EARLY INVASION OF FRANCE?

Southland Times, Issue 25704, 13 July 1943, Page 5

EARLY INVASION OF FRANCE?

Allied Instruction To French People (Rec. 9.45 p.m.) LONDON, July 12. A dramatic message yesterday from Algiers radio calling on the French people to destroy Axis observation posts along the coast and to sabotage enemy lines of communication suggests an early invasion of France. The message added: “It is of paramount importance that Frenchmen should prepare dumps of weapons when the Allies land. Weight was lent to the invasion suggestion by the heavy week-end attacks on German air bases in northern France by strong formations of British and American bombers. Washington opinion suggests that operations against Sardinia and Corsica in the near future will enable the Allies to launch flanking aerial attacks against western and central Italy. , Rumours ran wild in Sofia following the reclosing of the Turkish-Syrian frontier and the suspension of telephonic communication between Turkey and Bulgaria. Reserve officers and the majority of the Bulgarian divisions were reported to have been called up. Axis radio stations throughout the week-end issued reports of intensive invasion preparations in Syrian ports, where the Allies are said to be hurriedly massing landing barges. It is also reported that Polish and French troops in Syria are taking part in massive landing exercises of the type which preceded the invasion of Sicily. AIR-BORNE TROOPS Axis circles expect the Allies to use air-borne troops on a large scale. They quote Ankara for the statement that two divisions of Allied air-borne troops are poised in readiness. Giving a warning of Allied preparations for an attack on the Continent, Berlin radio said the western Mediterranean had been allocated to the Americans while the British will lead the invasion attempts in the eastern Mediterranean. Outside Sicily and Italy major attention from the Allied Air Forces in the Mediterranean has been concentrated on Crete. The recent raid on Crete by light shock troops has greatly increased Axis nervousness, With the new phases of the Allied offensives there will probably be a general intensification of the air waiagainst Axis targets, especially communications and airfields in western Europe. It is believed that in the forthcoming operations, as in the operations already under way in Sicily, armaments hitherto not used will be brought into play, including new types of planes.