ARMED FORCES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 193, 17 July 1939, Page 7

ARMED FORCES.

TASK OF ORGANISING. PROGRESS IN BRITAIN. LONDON, June 28. Britain’s enormous task of organising the nation’s armed forces to meet emergencies continues with unabated energy and determination. One of the first aims lias been the development of anti-aircraft defences, in connection with which the country relies on fighter aeroplanes and counter- bom hers in conjunction to maintain the security of the Empire's centre. This aim is now approaching realisation with Territorial air defence units lor the first time permanently occupying war stations in the most vulnerable areas. Members of the Territorial anti-aircraft units are doubling their customary camp training, spending a fortnight in day and flight gun practice at areial stations and another fortnight at war stations. ON CONTINENTAL SCALE.

At present, 22,000 men are engaged in this way, the remaining 68,000 to bo called up in rotation to complete duty by October. By that time the militia anti-aircraft' units will be sufficiently trained to take up duty in London’s anti-aircraft fixed defences. Already 4.5’s have been mounted on concrete emplacements, and similar guns will he installed shortly in other defences all over the country. Every London anti-aircraft station is now equipped with a full quota of 3.7’5, and the majority of the country units have their complement of them.

Thousands of searchlights have been installed all over the country for night defence, and the Territorial Field Force has begun its annual training, at which there are record attendances, reaching nearly 400,000, which, with the regular army and militia, ensure that Britain well have an army on the Continental scale within a few months.

Equipment comprising a-quarter of a million articles, from heavy artillery tanks to buttons, is coming forward well.

The Territorials are deficient in Bren guns and motor transport, but the increasing scale of production is relieving anxiety on this account. The Post Office has ensured that air raids will not dislocate the British telephone service. The main national and international trunk exchanges have been triplicated and secretly fortified. ■

Cable to the length of 13,000,000 miles lias been placed underground, as compared with 1,500.000 overhead, although it is not sufficiently deep to eliminate the possibility of damage. Alternative routes have been made available all over the country to maintain communications.

STRONGER FLEET AIR ARM. Lieutenant-Commander Kenneth Edwards, in an article in the Sunday Times, states that the Fleet Air Arm, which is planned to give the Navy a Hying service, is at least four times stronger in machines and personnel than it was in 1936.

The performances of the Navy’s new aeroplanes represent a 100 per cent improvement within a year. The bi-monthly output of pilots is now 50, instead of 20. Only 50 observers were trained last year, hut the total for 1939 will he 120.