1940-05-16 — Page 9

Greatest Battle Since Last War Now Raging GERMANS HURLED BACK INTO RIVER

At Several Points

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

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PARIS, TO-DAY. THE MOST VIOLENT BATTLE SINCE THE LAST WAR IS RAGING ON A FRONT EXTENDING FROM THE RHINE ESTUARY TO THE SWISS BORDER.

German forces advancing from Maastricht have been held up by French

motorised units. on a line situated east of Brussels to Namur.

GERMAN BREAK THROUGH

AT SEDAN

Paris, To-day.

The German vanguards have contacted the Allies at Genbloux, about 15 kilometres north-west of Namur, on the road to Brussels.

DESTROYER HIT BY BOMB

London, To-day. The Admiralty announce that the British destroyer Valentine was damaged by air attack off the Dutch coast and beached. De- talls of casualties have not yet been received but are believed to be alight-Reuter.

thereabout.

It is denied that the Maginot Line

not form part of the Maginot Line.

In Holland, it is understood Zeeland Is still in our hands.-Reuter.

French Admission

The German attack was repulsed by the Allies, who has been turned or broken. Sedan does

inflicted great losses on the enemy, particularly among the German mechanised units.

In the course of the afternoon the French counter-attacked, retaking the conquered area and throwing the enemy back into the. river.

Between Namur and Sedan, oning the river and advanced six kilo- the River Meuse, the battle has been metres south of Sedan. raging for two days with the In- evitable fluctuations inherent In large operations involving con- siderable numbers of effectives. North of Dinant the Germans suc- ceeded in reaching the left bank of the Meuse at two or three points and have established small ports.

French troopa Immediately coun- ter-attacked and regained their positions, which were consolidated.

Sedan Battle

The Battle of the Meuse,

In the Sedan region, a huge battle from Namur to Sedan, has is taking place in which the crack been raging furiously all day, troops of the German army are en- and the French War Office aged. These troops advanced through Luxemburg and the Ardennes and spokesman last night de-arrived at the Meuse via Bastogne scribed it as "a great hur- and Neufchateau. ricane."

The

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enemy is hurling formidable forces into the battle and is attacking on the whole front more on the lines of the Polish campaign

than those of 1914.

The Germans succeeded in cross-

of certain enemy columns, to con-

solidate positions and fill the breaches in the line.

Air Marvels Military circles emphasise the mar- vellous feats of the Allied air forces in the battle.

Allled air action is having its force, effect on the German air whose raids on the Allied back areas are becoming less intensive, So heavy have German air losses been, it is declared here, that the German High Command has been

forced to retain most of its bombers for the decisive phase of the battle. Havas.

Serious Fighting

London, To-day. don state the Allied left flank in Bel- Competent military circles in Lon-

The Germans have massed a for-tion midable amount of troops and ma-

terial between Namur and Sedan, but it is stated in inilitary circles in Paris The Germans are using relatively that while the situation is serious it little artillery but are pushing forward is not critical.

at great speed with armoured motor- Cool determination and quiet con- ised columns and are employing enor-fidence reign among the French High mous masses of planes which are Command.-Reuter.

bombing and machinegunning the

French infantry, who, said the spokes- man, resisted admirably but, faced at

certain points with an overwhelming mass of tanks, they had to give way.

· Break. Through

During the day enemy tank columns broke through the French lines at three points south of Sedan, on the left bank of the Meuse.

The tanks which broke through spread out fanwise in all directións, causing a general, melee which last- ed all day.

As French tanks counter-attacked, the French Infantry, after the German armoured columns had passed, closed

in on the supporting enemy troops. In the ensuing struggle there was furious hand-to-hand fighting.

War Of Movement

The German attack has changed the war of position behind fortified lines. into a war of movement. Enemy at- 'tacks now take the form of a' spear- head drive of the tank corps which try to penetrate the lines with infan- try following..

This change in the character of the war, it was unnounced in Paris last- night, has Involved a reorganisation of the French dispositions which the High Command has now carried out.—Reu- ter.

Quiet Confidence

All day yesterday new dispositions were being taken to stop the advance

Paris, To-day.

A French communique says at Beveral points there were violent enemy tank attacks on British, French and Belgian troops from Antwerp to north-west of Namur, All were re- pulsed.

Mezieres On the Meuse, between and Namur, the enemy succeeded in crossing the river at several points and fighting continues.

In the neighbourhood of Sedan, where the enemy made some pro- tanks, gress, counter-attacks with supported by aerial bombardments, are taking place.

Further east there is artillery ac- tion.

Our aviation continued. its recon- naissances. Fighters intervened, not- ably to protect the missions of our bombers.

During engagements 11 enemy air- craft were shot down.-Reuter.

Enormous Losses

gium will now be resting on the bas-

Paris, To-day. of Antwerp and the River Scheldt. While it is stated here that the Ger- Continuing, south, the, Allles are mans on Tuesday succeeded in cross- holding positions covering Brusselsing the Meuse at several points north and attacks, which, are heavy in of Dinant and south of Sedan, it is some places, are developing.

added the Allied counter-attacks, Very serious fighting is taking place strongly supported by the air force, at Sedan, where the Germans have threw back part of the attackers into crossed the river and are in possession the river with enormous losses.-Reu-

a portion of the defensive zone i ter.

of

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