HEAVY GALE

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1940, Page 7

HEAVY GALE

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

CHANNEL SWEPT INVADERS. HAMPERED NAZI SHIPS SCATTERED

Rec. 8.5 p.m! London, Sept. 18. Autumn gales still beat during the : night against the cliffs of Dover. It is too early to estimate the effect ; of the sudden weather change upon | Herr Hitler's invasion plans, but I considerable effect is certain. Wild winds and rough seas would make an attempt to tow barges across the Channel a hazardous operation. The gale will also render dangerous any attempted landings by troop-carrying planes. | There is no encouragement for Herr i Hitler in the huge seas thai, are crashing | on the beaches and promenades of the j south-east coast, where thousands of inhabitants of battered towns are carrying on. undaunted by the fiercest air raids. This break in the weather is reported to have caused keen disappointment also among British ' troops on the coast, who are eagerly waiting for the battle to begin. German Propaganda. The German radio is now playing down the question of invasion, and the newspapers are writing as if Britain s collapse will be caused by bombing and blockade. Neutral correspondents have been encouraged to say that invasion is off for the time being. Thus the correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper Allehanda says the plans for an invasion have been temporarily postponed owing to the efficiency of British anti-aircraft defences and fighters. Germany, he reports, has plenty of food and does not fear a long war. From dawn to-day reconnaissance aircraft of the coastal command were combing the enemy coastline over the cntire Channel area, states an Air Ministry bulletin. Searches on a large scale had been organised overnight to ascertain sudden changes in the disposition of the German sea forces. These changes were imposed on the enemy after a day of harassing bombing action and in consequence of a strong westerly wind which swept the Channel throughout the night. It blew at 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 loc'ated to-day by coastal command aircraft. 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 escort to many large convoys of merchant vessels and there was not a. single enemy attempt at molestation by air or sea.