1941-03-07 — Page 16

THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 7, 1941.

SECRET TEST OF BRITISH DEFENCES

Home Defence Units Recently Mobilised For Battle

Realistic And

Exacting Operation

BRITAIN'S HOME DEFENCE UNITS WERE RECENTLY MOBIL- ISED AND EMERGED SUCCESSFULLY FROM EXACTING, REALISTIC OPERATIONS AGAINST A SUPPOSED INVADING FORCE, WHICH, FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE TEST, WAS GIVEN EVERY CONCEIV- ABLE ADVANTAGE.

300 NORWEGIANS RELEASED IN LOFOTEN RAID

Norwegian circles in London yesterday expressed great satis- faction at their forces' part in the Lofoten raid.

It is understood that over 300 Norwegian patriots were brought back to join their fel- low-countrymen

in Britain. -Reuter.

CAROL IN LISBON

Ex-King Carol of Rumania and Mine. Lupescu have arrived safe-¦

This was revealed by Captain Margesson, the Secretary of State for War in the Com- mons yesterday, when he disclosed of the de- tails of the operations for the first time.

He was speaking on the Army Estimates and said that the danger of invasion was very real, but every possibility open to the ingen- uity of the enemy has been considered so far as it is possible to read their minds.

In the recent sham battle. last ing about a week, in which both the civil organisations and the our miktary talls participated, most brilliant Staff Officers were allocated to the part of the Gen- man General Staff in Britain.

THE INGENUITY OF THIS IMPROVISED ENEMY STAFF RESULTED IN A SCALE OF AT- TACK FAR HEAVIER THAN: ANYTHING THE GERMANSI ARE LIKELY TO MAKE.

allowed

to

The enemy was inflict every conceivable preli

There were minary disaster.

by many landings by sea and air and the effect of continuous air bombardment of focal points the was designed

break to arteries of communication.

ly in Lisbon af er a thrilling es- Lord Gort's Despatches

cape by ca: from Seville across The frontier mountains.-

EX

THEY SENT AL YOU WEN

Reuter. 1 Rey ewing the events

of

the

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In these brands of highclass footwear you. are assured of finding your requirements, whether they are for a lightweight shoe or one of sturdy construction.

SLIPPERS

Brown, Black, Red and Blue with soft and

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past year, Captain Margusson fore-

early publications shadowed the of Lord Gort's despatches on the battles in France and Flanders.

o1

The War Minister a180 ге vealed that the total British lon ses in all operations in the Mid. dle East, including East Africa from November 1940 to Febru ary 11, 1941, totalled 1,774, which 438 were killed. No doubt, he said, the task in Libya would have been sterner if we had been faced by German the troops but the weakness of Italian opposition was not due primarily to weakened morale, or the Italian armes were well- equipped, strongly entrenched and numerically superior, but was due to the brilliant use of supplies and of the power of by the British forces.

manoeuvre

Successes in East Africa hitherto had been equally striking.

Mogadiscio's Fall

Within 17 days of the beginning of the attack. Mogadiscio. 350 miles away, had fallen, and within another 48 hours, in carrying out that operation so successfully, we captured more than 10,000 prison-

ers.

"THESE OPERATIONS ARE A PRELUDE TO THE GREATER STRUGGLE WITH OUR PRIN. CIPAL ENEMY."

Our situation in June, 1940, after the evacuation from Dunkirk was unenviable. Fortunately, part of the Expeditionary Force's reserve

been equipment had

stored in Britain and stores were go away from those depots south of the

Somme.

en

Furthermore, equipment route from America to France was diverted to Britain and the trans- formation effected in one month

FOLR CHOLERA

STOP PRESS

ED TO THE THORITIES

NUMBER

CASES

OF

WERE NOTIFT- HEALTH AU-

YESTERDAY

BRINGING THE TOTAL. SINCE THE BE- OF THE YEAR

GINNING TO 40.

One of the cases notified yesterday come from Victoria and three from Kowloog

to

The slage is set, says Reu- ter from Tokyo, for signing of Franco-Thailand accord, fol- lowing Complete French agreement the Japanese plan. Both Thailand and France have given assurances that there will be no further aggressive action. A Govern- ment spokesman said that the future border will be demar- cated by a Commission, but it has not been decided in what capacity Japan will be repre- sented on the Commission. He hinted that the signature will take place in public and an- swered affirmatively to ย question whether all causes of dispute had been eliminated. -Reuter.

was perhaps unequalled in his-tish and Dominions and tory.

New Divisions

Indian the growing American output, the time is not distant when we shall have an army fully equipped and fully trained.

production and

The breathing space we have had since Dunkirk has been turn- WE ARE NOT SITTING TIGHT

effect. ed to good

Most of

BUT the INSIDE OUR DEFENCES

DAILY major formations

ARE ENDEAVOURING are now com- paratively well equipped and we TO IMPROVE OUR SYSTEM OF have been able to form new divi- STATIC AND MOBILE DE- sions.

FENCE.

We have also been able to supply material aid to the Al- lies.

Jacob Was this afternoon found guilty by a verdiet of SIS to one, but the foreman added that the Jury felt that accused was led on to a cer- tain extent by the prosecu – trix and recommended

ency.

The

Chef

he

leni-

Justice asked accused's C.0, if

could indicate what effect the con-

viction

Jacob's

upon

would have

career, but Lt. Col. Rudelf said he could not say with certainty.

of

Addressing Jacob, the Chief Justice said that in view his good record and all the evidence that had been heard in the case, sentence would be postponed to the next Ses- sions. Jacobs would, mean- time, be held in civil custody,

The prefix "special" to teleprams Je used by the "Sunday Herald-and "China Mail” to indicate nows which

IN THE - MEANTIME, THE HOME GUARD IS DOING A FINE JOB, NOTWITHSTANDING TEMPORARY SHORT- In a warm tribute to the gal- SOME lant Greek

which AGE OF EQUIPMENT. operations, "again proved that fortune fav- As a proof of the excellence of is strictly copyright under the provi ours the brave," Capt. Margesson British material, Capt. Margesson ions of the "Telecommunications- -Or- said the Greeks, by their trium- recalled the long-range desert pa-dinance, 1936, and may not be reprint. phant advance over difficult coun- trols organised by General Wa-ad undar any circumstances, try in the depths of winter, had vell soon after Italy entered the wholly or in part, without prior arc shown their neighbours that war, exploring the Libyan Desert. rangement. though a small country they pos-Reuter. sessed dauntless courage.

The Free French forces had al- ready given gallant service in Li- bya, Eritrea, Italian Somaliland; and elsewhere, and the. Poles are only waiting a chance to get at the enemy once again..

}

RA regards

Tho position equipment has 'greatly improv. ed since last summar and gives some cause for confidence.

Closing Gaps

The gaps still existing in some classes of equipment are closing weekly and, with the aid of Bri-

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