The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-06-05

front lines.
 Tho Germans advanced, in their faVofite maSsed formations, Into tho full fury of the French fire, backed now by machine gun barragoS which crisS-crossed in lines which it seemed almost impossible they could pass,
 Early reports to the high com mand were that the Germans were suffering enormous losses. But they came on,
 Tho Allied artillery, high eom- mand reports said, seemed 10 have the edge in firing power, in quantity and quality, up 10 il c. n,, and German air losses were reported to be great. Five lines censModJ
 The German Rttack was general on the entire Weygand front along tho Somme-O OIse-Ais line between Abbeylllc, at the coastal end, and the LAon-SolSSonS road and the AisnG,
 German Pressure Point
 The middle Somme sector and the part Of the line east of the OiSse on the German left wing, were selected for the greatest German pressure, tEight lines censored,)
 This operation involved the en- tire seeor east of the OiSe river which had been natural corridor of Invasion for centuries Of German attacks including that of 1870 on Paris.
 Hitler was now gambling every thing that he and Germany had in a bid for q quick, crushing victory
 The wide, swampy Somme pro- vided a strong defense line for the French and was e natural tank obs stacle. The French, long preparing for today's attack, had blown up all bridges except at few points where they themselves held bridgehcads over on the German side, They had thrown back, In series Of swift local counter-attacks in past weeks, the Germans who held bridge heads on their side-intended jump ing off places for the tanks,
 It was for this reason that the German infantry attacked to- day, protected by artillery and air. planes, and the tanks awaited the possible building Of pontoon bridges,
 The German infantrymen engaged were those who had marched through Belgium and Luxembourg and had been held in reserve since the early days Of the battle of Elan ders. The German Flanders army had executed a gigantic turning movement. around toward the Ger man left flank, to act as a reserve
 The planes which the Germans used today were chiefly new Junkers two motored dive bomberS, reports from the front said. Like the Stuka bombers of Flanders, they were equipped with whistling bombs and other noise making devices with which the Germans hoped to demor- alize the French.
 Flower of France
 The flower of France was in the Weygand line along Somme ready for the test. At the left end of the Allied line, toward the sea, was  British army of the south," that part of the original British Expedi- tionary Force which did not go to Belgium. It was composed of some of the crack units of the British army, but it was up to France as it had been at Verdun in the last war to say. "They shall not pass and back it up.
 The high command, in its morn ing communique-No 55l of the war-announced the German blitz- krieg attack:
 "All dispatches received from the front since an early hour this morning announce that new battle has begun.
 "The enemy's violent effort is thus far felt between the sea and the Laon- -Soissons rnad."
 The five German mechanical di- visions were the remainder Of 10 which Hitler had thrown into the