The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-22
ARRAS WAS LEFT
 SMOKING RUINS
Allies Retake Town, But While Important, It Is
 Only Shambles
BY RICHARD D. MCMILLAN United Press Staff COrresn0ndentl

NOuttcU EEeSS Sb~ih NVEESSpuhuehV
 London, May 22. -- (UP) -- The Allies re-took Arras on the plains of Picardy today and 1t was @ vic. tory Of military importance, but what they got for their dead was Q pile of smoking ruins.
 was there when the Germans began to unleash their aerial fury against the Arras communications center.
 The town, 25 miles north of the River Somme, was and still Is a highly important railroad junction and at one time was general head quarters for Viscount Gort, chief of the British Expeditionary Forces
 But the town was in the path of the German air fleet Houses were gaping ruins. The next time the German planes came over the rail- road station was almost obliterated Roads crumhled under the bomb blasts. Bridges were blown up. Fires ragged everywhere.
 Latest reports showed that the town still was in flames in hiany places after heavy street fighting between German advance guards and French and British troops.
 Can't Recognize It
 A British officer said that 1t would be impossible for anyone who had been h Arras c week ago to recognize 1t today"
 If the Allies can consolidate their position at Arras, they will succeed in extending their freedom of move- ment in preparing further counter attacks. There are roads through Arras to all points in northern France and Belgium.
 When was there the Arras- Ainiens area was a scene of carnage and confusion. When the Ger mans entered Amiens they found 1t gutted or still aflame. Before they entered 6 rain of incendiary and high explosive bombs had continued intermittently for days and nights.
 Adding to the confusion @ great flood of regugees was traversing the town en route to safety in the rear
 Parachutists and spies contributed still further to the alarm.
 Parachutists alighted on roads and shot down motorists and seized their cars. Or they used their own portable motorcycles, which they had brought down from the skies, to speed to their objectives or concen- tration points.
 Spies Very Active
 Spies were active, spreading wild runors.
 As all artery Arras is of primary importance, especially for maneuv- ering guns and tanks to attack the Germans in the bulge, which the French appear to be doing with suc- cess at this moment.
 The road from Arras to Doullens and the road from Arras to Amiens have been reported taken by the Germans but with Arras in Allied hands the Germans have withdrawn. But this does not mean that the Germans have yet been stopped on their drive to the coast through Ab- beville.
 From Abbeville and northwards the Germans were trying to close a narrow gap in the steel ring around the BEEF in Belgium. With their backs to the channel ports the BEEF must stand or fight their way out ia trap or try to escape through four ports remaining open to them Boulogne, Calais. Os- tend and Blenkeuberghe.
 There When Bombarded
 I was in one of these ports when the enemy began bombing it heavily from the air. It may be expected that If the Germans close the last road to the south they will concen- trate their raassed air might on the channel ports.
 These are defended heavily by anti-aircraft guns of all caiibres. At the same time the Royal Air Force can operate against German bombers from bases in France and England.
 In Belgium and northern France the German air force was used to make c path for the German ad- vance. Any town blocking the ad- vance was obliterated. German motorized and infantry units marched through hundreds of miles Of smoking ruins. through villages niled hi0h with dehris