Evening star., 1940-05-28
British Took Beating, +,
But Stood Like Rocks,
Says Eyewitness
Forces Withdrawn Under
Hail of Bullets From
Mechunized Germans
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 28.-An epic story
Of the removal Of British troops from
Boulogne by the Royal Navy, with
German bombs and guns causing
severe casualties, was disclosed to-
day In q report by q naval eye
witness.
He said the forces were withdrawn
from the seaport by British destroy
ers under a constant hail Of bombs
and fire from field guns, machine
guns and pompoms (multi- barrel
anti-aircraft guns.
Boulogne fell to the Germans Sun
day.
The eyewitness said the Germans
In greatly superior" numbers at
tackled with aircraft, tanks, and field
guns and the destroyers removed the
soldiers Gin circumstances Of great
difi1culty and peril"
A naval officer, he said it was i'm
possible to describe the events in
chronological order because I'VE had
not time to look at our watches" and
censorship prevented disclosure of
the day of the withdrawal.
Saw Allies Smelling Foe.
A demolition party Of seamen,
Royal Marines and few Royal En-
gineers, taking explosives and other
gear, pushed across the Channel in
q destroyer at two hours notice,
reaching the main jetty of Boulogne
in the forenoon.
On the way into the harbor the
party saw British and French de-
stroyers Smelling high land to the
north over which enemy tanks and
mechanical troops were advancing
toward the town."
Inside the harbor, "there was
comparative peace, but not for
long," the officer reported.
The party landed from the de-
stroyer, occupied the railway sta
ton, fitted demolition charges and
earmarked all bridges, cranes and
lock gates for destruction, which
was undertaken, it was said, at the
request of the French authorities.
Troops In the station were bonn
barded by high explosive shells
from field guns. Many of them
were young, but the naval officer
said they never turned a hair"
German Planes Attack.
'The Germans were gradually
closing in on the town with light
mechanical vehicles, followed by
tanks and motorized field guns, +"
the officer said, adding that Ger
man planes also attacked inter-
mittently throughout the day.
Once, he said, a greatly superior
number Of planes were driven of
by R. A. F. fighters.
Because the Germans were "all
around the town." it was "impos-
sible to send field guns or other
assistance" the officer reported,
and the British couldn't hold out
indefinitely against enemy armored
vehicles"
The officer found all roads bar
ricaded with lorries and protected
by machine guns.
Small parties of Germans were
already coming down the streets on
the outskirts of the town." he said,
"and a slight British withdrawal
was ordered to avoid having our
flank turned and to accelerate
the evacuation when the time
came"
Germans Held High Ground.
The Germans were holding the
high ground commanding the town,
massing more guns and troops, he
went on, and the British "sus-
tained casualties"
Small naval parties set explo-
Bives under bridges giving access
to the inner harbor. The bridges
were already under machine gun
fire at few hundred yards range,
the officer said, but the British
could not destroy them until the
last troops had been Withdrawn.
The naval officer and a small
party of men under sniping fire
at so yards range destroyed a
crane and flooded the dock power
station and pumping station.
Floating Dock Sunk.
One small drifter found at an
other dock was manned by stokers,
who raised steam with broken wood
and other debris so that the craft
could aid in the evacuation Of
troops.
When the complete demolition"
order came, the floating dock was
sunk and the machinery in the
power stations was blown up and
~everything that might be of use
to the enemy" was hurriedly sabo-
tagged under continuous field gun
and machine gun fire and while
IS German planes made dive
bombing and machine gun at
tacks.
The Germans were very close and
eoming nearer all the time" the
naval officer said, while British
troops were taking shelter at the
railway station and more arriving
every minute"
Five destroyers came alongside
and began evacuation of the troops
under furious" fire from enemy
guns concealed in wooded hill and
from pompoms and machine guns
firing from the windows of a hotel.
Then several enemy tanks came
down the hill onto the foreshore, d"
the report stated.
Courage of Soldiers Praised.
The troops on the jetty were en-
barking under a tornado of fire
with casualties occurring every Sec
ond," and destroyers were plaster
ing the hillsides and the German
field guns at point blank range and
blasting the hotel until the POM
poms and machine guns were
eilenced."
"They stood there like rocks
without giving q damn for any
ching" q naval oficer said Of the
soldiers.
The destroyers, crammed with SOL
diers, all listing and one slightly
on flre," left stern first through the
narrow channel. The tide was fall