1941-06-27 — Page 25

THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 27, 1941.

PARACHUTISTS

FOR

PICKED ENDURANCE

(By A Special Correspondent)

BRITAIN'S PARACHUTISTS, whose surprise Battle

descent on Southern Italy shocked the Italians, have been training in secret in England since last it was revealed. They are part of the in- vasion "commando,” and are all picked men, chosen only after rigorous physical tests.

summer,

They have had practice in water and can swim miles in their uniforms.

They come from all parts of the country-from crack Highland regiments, cavalry regiments, mechanised units, engineer and pioneer units. Many of them were at Dunkirk; most are single.

Their ranks include Rugby and, Soccer footballers, racing motor- ists, dirt-track riders and the like. I Their badge is #parachute on R.A.F. wings.

Some weeks ago I witnessed an exercise by them in a remote part of England W: motored a good many miles before daybreak

reach the scene.

High Officers Watch

to

As the wintry dawn was begin- nung to show, we left the car in a Jane and walked to a point of van- tage on a ridge of the downland.

YUGOSLAV

LEADER

IN LONDON

Mr. Churchill yesterday The spectators included Gen afternoon received Gen- Sir John Dill, Chief of the Imper-eral Simovitch, Yugoslav

ial General Staff; Gen. Sir A'an

Through Storm

The British

bomber

force which attacked Kiel and Bremen on Wed- nesday night had to bat- tle against electric storms which one pilot described as the worst he had ever

seen.

One aircraft was twice thrown up 200 feet and was at times nearly out of control.

The night was a test both for crews and aircraft, states the Air Ministry news service, but for many the reward came when they broke to a clear sky and saw flames rising to a great height from the shipyards at Kiel.

At Bremen it was more diffi cult to ste results but a good load of bombs was dropped on the target.

The sustained offensive of the

last few weeks, it is stated, has

shown that the summer night is

Brooke. Commander in Chief, Premier who has just not too short for effective bomb-

Home Forces: Air Marshal Sir

Arthur Barratt, Air Officer Com- manding-in-Chier Army Cooper- of the R.A.F.: ation Command Gen. Viscount Gort, V.C.. Crown Prince Olaf of Norway.

and

Before long the roar of a ble twin-engined troop-carrier.

was heard, flying at a comparatively low level.

It had found its way to the re- lease point in bad weather condi- tions.

ing.--Reuter.

An

Worst Ever experienced

it was the worst

reached London via Egypt and who took the first opportunity to meet the British Premier, says Reu-ever met. ter's diplomatic corres- pondent.

pilot said storm he had

He said: "It began half way across the North Sea and must about 200 miles in have been depth. Thunderstorms put both It is understood Mr. Churchill the wireless and air-speed indica- and General Simovitch reviewed [tor out of use. the whole international situation

"I tried to climb above the and at the same time General clouds but the higher we went

to the more ice there was. Simovitch expressed thanks

fly through the British Government for the thing to do was to When almost over our heads pledge contained in Mr. Eden's them. it shut off its motors to reduce recent Note, which recognised the "slip-stream" and the first batch' present Government as the only of parachutists descended, one*

representative of Yugoslavia and after the other in quick succes declared non-recognition of Axis sion,

partition of the country.

The parachutes, including one carrying the men's equipment in akitbag, worked perfectly. They were fitted with a special release ensured instantaneous gear that action, even quicker than with a ripcord.

General Simavitch also gave an account of the unsuccessful resistance to Germany, and

jt

is understood he threw new light on the collapse of the Yugoslav forces.

To-day General Simovitch will tell the story of Yugoslavia's part in the war in a broadcast which will be radioed abroad in the

The parachutists wore goggles over their eyes, and crash-helmets, which were the shape of their heads. The jackets were shaped B.B.C. overseas service. to the hips, and trousers fitted General Simovitch, who will into the top of their boots, which be speaking in the Serbo-Croat were on the German pattern.

language, will be heard at 3.15 p.m. (G.M.T.).-Reuter.

The troop-carrier passed on. The parachutists quickly disen- gaged themselves, and made ofl towards their objective. Then

came more

spectacle was repeated again an "PORTUGAL

again.

Attack On "Factory" TOO PRO-

BRITISH"

The objective in this exercise was an imaginaky factory, where the enemy high command were watching the demonstration of a

news- The Spanish Falangist new weapon. Everything went off with hardly a hitch. One para- paper "Arriba" complains that a chutist in landing twisted his an- kle on rough ground.

Only

"Electric fire lit up the lead. ing edge of the wings and air. Ecrews with the unnatural light. The guns looked as though they were red hot and the trailing aerial flicked like the lash of a tuminous whip cutting through the air with a trail of sparks. "We were buffeted in every direction, I had never seen such lightning.

The storm lasted until we were only 20 miles off Bremen and then there was, a welcome patch of

clear sky."

The whole force had to battle It against an unremitting storm. was 100 miles, according to the navigator's log, before there was any clearing and twenty minutes later another storm loomed up.

On the way back after bombing the railway near. Bremen the aircraft met another storm with heavy rain. The wireless was out of action during the whole jour- ney. British Wireless.

ARMY ANSWER TO

large section of the Portuguese PANZERS

Fress differs from the Spanish Press view. of the real feelings of the Portuguese people.

the "Arriba alleges that

the... Portuguese

There woo one touch of comedy. When all was över and. we got back to the lane, Crown "feelings

The

New Gun Howitzer The British 25-pound-

Prince. Olaffe car was missing. people are not. identified er gun-bowitzer, the latest A squad of parachutists had with British destinies."

to say equipment of the Field passed that way. Their Instruc- newspaper goes on tions had been to use any means that "it is the Spanish Press which Artillery, is being used in available to reach the objective, is making an effort to dispel from and the Prince's car had struck the European atmosphere the uni-war for the first time. thais a

"as a likely meant.

versal belief that Portugal is an According to reports received The chauffour had protested Anglophille country which consid-from present theatre of opera- but the parachutists had carried ered itself linked with British tions, it has caused great destruc- tion among enemy armoured out their instructions thoroughly. destinies. Not till the afternoon d'a the Such a universal belief, "Arriba" formations. Crown Prince get his car back. remarks, has not favoured Por- This gun compared with the tugal in the eyes of countries with equipment used in the last war, whom we are united by such pro- has a longer range, greater fire found and important bonds of power and higher rate of mobili- friendship."

ty. Its adoption necessitated a large-scale reorganisation of the Royal Regiment.

SUGAR FOR JAM

Sugar for jam was the welcome news for British housewives yes- terday.

The Ministry of Food an- nounced that for four weeks. during July, the sugar ration of half a pound will be doubled for preserving stone fruit-Router

HURT IN FALL

As its name implies, the new weapon can be employed either Walking near the Sun Sun as gun or howitzer. This enabled Hotel, Kowloon, at about 120 am, the authorities to reduce the to-day, Mr. A, E. Bush, of No. types in use. The 25-pounder 3. Jordan Road, tripped and fell replaced the 18-pounder, and re- heavily. He received hend in- | moved from the list of Service juries and was admitted to the weapons the 13-pounder of the

RHA. Kowloon Hospital.

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