The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-05-20
Furious Fight RACES
To Protect England
CONTINUED From Page -

ton in the battle between the
River Somme and the Disc canal,
on the hot plains Of Picardy, and
in the first French victory Of the
German blltzkrieg have thrown back
the Nazi forces for nine-mile
loss.
The tanks corps stopped the Ger
mans here Saturday and then,
counter attacking, drove the Ger
mans out Of lie Cateau and Landre-
cies. to regain a hold on both banks
OF the Disc river between Maubeuge
and st. quentin.
Fifty miles from their bases OF
supply, the German advanced mo-
torized columns were In some DIM
Guilty under the intense French
counter attacks and generally 1t was
apparent here that the whole Ger
man drive, while proceeding, had
been slowed.
French 75-millimeter field guns
we're used successfully against the
German attacks Saturday on the
Sambre-OiSe sector when the Ger
mans resumed their drive on the
Mouse Bulge. In the first operation,
1t was said at general headquarters,
the tanks were stopped by point
blank fire. Then the French sent
their tanks In TO destroy two col
umnS OF German motorized infan-
try which had followed the German
tanks. 1t was this operation which
forced the retreat from lie Cateau
across the canal and back through
LandrecieS.
Big, Little Tanks
Both big and little French tanks
arc In the battle. The French con-
slider them the best In Europe. The
great numbering lotion tanks fire
field guns and the smaller Is and
cotton tanks have heavy arma-
ments of machine guns and POM
pom anti-tank guns to destroy
columns OF motorized infantry. Both
big and little tanks have proved ex-
cellent weapons because they have
much thicker armor plate than the
German ones and hence can crowd
In closer and do much more des-
truction.
The Germans have continued the
tactics they used In Poland-tanks
maSsed In the spearhead OF the at
tack. preceding long columns Of In
fantry which are carried into battle
on pneumatic tired trucks.
After anti-tank mines had been
blown up In the German path-de.
stroying many OF the German tanks
there were none 10 stop the Sec
ond wave.
French tanks and 75's, however
offered q wall against which the
Germans were unable FOR the mo-
ment at least TO keep up their pace
despite fighting OF the tiercest sort.
Attack Mails In Flanks
Again and again French tanks
circled over the fiat terrain to dash
In 10 attack German columns from
the TANKS, while the field guns Airing
point blank blasted the German
tanks.
The Allies have now had time TO
realign their forces.
Both armies, fighting for days with
little sleep or food, have shown no
sign OF exhaustion.
The French have been encouraged
by the result OF their field gun tank
counter attacks.
Rifles, machine guns and small an
ti-tank guns were helpless against
the formations Of as many as 400
German tanks which attacked at one
place, going at the rate Of from IL
TO 20 miles an hour and splitting fire
on all sides. II took the combination
Of tanks and field guns to challenge
the tank wedges and the motorized
infantry which followed them.
As regards communications, the
French have the advantage. The
Germans must make q long haul
through Belgium as roads In the Ar
dennes forest are inadequate for big
scale transport.
The Allied retreat through Bel
GUM seems to have been effected
perfectly and the Allies were pleas
ed by 1t even though 1t left Ger
many In possession Of most OF Bel
GUM. BY destroying roads, bridges
and railroads behind them, the
French, British, Belgians and some
Dutch were able to avoid costly con-
tact with the Germans and the
Germans could not take their Gus
tomary toll OF tail-end units.