BIG BOMBERS FOR BRITAIN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21818, 22 November 1940, Page 5

BIG BOMBERS FOR BRITAIN

ACCELERATION OF U.S. AID Germany Within Easy Range By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, November 20. Informed officials in Washington said to-day that American aid for Britain will be accelerated by the release of additional aeroplanes now being produced for the United States own defence forces. The United States Army has announced that the United States has released for Britain 26 fourengined bombers which were built for the United States Air Force. The aeroplanes are Consolidated bombers, which are capable of reaching any part of Germany from the British Isles. In exchange for getting priority over these bombers, Britain has released to the United States sufficient engines to equip 41 Boeing “flyingfortresses” for the United States Army which are at present without engines. Meanwhile, negotiations are continuing for the release to Britain of 20 of the latest type of Boeing bomber, completely equipped except for the bombsight. The United States Chief of Staff, General George Marshall, has announced that the Sperry bomb sight is to be released to Britain. The Secretary of the U.S. Navy (Colonel Frank Knox) has announced that the Navy is already using some of the bases leased from Britain as stations for the Atlantic patrol. Colonel Knox said Navy ’planes were working from Bermuda and St. Lucia, and probably from Newfoundland. The Navy was maintaining an active patrol of Martinique, but United States ships were not stationed there.