"General Storm" Takes A Hand

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 222, 18 September 1940, Page 7

"General Storm" Takes A Hand

INVASION OBSTACLE Germans Claim Long-Range Gun Firing On London

(British Official Wireless.—Bee. 12.30 p.m.) •- RUGBY, September 1 7. According to agency messages, the first autumn gale has been blowing in the Straits of Dover during the night. A southwesterly wind reached gale force. Big seas are running and pounding the beaches and the weather conditions generally are bad. This break in the weather is producing conditions unfavourable to an attempt at invasion by the Germans. This is reported to have caused keen disappointment among British troops on the coast, who are eagerly waiting for the battle to begin. According to a cable message General Sir Alan Brooke, Commander-in-Chief of Britain's defence forces, interviewed, said: "'No doubt our forces are able to handle any German invaders. I would actually welcome invasion and the opportunity of throwing them back into the sea. "They have done it to us twice. It is about time we got some of our own back." From dawn to-day, continues the British official wireless, reconnaissance aircraft of the Coastal Command are combing the enemy \ coastline over the entire Channel area, states an Air Ministry bulletin. Searches on a large scale were organised overnight to ascertain any sudden changes in the disposition of German sea forces. These changes were imposed on the enemy after a day of harassing bombing action and in consequence of the strong westerly wind which swept the Channel throughout the night. It blew at gale force and exposed places where German surface craft had been last sighted. Most of the Channel was very rough, and, as was expected, enemy ships and small craft had scattered and scurried to seek shelter. Their new positions were quickly located to-day by the Coastal Command'. These operations were supplementary to the routine anti-submarine and convoy escort patrols on which 15,000 miles were flown in a few hours, notwithstanding the general bad weather. To-day Coastal Command aircraft gave an escort to many large convoys of merchant vessels, and there was not a single enemy attempt at molestation by air or sea. It is semi-officially stated in Berlin that Germany's long-range guns shelled London and will do likewise more frequently each day. Another Berlin message says long-range guns were shelling London for range-finding. The calibre of the guns is secret, but they resemble a telescope, each section being thinner than its predecessor.