THE WAR, STEP BY STEP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 112, 19 January 1940, Page 7

THE WAR, STEP BY STEP

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16. The low countries again stand pro pared for the possibility of a German invasion. The situation is similar lo that in last November. Nearly 1,0(10.000 German mechanised troops are reported to be mobilised on an N.l-mile front on the southeastern frontier of Holland. Other heavy concentrations a.re disposed on Belgium's eastern frontier. Some authoritative quarLers give the opinion that it may merely be German bluff. Diplomatic circles in London feel that there is 710 additional reason to expect an invasion of either country presently, but point out that quick changes are always possible, for which, reason Belgium and Holland must be prepared. I'oi.li countries are acting in close concert and have taken every precaution, bringing the armies close to total mobilisation. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17. As a sequel to the ne-w stage of Belgian mobilisation King Leopold has assumed supreme command of the Army, and has estabiished his general headquarters in the Ministry of Defence, which is now limited ! to administrative Avork, says a message from Brussels. The commentator, M. Moriec, Avrit ing in a Paris newspaper, affirms that Hitler avill launch an offensive; against Holland and Belgium on January 20. INI. Daladier received the Belgian Ambassador and General •Gamelin. * A .semi-official statement in Berlin accused Britain and France of pushing 011 Belgium and Holland by giA'ing false information about Germany's plans. The statement alleges that in A"ieAA r of the stalemate on the Maginot Line the Allies are now

trying to proA'oke Germany against Belgium and Holland.

It is officially announced in Londo7i that 11. A.F. leave has been cancelled.

The British War Office announced late last night that leave for members of the British Expeditionary Force has been suspended, but this does not affeefe soldiers already on leave. Holland's cancellation of Army leave affects o(),0(K) men. Belgium's new call to the colours mobilises between 130,000 and 10,000 more meii. It is officially stated that there are now 700,000 mobilised.

Watchers from a lightship, who reached the east coast, described hq'w a German 'plane bombed and machine-gunned a homeward-bound trawler, sinking her with the loss of all hands. The ship J s identity cannot, be ascertained, pending a roll call of trawlers. The 'plane attacked the lightship, but a lifeboat rescued the crew. The master and eight of Die crew of the trawler William Ivery landed at a Scottish port after being ifhe object of a bomb attack in the North Sea, says another message. When survivors of the British steamer Granta (2719 tons), which struck a mine last week, were landed on the north-east coast, it was learned that 10 of the crew are missing. Eight Russian aeroplanes are reported to have dropped bombs, with out causing any casualties, on ilie Swedish island of Kailax, in the Hauaramia Archipelago, six miles south-west of Lulea, near the head of the Gulf of Bothnia. Prince Gustav Adolf investigated, and found Russian lettering on bomb fragments. The Swedish Foreign Office states that a snowstorm prevented the identification of the aeroplanes. Norwegian anti-aircraft guns fired on Russian bombers which crossed the Norwegian-Finnish frontier.