Evening star., 1940-05-15
Biggest Battle Of War
Imminent as Nalzliis
Push Westward
British and French Air
Arm Declared in Better
Shape to Meet Invaders
BY DREW MIDDLETON.

SuOPS ~ sVsVSl luVOOStS
By DREW MIDDLETON.
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
WITH THE BRITISH EXPEDI-
T1ONARY FORCE IN BELGIUM,
May is (passed by field censor) -
The full power Of the German arm
les swept southwest today toward
the tiny triangle OF Belgium where
the allies were maSsed to make their
last stand in the Low Countries after
the collapse Of Dutch resistance.
The biggest battle Of the war, and
perhaps its most decisive, appeared
imminent. The Nazi armies,
screened by armored cars and light
divisions and accompanied by
thousands of parachute troops, sped
toward the British and French bat
tie positions.
Allied Air Arm Improves,
The situation is probably as grave
as that of 1914. The Germans in five
days have forced the Dutch to their
knees, overrun large sections of
Belgium and opened the way to the
vital channel ports from which their
strategy may dictate the long
awaited blow to England.
The situation seemed nghtened by
only one factor-the rise to power
OF the allied air arm, which has
been fighting the Germans to a
standstill.
1t was admittedly too early to
gauge the results of yesterdays air
battle, but Royal Air Force pilots
and gunners felt today that both
their fighters and bombers came of
best In the battles which brought
down almost a dozen German bomb
ers, spread high explosives on Ger
man troop concentrations, bridges,
depots and railroads far into the
Third Reich's hitherto inviolate ter
ritory.
Troops Calm Under Fire.
Tommies followed orders calmly,
going about their tasks as if the
whine of German shells and the
thunder Of Nazi bombers did not
exist. But their faces were traced
with lines of anxiety.
The German Army-unchecked
after eight months of war-might
still be in Berlin instead of few
short miles away. Privates idled,
smoking cigarettes in the sunshine
by the side of powerful tanks and
field guns. Others ate of tables
pulled from bombed and deserted
houses whose inhabitants had long
since fed"
Town Empty Of Civilians.
In fields churned by four days of
movement Of men and machines,
soldiers slept with helmets over
their faces. g..
Streets of nearby town were
empty of civilians. Hobnailed boots
Of sentries struck hollowly.
Even the troops were under cover.
Shouts Of anti-tank guns appeared
at every corner, but to the casual eye
the town appeared to be held by only
q handful of men.
Near one of the anti-tank guns
were two bombed houses. In one
the family's breakfast still lay on the
table-half eaten slices of bread, half
filled cups of coffee.
On a wall, at a crazy angle, hung
picture Of young man in the
World War uniform of the Belgian
Army with the inscription Mort
Pour La Patrie" (died for his coun-
try).
Bodies Sprawled in Sun.
Farther on, past the British lines,
lay some OF the Belgian dead. part
censoreO here a caisson had been
blown up. In the sun, now growing
higher and hotter, lay the shattered
bodies, sprawled grotesquely as
though embracing the soil they had
rushed to defend against the invader.
1T amt very pretty" said a Brit
ish artilleryman wryly.
We turned away and walked back
past laughing boys who were playing
cards, past silent sentries looking
forward to where-screened by its
own and the British mechanical
cavalry-the German Army was
gathering for the first real blow
against the British forces.
On every road there were Belgian
refugees-old and very young, the
lame, the blind, the weak.
Refugees Don't Look Back.
Old bicycles, oxcarts and donkey
wagons were their conveyances.
One woman was pushing a baby
carriage containing a fat, smiling
baby and a pile of household goods.
Another wore absurd bright red
slippers with fluffy pompoms as she
trudged through the heat and dust.
A British officer estimated he had
seen at least 10000 in two days of
travel. They never look back, he
said, and I noticed the same thing.
They just tramped on.
A huge, florid man sat beside
bicycle, crying. He had to leave
his magnificent Belgian police dog
behind, he said. When we came
that way again he was gone and
the dog lay on the doorstep looking
up the deserted street for his van
ished master.
Showers ToniQht Due