Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-01
Germans Occupy Channel Islands;
Hungary Mobi|izes Along Border;
Fig hiring Flares With Rumanians
Guernsey, Jersey
Taken; Cruiser
Sinking Claimed

By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, July 1.-The German
Army has set foot on British sol
for the first time by occupying
the Channel islands of Guernsey
and Jersey in surprise move by
units of the Nazi air force
Guernsey was occupied yester-
day and Jersey today, the high
command reported.
Two British fighting planes were
Shot down in these operations, ii
said.
1t was announced that the occu-
patton was achieved by "a coup de
main of the German air force"
These two islands, which the
British previously had declared de-
militarized, lie much closer to the
German-occupied French coast than
to England and probably were con-
sidered undefensible by the British
. command
Guernsey. 80 miles from Plymouth,
Is only half as far from the west
coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, at
the tip of which is Cherbourg.
Jersey is 20 miles southeast of
Guernsey.
indication that further Chan
mel islands may have been lost
to the Germans came in an an
nouncement by Western Union
that Geographic communication
with Jersey, Guernsey and also
Alyderney and Sark had been
suspended)
Cruiser Orion Sunk.
A British cruiser of the Orion class
has been torpedoed south of Brest,
the German high command an
nounced.
Eighteen British planes were shot
down in series of attacks against
mon military targets in Northern,
Western and Southern Germany"
last night, the high command added
The communique declared one
submarine had sunk $4,000 regis
tered tons of enemy merchant Ship
ping, adding two of the sunken
steamers were torpedoed from a
strongly protected convoy"
(The Orion class consisted of
five cruisers, the Orion, the
Leander, Neptune, Achilles and
Ajax, the last two having taken
part in the battle of Montevideo
which led to the destruction of
the German pocket battleship
Admiral Graf Spec.
CThe Orion's tonnage is listed
as 7,215, her main armament
eight 6-inch guns and her normal
complement $50 officers and
mem
Text of Communique.
The text of the communioue.
mo special developments in
France. One submarine sank $4,000
registered tons of enemy shipping
space and torpedoed a cruiser of
the Orion class south of Brest.
Two of the sunken steamers were
torpedoed from a strongly protected
convoy.
"Lt.-Capt. Pried during recent
days destroyed additional enemy
merchant ships. Tonnage of steam
ers sunk by his boat as announced
In the high command report of
June % thus increased to 51,086
registered tons.
German fighting planes last
night again raided several ports on
the Scotch east coast as we'll as the
English west and east coasts.
They obtained good results. A
group of nine British Blenheim
planes, which were under protection
OF chasers, attempted to attack the
airport of Merville-Lestrem near
Lille at noon June 80, were ex-
dispersed by anti-aircraft while ap-
preaching, and later engaged in
hectic air fights with our chasers.
I'm this action we succeeded in
shooting down six Blenheim planes
rs well as three British chasers. At
tacks OF enemy planes against non-
military targets in Northern, West
ern and Southern Germany in the
course of last night caused little
damage to property.
ION June 80 total of 10 British
planes were shot down, II of which
were in air fights, by anti-aircraft.
One German plane is missing"
Last December the Orion chased
the German merchantmen Arauca
into Port Everglades. The freighter
has been tied up since by numerous
libels.
Hitler in Maginot Line.
While French and German dele
gates were comforting on fulflllment
of the armistice terms, Adolf Hit
Ter yesterday made a tour of Magi-
not Line defenses, whose collapse in
the face of new German weapons
was in part responsible for France S
suing for cessation of hostilities.
The French-G German commission
held its first meeting at Wiesbaden
famed watering place on the Rhine
Less than ITS miles to the south
In territory now occupied by Ger
man troops, the Fuehrer visited
various heavily armed works" OF
the 100000, 900 defense system near
Mulhouse and in upper Alsace
which, said the Nazi high command
"were made incapable of resistance
by new German weapons in the
shortest time"
With fighting, meanwhile, re-
stricted to the air, the Nazi high
command reported successful at
tacks on Britain and claimed inef-
fectiveness of British raids on Ger
many.