THE FRENCH FLEET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 75, 9 January 1941, Page 2

THE FRENCH FLEET.

CHANGES' IN DISTRIBUTION STRENGTHENING- RETAIN’S HAND (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, January 7. Destroyers, torpedo-boats and other small units of the French. Navy have been passing through the Straits of Gibraltar during the last month in two and threes unmolested by the British, says the Tangier correspondent of the “Daily Eixpress.” This redistribution, he adds, may be part of a general manoeuvre intended to remove the navy to North Africa, where it woud be*, safe from German attempts, simultaneously strengthening Marshal Petain’s only defence against the Germans —the North African forces under General Weygand. The French Navy is disposed roughly as follows: The main Mediterranean units are based at Toulon, and the main Atlantic units are based at Casablanca and Dakar. Algiers and Bizerte are almost empty. Oran still has the damaged battleship Dunkerque, which is well on the road to becoming an effective fighting unit. South of Dakar, the _ French are massing troops and building fortifications against another attempt by General de Gaulle. Prisons at Algiers, Tunis, Mekhes, Rabat, and Fez arc filled with young French patriots who' were caught in the .act of attempting to join General de Gaulle.

Germany is showing increasing signs of displeasure with the Vichy .Government. The suggestion that a triumvirate comprising M. Flandin, General Huntziger, and; Admiral Darlan, should be set up has not met with German approval. To-day the German wireless in Paris repeated. the German demand for the inclusion of a Nazi nominee, and made the threatening announcement that the discussions would end next day and that a reconstruction of the Government would then take place.