Evening star., 1940-05-14
Invaders Pierce
Water Line to
Drive Wedge
BY LOUIS p. LOCHNER,

ASsociated Press Foreign Correspondent.
/. BERLIN, May 1.-THE Belgian
and Dutch Armies have been sep
arated by a powerful German
wedge, DNB. oflcial German news
agency, reported today from the
western front.
It said that French and British
forces were unable to reach the
Dutch armies to help them and
that the Dutch, therefore, either
must surrender or be annihilated.
The German tactics. DNB de-
clared, has rendered unimportant
Belgium's Albert Canal position,
which was conceived as q strong
defense line between the North
Sea at Antwerp and Lege, near
the German frontier-in other
words, from the Scheldt River to
the Meuse.
In Belgium, DNB said, the allies
were thrown back at the Gette
River, about Is miles east Of LOU
vain, which is 18 miles east of
Brussels. The Germans were re-
ported pursuing the British, French
and Belgian troops toward Louvain
and Wavre. on the Dyle River.
German troops crossed into France
today, tho fifth day OF the Na1
biitzkrief through the LowIands.
and the Na1 high command de-
clared they also had smashed
through key defenses in Belgium
and the Netherlands.
Today's communique claimed these
successes:
France:
The French-Luxembourg and
$Fench-1 Belgian border up To the
point Of Observation-Disclosures has
been reached nearly everywhere and
crossed IN many places.
Holland:
- - We succeeded in expanding
our piercing Of the Grebbe Zine
southeAstward Of Amersfoort and
gained area IN the direction Of
Utrecht our troops 50 . pierced
through as far Is Rotterdam"
Belgium:
The City Of Liege is in German
hands. In the region south of the
line from Liege to Namur our troops
LETT the Ardennes (mountains) be-
mind and vanguards reached the
Meuse between Namur and Givet."
tBoth French and rBitish mill
tary sources dispute the German
claims to Liege. They say the
only fort In the Liege defenses
captured by the Germans is Eben
Emael, 10 miles to the north.)
Tank Battle Near Namur,
A heavy tank battle was fought
north Of Namur, with the Germans
attacking allied tanks after Nazi
bombing. (The French claimed VIC
tory in the battle and called German
losses Tremendously
The penetration of French soil.
the high command said, was made
under the protection Of contin-
uously attacking German fighting
planes, Stukas (dive bombers) and
destroyer plane units"
Apparently the Germans had ad-
vanced in some spots at a rate of
40 to 60 miles a day despite solid
Belgian resistance backed up now
by increasing French strength.
The crossing Of the Meuse carried
the Germans into the region of Sc
dan, where Emperor Napoleon III
was captured In 1870 in a climax of
the Franco-Prussian War and which
was held by Kaiser Wilhelms army
from 1914 to the closing days Of the
World War.
As regards Holland, the biggest
event strategically, according to
DNB, is the advance from the south
into tho center defense system-the
so-called fortress Of Holland"
around Rotterdam.
Such Dutch detachmepts as realize
that the French and English are
unable to reach them on time are
weakening in their defense, DNB
asserted, while those which are iso-
lated continue to fight bitterly.
Quick motorized German units
which established contact with units
(see BERLIN, Page A-3.5