advance advance advance ad ad- vance in defensive strategy The allied warships have had to move very slowly up and down the French and Belgian coastal waters waters wa wa- waters wa- wa and even to come to rest at times in order to make their gunfire effective Thus they have offered themselves as ideal targets for the German airmen Yet the Germans have not been able to interrupt the evacuation evacuation evacuation of the retiring troops in any major manner nor have the allies suffered serious losses in ships Compared With Corunna The escape of thousands of troops from Dunkerque is well weIl compared by the British to the famous retreat to Corunna by a British army army during Great Britain's Britain's Britain's Brit Brit- ains ain's operations against Napoleon Napoleon Napoleon Napo Napo- leon in Spain The Dunkerque retirement in fact has much more importance than the Corunna operations because because because be be- cause it will now be necessary for naval specialists to revise previous ideas ideas' that airplanes might become the masters of warships in a major conflict between between between be be- tween them It is evident that the German planes have failed to drive the allied vessels away from the Franco Belgian coast though conditions had been believed by bythe bythe bythe the German high command to tobe tobe tobe be very favorable for such an enterprise An air offensive against an army in the field is more destructive destructive destructive de de- than against warships because the enemy troops are massed and present far larger targets A warship even of large tonnage is very difficult to hit from a great height because it is not conspicuous This is a fundamental reason for the failure failure failure fail fail- ure of the Germans to entrap the allies at Dunkerque Reports from London tell of numerous small craft carrying troops and refugees across the channel even towing barges being being being be be- ing used to help in the convey convey- ance The Bhe use of such inconspicuous ships is part of the allied plan to interfere with the visibility visibility visibility of the German aviators and accounts in part for the success of the retreat by sea Warships Cover Retreat The allies' allies warships are affording affording affording af af- af- af fording effective protection to many of the remaining troops who are fighting their way to the coast The continuous barrage barrage barrage bar bar- rage from the big guns has permitted permitted permitted per per- the allies to reestablish a new battle line through which the Germans would be able to penetrate only at very heavy cost The Germans have not shown any desire to the present to take this risk It has been the strategy of the Germans since the surrender of the Belgian king to save their infantry as far as possible The Germans have been using tanks and airplanes as their major offensive offensive of units in the last two days hoping to cut off and surround surround surround sur sur- round detachments of the re retreating retreating retreating re- re treating French and British without the heavy casualties that would accompany infantry offensives Infantry Support Vital But the backbone of an army is the infantry Tanks and airplanes airplanes airplanes air air- planes not adequately supported by marching regiments have been demonstrating in the last 48 hours of fighting that they cannot overwhelm a resolute enemy The allied retreating remnant is reported to be fully mechanized so that its defensive strength is still very consider consider- able Many more of the allies seem destined to get out of the unclosed unclosed unclosed un un- un- un closed trap at Dunkerque London London London Lon Lon- don declares fresh supplies of munitions are arc being sent to Dunkerque Dunkerque Dunkerque Dun Dun- which shows that the retreat is being conducted as an organized rear guard action on a large scale and Is not a disorderly disorder disorder- ly retirement |
