The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-10
DUTCH TROOPS
FIGHTING BACK
CONTINUED from Page u

Holland border, padded ashore In
rubber boats to take up positions on
the western bank,
Holland invoked its famous dixie
system to flood a great area OF Its
frontier district and protect the
western part Of the country.
Bombing planes and parachutist
troops led the attacks.
Amsterdam and Brussels airports
were heavily bombed.
Germany announced that she had
taken over the protection OF the
neutrality" OF Holland and Belgium
as she had that OF Denmark and
Norway.
A German radio newscast picked
up here carried an announcement
by DR.. Paul Joseph Goebbels, Ger
man propaganda minister, That
Holland and Belgium had been In
vaded and that any resistance
would be broke nby all means.
Holland at once accepted the
challenge and announced herself at
war with Germany,
Allied mechanical troops were re-
ported advancing rapidly through
Belgium TO meet the Germans driv-
Ing forward over wide front" In
the northwest In an effort TO win
new bases for possible aerial blitz-
kreig on England.
NaZi airplanes roamed vast part
OF western Europe, bombing Dutch,
Belgian and French airports and
communications centers including
big channel ports. Four bombs
were dropped on an English town
near Canterbury. German and
Franch planes battled over Switzer-
land and the Mails dropped II
bombs on O Swiss railroad near
Basic.
Belgium, Holland and Luxem-
bourg appealed TO the Allied Powers
for assistance after 59-year-
Queen Wilhelmina -- who celebrated
this week the longest reign In the
Dutch dynasty - had appealed to
the people TO resist the invaders and
King Leopold OF the Belgians, had
followed the World War example
OF his father and taken command OF
the armed forces OF his country.
Government Crosses TO Belgium
The Luxembourg government
crossed the Frontier into Belgium,
carrying the archives and national
treasury,
German airplanes and parachute
troops led the attack ordered by
Hitler on the grounds that the Allied
Powers had planned m immediate
invasion OF the low countries and
that Germany was forced TO move
quickly -- as IN the occupation OF
Denmark and Norway.
German airplanes opposed by
British and French craft at almost
every turn In contrast TO the Polish
and Norwegian campaigns -
started Dutch troops concentrations
and bombed communications centers
In the low countries generally, In
Guiding the Hague air port and the
Port Of Antwerp,
In France, the big DIR base at
Lyons was bombed heavily and half
q dozen other French towns, includ-
Ing such channel ports as Calai and
Dunkirk were attacked,
The Berlin radio appealed TO the
populations OF the low countries 49,
especially the Belgian Flemish peo-
pie not TO resist, but q state OF
war already had been declared by
both governments,
Berlin War Bullet n
The Berlin radio broadcast pleas
In French and Flemish TO "our dear
comrades urging the people TO re-
member the horrors OF 1914" and
warning that there are more hor-
rorS TO come"
put down your arms" the broad
cast said. 1.-THE Germans only want
to cross Belgium. All resistance IN
useless In the face OF Germany"
The German radio repeatedly de-
MED as British propaganda re-
ports that Nazi parachute troops
dressed as British or Dutch soldiers
had landed In Holland, II also de-
MED reports that hospitals had been
bombed, asserting that only military
objective had been attacked by the
Nail planes.
British sources said that the Brit
ish air attache ut the Hague was
almost killed" by bombs which fell
near the Dutch foreign office this
morning, but German official state
monts emphasized that mo wonder
persons are wounded by anti-air-
craft gun splinters II they run into
the streets instead OF the air raid
shelters"
Points Bombed
Among the points reported
bombed In the first phase OF fight
Ing were: Air ports or other COM
munications points at Amsterdam
and the Hague In Holland: Brussels
and Antwerp In Belgium: Lyone
Calais, Dunkirk and Lille In France:
q point near Basic In Switzerland;
and the town OF Chiffon, near Can
terbury, In England. In addition
many smaller towns OF military i'm
portance were bombed
In Holland and Britain drastic
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