Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-14
Fighting Fronts

FI9ntln9 FRONTS
Most pronounced development of the
week was diminution of first-hand in
formation reaching America about Eu-
rope. Neutral communication bases
have almost disappeared. Official con-
trolls of news are tight, in England and
on the Continent. The shape of policy
Is clear but details are scarce and the
scarce details conflict.
The weeks principal military activity
lay in the British German air fights,
rising on Wednesday to the eminence
of a fierce battle in hail-laden skies,
and in naval actions involving British,
italian, French and German warships
and merchantmen.
The Wednesday engagement involved
an estimated $50 airplanes. The aim Of
the Germans apparently was the Grip
ping of British shipping on the English
Channel. German bombers approached
In two large formations, flying low and
then attacked the ships in convoy in
waves, covering the sea with their
bombs" one English observer of the Ger
man attack told the Associated Press.
II had never seen anything like it. A
solid wall of water went up in one line
for a distance of or miles as the
bombs burst. You could not see the
ships. British Spitflre planes went to
meet them. ..,..'--
"As the bomhers and .ths fighters at
both sides met in the sky, planes wese
HURTING downs eeM1te6s
EneIond at least 10 which went into
Roided the sea and others made R
toward France, badly dam
aged. Several of them had smoke COM
ing from their tails. A number Of our
fighters bore traces of the fierce battle
when they returned over the coast.
There were holes in their wings which
could be seen even from the ground"
In lesser degree all week the German
airmen visited various parts of England.
bombing land and sea, while British
planes visited their death on German
held continent. Unofficial tabulations
showed 167 English dead from air raids
since June 10, when the daily raids be-
gan, at cost to Germany of about ITO
planes. From Scotland to Devon and
around to Wales the Germans in their
Messerschmitts and Dorniers are now
familiar horrors. The British last week
bombed factory near Strasbourg, 300
miles from the island, and attacked
three Dutch airports-Waalhaven, at
Rotterdam; Schipol at Amsterdam, and
Haamstaade, on Schouwen island
Beyond brief reportorial communicates,
British government said nothing pub
licly. But Berlin issued imposing sta
tistical summary of German success in
war and on sea at principal preliminary
task of breaking England-cutting off
British shipping. The German high
enemy merchant shipping space "or
space disable by the enemy have been
sent to the bottom by German naval
and air action since wars start. ITO
the figure of ships SUNK" Berlin went
on, must be added over 300 ships dam
aged primarily by air force, which, in
part. were hit so severely that they are
unusable at present or because of neces-
sary repairs will be unusable for months"
Britain admits 100000 tons lost. Ger
many claims torpedoes and mines chief
factor in success against
Shipping shipping. Hitler is trying to
Losses squeeze England into starva-
ton by submarine and air
blockade. The British this week aban-
doned their plan of sending children
across Atlantic for safety because they
lack conveys to protect ships. British
also frightened control of civilian life to
bolster the home front" both against
any direct attack on England and for
conserving food. -,.
To save herself from strangulation by
blockade, Britain uses her navy to pro-
tect passage of supply ships to England
and to keep open the lanes those ships
travel, as well as the lanes to England's
dominions and colonies. These lanes
reach far. So English warships hover
near Martinique, French island in West
Indies, in whose harbor is French man
OF war, suspected by England OF bel
Ggerent designs. To the governorship OF
British islands near Martinique, England
named her former king, Duke of Wind
sor. Six thousand miles away, in Alex
andria, Egypt, the British received In
surrender one French battleship, four
French cruisers and number of small
French fighting ships the English had
bottled up in the harbor. The French
battleship Richeiieu, $4,000 tons, was
crippled by British ships and airplanes
In another sector, off the French West
African coast, near Dakar.
The surrender at Alexandra left the
British fleet free to move in the Medt-
terranean against the Italians. The
British fighting ships met the Italians
Tuesday. What happened Is yet OBJ
scure. London claimed victory. The
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