Imperial Valley press., 1940-05-12
Chute
Troops
Landed
By JOE ALEX MORRIS
United Press Foreign News Edit,

United Press Foreign News Editor
Adolf Hitler launched a SpCctaCu-
lar parachute invasion of Belgium
and Holland Saturday in an effort
to cut the ground from under Allied
armed forces on the new battle
front in northern Europe.
Hundreds of Nazi airplanes
SWarmed over the low countries
dropping fully-equipped soldiers al
strategic points while German
armies hammered at the Belgian
and Dutch frontier defenses.
The main aerial attack centered
around the Dutch capital at the
Hague and the important port Of
Rotterdam. but the city of Amster-
dam population 750,000) reported
that five bombs did damage and
Killed seven persons in its central
section this morning.
The German high command
claimed that its troops were smash
ing rapidly ahead on land after
breaking up the frontier dcfcnSes
in both Belgium and Holland and
there were reports in London that
the NaziS had reached the Belgian
town of Liege. For the most part.
however, the arrival of British and
French troops at the front lines
in the low countries appeared to
have found the Germans meeting
stiff resistance about Is to 20 milcs
inside Dutch and Belgian territory
on a long and irregular front.
Allied Planes Active
Allied airplanes were lighting
back strongly over both Belgium
and Holland, and bombed German
bases in the Rhineland. according
to the London air ministry. London
newspaper reports said that British
WarShipS were operating off the
coast of Holland.
Air casualties were mounting
rapidly, with both sides claiming to
have Shot down hundreds of enemy
planes
The German invasion of the low
countries, however, was far from
blocked and statements by the Of
1lclal news agency in Berlin-partly
SubStantlated in Allied SourccS-in-
dlcated that the situation was eX-
tremcly serious in the Rotterdam
area and possible at the Hague.
Scores of big German planes. pro-
tcctcd by fast fighting ships, flew
low over the Rotterdam area and
dropped hundreds of German sol
dicrS, some of them in the suburbs
OF the city itself. The Rotterdam
airport was reported re-Captured by
the Dutch, but the Germans denied
this development and furthermore
were said to be in possession of
the Rotterdam marine barracks
Germans Reinforced
1t was indicated that a severe
battle was in progress there and
that the Nazis were rushing more
and more men to the scene by
plane.
Similar parachute troops were be-
ing landed around the Hague
capital of Queen Wilhelmina. who
today urged the king of Italy to
intervene with belligerents to OBJ
tain respect for civilians in war
time. Gilburg. Sliedrecht, and
dozen other Dutch towns reported
similar flights of German air fleets
over the countryside, parachute
troops being landed at variou.
points.
German strategy was obviously
designed to follow the pattern that
was successful in NorWay--the land
ing OF small shock troops forces at
strategic points to seize control and
the use of huge air transports and
llghter planes to reinforce them
before the enemy could rally. This
system, the German news agency
said, was working perfectly in Hol-
land and Belgium and all points
originally seized by the German
are still in Nazi hands.
Situation Vague
The Dutch and BelgianS claimed
that they had wiped out or sur
rounded virtually all of the Ger
man parachute forces, but one re
port from thr Hague admitted that
Dutch soldiers there had been fired
on by persons i'll Dutch uniform.
ana civilian clothes who may have
landed from planes.
The situation in Belgium WA.
about the same, with huge German
air forces in action throughout the
country but the results of para
chute landings in a dozen or more
places still unclcar.
The chief hope of the low coun-
trlcS and the Allied forces pouring
across their frontiers was that suf-
1lclent air strength could be mus
Tered to disrupt the Nazi aerial re-
ntorcements and permit the mop
ping up of the German troops before
they could achieve their objective Of