Evening star., 1940-05-19
Fighting Fronts

In the pattern of classic German offen-
sive strategy against her long ng-standing
foes, France and Britain, the Nazi Army
was engaged as week began in great left
wheeling movement with axis near Lux
embourg- French border. North
from that point, heavy but mobile Ger
man line roared its way westward then
southwark to bring war within few days
almost to historic trench positions of
bitter days of 1917-18.
First theater of this phase of Nazi
attack was Holland, where week began
with Dutch still battling parachute in
vaders in Rotterdam and Nazi land
forces sweeping over Mas and Ijssel
Rivers. Viciously, German bombers
ragged over Amsterdam. More viciously,
fifth columnists sabotaged Dutch defen-
sive efforts in these cities, in The Hague,
in Utrecht.
Hourly then outpaced Dutch Army
drew slowly back
Late Monday. Hollands royal family
acknowledged pleas of their advisers and
urgings of British
Dutch Queen government to cross
Forced to Flee English Channel for
refuge in London.
Narrowly escaping Nazi bombers, British
warship slipped out of Netherlands port
with stately Queen Wilhelminia, her
daughter, son-in-law and two babies.
In England, as guests of George and
Elizabeth, Hollanders took up residence
at Buckingham Palace.
Their departure signified ending of
significant Dutch resistance. Following
Nazi tactic Of ignoring inmobile defen-
sive positions, one motorized German
column speeded almost clear across little
nation in single day to establish contact
with previously isolated detachments in
Rotterdam. At vital points, railroads
linking Amsterdam and Rotterdam with
Belgium were cut; Grebbe Line, main
water defense system, was pierced.
On Tuesday, Amsterdam authorities
fired huge petroleum stores to keep
them from German hands. That night,
Dutch capitulation was announced in
broken-voiced broadcast from Amster-
dam by Gen. Henri Gerard Winkelman,
commander of army.
"Our resistance has been broken by
overwhelming power" he told his coun-
trymen and stunned
Holland world 81 gave the order
Conouered to cease firing in order
to spare further blood
shed and complete destruction of the
country"
Authoritative estimates were that 1o0,-
900 men of Dutch Army of some 100000
gave their lives in futile resistance to
Nazi aggression.
Not included in initial surrender was
single province of iceland, almost di-
rectly opposite England's Thames River
mouth-150 miles from London. Here
British troops sought to reinforce Hol-
landers for defense of vital seacoast and
Antwerp Ghent flank, but yesterday this
defense was apparently in last stages.
From this conquest, Germany gains
stores of foodstuffs and miscellaneous
valuable supplies, plus part of extensive
merchant marine of Dutch Empire.
Added to resources of allies are Dutch
Navy, remainder of merchant fleet, and
for time being-natural wealth of scat
tered Dutch colonial possessions.
Second theater for relentless Nazi drive
westward has been Belgium, ravaged
roadway to Northern France in 1914 and
destined to fill same tragic role in 1940
Almost casually, iron-shod waves of
German troops rolled through heavily
fortified Liege area-mys-
Lieqe Forts teriously capturing key
Subdued Eben Emael outpost, then
speeding westward to leave
remainder of city virtually worthless
even if courageous island" of Belgian
resisted.
On Monday, Nazis already were claim
ing break in Maastricht- -Hasselt defense
line, anchored to Albert Canal and con-
sidered strongest of Belgian barriers.
Desperately, French and British rushed
men and equipment into front, and on
Tuesday. came reports of gigantic clash
of robots of Observation-Disclosures armored
cars, planes, every type of motorized
fighting equipment-in Tongres Warem-
me sector 35 miles east of Brussels and
30 miles northwest of Liege.
As before, and since, subsequent re-
ports from fighting lines placed the ac-
sion closer to German objectives-tell
tale admission of Nazi successes.
At midweek, allied concentrations
along Dyle River indicated that one of
worlds great battles was in
"Greotest prospect between Louvain
Bottle" and Namur, almost within
sight of capital city of
Brussels. From hastily assumed posi-
tions, British-Belgian artillery was re-
ported pouring thousands of tons of ex-
plosives and metals into advancing Ger
man divisions.
Three times on Thursday, Associated
Press correspondent with British forces
told how empire troops succeeded in
beating back Germans in street fighting
in Louvain. But on Friday, came familiar
story that invaders had literally over
whelmed defense troops, had swirled
westward past historic Waterloo, into
Brussels, to outskirts of Antwerp.
Letting their lines pivot temporarily
from Namur, Germans then struck to-
ward Ostend in west and French frontier
1 IN south. For both Germans and British,
, western halt Of Belgium is stratee eically