Evening star., 1940-06-14

greatest outburSt of exlutation of
this war. Bands played Flags were
flown. Great crowds cheered.
Deutschland uber Allies" the
Horst Vessel song and Die Wacht
am Rhein" were among the songs
played.
Church bells rang for Is minutes
in celebration of the victory.
The Flanders victory earlier had
been celebrated by eight days of
flag flying.
Hints at Drive on Britain.
Fuehrer Hitler, meanwhile, pro-
claimed the end of the successful
Norwegian campaign and limited at
an imminent offensive against Great
Britain in a special order of the
day.
He pronounced the blockade
against Germany to be broken, with
"strategically important flank
position" facing the English coast
now in German hands.
In simultaneous communiuue.
the high command summarized the
Norwegian operations as follows:
One hundred and forty-four AL
lied warships and transports de-
stroyed, As by the German Navy
and SO by the Air Force; 80 warships
and 80 transports bombed and dam
aged by the Air Force.
Against this, German losses of
cruisers, 10 destroyers, 6 subma-
rines. l torpedo boat and IS other
naval vessels.
Elghty-seven Allied planes shot
down by the Air Force, not count
ing those lost in the sinking of two
aircraft carriers. britain admits
only the loss of one aircraft carrier
since the invasion of Norway
Against this, German losses of 80
planes, with damage to q others.
A total of 1877 German soldiers
dead, 1904 wounded and 2,375 miss
Ing IN sea transport or otherwise.
Eastern Drive Vital.
Vital IN the offensive on the west.
ern front, German military COM
mentators said, was the forceful
southWard thrust by the Nazi east
flank in the Argonne region. This
drive, which already has swallowed
up Chalons-Sur- -Marne, 80 miles
east OF Paris and 80 miles south OF
Rethel, apparently has a twotold
objective.
NOT only was it designed to work
IN behind the Maginot Line, whose
western terminus is at Montmedv,
40 miles east of Rethel but also to
make it impossible for the French
10 shift any considerable portion
OF the Maglnot Line troops into
position for desperate stand in the
Paris region.
The Nazi commentators said they
old not believe the French regulars
and reserves in this area would be
able to stand up much longer under
the constant pressure of superior
attacking forces.
lhey said the French had based
their defense on hope for a war of
attrition, by which the Nazi spear
mead thrusts would be worn down
until the offensive had lots it's mo-
mentum. Now, they claimed, the
opposite is happening, with attri-
ton on the other side.
100000 Prisoners Claimed.
The Allies desperate situation
was emphasized further, they said,
by figures released in Berlin show
ing that more than 100000 Allied
prisoners had been taken since June
and that the Allies had suffered a
proportlonate loss in materials.
Reports that Paris would be sur-
rendered without struggle and that
French troops were withdrawing had
circulated in Berlin without official
confirmation. Nor was any German
radio appeal to the Partisan popu-
latlon to give up the fight heard on
the usual wave lengths.
| French Premier Reynaud's mes
sage to President Roosevelt was
labeled a "cry of despair" by the
well-informed commentary Dienst
Aus Deutschland. Referring to M.
Reynaud's appeal for materials "be-
fore it is too late" Dienst said:
The German notion is that sup
port for Allied troops by sending
American war materials already is
too late"