FRONTIERS FULLY MANNED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 17 April 1939, Page 7

FRONTIERS FULLY MANNED

REPORTS OF GERMAN AND ITALIAN TROOPS IN SPAIN WAR MATERIAL LANDED AT VIGO LONDON. 15th April. The Paris correspondent of the British United Press reports that officials at Hendaye declare that the French frontier batteries are fully manned and command all Spanish approaches.

Troops are at present manning the mountain defences. Heavy guns and extra ammunition have been installed and anti-aircraft equipment has been reinforced.

The “Daily Telegraph’s” Bordeaux correspondent says that France is most perturbed by reports that 15,000 to 20,000 fresh Italian troops, which landed at Cadiz, are concentrating at Logrono, 60 miles from the FrancoSpanish frontier. Logrono was the site of the Italian headquarters throughout the civil war. but the need of concentrations there has clearly passed. GERMAN TECHNICIANS It is known that 9000 or 10,000 pick-, ed German technicians and artillery-J men are still in Spain, distributed over j the northern towns. It is considered | that they would be more useful to j General Franco that the Italians in the, event of an attack against France. In addition to numerous artillery, anti-1 tank, and anti-aircraft guns, the Ger-j mans possess 50 guns. which are]

among the heaviest in Europe. These were largely responsible for the smashing of the Catalan front.

Large quantities of war material have been landed at Vigo during the last 10 days. France is also most concerned over the continued presence of hundreds of Italian and German aeroplanes accommodated at a string of German-built. heavily fortified aerodromes on the northern frontier.