INTENSE EFFORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 1, 2 January 1941, Page 7

INTENSE EFFORT

THE BRITISH ARMY

SENTINEL AGAINST INVASION

COUNTER-MEASURES

(Britisb Ufflclal Wireless.) (Received January 2, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, January 1.

For the British Army the year just closed,' memorable as many of its incidents have been, has been no more than a prologue. Decisive events are to come.

In the field of military training the period since Dunkirk has been one of intense effort. Great progress has baen made, too, with reinforcement. Already a considerable number of units have been dispatched to the Middle East and elsewhere, fully equipped. All the troops remaining at home are rapidly approaching their full war scale. The army at home greeted the New Year standing sentinel against in-, vasion. Counter invasion measures have been formulated which take into consideration all possibilities and provide a system of defence which will enable the troops to counter the invader on the beaches until the arrival of strong mobile reinforcements. An enemy force which succeeded in penetrating the beach defences would encounter other troops and would be hampered and harassed at every village by the Home Guard, which at the present time has one' million fully-armed men. ' '• •

The dispositions of the home defence forces have been made not only to counter' a frontal attack. Airborne landings have been taken into account from the point of view of offensive as well as defensive action.

Abroad, British arms have recovered the initiative in the Middle East.