Evening star., 1939-09-17
Nazis Change Tactics,
Launch Attacks on
French Positions
Observers Surprised
At PoiIus' Gains in
MoseIIe Sector
~ the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BASEL, Switzerland, Sept. 10
The German high command on the
western front today abruptly
changed its tactics from static de-
fense of its Siegfried Line and was
reported to have launched series
of violent attacks on French posi-
tions in four main sectors.
Advices received here showed the
Germans struck at the French in
the Moselle Valley, the Med Valley,
the area around the rich industrial
city of Saarbruecken and in the Vos-
ges Mountains.
On the Moselle front, the counter
attacks of the Germans were re-
ported to have been driven back by
the French, who continued to ad-
vance slowly.
In the Med Valley, the Germans
were said to have reoccupied small
section of strategic plateau but
suffered heavy losses. German cas-
ualties we're reported heavier during
this engagement than in any battle
on the western front since the war
began September 3. French sources
said hundreds of prisoners had been
taken.
To the south at Saarbruecken. the
battle continued to rage tonight.
Forest Patrols Swept Back.
In the palatinate foothills of the
Vosges, French forest patrols were
reported swept back near the from
tier line by a numerically superior
German force.
Military observers in Switzerland,
who previously considered the
French attacks in the Moselle VAL
lev sector mere local actions for
position, said they were amazed at
the French progress in that region
despite fierce resistance.
The observers said they were be-
ginning to wonder if German de-
fenses in the Moselle were not over
rated.
After German counter attacks
earlier this week and fiercer at
tacks this morning. the French were
reported not only holding their
gains but driving close to Borg, 10
kilometers (64 niles from the
frontier.
The Germans were reported slight
ly more successful in the southeast
at the cost of heavy casualties.
At the time the German attack
was launched from the edge of the
Med River Plateau dominating
Saarlautern fSaarlouis), the French,
by a series of carefully planned 10
cal attacks, held positions along the
international rail line dominating
the village of Kemrichhemmersd
and gained a foothold on the pla-
teau to the south.
Part of Plateau Regained.
The Germans, in mass attacks be-
hind tanks reminiscent of World
War days, we're said to have ap-
parently won back part of the pla-
teau but the French were reported
holding the majority of their gains.
The French pressure on Saarlau-
tern continued, with the Poilus
Warndt Forest positions apparently
unchanged by the left wing OF the
Germans in the Med drive and by
the right wing of THEN Saaerbucken
front.
At Saarbruecken, the German de-
tenders apparently relied on the
city's forts to withstand frontal at
tacks but launched two wing at
tacks to the southwest and the
southeast.
The southwestern drive was said
to have gained little but unofficial
German sources declared the French
were forced back to positions near
their frontier north of Saarguemines
by the southeastern attack.
In the Palatinate Forest, where
the French have been slowly pene-
trating with patrols operating from
the Bitche-W -Wissembourg road, the
Germans launched attacks from
their preliminary Siegfried defense
Notifications in the Ludwigswinkel-
Fischbach area.
They were reported to have swept
back French patrols to trenches
near the frontier lines.