COASTAL ASSAULT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 July 1942, Page 3

COASTAL ASSAULT

REHEARSED BY CANADIANS WITH NAVAL AND AIR CO-OPERATION. PRELUDE TO POSSIBLE INVASION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, July 16. A powerful Canadian attack force, in co-operation with the Royal Navy and Air Force,. has completed bigscale invasion manoeuvres off the British coast. The Canadian war correspondent with the force described them as “the prelude to what may be major l military operations on the European coast.” They were certainly the greatest invasion manoeuvres ever carried out in European waters. The convoy of fighting men was a most impressive sight. The troops carried all the arms an attacking force would require if it went to the Low Countries, Norway or France. The raid fleet sailed in the early morning, and then the Navy brought the ships to the rendezvous, massing small craft for the run to the beaches. Groups of assault craft proceeded to the shore, protected by gunboats and motor-launches, and behind these came other craft with more infantry, while the R.A.F. flew over them. Suddenly heavily-gunned beach protection craft darted ahead and fired smokeshells in the path of the invaders, who later touched the beaches, fought through obstacles, established a bridgehead, and landed in strength,