MORE DEFIANTS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21229, 27 September 1940, Page 7

MORE DEFIANTS

DEFENCE OF BRITAIN PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE APPEAL BY MINISTER (omclal Wireless) (Received Sept. 27, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 20 Lord Beaverbrook, Minister of Aircraft Production, telegraphed the Government director of aircraft factories: “I ask you to give us more Defiants. I impose on you the duty of imcreasing this output and speeding the delivery of these fighters, using every resource and employing al'

energy to secure the maximum production. “The splendid work done by the Defiant squadron in battle makes the manufacture of this aircraft a task of paramount importance in the defence of the country. “I rely on you now to pass this urgent message to the sub-contrac-tors. On them depends the success of the Defiant programme.” Mr Herbert Morrison, Minister of Supply, in a speech, said that thanks to the courage and steadfastness of workers the Luftwaffe’s efforts to interrupt the work of the arms factories had conspicuously failed. With isolated exceptions the damage inflicted was vastly less than the enemy must have expected.

“ REPRISALS ” CONTINUED

REPORT FROM GERMANY BRITISH WARSHIP HIT (United Press Asn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 27, 11.40 a.m.) BERLIN, Sept. 26 A communique states: The Luftwaffe continued reprisals on Southern England and London. Numerous hits were scored on military objectives, including a warship anchored off Plymouth. Both sides of the Thames were bombed effectively. The enemy continued its terrorising activity against German civilians, but caused no military damage, either in north and western Germany or Berli'n. However, there is again a number of dead and wounded among the civilians.

GERMAN PLANS

INVASION OF BRITAIN LARGE FORCES OF MEN SKATING ACROSS WATER (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 26 The Germans continue to speak of the preparations they have made for the invasion of Britain. It was semiofficially stated in Berlin this morning that large forces of speciallytrained and equipped men have been distributed along the North Sea coast, the Channel and the Atlantic. These men, it is explained, have been selected on the basis of physical powers, intelligence, and ability to speak foreign languages and understand the ways of the English. Ten thousand men are stated to have been trained to use water-skis made of cork, enabling them to skate across water at the rate of five miles an hour. £) LONGEST YET EXPERIENCED NUMBER OF CASUALTIES MILITARY OBJECTIVES HIT (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 26 For the third night in succession, bombers of the Royal Air Force heavily attacked Berlin last night. The raid was the longest that the German capital has yet experienced and it was not until four o’clock this morning (Thursday) that Berlin citizens were able to emerge from their shelters after an alarm lasting five hours. An Air Ministry communique this morning states that strong forces of British bombers attacked military objectives in Berlin, while other raids were directed at the important naval base of Kiel and invasion bases in enemy-occupied territory. The Germans admit that British bombers were over the capital and that many bombs were dropped, causing a number of casualties.