The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-06-07

alarmed at precautions neceSsitat-
ed by the German blitzkrieg tech
nique, the high command proceeded
10 render useless as emergency
tGerman) landing areas tseven lines
censored).
Every precaution was taken TO
prevent German landings for an at
tempt at a surprise investment OF
Paris
Furious Bombardment
The Germans had opened a flu
rious bombardment east of the Disc
river, In apparent preparation for
new big-scale offensive at the
junction OF the Weygand and Magi-
not lines, as the German high com.
mand threw two armored divisions
II 900 mased tanks--into the Pc
rome sector, at the bend OF the
Somme river, TO start the third Bit
ter day OF the battle OF the Wey-
gand line.
II was admitted officially that the
German tanks stormed their way
onto the Chemin Des Danes but II
was asserted that the French still
held part OF the vital ridge, where
lie the rotted bones Of thousands OF
World War dead, and that the Ger
man infantry, sliced down like hay
under a rain OF machine gun and
artillery fire, had been unable Ia
follow the tanks. The French held
Peronne, on the north tOerman)
bank Of the Somme, II was asserted
The official claim was made that
the French had destroyed 400 Ger
man tanks yesterday and that the
Germans had now thrown their
maximum force, tanks and 40 IN
fantry divisions totaling upwards OF
600 900 men, into the battle. They
seemed, II was asserted, to have
thrown all their tank reserves into
the battle.
In their bombardment east OF the
Disc the Germans were reported u
be mixing smoke shells with high
explosive ones, as II preparing the
way for an infantry attack under
cover OF q smoke screen.
Third Day Al SOmme
The battle OF the Somme entered
Its third day at dawn, when the
Germans threw their 1000 tanks anc
their hundreds OF thousands OF IN.
fantrymen into the attack on the
front between the English Channe
and the Aisne river
The German attacked southWas'
along the coast, down from the
Peronne sector toward Nesle and, O
little TO the east, from the Ailettt
river toward Anizy lie Chateau. In
the latter sectors they sought Il
take the formidable Chemin Des
Danes ridge and other dominating
heights from which French field
guns were blasting their lines foi
miles.
AT the start Of fighting today, the
Germans had made some progress
on the Allied TANKS, but the en-.
tire Allied center, OH the Amiens.
Peronne-La Fere line, held firm.
Even on the TANKS II was as.
serted, the German infantry had
been unable TO follow the tanks
which forced into the Allied lines
and throughout the night the French
specialized troops, newly trained IN
counter-tank fighting, had made
hundreds OF darling thrusts out from
their hidden strong points 10 attack
the tanks In their lines.
French Hold Heights
The French, II was asserted, still
held the critical heights dominat-
ing Scissors and the Aisne, In the
Chemijn des DANES region, which
enabled their artillery TO dominate
German operations In the plains.
On their extreme left, on the chan
mel, the Allies had now established
their new river defense line along
the Bresle, which reaches the sea at
lie Treport. In that position the Ger
mans on the north side were In
'Picardy and the Allies, on the south
in Normandy. The Bresle positions
were regarded by the high command
as equally strong as those on the
Somme because the river banks are
wooded and numerous villages permit
the establishment Of the new type
OF strong point which is the foun-
dalton OF the new Weygand defense
system against German tank attacks.
This mornings high command
communicate, No. 555 Of the war,
said merely:
after relative calm throughout
the night. the battle was resumed
this morning under the same gen.
eral conditions as those Of yester-
day"
Inferno Of Attacks
But In this relatively calm" night
there had been an inferno OF anti
tank attacks by the new French spe-
cialized troops.
Three inch guns. the famous
French T5's. were wheeled out from
hidden emplacements to blast the
tanks at point blank range while
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