MIGHTY ARMADA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1942, Page 3

MIGHTY ARMADA

SENT TO NORTH AFRICA SOME IMPRESSIVE FACTS. MR LYTTELTON’S HOPEFUL ANTICIPATIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 12. The biggest amphibious operation in history was described in New York last night by Mr Lyttelton, the British Minister of Production. He said that more than 500 vessels carried out the landing operations in French North Africa, convoyed and accompanied by more than 350 warships. He could not announce the number of troops carried, but the armadas of all history would sink into insignificance if compared with the mighty forces employed. He looked forward to the moment when American troops would join hands with the British somewhere in the centre of the North African coast. It is learned in London that American paratroops flew 1500 miles nonstop from England to participate in the attack on Oran. They boarded huge transport planes last Saturday night and flew continuously for eight hours, reaching the destination at dawn in time to participate in the initial phase of the battle for Oran. This is the longest airborne troop movement in history. STIR AT GIBRALTAR. The Paris radio says it is reported from La Linea that a convoy has arrived at Gibraltar consisting of three aircraft-carriers, two battleships, four cruisers, 14 destroyers, five transports, and 38 merchantmen. Naval and air activity at Gibraltar is unprecedented in magnitude. Reports from Lisbon say that transport planes and bombers towing gliders were sighted off the Portuguese coast early yesterday afternoon flying southward. . , , , A message from Vichy, broadcast from the Paris radio, called on the French merchantmen in the Mediterranean to proceed to. the nearest port in France or to Corsica. The British Navy is repeatedly broadcasting General Eisenhower s message to the French Fleet inviting it to join the United Nations in the fight for freedom. “Hitler has taken youi’ country, and now he wants your ships. Don’t let him take them. The enemy is close upon you. Sail at once for Gibraltar and join us,” the message urges. » LAVAL AT MUNICH INSTRUCTIONS FROM HIS NAZI MASTERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, November 11. A Vichy communique states: “In view of the seriousness of the circumstances, M. Laval went to Munich on Monday and had several interviews with Herr Hitler and Herr von Ribbentrop . Count Ciano, the Italian Foreign Minister, was present at one interview. M. Laval, on leaving Munich, received a copy of Herr Hitler’s letter to Marshal Petain. On his

return to Vichy M. Laval saw Marshal Petain and afterward reported to the Cabinet.”

“The Times” correspondent on the French frontier says that these negotiations arose from the fact that 92,000 French troops permitted under the armistice were no match for the British and American forces pouring into North Africa, and Vichy had asked permission to increase the French Army to 200,000, partly by the recall of some who were dismissed months ago and partly by the release of 50,000 war prisoners from Germany willing to fight for Vichy and Petain. The equipment for the army would be provided partly by the Germans returning a quantity of the French weapons and material which was surrendered under the armistice and partly by allowing France to retain a portion of the war material she is producing for Germany. Hitler took the decisive part in the negotiations.