DEFENCE OF IRAQ

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 November 1941, Page 5

DEFENCE OF IRAQ

ACTIVE PREPARATIONS BRITISH & INDIAN TROOPS HARD AT WORK. PROTECTION OF OIL & SUPPLY ROUTES. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) MOSUL (Iraq), November 11. Preparations are being greatly speeded up to block any German attempt to push southward 'from the Black Sea against the oil supplies iu northern Iraq. British and Indian troops, some of whom are working day and night, are blasting away hillsides for gun emplacements and pillboxes, cutting trenches and tank-traps across valleys, repairing roads and laying down new ones. In the last three days 15 miles of all-weather roads have been built. Everywhere landing-grounds are being laid out with macadamised runways to make them serviceable when the spring floods rush down from the mountains. Armoured cars and trucks are constantly roaming the country for likely battle grounds, and the activity is ever increasing as new troops arrive. The Iraqi labourers employed on the defence works will soon total 5000.

The defence plans are being closely co-ordinated with the result of General Wavell’s visit. Lieutenant-General T. J. Hutton, Chief of the General Staff, India, is now touring the country, and a number of other high officers are arranging the transport of supplies not only for the troops in Iraq but also for Russian and Turkey.