CHANGED DISPOSITIONS

Evening Star, Issue 23684, 18 September 1940, Page 7

CHANGED DISPOSITIONS

GERMAN SEA FORGES R.A.F. INVESTIGATES channel coastline combed (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 17. (Received September 18, at 11.15 a.m.) “ From dawn to-day reconnaissance aircraft of the Coastal Command were combing the enemy coastline over the entire Channel area,” states an Air Ministry bulletin. Searches on a large scale haddbeen organised overnight to ascertain sudden changes in the disposition of German sea forces. Ihese 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 with gale force at exposed places where German surface craft had been last sighted. Most of the Channel was very rough, and, as 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. aaaaaaaßaaaaasasaaa®

ELEMENTS AGAINST INVASION FIRST AUTUMN GALE BRITISH ARMY EAGER FOR BATTLE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 17. (Received September 18, at 9,25 a.m.) According to Agency messages, the first autumn gale is blowing in the Straits of Dover. During the night the south-westerly wind reached gale force. ' Big seas are running and pounding the beaches, and the weather conditions generally are bad. This break in the weather, producing conditions unfavourable to an attempt at invasion by the Germans, is reported to have caused keen disappointment among the British troops on the coast, who are eagerly waiting for the battle to begin.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ls NO REST FOR NAZIS R.A.F. STILL HITTING HARD INVASION BASES HEAVILY BOMBED (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 17. (Received September 18, at 11.5 a.m.) Daylight raids on Calais, Ostend, and Dunkirk were carried out yesterday afternoon by the medium bombers of the R.A.F. At Veere, on the Dutch island of Walcheren, a concentration of barges in the canal lock were bombed from a low level. Harbour installations at Dunkirk and Ostend were attacked under the cover of low clouds, and at Calais a salvo of bombs was seen to burst on the quayside of the outer harbour.

A convoy of 12 barges and three escort vessels was intercepted and bombed off Zeebrugge. An attack was also made on three self-propelled barges patrolling off Ostend Harbour, which hove to and opened fire on sighting the R.A.F. aircraft. Haamstcde, on the Dutch island of Schowven, was raided early in the afternoon, and bombs were dropped on the aerodrome and high level attacks were made on German barge concentrations outside as well as inside the harbour.

Various points were also harassed during a series of daylight raids yesterday. A considerable convoy of enemy shipping off Calais was attacked and a stick of bombs dropped across the convoy from starboard to port. Another raider bombed barges tied up in twos and threes inside Zeebrugge harbour, and Zeebrugge itself was attacked, and it is believed a bomb struck the light railway running along the mole. POLISH AIRMEN MINISTER'S CONGRATULATIONS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 17. (Received September 18, at 11.35 a.m.) Sir Archibald Sinclair (Minister of Air) sent the following message to General Sikorski: “Please convey my congratulations to numbers 302 and 303 squadrons on their magnificent and outstanding success in yesterday’s fighting; also to those of your airmen who took part so splendidly in the attack | on Calais.”

EVENTS IN SYRIA INCREASING SENTIMENT FOR DE GAULLE FRICTION BETWEEN AUTHORITIES AND ITALIAN MISSION Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, September 17. The Angora correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ says that reports from Syria confirm that friction is occurring between the civilian and military authorities and the Italian Disarmament Commission. The period of “ Anglophobia ” after the British action against the French fleet has passed, and the sentiment, except among the French reservists, who merely want to return home, is increasingly in favour of General do Gaulle. This tendency has been assisted by tho news that the position of the Vichy Government is becoming shaky because of differences with the German authorities. The Italian commission is demanding immobilisation of tho French planes and a guarantee that French troops will not enter British service. It also is seeking a share in the political control of Syria. The Turks behove the situation in Syria will work out in favour of Britain, whether the commission is successful or unsuccessful.' One thing is certain. The neighbouring States will agree that neither tho Italians nor Germans must be permitted to gain a footing in Syria. AIR RAID SHELTERS THE HEALTH PROBLEM SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE LONDON, September 17. ‘ The Times ’ says that Lord Border has been appointed chairman of a Government committee to investigate the effect on health of the present use of public shelters, where there is much overcrowding because of their increasing use as dormitories. The Home Secretary (Sir John Anderson) is investigating the possibility of using the tube railways as shelters, provided that the movement of trains is not hindered. People are beginning to resort to the underground railways as shelters after buying tickets. Steps are being taken to discourage the movement of people from communal and garden shelters to larger shelters elsewhere, while smaller shelters are left almost empty. The Government is also giving attention to the problem of ‘ housing the large number of homeless people. SHORTAGE OF DEEP SHELTERS GOVERNMENT CHARGED WITH LACK OF FORESIGHT. LONDON, September 17. .The ‘ Daily Mail ’ asks editorially whether the Government is doing all it can for civilians, whether proper shelters are provided and complete arrangements have been made to house those rendered homeless. “ The outcome of the battle largely depends on the 1 people’s courage and endurance. Sir John Anderson should immediately order the construction of deep bombproof shelters in every available open space. The lessons of the war elsewhere have not been learnt. The outstanding fact is that the ‘ dispersal ’ policy on which Sir John Anderson based his plans has failed, and public money is being wasted more and more on surface shelters, revealing a lafck of foresight, because surface shelters do not withstand'continuous air attack.” TYPICAL NAZI BLUSTER CONTRADICTORY UTTERANCES (British Ofiicial Wireless.) RUGBY, September 16. According to a statement appearing in the German News Agency messages on Saturday, “ London has now reached a stage when it must choose between the fate of Warsaw and the fate of Baris.” This typical bluster, with its shameless acceptance of responsibility for wanton destruction, is, however, robbed of much of the sinister menace it was no doubt intended to convey by an earlier claim made on the Zeesen station, broadcasting in Spanish on Thursday last, that “ planes on reconnaissance over Loudon registered that the destruction is even greater than in Warsaw.” RECORD NIGHT BAG ANTI-AIRCRAFT SUCCESSES (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 17 (Received September 18, at 9.10 a.m.) lb is now officially stated by the Air Ministry that during the night of Sunday four enemy bombers were shot down by anti-aircraft guns. A total of six enemy aircraft was therefore destroyed during that night following the daylight battle in which the German air force lost 185 bombers and fighters. This night total, like the day total preceding it, made a record, being the largest number of enemy aircraft brought down during the hours of darkness since the intensive operations by the German air force against south-east England and London began.