Evening star., 1940-05-14
First Major Bottle
Developing Along
80-MiIe Front
BY the Associated Press

1y the Associated Press
PARIS, May 14.-The French city
of Sedan, in the fortified zone, 10
miles below the Belgian border,
probably has been taken" by the
Germans. a French military spokes-
man conceded today as the flercest
battle of the war developed along
the Meuse River.
Thousands of allied tanks. ar
mored cars and airplanes engaged
the German attackers from Liege,
in Belgium, to Sedan.
"a French military spokesman
said this afternoon the greater
part" of the Dutch seaport city
of Rotterdam is in flames and
the situation growing increas-
ingly grave0
The battle of the Meuse" already
was being called "the greatest bat
tie of all times in all countries"
French dispatches estimated that
the Germans were using from 5000
to 1000 airplanes on the Belgian
front, with Liege being subjected to
tncessant bombing since midnight.
The high command earlier had
acknowledged that the Germans.
gaining momentum in their sweep
through Southeastern Belgium. had
crossed Frances northern border
Its communique disclosed that the
German advance was part of push
which carried the Nazis to the
Meuse on an 80-mile front from
Sedan north through the Belgian
town of Namur to Liege. key point
in Belgium's eastern defenses.
Charles Morice, military commen-
tator of the newspaper Petit Parisien,
said in his daily review that the
four cities Of Liege, Namur, Dinant
and Sedan seem to be attained by
the enemy
Heavy fighting started last night
and continued today along the
MeuSe line, to which French and
Belgian troops fell back on strong
positions in strategic withdrawal.
1000 Tanks In Clash.
At least 1000 tanks on the two
sides have clashed in combat. Thou
sands of warplanes, both bombers
and fighters, are in the battle. Ar
tillery has been brought up on both
sides.
In Belgium the line extends rough
ly from Liege through Namur and
Dinant to Sedan.
Along the French Belgian from
tier another battle zone is formed
on the salient from Sedan through
Montmedy and Longwy clear to the
Moselle River.
The French reported repulse of
q German assault at Longwy-in-
side the French frontier near the
junction of the Belgian and Lux
embourg borders-after bitter street
fighting. The French still are hold
ing the town, spokesman said.
Two Nazi attacks in force in the
rorbach-Saar sector, east of Longwy,
also were reported turned back.
German patrols were said to have
been driven of near Wissembourg
at the eastern end of the 100-mile
front stretching from the Moselle
to the Rhine.
Liege Forts Believed Holding.
French military sources said the
Belgian forts at Liege-with the ex-
ception of one which already has
fallen to the Germans-were still
holding out Northwest of Liege q
battle between mechanized units
was reported continuing near Tirle-
mont.
Earlier the French had reported
that they had defeated the Ger
mans in a great battle of mechan-
tied forces in the Belgian Ardennes
and estimated they had shot down
400 German planes in the last three
and one-half days Of fighting.
The German campaign, military
sources said, combined terrific air
attacks on both the front lines and
allied troop concentrations at the
rear, direct thrusts from tanks and
motorized divisions and heavy artil-
lery barrages.
The Belgian command opened its
lines after the first shock to allow
passage of French troops into the
battle zone where the fighting was
the heaviest.
French tanks moved against the
German mechanical forces while
"armored cavalry" deployed on the
TANKS
Real Struggle" to Come.
French and British pilots at
tackled German railway yards and
airports. German pilots bombed
French and Belgian airdrOmes