LOYAL ALLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 230, 27 September 1940, Page 7

LOYAL ALLY.

FRENCH CAMEROONS. Sides With Britain Despite Dakar Setback. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 1 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 26. The following message was received by Mr. Churchill from Duala to-day:—"Frenchmen in the Cameroons who nave learnt of the recent events at Dakar take this opportunity to affirm to the British Prime Minister their determination to continue the struggle against Germany side by side with the British Government. "In their view Frenchmen subservient to the Vichy Government are Hitlers allies and are accepting the leadership of traitors who will one day pay dearly for their treason." Mr. Churchill replied: "I have received the telegram sent by representatives in the French Cameroons of ex-servicemen of the last and the present war, of officers and soldiers of the forces, administrators, civil servants, doctors, police, merchants, colonists, planters and missionaries, declaring their intention to fight on until victory is won. "In the name of the British Government I wish to thank them for their encouraging message and tell them of the pleasure it gives me to know they will continue the struggle side by side with the British Empire until France is freed and restored and the shadow of German tyranny is driven from the face of the earth for ever."

RESOLUTION HIT.

Vichy Claims Torpedo Attack

On British Warship.

"BAEHAM ALSO STRUCK."

(Reed. 2 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 26. It is officially announced at Vichy that the French submarine Bevczers torpedoed the battleship Resolution (29,160 tons), which withdrew, listing, without firing. The French battleship Richelieu fired her 14iu jrnns, hitting the battleship Barham (31,000 tons). French planes, it is claimed, shot down a British plane spotting lor the naval guns. British warships left Dakar at 5.30 p.m. yesterday. French officials at Vichy declared the battle cruiser Renown was hit during Tuesday's raid on Gibraltar and was compelled to leave the port. It i« stated in London that there is no truth in the report that the Renown I has been damaged.

SEVERE RAID. 100 French Aeroplanes Bomb Gibraltar. HEAVIEST ATTACK OF WAR. (Rccd. noon.) LONDON, Sept. 26. It is reported from Gibraltar that 100 French aeroplanes from Morocco on Wednesday afternoon subjected the Rock to the most severe attack since the outbreak of the war. They dropped about 300 bombs of various sizes, many of them falling into the sea or on barren areas. Buildings, roads and old defences were considerably damaged, but little damage was caused to military works or personnel. A small ship was hit and sank, and there was a number of civilian casual-; ties, some fatal. Anti-aircraft batteries shot down three and possibly five of the French machines. A number of bombs fell at La Linea. The German news agency reports that Gibraltar's military barracks and other military objectives and anti-aircraft defences on the piers were destroyed. The Governor is reported to have ordered evacuation to prevent overcrowding in the air raid shelters. It is reported from La Linea that aeroplanes circled the Rock in waves of ten for two hours and five minutes. Smoke enveloped the arsenal find flames leaped from the naval base. Many fires were observed. The Havas agency reports that 100 tons of bombs were dropped on Gibraltar in the French raid on Tuesday.

DAKAR INCIDENT. REGARDED CLOSED BT VICHY. (Reed, noon.) LONDON, Sept. 26. The Vichy correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says it is authoritative!j' stated that the Dakar incident is closed as far as the French *ra gMMjgMMjd, m _ . _ '