Evening star., 1940-06-12
Berlin
Continued From First Page)


on the Disc 1872 miles northwest
of the French capital, Germany
declared today.
All these triumphs were claimed
by the German high command
save the crossing of the Marine. The
declaration to that effect came from
authoritative quarters.
Germans declared that such
Marine counter offensive as saved
Paris in 1914 could not be repeated
In 1914 Germans were not on the
Seine, nor were they ever so close
to Paris.
Some Allied forces were said to
have been trapped at ST. Valery,
near Dieppe, by the German cross
ing of the Seine. northwest of Paris.
They faced the same tempest from
land and sky that struck the re-
Gently trapped Allied forces in
Flanders.
A brief report from the western
front said fast-firing German anti
aircraft guns which have an effec-
tive horizontal range OF about 8
miles had destroyed 200 Allied tanks.
On the eastern flank of the French
capital the River Marine was said
by the high command to have been
reached Ion the broadest front with
strong forces"
Rouen. on the meandering course
of the Seine between LIE Havre and
Paris, was said to have been in Ger
man hands for several days.
The Seine beyond Paris already
is crossed by our troops at several
points," said the daily communique
of the high command.
Northwest of Paris divisions
standing on the Disc are 20 kilo-
meters outside Paris and the outer
defense positions running along both
sides of Senlis.
"Compiegne scene Of the dis
graceful armistice dictate of 1918.
and Villers-Cotterets are in our
hands, said the high command.
1t was in forest near Compiegne
that the World War armistice was
signed in Marshal Foch's sleeping
car headquarters November II, 1918
Heavy Allied Losses.
Allied forces on the lower Seine
were said to have been pushed
across the river with heaviest
losses.
The German claim to hold Rouen
and Reims-cities Of more than
100000 peacetime populations
would represent two great footholds
northwest and northeast of Paris.
respectively with which to rein
force the projected engulfment of
Paris.
Rouen lies about 10 miles north
west of Paris on the coastal. lower
Seine flank and Reims about 80
miles to the northeast.
The Nazi air force smashed at
shipping in the English Channel
besides operating as aerial artil-
lery'' for the German advance.
Seven transports, one of 500 tons,
were said to have been sunk and
10 others, three of which were be-
tween 10000 and $4,000 tons, dam
aged by bomb hits.
Fifty-nine Allied planes and three
barrage balloons were reported de-
stroyed in the past "a hours as
against three missing for the Ger
mans.
lie Havre, one of the principal
French harbors remaining in French
hands, was bombed anew.
The high command highlighted its
report Of the great drive to encircle
Paris and crush the French armies
in these words:
THE new operation begun June
between the English Channel and
Laon led to full success. After the
Weygand zone south of the Somme
had been taken the lines of the re-
treating enemy were broken through
at several points and the remainder
were pushed back across the lower
Seine with heaviest losses
Strong Forces on Marine.
On the eastern flank of the Paris
defense, east of the Ourcq River, the
Marine was said to have been reached
''on the broadest front with strong
forces"
Further on the eastern wing op-
erations, the high command said:
Our armies which on June again
marched to the attack between the
Oise-Aisne Canal and the Meuse,
in the severest fights have defeated
the enemy and forced him to re-
treat"
"Reims is taken. In Champagne
the Suippres River is crossed.
Despite the numerous counter
attacks in Champagne partly sup
ported by tanks the French also
through yesterday failed to halt our
advance.
In the course of new operations
the enemy, besides the heaviest
bloody losses, lost a great number of
prisoners. weapons and war mate
rial of all kinds.
Even a preliminary count was not
yet possible"
The high command acknowledged
Allied air raids in Western Germany
last night and British attempts yes
terday to attack Trondheim and
Bergen, Norway. Twelve of the at
tacking planes were said to have
been destroyed.
AS for the raids on Germany
proper:
Enemy planes dropped bombs
at random In Western Germany on
the night Of June 11-12." the COM
munique said, "incendiary bombs
falling into the heart of one city"
The high command and other
authorized sources disclosed that