Evening star., 1940-05-25
German

BY the Associated Press.
BERLIN, May 25.-The text OF
the German high command COM
munique follows:
The ring around the Belgian
Army, units of the 1st, 7th and 9th
French armies and the main body of
the English Expeditionary Force
yesterday was considerably increased
and thereby definitely closed.
In the east of this ring Ghent
and Courtrai were taken. The Lys
River was crossed during the at
tack.
Between Roubaix and Valencien-
mes German troops are attacking
French border Notifications. In the
south between Valenciennes and
Vimy the attack on both sides of
Douai is progressing in north
western direction. The heights of
Vimy were taken
After hard fighting with the
enemy land and naval forces. Bou-
| logne was taken. Calais is en-
compassed by German troops.
"Vimy Ridge between Lillers and
st. Omer up to Gravelines is in
German possession. The number of
prisoners is increasing steadily while
the amount of booty cannot be esti-
mated.
German fighting planes and pur-
suit units in Belgium and North
France successfully attacked troop
concentrations and columns as well
as anti-aircraft positions They
bombed quays, gasoline tanks, ship
yards, docks, artillery positions and
moles in Belgian and French Chan
mel ports.
In the course of this action we
succeeded in destroying. or heavily
damaging one destroyer and seven
merchant ships or transports with
a total tonnage of roughly 10000
AN additional destroyer, as previ-
ously reported, was sunk by anti
aircraft artillery.
cat several points on the southern
front weak enemy relief attacks were
repelled. South of Sedan German
troops in recent days wrenched an
important hillside strong point from
the enemy after stout fighting and
kept it despite heavy counterattacks.
During recent days of fighting in
the Maubeuge region commander of
an infantry regiment, Col. Ordan
and First 1t. Langenstrass of an
engineer battalion distinguished
themselves by special bravery.
AT the southern front the air
force was very effective, raiding rail
lines. airports, marching columns
and tank concentrations.
In the Narvik (Norway) region
German fighting units continued
raids against sea targets and sue
cessfully supported ground fighting.
LAS previously reported in spe-
cial announcement, two cruisers
were so seriously hit May % that
they can be regarded total loss.
Also battleship and one cruiser
or destroyer were severely damaged.
During repetition of this raid
yesterday the battleship, which al
ready had been damaged, sustained
three additional severe hits aft and
was stopped dead without further
defense. One airplane carrier which
was fired can be regarded as lost.
Furthermore, the cruisers were
hit amidship, a transport and two
supply ships were sunk and another
two damaged and a large tanker
peached with heavy list after being
hit. We succeeded in reinforcing
fighting troops at Narvik by para
cnuting mountain chasseur units.
"The enemy's total air losses yes
terday were "a planes, of which q
were shot down in air fights, IA by
anti-aircraft fire and the rest were
destroyed on the ground. Seven
German planes are missing.
French
PARIS, May Is (P.-The high
commands morning communique
said:
Yesterday evening we consoli-
dated our positions on the Sonme
and during these operations we took
a certain number of prisoners.
During the night nothing to re-
| r,ort aS tn the whole front"