The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-24
Germany Claims North
Allied Army Broken
,continued Prom Page y

tContinued from rage ~
Destructon Of 40 Allied arplanes, So Allied tanks
frepused in an attempt to break out OF the trap, SIX
loaded transports in the English Channel and damage 70
warship probably cruiser, and three deStroyerS Oy
aerial bombardment
Allied Artillery Thunders
Allied heavy artillery poured curtain of fire into the
corridor northern France today as French
troops battled along the somme and west OF the Schedt
in an effort to seize the initiative from the Naz hgn
command The battle in the Scheld region was reported
by military analysts to have passed out OF the phase OF
nechanzed engagements and huge bodies OF masSeo IN
fantrv - both Allied and German were closing In IN
'O'l'"' Powerful Effort To Unite
noverfu effort to achieve juncture between the
Allied forces north of the German corridor and the main
armies TO the south In the making despite the Ger
drive to the channel northwest OF tne upper Soe
ative Is no longer entirely in German hands as the
result Of the opening phases OF the Allied counteracuon
Raking German Passway
Allied field batteries and heavy guns on both sides OF
the German corridor were rakng the narrow pathway
through which all German troops and material must pc
conveyed to the channel The region was described as
From the south bank of the somme today the French
were reported to be driving forward in an effort to narrow
the corridor be broken the Germans would suddenly find
themselves in position almost identical to that Of the
Allies today with their forces divided into TWO isolated
groups.
British Driven From Boul0gne
British military sources revealed that superior forces"
OF German troops drove smaller British attachments from
Bouogne during the night ana now contro paSe only 20
miles from the British coast
The situation has become more grave, It was said
Calais the nearest French channel port TO Dover, Is
only 10 miles from Bouogne and doubt has been expressed
that 1t be held by the Allies the Germans retain
control OF Boulogne.
Can Now Fire On Dover
German heavy guns can now lombard Dover and other
ports along the channel and the possibility OF German
Invasion pointed at Engands famous Cnqueports on the
lihood Capture OF Bouogne turned immediate British
attention to the deenses of the southeast coast Dover
itself Is strongly garrsoned From the summit OF Its
famed chalk cliffs artillery commands all approaches by
sea-
Disrupt British Transports
Possession Of Bouogne seriously disrupts British trans
port to France and certain special defense activity The
admitted, II the Allies succeed In holding Calais And
II believed Dover would longer be tenabe or the
famous Dover patrol the force OF deSroyers and SUBJ
marine which normally protects the channel against enemy
submarine and other naval action
May Keep Up Defensive
One expert suggested that the Allied force In Belgium
might continue defensive fight based such remaining
channel ports 1t could hold possibly Zeebrugge Osend
Dunkrk and Calais. It would then be question: this
expert added whether an isolated Allied force on the coast
could hold out longer than any German raid on Britain
lasted.
British Bombers Worked
Applying Its earlier announcements, the air ministry
said that British fighter patrol shot down % German
planes and shot down damaged beyond repair another
20 planes In operations northern France during the
night. "Under conditions prevailing, there can be little
doubt that most of these damaged aircraft lost" the
ministry said patrol Of II British Spitre planes was
said by the ministry to have shot down three other Messer
schmds and three bombers One Sptfe crashed and
others missing.