Evening star., 1940-05-23
Berlin
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Berlin
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French back with bloody losses.
These frustrated attacks, after
earlier successes on the part Of the
enemy, have weakened the enemy's
will to resist In the final showdown"
The Germans acknowledged that
the allies-particularly the French
were making repeated attempts to
break through the German wedge
reaching to the Channel coast, these
particularly in the Cambria sector.
Double Drive Expected.
Military observers were watching
closely to see whether the French
would launch drives simultaneously
in the Cambria sector on the north
of the German salient and La Fere
on the south in an attempt to cut
through.
Adolf Hitler's power-diving "Stuka'
bombers and darting speedboats COL
laborated in a smash at Channel
communications to provide the most
visible signs of the offensive.
German land forces, meanwhile
crashed southwark across the
Scheldt River in the relentless
closing of a wise of men and ma
chimes on more than a half million
allied soldiers, cut off from the main
French forces to the south.
The Nazi air force reported 1t
had heavily bombed the Channel
ports of Dover and Dunkuerque and
severely damaged three transports,
one tanker and a destroyer in the
Channel.
The Berlin radio quoted the Ital-
ian newspaper Gazetta del Popolo as
reporting the capture Of the French
Gen. Didelet by Germans in the
neighborhood of Valenciennes,
France. Gen. Didelet was said to be
q former military attache in Berlin.
Destroyer Declared Sunk.
Germany's wasp-like naval forces
swiftly stabbing speedboats, ap-
parently carrying torpedoes-were
credited with sinking an allied de-
stroyer off Dunkerque.
The German high command said
the attack over the Scheldt River
was slowly winning ground against
heavy enemy resistance"
The Nazi airmen, in close collabo-
ration with the vise-like movement
Of German forces afoot or in rolling
armor, told specifically of smashing
an allied attempt to break through
the Cambria sector-path of the
German sweep toward the English
Channel which divides the allies.
"Air force attacks centered mainly
on rear connections of the enemy
as well as retreat movements and
troop concentrations in Flanders
and at Artois," said the regular COM
munique of the high command.
Three transports and one tank
er, with total tonnage Of around
10000, and one destroyer were heav-
lily damaged by the armed recon-
naissance Of the Channel coast"
Channel Terminals Bombed.
The air force smote both ends OF
the Channel communications, 1t
was said, "edectually" bombing
harbor facilities at Dunkerque, on
the French side, and Dover on the
English shore.
In the middle of this neck of sea
dividing the British Isles from the
continent, swarm Of German
speed boats was operating. At It's
narrowest point the English Chan
mel is % miles wide.
The tanker and three transports
attacked from the air were said to
total about 10000 tons.
Berlin sources asserted that Brit
ish troops, entrapped by the swift
mechanical thrust to the Channel
region through Northern France
were falling back to the shore and
were "embarking at several French
coastal points"
The high command reported that
the allies lost nine planes and &C
knowledged that five German planes
were missing. Despite the sweep
ing air assaults Of the German
aerial armada, the high command
noted:
"Air force activity on both sides
was limited on account of the
weather"
Along the southern edge of the
expanding German bulge toward the
west, between the Somme and Meuse
Rivers, the German command de-
clared, "the enemy is on the de-
fensive."
The Berlin radio broadcast ar
Army bulletin stating that in thu
fortress Of Liege, Belgium, q work
group battalion Of 20 officers ant
$50 men capitulated.
Fighting In Norway.
The communique carried a re-
minder that there still is q war in
Norway-a conflict that has paled
in comparison with the 14-day-old
struggle now surging over the plains
of Northern France and Belgium
A heavy cruiser was reported
severely hit" on the PROV off Ger
man-held and Allied-besieged Mar
vik, far northern Norwegian ore
port, and one 3,000-ton transport
was sunk and another heavily dam
aged, the high command said.
An allied camp, munitions dump
supply columns and landing facin-
ties also were attacked there and
fires started, according to the COM
munique.
The high command again accused
the allies Of "planless air attacks
against non-militaxy objectives.'