The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-17
German Armies Blast
Allies In All Sectors
Continued From Page ~

the Allied defenses soon and resume
It's onslaught into northern France
and across the Channel 10 Great
Britain, 1t would have failed In Its
supreme test.
Unofficial German quarters In
Berlin had said yesterday morning
that the following seven days would
determine whether Germans could
win a lightning war or would have
TO fall back 10 defense positions for
a long war Of emplacements
In the north between Antwerp and
Louvain, 10 miles east OF Brussels,
the Allies held their ground. The
British had counter-attacked yes
terday TO drive the Germans from
Louvain, a historic university city,
the "martyral city, Of the World
war.
In the center around Namur, 30
miles below Louvain, British and
French reintorcements charged IN
and bolstered the retrcating Bel
CLANS. The Germans then were
stopped at that point.
Full Might OF NaEis
At the south end OF the line, the
Germans threw their fun might at
the Maginot Line back OF Sedan.
The French conceded nothing there,
although the Germans had claimed
to have pierced the Maginot Line In
two places. Wild reports that Ger
man mechanical units had broken
through the line and were over.
running the plains OF northern
France were. officially denied IN
Paris.
Now far back OF the battle front,
Britain plainly feared an invasion II
the Germans broke through. It en-.
listed 100000 men IN q parachute
shooter" army, ordered civilians to
remove spark plugs from their auto.
mobiles at nights TO keep German
parachuters from seizing them, and
organized q vast corps OF mobile
nurses.
The battle scene was IN chaos,
Both sides threw fresh troops and
materials Into the fight In tor
rental streams. Airplanes fought
aiiplanes In the sky and anti-air-
craft batteries on the ground. They
bombed and machine gunned
marching and entranched troops,
city buildings and streets, rumbline
tanks and trains OF supplies. They
dropped high explosive bombs
Weighing q ton which tore holes In
the ground deep enough 10 conceal
q city apartment building. Tanks
clashed With tanks, big guns with
big guns and man with man over q
vast countryside Of barbados, wire
entanglements and debris.
Battle for History
II was the battle, fantasy writer's
had imagined for decades. The AL
lies called " the battle for civiliza-
ton; Germans the battle Tor the
next 1000 years Of German des-
tiny
The concentration OF all these
men und oil this death dealing fury
into such small region--an Amerl-
can motorist Oh casual Sunday
afternoon drive could travel the
distance OF the whole battle line In
three hours-meant perforce that
men were dying IN greater numbers
there than they had died In any
battle In history.
After two days, the French battle
reports were growing more hope
full; the German reports more grave,
This was the only indication OF the
trand Of the fighting. Military
specialists rarely agree, that little
could be learned In the present
confusion Of the battle, but the main
factor for the moment was that the
Germans had been stopped al
least for a time.
East Of this main battle line, the
French Maginot Line proper from
the Rhine river 10 the Moselle had
blaZed into action. The "big Ber-
tina" cannons there formed q deep
undertonc 10 the sharp din Of tho
northern battle The Germans
claimed that the French had opened
up their big fort guns first Oh the
German town OF Rastatt, and that
theirs had opened up OH Hagenau
In Alsace- Lorraine In reprlsal
Additionally, the Germans were
feeling out the whole Maglnot Line
with sharp attacks, 10 learn whether
the French we're diverting men 10
reinforce their left wing IN Belgium
and leaving weak spots where the
Germans might break through,
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