“TOMB THUMB” NAVY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 266, 5 August 1940, Page 7

“TOMB THUMB” NAVY

On Inland Waterways Of Britain

SURPRISES READY

( By Telegraph—l’ress Assn.—Copyright.) (Received August 4, 7 p.m.) LONDON, August 3.

A. correspondent who has been permitted.to inspect coastal defences refers to a “Tom Thumb” or “vestpocket” navy, consisting of highpowered and heavily-armed speedboats whose job is to sight German seaplanes that, may seek to land troops on remote stretches of inland lakes and rivers. The commander of a flotilla said : "We have got surprises for Hitler. They may not be magnetic mines but something just: as good. We arc prepared for his seaplanes night and dav.”

Five thousand members of the Home Guard attend Bisley, the world-famed competition range, every weekend for rifle instruction. All National Rille Association ranges throughout the country are similarly occupied. The War Secretary. Mr. Eden, yes terday visited. Army units in the Southern Command, including a battalion of the King's Royal Rifles, in which be served during the Great War. GUNFIRE OVER CHANNEL No Special Alarm In Britain ( British Official Wireless.' RUGBY, August 2. Soioe rather highly-coloured accounts are circulating of multiple lines of artillery which have been emplaced by the Germans along the French coast witli a view to bringing part of the south-east coast: of England under a concentrated barrage. The range Is quite feasible for big modern guns, and military circles in London show no particular surprise and no special alarm at these reports. Under the present conditions stories of this nature are not likely to have gone in circulation without the approval of the German military authorities. They are undoubtedly a picturesque form of advertisement, of the German preparations against Britain, but the extent to which they correspond with actuality is felt here to be more questionable. The Germans may be trusted not to neglect the obvious possibilities of long-range artillery—the use of which is equally open to the British —but they will also be aware of its limitations in practice. Fire at cross-Chan-nel range would not be accurate. The guns themselves wear out quickly. Owing to the thickness of the shellcase, the burst is relatively ineffective. Unless lire is quite erratic, it would require to be directed by air observation, and aircraft intruding over the British coast would not be treated by the R.A.F. with any special lenience. For these and other reasons longrange bombardment of the English coast is regarded by competent circles here as uneconomical and rather ineffective. GERMAN CLAIMS Attacks On Bases And Ships i Received August 4, 7 p.m.) BERLIN, August 3. The German High Command states: “During last night isolated air attacks were carried out against tank depots and anti-aircraft positions in England. Extensive lives were observed. Several armed merchantmen were bombed yesterday off the English east coast near Harwich and. Ute Thames Estuary and. also off the Hebrides, and three of a total tonnage of 10,000 were sunk.

“Enemy planes which penetrated northern and western Germany last night destroyed houses and killed and injured civilians; they destroyed a farmhouse in Ehra, killing the farmer’s family of four. “A U-boat of long-distance range sank seven armed merchantmen of a tonnage of about 56,113, including three tankers which were convoyed.” Raid on Norwich. BERLIN, August 2.

A communique states that bombers yesterday effectively attacked tin aero plane factory at Norwich with bombs of heavy calibre and caused fierce fires and several explosions in workshops. The communique adds: "Two Blenheim bombers were shot down during a raid on Dutch territory. British planes last night again raided western Germany. No military damage was done, but house property was severely damaged near Cologne, and several civilians were killed or wounded. The enemy lost ten planes yesterday, and one of ours is missing.” Another communique stated that German lighters attacked a few small convoys yesterday, and also several armed enemy merchantmen off the Ilumbor Estuary and Yarmouth, sinking one nierehantineu and damaging two nierehantineu, a tanker, and a minesweeper. A German plane destroyed an enemy submarine on July 3.1. in Norwegian waters. A U-boat, sank an enemy submarine. This U-boat, on two'expeditions, Ims sunk 12 armoured merchantmen totalling 74,338 tons, the destroyer Whirlwind and a submarine NOT CO-ORDINATED I British (Jllieiiil IV irele.-s. i RUGBY, August 2. There seems to have been a bitch in liaison between the German High Command and the Goebbels Propaganda Ministry. The latter Is alleging that all British east coast iiorts are closed to shipping, but a High Command communique today gives the lie to (his absurd allegation by describing attacks on Britisli merchant shipping oil' the Humber. REFUGEES IN LONDON Special Church Service • British iillielai Wireless..' (Received August I, 7.5 p.m, i RUGBY. August 3 A special service for refugees was j held this afternoon tit the Cburcli of ; Si. John's, Westminster. The chnreh was complete!) tilled will) refugees from Holland. Belgium. France, and Germnny. An address was given in English by .Mr. D. A. C. Craig, secretary of the central committee for prisoners of war and refugees from Central Europe, and an address was given in German by Pastor Wolfgang Busing, a minister of the German Church.