GREAT ACTIVITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23592, 28 February 1940, Page 11

GREAT ACTIVITY

ROYAL AIR FORCE FLIGHTS TO GERMANY FOUR IN FIVE DAYS By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright LONDON, Fob. '27 There has been great activity by the Royal Air Force over Germany in the last 24 hours, -and aeroplanes have flown over Berlin and important seaports. Machines (lew over Heligoland, the German North Sea coast and large areas of the interior of Germany, in addition to the standing patrol of the Frisian Islands and other bases. All the aircraft have returned safely. This is the fourth time British aeroplanes have been over Germany in five days. They had a rest on Sunday. The surprising thing about the flights has been the absence of any resistance from the Germans. The airmen have been able to go where they pleased. Some have allowed themselves to be picked out b.v v German searchlights to see what would happen. Even then there has been little anti-aircraft fire and no sign of the famed Messerschniitt fighters. Pilots who flew over Berlin are 6ure some of the leaflets they dropped have fallen in the main streets, and thousands have certainly fallen in the suburbs and * surrounding country districts. On the Western Front also airmen have been able to fly almost where they pleased with very little resistance. Among recent notable feats by the Royal j:\ir Force was that of a sergeantpilot and his observer. They zig-zagged over the enemy defences and penetrated to the rear, where they took photographs for two and a-half hours until their film ran out. They circled over a camouflaged flying field. The photographs show miles of roads bare of traffic and miles of railway with not a single train moving.

VISIT TO WARSHIPS KING IN SCOTLAND AWARDS FOR GALLANTRY (Received February 27, 6.32 p.m.) British Wireless LONDON, Feb. 26 The King to-day visited a Scottish dockyard and inspected the workshops. Later, on a parade ground, he reviewed members of ship's companies. His Majesty spoke for some time to the commanders of two Polish warships." On a specially erected platform the King held an investiture, at • which eight officers and men received decorations awarded for gallantry. From the parade ground His Majesty went in the Admiral's barge to a warship at anchor and, as he passed various ships in the harbour, the boatswains' pipes called the crews to the "alert." The tour included a/visit, to the Fleet air arm station, after which His Majesty was joined by the Queen, with whom he spent some time with the seamen who were, prisoners in the Altmarck.

MATERIALS OF WAR PURCHASES IN AMERICA ALLIES' AMPLE FUNDS (Received February 27, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 The Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Henry Morganthau, was questioned today about rumours that Britain and France had difficulty in raising funds for procuring military requirements from the United States. In reply he stated that Britain and Franco had available sufficient dollars not only to pay for the aeroplanes and engines at present ordered, bur also proposed a billion dollars Allied purchasing programme. He thought they had even more than that.

BAN ON VISITORS SCOTTISH POWER WORKS PROTECTIVE PRECAUTION (Received February 27, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 27 A defence regulation forbids nonresidents, except under special permits, to enter the Highlands, north of the Caledonian Canal, from March 11. The ban extends to the Inner and Outer Hebrides. It prohibits flights west and north of the canal.

It is understood that the object is to protect the Lochabcr power scheme —one of the world's largest hydroelectric systems —which cost £5,000,000 and took five years to complete. It taps many lochs. There is a tunnel ]S miles long through the solid granite of Ben Nevis.