GIBRALTAR RINGED BY GUNS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20783, 19 July 1937, Page 7

GIBRALTAR RINGED BY GUNS

REPORTS OF GERMAN ACTIVITIES FRENCH FRONTIER ALSO MENACED United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, July 16. The Gibraltar correspondent of “The Daily Herald,” detailing how the “Rock” is almost completely ringed with heavy guns and underground fortifications, built unuir the supervision of Germans, says: “The first shipment of a dozen twelve-inch guns from a cc nsignment of sixteen-inch guns, were landed on March 20 from the Von Scheer, which also brought technicians, who are still garrisoned at Algeciras. The same month the German tanker, Max Albrecht, discharged machineguns. and anti-aircraft guns. Heavy batteries had been installed along 15 miles of the coast between Algeciras and Tar if a. and also at Sanroque, only two miles behind Gibraltar. France Also Menaced Following the expression of fears of guns threatening Gibraltar, those well-informed in Paris declare that similar conditions obtain in northwest Spain, where guns could fire across a large area of French territory. It is alleged that there are Germanbuilt fortifications and gun platforms in General Franco’s territory on the top of the Pyrenees. The possibility of German domination of Gibraltar was raised in the House of Commons on uly 13. The Secretary of War (Mr L. HoreBelisha) said he was unable definitely to inform Mr E. G. Hicks (Labour) whether German experts had mounted 16in Krupp guns and 12in howitzers opposite Gibraltar. Mr Wedgwood Benn bluntly asked: “Is Gibraltar out-gunned and liable to destruction?” Mr Hore-Belisha referred him to a previous reply as conveying all the information in the possession of the Government. The Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) had then said that he understood that General Franco had installed batteries on the coast, but his information did not bear out reports that German experts had assisted in mounting the batteries.