Evening star., 1939-09-26
Reich Forces Act
ToCut Pressure
On Key Forts
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BASEL, Switzerland. Sept. 26.-
French troops were reported today
to have repulsed with heavy losses
a counterattack launched during
the night by Germany's Siegfried
Line forces in an effort to relieve
pressure on key forts near Zwel-
bruecken.
The German drive, the reports
declared. was caught in a heavy
crossfire from French. advance
posts and met by a wave of French
forces on both f1anks.
The Nazis were said to have with
drawn into Notifications near Nit
telbach, leaving hundreds OF dead
and many wounded on the battle
field.
Heavy Losses by French.
The French themselves, the dis
patches added, sustained heavy
losses during the night in the sector
between the Saar River and Blies
Greek, where they were reported at
tempting to hold newly won posi-
tions under machine gun fire and a
bombardment from the Siegfried
Notifications.
The reports said, however, the
French had captured and were hold
ing 4l2-mile stretch Of the main
highway between. .Saarbruecken and
Zweibruecken.
Saarbruecken is approximately in
the center of the l0O-mile front be-
tween the Moselle and Rhine Rivers,
where the heaviest fighting has been
centered. Zweirbruecken is about
Is miles east of Saarbruecken on the
outer edge of the German West
Wall defenses.
The French advance along the
road leading to Zweirbruecken was
said to have passed beyond the little
hamlet of Althernbach. Further
east the French were reported to
have almost surrounded German
forts at Fischbach and Ludwig
swinkel, Siegfried Line outposts.
This was accomplished, dispatches
said. by a single powerful attack
through thick woods from the ruins
of the famous 14th-century Pala-
tinate Castles. which the French
have turned into bases.
Operate From Old Castles.
One OF the first positions the
French captured at the outbreak Of
the war was a high hill in the
Southern Palatinate forests. Atop
it are ruins Of Weglnbourg Castle,
destroyed by French guns.
The ruined border castles Of
Hohenbourg, Wasigenstein and
Flechenstein. all of which were
scenes of battles centuries ago, were
among other bases from which the
French drove northwest through
heavily forested country.
A column of troops from Weglin-
bourg Castle was reported to have
cut secondary rail line and road
between Fischbach and Blunden-
thai on the west, reaching the
Suaer watershed north of Fisch-
bach. A German force estimated
at several thousand was said. how
ever, to have remained in the vi
cinity of Fischbach, still linked
with the rear by secondary forest
highway.
The French advance through for
est areas famed for their weird
sandstone rock formations was de-
layed frequently by mine fields and
barbed wire, but defended only by a
few patrols of German troops.
1000 Casualties Reported.
Neither side has given official OF
semi official estimates of losses dur
ing the past ewo days, but reports
reaching Basel said French casual
ties numbered more than thousand
for the period beginning Sunday
and ending at noon yesterday.
Military observers here said thi!
estimate seemed low for attacking
forces on such a wide front, al.
though the French were known tt
(See BASEL, Page A-5)