NEW TACTICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23773, 28 September 1940, Page 11

NEW TACTICS

ABANDON INVASION ATTACK GIBRALTAF AXIS POWEBS' PLANS WASHINGTON BEPOBT By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyrigh (Received September 27, 10.20 p.m.) NEW YORK, Sept. 2" The New York Tribune says £ responsible European Governmen has informed its Embassy in Wash ington that Germany will soon aban don the attack on Britain in favoui of the occupation of the remaindei of France, preparatory to an attempt to take Gibraltar and bottle up the Royal Navy. The Germans have concentrated 2f divisions at Bordeaux and Biarritz. li is said that Hitler desires a diversioi to cover liis failure in the battle foi Britain, and also to force Spain intc an a 1,1 ia nee. This scheme favours Britain, in so fai as it would free the French colonies from loyalty to Vichy. The State Department has noted the synchronisation of offensive movements ill Europe and the Far East. INVASION TROOPS TRAINING BY GERMANS SEARCH FOR SPECIALISTS BERLIN, Sept. 2(1 An officially inspired description oi army training for the invasion ol Britain claims that hundreds o] specialists are ainonj units along the Continental coast. They have been trained on the dril grounds north-west of Berlin. Immediately after the French capitulation tlicj were selected from all branches of the services on the basis of a questionnaire in which 63 questions covered athletic prowess, knowledge of languages, technical skill and acquaintance with British geography and affairs. Unmarried men under 23 were preferred. CHANNEL PORTS AVALANCHE OF BOMBS HEAVY BRITISH ATTACK (Received September 27, 7.20 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 27 Watchers on the English coast cheered relays of Royal Air Force bombers as they swept over the Channel to attack German invasion bases. An avalanche of bombs lit up the sky above the French coast. Terrific explosions in the neighbourhood of Calais and Cap Gris Xez shook buildings in Kent. They were the heaviest of all the raids on the French coast. Observers believe that German gun emplacements at Cap Gris Nez are receiving particular attention. These guns shelled the Dover area for one hour yesterday afternoon. Two unoccupied cottages were destroyed and a man and a woman were killed. .Shipping, barges and quayside stores at Antwerp, Flushing, Ostencl, Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne were attacked by the Royal Air Force on Wednesday night, while aircraft of the Coastal Command bombed oil tanks at Brest. GERMAN SEA LOSSES SUBMARINE ACTIVITY SUPPLY SHIPS TORPEDOED British Wireless LONDON, Sept. 26 British submarines, states an Admiralty communique, continue to search out and take a toll of enemy shipping. Full information of their successes cannot be given without endangering their security, but it can now be stated that the British submarine H 49 lately attacked a convoy of eight supply vessels with torpedoes, two of which found their mark. The submarine Tuna reports the destruction of a large supply vessel which was screened by two enemy destroyers. NAVAL CAPTURE FREIGHTER OFF MEXICO REFUELLING OF U-BOATS LONDON, Sept. 2G It is officially announced in Ottawa that armed merchantmen captured the German freighter Weser (9179 tons) off Manzanillo, Mexico, last night. The Weser is suspected of refuelling U-boats. SHIPPING MOVEMENTS HEAVY BRITISH TONNAGE LONDON, Sept. 20 In spite of the pronouncement of the total blockade by Germany, an unusually large amount of tonnage entered and cleared British ports during the first part of September. Losses suffered during the period, in spite of the enemy's utmost endeavours, were only 2£ per cent of the tonnage involved. AIR FORCE RECRUITS AUSTRALIANS IN CANADA MELBOURNE, Sept, 27 The Minister of Air, Mr. A. W. Fadden, announced that the first batch of Australian air-crew trainees to go abroad for immediate and advanced training under the Empire air scheme had reached Canada. YOUTH WELFARE MOVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA SYDNEY, Sept. 27 The New South Wales State Government has decided to form a "Department of Youth, which, will try to find congenial employment- for every boy and girl as he or she leaves school. 1