SHAM “INVASION”

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 124, 7 March 1941, Page 5

SHAM “INVASION”

BRITAIN’S DEFENCE TESTED. WORST DISASTERS ASSUMED. THROUGH ORDEAL WITH CREDIT. (United Press Association —Copyslght ) (Roe. 12.10.) LONDON, Afar. G. The whole story of the evacuation of Dunkirk will, it is expected, soon be told in General Viscount Gort's dispatches. Meanwhile the Secretary of State for War (Captain H, D. Margesson), introducing the Army Estimates in the House of Commons; revealed that in the retirement to the coast the Army succeeded in withdrawing no less than 85 per cent, of its effectives. Captain Margesson added that the transformation effected in one month— June—was perhaps unequalled in the history of the British Army. By the end of the month practically the whole of the British Expeditionary Force had been re-formed and the units nrovided with minimum weapons and transports. The breathing space since Dunkirk had been turned to good effect. The wheels of production were now turning faster, and most of the major formations wore now comparative!}' well' equipped. , Captain Margesson also gave astonishing figures of the Libyan v campaign. The capitulation of Benghazi, he said, completed the capture or destruction of the whole Italian Army in East Libya. The estimates exceed 150,000. British losses in these and all other operations in the Middle East, including East Africa, between November 30 and February 11 totalled 1774, of which 438 were killed. Emphasising that these operations wore hut tlje prelude to greater struggles, the Secretary for War turned to Homo defence. He reminded the Honse that the danger of invasion was very real, but every possibility open to the ingenuity of the enemy had been considered. Not many weeks ago there was a sham battle in which all the resources of the State, civil and military, were engaged for a week. “The evercise was directed at meeting, an imaginecLattack, and. for its purpose we called in some of the most brilliant staff officers at our disposal and asked them to take on the role of a German General Staff and make plans to attack this country. The attack was duly launched. This ‘ Germar. Staff * was housed in special offices and, by a scheme of observers throughout the country the effect of various waves of attack was noted. Valuable lessons were learned. The ingenuity of this improvised enemy staff resulted in a scale of attack greatly exceeding in probability anything.the Germans could actually inflict. The enemy was allowed to inflict upon us every preliminary disaster which might conceivably come upon us. “There were many ‘landings’ by sea and air and continuous air bombardment of our central points was calculated to have caused a breakdown of many means of communications. Notwithstanding this assumption of the worst, the defence organisation came through tlio ordeal witli the greatest credit". “It showed,” said (Captain'Margesson “that we are not sitting tight in our defences, but are endeavouring to improve the scheme of static and mobile defence from day to day. ■ The Secretary of State dealt with the suggestion that the selection of officers was not impartial between different classes of society. Analysis of commissions given from the selection of infantry officers from cadet training units, ho said,- showed that for the period from September 27 to December 27, 1.940, 26 per cent of the successful pupils came from what is known as the Public Schools. Of the balance 24 per cent came from Crammer, country or secondary schools, and of these about nine per cent, had had ■ university education. Examination of the civil occupations of candidates during the same period was also interesting. They included a publican, tailor, doctor, optician, labourer, racehorse trainer, rope-maker, grocer, fireman and barrister.”—British Official "Wireless.