DEFENCE BOARD

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21203, 28 August 1940, Page 6

DEFENCE BOARD

CANADA AND AMERICA “ DOWN TO BUSINESS ” ADDITIONAL BATTLESHIPS; (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received August 28, 3.15 p.m.) OTTAWA, August 27 The Canadian-United States Defence Board indicated that it hoped tc complete to-morrow night specific recommendations for strengthening the defences. It is stated without confirmation that the board is considering additional battleships to patrol the Atlantic coast and the construction of a ! military highway across British I Columbia to Alaska. Mr H. La Guardia, in a statement I to the press, said: “I do not think any j international board ever got down to j business as rapidly as we did to-day. It took just six and a-half minutes to dispose of the preliminaries. We have a common problem, the object of which boils down to whether, in the face of existing world conditions, strategic points of the Continent will be taken as bases for offensive operations by a potential enemy or used as outposts for the defence of our hemisphere.” SPECTACULAR FLIGHT BOMBING OF TROMSO BURSTS ON ENEMY PLANES SHIPS MACHINE-GUNNED (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, August 26 The performance of the Sunderland flying-boat which, as announced in the official communique, went to Tromso during the night, was one of the mbst spectacular flights of the war. Its journey represented a direct flight longer than from London to Rome and back. In a flight from London it would have represented a tour of the capitals of western Europe to Paris, Berlin, Prague, Venice, Budapest, Belgrade, Sofia and Salonika. When the Sunderland reached Tromso in the early hours of this morning it came down to 50ft. The crew saw eight Heinkel 115’s at moorings. The front gunner got two very full bursts into at least two enemy aircraft. Then the Sunderland climbed steeply to 600 ft. for a bombing attack. Three heavy bombs were released from this height. There was one direct hit and two near misses, which were bound to have caused great damage. The Sunderland’s crew saw two floating aeroplanes sink and another set on fire. The remaining five enemy aircraft on the water were very severely damaged and may be regarded as unserviceable. The Sunderland next swooped on five enemy supply ships in Tromso Sound and raked the decks with machine-gun fire. The captain then spotted three fuel dumps on the south side of Tromso harbour. The front gunner fired among them. These attacks were quite incidental jto the Sunderland’s long flight. After ! registering on these targets it conItinued the reconnaissance on which it had set out. BRITISH HARVEST 2,000,000 EXTRA ACRES MOST OF IT GROWS CORN (United Pre-ss Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, August 26 Voluntary workers have been playing an important part in gathering the first wartime harvest. Most of the cornfields in the southern half of Britain are already cleared and the yield generally is considered satisfactory. Experts estimate that at least two-thirds of the extra 2,000,000 acres brought under the plough this year has grown corn. NEW ZEALAND BAND CONCERT IN LONDON (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received August 28, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, August 27 On Thursday evening Londoners will hear the band of the Fifth New Zealand Infantry Brigade, now stationed in Britain. This is the latest of a series of evening concerts in Trafalgar Square and other open spaces in London this summer.