SPECIAL EXERCISES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 12, 14 July 1939, Page 9

SPECIAL EXERCISES

ABOUT 130 SHIPS

REVIEW PLANNED

12,000 MEN TO BE CALLED UP

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received July 14, 11.20 a.m.)

RUGBY, July 13

I Special training for naval reservists in connection with the forthcoming exercises of the Home Fleet, ; involving the calling up of 12,000 additional reservists and the commissioning of between 50 and 60 ships in reserve was announced in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister. : He added that the King would review the reserve fleet of about 130 ships in Weymouth Bay on August 8. The reservists will rejoin on July 31, and it is anticipated that the exercises will last until about the 'Mrd week in September. Mi. Chamberlain explained that these measures are being taken in order to obtain the fullest possible advantage from the combined Fleet and air exercises which have already been 'arranged for August and September, iand thereby to advance the degree of 'efficiency of the Fleet. The calling up of retired naval officers, reservists, and pensioners will be under the recently-passed Reserve and Auxiliary Forces Act. Subequent to the Royal review, for which the King will travel down specially from Balmoral, the ships of the reserve ! fleet will leave to "work up" before the exercises. They will be reduced Ito reserve at the end of September. | Among the ships in reserve to be I specially commissioned are one battleship, one aircraft-carrier, about sixteen cruisers, one mine-layer, one destroyer depot ship, about 32 destroyers, and four submarines. j The reserve fleet as a whole was last commissioned for review and exercises in 1924. It is anticipated that a supplementary estimate will have tq^be presented to meet the cost of these measures.