SINGAPORE BASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23394, 10 July 1939, Page 6

SINGAPORE BASE

WOEK EUSHED AHEAD

naval defence steps ANTI-AIRCRAFT STRENGTH . RECENT SEVERE TEST [FROM our OWN correspondent] SINGAPORE, June 19 With Anglo-Japanese friction concerning British rights in the China concession ports reaching a climax, world attention is focussed on Singapore, where the most important defence conference ever held in the Far East is to be held from June 22 to about June 29. Work on Britain's £20,000,000 stronghold is being rushed ahead. The commissioning of the naval base is believed to be virtually complete, new hangars and other accommodation at the air base and other Iloval Air Force aerodromes on Singapore Island are rapidly being provided and the anti-aircraft defences of the fortress are being greatly increased. These anti-aircraft defences are now so strong as to be able to repel any sea-borne air attacks, the authorities confidently believe. The biggest test of the anti-aircraft organisation yet held at Singapore proved what an advanced stage this aspect of defence has reached here. While troops of the Anti-Aircraft Brigade of the Singapore garrison manned the fixed and semi-mobile antiaircraft defences under wartime conditions for 38 hours continuously "hostile" aircraft attempted to bomb Singapore town, the naval base and other vital points of the island. At night searchlights swept the skies, seeking "marauding" aircraft. 11 oval Air Force and Straits Settlements Volunteer Air Force units also received useful training. _ High-level bombing attacks were carried out by night and high-level and dive bombing attacks by day.