Evening star., 1939-10-17
Training Ship Iron Duke Damaged
As sNaziBombers Raid ScapaF Flow;
Maginot Guns Halt Enemy Drive
French Fall Back
Before MoseIIe,
Suur Attacks.
French Communicate
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PARIS, Oct. TIA smashing Ger
man offensive along a 20-mile sector
east of the Saar River has broken
down, the French reported today, in
the face Of devastating Maginot Line
fire.
At least six German divisions were
known to have taken part in the Of
fensive yesterday in two attacks, one
OF which carried 100 yards into
French territory, military dispatches
said.
Allied army authorities estimated
the strength of each division to be
at least 10000 men.
Our fire stopped the enemy" the
French general staff announced,
after explaining advanced French
outposts had been drawn back to
prepared defensive positions in the
face of the advancing Germans. =
Military advices said the German
Army threw full division of more
than 10000 men into its first assault
yesterday morning on a four-mile
sector in the Moselle River Valley.
This thrust pushed forward a mile
and a half, then across the border
100 yards into the French village of
Apach, near the Luxembourg border.
Nazis Halt North Of Apach.
Blocked by a curtain of French
artillery and machine-gun fire. the
Germans halted north of Apach.
The second attack, said French
dispatches, put five German divi-
sions into action yesterday after
noon on 20-mile sector east of the
Saar River.
There the German advance was
said to have been stopped on "the
line foreseen," still within German
territory and we'll in advance of the
main Maginot Line.
This was described as the largest
and most bitterly fought action of
the war on the western front thus
far.
The Nazis drove hard across no.
mans-land in the Saar attack in
the wake of an artillery barrage
without the protection Of tanks.
Artillery Skaters Drive.
French artillery fire shattered the
German drive, causing heavy losses,
dispatches said.
With their first line Of observe
ton gone. however, the French COM
mand kept forces alert along the
main line watching for a new
assault.
This morning French military
dispatches stated the Germans had
failed at least for the moment to
pursue their attacks.
French confidence that the situa-
ton was well in hand was reflected
in a war ministry announcement
that soldiers in the class of 1909
would be released from the army
starting Friday and the class of
1910 would be released Immediately
afterward.
Dispatches also stated some of
the older officers in the army would
be released.
Withdrawal Ordered.
In anticipation Of the German
thrusts, the communique added, the
French command had decided more
than Is days ago to order back to
new positions divisions which earlier
had advanced into German territory.
This movement, it was said, termi-
mated October 3.
Since then" the communique
said. 1--WE have left in contact only
light elements of observation and
some fractions of support"
Near the Luxembourg border,
after penetrating to the French viii
lage of Apach yesterday, Nazi in
fantry and tanks were reported
clinging to hard won positions on
the heights of Schneeburg.
While military activity on the
front increased in intensity, Premier
Daladier summoned his cabinet to
meet Thursday with President
Lebrun for review Of the war.
French sources said the German
thrust at Apach yesterday appar-
emily was aimed to carry past the
village and turn west toward the
Moselle River below Luxembourg in
an attempt to strike at the weakest
part of the Maginot Line.
The French did not mention their
casualties in the suddenly unrolling
battle, which forced their lines back
from mile to mile and one-half
In the pocket formed by the juno
ton OF the German, French and
Luxembourg borders.