1940-05-17 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 17, 1940.

Allied Line Holding At All Vital Points GERMAN THRUST LOSES IMPETUS

LONDON, TO-DAY.

REUTER'S ́SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT WITH THE FRENCH ARMY TELE- GRAPHS THAT THE GREAT BATTLE IN THE SEDAN SECTOR, IN WHICH THE GERMANS・・ WERE MAKING A THRUST AT THE HEART OF FRANCE, IS STILL RAGING FURIOUSLY AND MAY LAST SEVERAL DAYS, BUT IT IS NOW APPARENT THE GERMANS FAILED TO PROFIT BY THEIR INITIAL RAPID ADVANCE.

GREAT HEAPS OF WRECKED TANKS

Brussels, To-day.

M. Paul Spaak, the Belgian Foreign Minister, declared last night that the situation was serious.

He said the German plan consists in attacking only on a limited front on which they pile up such. quantities of material and support their attacks with such large air forces that the task of the defenders becomes extremely difficult.

This plan allows the German High Command to ensure territorial gains but at the cost of enormous losses of men and material.

or

At certain points of the front which have been successively taken and retakon there are Ilterally great heaps of destroyed tanks. Similarly the German air force continues to stake forces twice thrice superior to those of the Allies, and is making enormous sacrifices, but the Allies seem already to have grown used to some extent to Ger- man air attacks and to the war of movement in which their forces are most often attacked by an invisible enemy.

M. Spaak concluded that despite their fatigue the morale of the troops is excellent, especially since contact was established between the Belgian and Allled troops. Reinforcements are arriving steadily,' he said-Reuter.

A CALMING VOICE.

Berne, To-day.

The anxiety which was felt after the first days seri-

ous fighting in dissipated.

SITUATION GREATLY

in the region has now been largely IMPROVED

The line has held and the Germans kept on the other side of the Meuse. German losses from the French artillery are believed to be heavy.

It is expected the battle will now settle down to violent exchanges of artillery fire as the Germans bring up their guns.

Latest information reaching London ceeding in Zeeland, in Holland. indicates heavy fighting is still pro-

On the eastern side of the dent which they forced in the line about Sedan on Wednesday the Germans are now held. On the west side of the dent the situation is stated to be serious but not critical.

Liege is isolated but appears to be holding out and information suggests Namur may have been isolated, but is not definite on this point. In any

case Namur is also holding out.

Heavy Clashes

In north Zeeland heavy fighting is proceeding between troops. The fighting has been particularly heavy in Walcheren and Beveland.

In Belgium, the line atlik runs roughly east to Antwerp towarde Louvain and; Charlerol and Bouth- wards towards Mezieres and on to- wards Longwy.

Most serious part of the line is between Dinant and Sedan,

On Wednesday afternoon the Ger mans-launched-several attacks on the British, French and Belgian troops.

At Sedan they began violent attacks which by evening seemed to be check- Allied ed and at certain points the troops made slight progress along the Meuse.

Very Confused

In the Vosges there was heavy ar- tillery fire against the Maginot Line and in the Rhine the French fired up- on the German line.

A French message reaching London stated that between Namur and Se- dan the situation was very confused. The Germans profited by their ad- vances on Wednesday and pushed for An official statement issued follow-ward armoured columns which pene- Ing a number of disquieting reports trated some distance into the French as far as it affects Switzerland, declares that the European situation has undergone no change during the day. -Reuter.

BUSES OFF THE PARIS STREETS

Paris, To-day. All 'buses disappeared from the streets of Paris yesterday. They are required for the transport of refugees. ---Reuter.

PLANE DOWNED NEAR PARIS

Paris, To-day. French-fighters yesterday shot down a German reconnaissance machine within 13 miles of Paris-Reuter. ·

GREEK MANOEUVRES Athens, To-day; Greek troops and aircraft are co- operating In embarkation exercises which will last for a week.-Reuter,

line. Reuter.

French Communique

Paris, To-day. A French communique says the battle as a whole continues with the same intensity. Very sharp encoun- ters have taken place at certain points.

of

Our bombers, protected by fighters, successfully carried out vigorously led attacks on the enemy's columns armoured cars which had been locat- ed by our reconnaissance aeroplanes..

-Reuter,

Greatest Battle In History (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") Paris, To-day.

The Allied air forces continue to bomb from a low height the Ger- man armoured: detachments · which succeeded in crossing the Meuse north-- west of Sedan.

Military circles in Paris, describe the air and land battles as the great- est in any era of the world's history:

-Havās.

No Change Since Wednesday

་་

Paris, To-day. A French War Office spokesman last night said the front had not varied since Wednesday.

Yesterday was a day of regrouping and relative calm. Fighting was go- ing on but it had not been a great battle.

--

On the Namur-Sedan front, at points where the Germans had cross- ed the river, they had made some progress but the Allied units were reforming and taking up positions fix-

ed by the High Command.

Relieving units and reinforcements were arriving according to schedule.

At Sedan the French forces were still holding the positions they occupi- ed on Wednesday and the German advances had been contained.

The spokesman denied rumours cur- rent in Paris that a German column had penetrated deeply into French ter- ritory. Reuter.

Paris, To-day.

A spokesman of the Minis- try of Information stated yesterday afternoon: "A very marked improvement has taken place in the situation in regard to the penetration of the "German armoured columns at Sedan."

R.A.F. bombers. had surpassed everything it was thought possible for them to do during the past 24 hours.

The spokesman explained that a short time had elapsed before mea- sures were taken to deal with this column owing to the necessity for col- lating reports of their progress in or- der to make the counter-blow as hard as possible.--Reuter.

B.E.F. in Contact

London, To-day.

A communique Issued by General Headquarters of the British Expedi- tionary Force says "the B.E.F. are In contact with the enemy and fighting is in progress.

Attacks on Louvain have been re- pulsed Router.

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