SECOND FRONT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 August 1942, Page 4

SECOND FRONT

ANTICIPATIONS OF ALLIED LANDING SPREADING THROUGHOUT EUROPE. NAZIS BELYING ON STRONG DEFENCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, August 4. Rumours that the Allies are z about to open a second front in Europe are spreading throughout France, Belgium and Holland. There are a number of signs that both the Germans and the Vichy Government ; fear a national uprising, throughout occupied and unoccupied France, as soon as the Allies strike. The “Soviet War News” says that the Germans’ ruling clique are profoundly alarmed at the danger of a second front. A new German Press campaign aims. at intimidating the Allies and easing the minds of the German people. The Stockholm newspaper “Svenska Dagbladets” says that the Vichy Government has issued a warning that the British will employ large numbers of paratroops in landings in France, with the idea of upsetting French and German collaboration. It is reported from Berlin.that further extensive mining has been carried out along the Dutch coast. General Dietrich, commander of the Storm Troops, and Herr Spear, the German Arms Minister, toured the Channel coast defences in company with the local naval commander, says a Berlin message. The defences include longrange batteries protected by seemingly indestructible fortifications, with concrete walls three feet thick, surrounded by a belt of batteries for defence against small sea craft and planes. There is battery after battery, each with its range fire dovetailing into that of the next. Yet nothing of these fortifications is visible. An attacker may land wherever he likes, but he will be inevitably caught, first by minefields and then by searchlights and the navy’s guns." Should an attacker penetrate these defences he would encounter land mines, strongly fortified machine-gun nests and barbed wire entanglements and finally grenades, flame-throwers and all arms. If attackers prefer to land from the air, there are means of striking at them from all directions and sufficient numbers to repel every kind of attack. The deeply echeloned defence lines of the Army and Air Force begin immediately behind the naval fortifications.