FREE FRENCH FORCES
OPERATIONS IN EQUATORIAL AFRICA CAPTURE OF LAMBARENE CONFIRMED CAIRO, November 7.' A Free French communique describes the capture of Lambarene., It states; “After the events at Dakar, the Vichy Government believed it could use Gabon as a base for recapturing Equatorial Africa. General de Gaulle accordingly took precautions. Two columns under General de Larminat marched across Gabon, one from the Cameroons and the other from Pointe Noire. The first column occupied Tyem, where it was immediately joined by the garrison, while the second column occupied Mayumba and Sindara, This success brought the greater part of Gabon under General de Gaulle, upon which the Vichy authorities established strong defences along the Ogowe river from Lambarene to Njole. These defences covered Libreville and Port Gentil, and extended via Lalara and Mitjik as jar as Spanish Guinea. The Free French forces crossed a difficult region and vigorously pressed the defences. They captured Mitjik on October 30, Lalara on November 1, and Njole on November 2. The columns junctioned i front of Lambarene, which was strongly defended. The Free French troops, after laborious operations, encircled the town, which was captured' on November 5. The Vichy Air Force incessantly bombed and machine-gunned our forces. Only Libreville and Port Gentil remain in possession of Vichy.”
AMERICAN FREIGHTERS
CONSTRUCTION FOR BRITAIN NEW YORK, November 7. The Washington correspondent of the ‘ New York Times ’ says that Britain has completed arrangements for the construction of 120 freighters at a cost of 100,000,000 dollars. They will he manufactured piecemeal throughout the nation and will be assembled on the west coast atthe rate of one a week, The freighters will be 300 ft in length, with 25,000 horse-power, giving a speed of 13 knots.
Britain is also negotiating for the purchase of an additional 63 freighters from the Maritime Commission and 80 to 100 others from private owners.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Star, Issue 23729, 9 November 1940, Page 11
Word Count
310FREE FRENCH FORCES Evening Star, Issue 23729, 9 November 1940, Page 11
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