20 TONS OF BOMBS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23545, 24 January 1942, Page 7

20 TONS OF BOMBS

Chinese Raid Air Base

HEAVY DAMAGE REPORTED (Received January 23. 8.5 p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, January 23. A message from Chungking states that Chinese bombers dropped 20 tons of expldsives on a Japanese air base in Indo-China, causing heavy damage. All the aircraft returned safely. Chinese bombers also raided a Japanese island base near Wci-hei-wei. Three hundred Japanese officers and men were killed. A communique issued in Chungking states that 400 of 1000 Japanese who were besieged on the Hwaiyang-Honan front were killed while attempting to break out. Chinese units operating in the Can-ton-Kwantung area routed Japanese outposts and sank two enemy motorboats off shore. Successful sorties have been made in the Hupeh Province. A Chinese Government spokesman in Chungking said that 40,000 Japanese civilians have been evacuated from different parts of Japan to Shanghai owing to the fear of Allied bombings. He also said that the Chinese Government was confident that Singapore would not fall. The spokesman added; “The Japanese now have air superiority in Malaya, but that may soon be changed.” The Chungking correspondent of the United Press reports that Dr Wang Chung-Hui, Secretary-General of the Chinese Supreme National Defence Council, in an interview to-day, said that any division of the war against the aggressors into two conflicts. Europe and Asia, would be “detrimental to our common cause. For China’s part we could not honourably sign any peace with Japan, nor shall we. for there can be no honourable peace with Japan apart from a general world settlement. China’s policy is one of complete co-operation —of fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Allies against the Axis Powers ” It is officially reported from Chungking that virtually the entire population of Hong Kong. numbering 1.000,000, has been comnellod to leave for the mainland. The Chungking Government has allocated a large sum for the relief of these evacuees.

DEFENCE OF AIR

BASES

STRONG FORCES IN

BRITAIN

LONDON. January 22

The newly formed Royal Air Force regiments for the defence of British aerodromes will be second to none in toughness, utility, mobility, and hitting power. Thi= was announced by the Secretary of State for Air (Sir Archibald Sinclair) when he reviewed the new defence scheme in the House of Commons. In the training of the aerodrome defence corps, he pointed out that too many men could not be diverted to this work as it would be dangerous. The fighter strength of the Royal Air Force had to be maintained. Sir Archibald said that mobile air units wore being formed, and would consist of troop carriers, light tank carriers. and parachute troop carriers. These would be established all over the country. There was also going to bo a tightening up of permits for people to enter aerodromes. The Under-Secretary for Air (Caplain H. H. Balfour) announced that a large proportion of the men for aerodrome defence units had been recruited already.

PATROL BY UNARMED AIRCRAFT

SUCCESSFUL BRITISH

BLUFF

i 8.0. W.i RUGBY. January 22, “In the early days of the war the shortage of aeroplanes was so serious that it was made up by bluff, ’’ said Wing Commander G. G. Barrett in an address to the Royal United Services Institution.

He said that unarmed Tiger Hornet Moths patrolled the North Sen. They wore christened the “Scarecrow Patrol.” These light training aircraft operated in incredibly bad weather. They were capable of flying for a maximum of 2J hours, but U-boats sighting these aeroplanes dived without waiting to discover whether they were capable of attack. The “Scarecrow Patrol” undoubtedly saved much shipping. Wing Commander Barrett disclosed that the Scharnhorst was probably tor. pedoed during a daring dawn raid in which a single Beaufort dashed into Brest and skimmed the water, despite an intensive anti-aircraft fire, hopped over the protective mole and dropped a torpedo. The ship’s guns and shore batteries opened up and the Beaufort faced the heaviest concentration of fire ever directed against a single aeroplane at such short range. It is believed (hat the torpedo scored a direct hit. The aeroplane, unfortunately, was shot down and (he crew of four were all killed.

HOME GUARD UNABLE TO RESIGN

RIGHT CANCELLED IN BRITAIN

LONDON, January 22

The right of Home Guardsmen to re. sign on giving 14 days’ notice will be cancelled from February 15.

Provision is also made for Home Guardsmen to perform no more than 48 hours’ training on operational work in every four weeks.

The now scheme has been announced by the Minister for Home Security (Mr Herbert Morrison', who said that the situation demanded that Britain must xeep up the strength of her civil defence.

The War Office announced that defence regulations providing for the application of compulsion in the Home Guard have been gazetted. These implement the proposals already announced in the House of Commons on December 21 by the Secretary for War (Captain David Margesson). The adoption of complementary action as regards part time civil defence workers was announced by Mr Morrison, who said that although he did not for the moment doubt the willingness of the men and women who had shown such a fine example of courage and efficiency in the days of the heavy German raids on the cities and towns of Britain to continue to offer their services, the vital necessity of obtaining protection for the life of the cities and the morale of the people required that certain numbers of civil defence personnel should at all times be available.

Successor to Archbishop—A successor to Dr. Cosmo Gordon Lang as Archbishop of Canterbury will shortly be nominated by Mr Churchill for the Roval approval. The choice is believed to lie between the Bishop of London (the Rt. Rev. Geoffrey F. Fisher) and the Archbishop of York (the Most Rev, William Temple).—London, January 22.