Evening star., 1940-06-02

able army evacuation in military
hiStory-the withdrawal of the
B. E. F. and French armies from
Flanders. Harris -EUinq Photo.
with word on Friday that two divisions
OF French rear guard, earlier endangered
by encirclement threats in Lille, had
fought way up lane guarded by British
units on either side to make way into
Dunkerque
AS rapidly as refugee troops landed
IN England they were speeded to various
concentration points, where
Troops prospects of rest and re-
Get Rest habilitation will depend
largely upon next move of
Nazi high command.
With whole of Channel coast soon to
be in German hands, fear of attempted
invasion OF British Isles moved London
government to rush defense prepara-
tions.
Called home from continent to be-
come commander in chief of defense
forces was giant Gen. Sir Edmund IRON
IL.
B. c. T. Paget, whose direction of early
Norwegian operations earned him ac-
claim.
Ordered evacuated of civilians were
score of English seacoast communities.
Among those placed on strict defense
footing was Hastings, southern seaport
where Normans landed in 1866 for last
successful invasion of tight little island.
And called to service were two new
classes of British males-28 and % year
olds. Estimated to num-
Reserves Der some 100000, this ad-
Called Up dition would bring Brit
aims army to 100000
men. Not included in this total is nearly
half million volunteers recruited for spe-
cial home defense against parachute in
vaders, saboteurs, ETC.
Meanwhile, German preoccupation in
Flanders corner provided opportunity
for French to improve positions along
Somme with apparent purpose of max
ing determined stand there against any
Nazi drive on Paris.
Under command of Gen. Sir John G.
Dill, fighting fisherman who succeeded
1ronside as chief of the imperial staff,
new British expeditionary force landed
in France late in week to join French in
driving Germans out of Abbeville
Whether this counter operation might
lead to Allied drive on Boulogne was
doubtful, but if Abbeville- -Deppe-Le
Havre coastal points are kept open,
British-French communications can be
maintained in material volume.
While German drive into France from
Sedan northWestward has amounted to
flanking main Maginot
French line-perhaps even paw
To Attack? ing way to attack from
rear on this great sys-
tenn of fortifications-inten French
artillery action out of this line through
out week aroused speculation that French
might be contemplating storming Ger
manys Rhine defense. For four sue
cessive days, heavy French guns blasted
steadily at great river forts, particularly
at Istein, Gibraltar of the Rhine In
addition, dynamiting of several dikes led
to opinion that Rhine -Rhone Canal locks
might next be blown up to permit di-
version of river waters sufficiently for
easy crossing of boundary.
Relatively small consolation to Allied
armies in face of Flanders defeat was
capture of Narvik, North
Norvik Norwegian ore port which
Coptured had been in German
hands for so days. Brit
ish warships co-operated in capture
with British, Norwegian and French
troops.
Relentless pace of operations in nearly
two months since German invasion of
Norway and Denmark, followed by sweep
into Lowland Countries brought lull in
submarine warfare at sea. On Thurs
day, however, came reports of three at
tacks by Nazi undersea raiders of Span
ish coast. Sunk were Argentine and
French freighters; fired was British
tanker
And yesterday Nazis made sensational
claim that they had sunk H. NJ S. Nelson,
pride of the British battleship feet.
Appearance of raiders was in vicinity
Of course to be followed by United States