Evening star., 1940-09-24
R.A.F.> Trading Blows With Nazis>
Sinks FourVesse|s Near Bou|ogne;
French Planes Bomb Gibraltar
Bottle for Dokor
Believed Still On;
Landings RepeIIed
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
VICHY, France, Sept. 24.-Naval
Minister Admiral Jean Darlan an
nounced late today that France had
lashed out with reprisals for the
British attack on Dakar, Senegal,
after repulsing British landing at
tempts and damaging the aggressor
warships."
THE land, sea and air forces OF
Africa already have repulsed the
landing attempts, inflicted losses on
the aggressor warships and launched
reprisals," said Admiral Darlan in
an order of the day.
Although this proclamation did
not state the nature of the reprisals,
it was reported that French war;
planes had bombed Gibraltar
heavily.
Some reports here placed the num-
Der of planes which bombed Gibral-
tar at 12O.
tObservers at La Linea, Spain,
said at least 80 French planes.
based. apparently. in French
Morocco, had raided the rock
and that dense smoke columns
indicated that gasoline depots
on Gibraltar had been hit.
The raiders were reported to
have dropped 20 bombs on the
docks at Punta Europa OBJ
servers expressed the belief that
this was the heaviest raid yet
made on Gibraltar.
(Anti-aircraft fire was still
continuing at $3.50 pm.
attacking warplanes came
over in waves of three every few
minutes. Later the waves in
creased to 10 or IL planes. COM
ing over at l0-minute intervals
The Berlin radio. in a broad
cast heard in New York, said in
Madrid dispatch that a Brit
ish warship, as well as several
merchant ships and some small
vessels. had been hit by bombs
during the attack on Gibraltar.
Bombs also were dropped on
shipyards and repair ships in the
harbor and the central part of
the town, where numerous fires"
were started. Altogether, IS
bomb explosions were observed at
Glib altar from the Spanish side,
the radio declared.
ut said Spanish authorities
had closed the border between
Spain and Gibraltar
Bitterly. Admiral Darlan, who acts
as co-ordinator of all the French
forces, denied that Dakar was
menaced by any power-(the Brit
ish have contended that Germany
was intending to seize it,
I'm trying 10 occupy this key to
the South Atlantic the English
were only following their own per-
sonal interest" he said.
Our flrmness will stop them.
after the assassination of our
comrades at Mers-elKebir 'where
the British attacked the French
fleet on July - and the undignified
treatment of refugee French sailors
in England, the new British ag-
gression is simply trying to reduce
our families to famine. ruin our un-
happy country and dismember our
empire"
Details of the British action
against Dakar were meager but it
was thought here that the battle
was continuing. Whether any Brit
ish landing parties had succeeded
in getting a foothold on the main
land was not learned.
The Berlin radio broadcast
a Vichy dispatch saying it was
reported from Dakar that go
men had been killed at sea-
presumably French seamen-and
$50 persons in Dakar.
ut reported that a French
submarine had sunk British
cruiser and in turn was destroyed
by the British. The dispatch
said the Dakar broadcasting sta
ton was so badly damaged that
ships radios in the harbor were
the only means of communica-
ton with Vichy.
CThe Berlin broadcast said
Marshal Petrain, French chief
(See DAKAR, Page A-D