The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-21

lines.
In London, q British military au-
thority asserted that French troops
had begun o counter attack, await.
cd since Su lday, In the German
bulge" area OF the Semme front
and were fighting magnificently"
Hours before the assertion that
German troops had reached Abbe-
vile, Germany Claimed that 10000
OF her troops had recahed a point
only Is miles away.
PICK UP A.
Capture Of French General
Gen, Henri Honore Giraud, Oh I,
whose capture from q French army
headquarters was claimed by the
Germans today, was captured by the
Germans two weeks after the out
break OF the World War.
A captain then and wounded In
the right lung at the battle OF
Gulse, Giraud was taken by German
forces After first vain attempt
at escaping he finally succeeded In
getting through Belgium and Hol-
land 10 England whence he reen-
tered France,
Although still suffering from his
wound he returned 10 action IN Feb
ruary, 1915, after having been as
signed TO the. stalf OF the Fifth
army,
Germans predicted the fall OF Alb
bevile In few hours two days at
most, It's hurried transformation into
O German air base, and then blItz-
kricg on Great Britain. The British
port OF Hastings Is only 10 miles
from Abbeyille.
The Germans apparently had
made Paris q secondary goal now
In their drive out OF the northern
French bulge. However, they were
still throwing pressure on the Allied
lines below ST. Quentin and we're
at Laon, headed In the direction
Of Paris, rs miles away.
Charge on Abbeville
The charge on Abbeville was made
from the La Cateau sector, near
the Belgian French border north
east OF st. Quentin. II the Ger
mans were now rs miles from Able
vile they had advanced 40 miles
over the fields OF Normandy since
yesterday.
This drive was a tremendous
strategic significance. II roughly
parallels the French Belgian border.
II 1t reached the coast 1t would
have driven a wedge between the
Allied troops In France and those
In Belgium and that with the fall
OF Abbeville they would be cut off.
Facing sweeping German move
ment through northwest Belgium.
the Allies would have to turn and
fight their way back into France
with another German army at their
heels.
However, Allied dispatches said
the Allies had foreseen this Situa-
ton and had been withdrawing
safely back into France through the
Cambrai sector, north of st. Quen-
tin. for several days.
The French high command said
German thrusts around Laon, men,
acing Paris. we're being repulsed
1t said nothing about the German
drive for the channel, although 1t
reported positions essentially un-
changed"
Allied quarters still talked Of an
impending counter-attack, which
would have to come soon II the
channel we're to be saved.
The Germans repeatedly moving
toward Abbeville would have passed
30 miles south Of Lille, huge French
industrial center, and a battle for
that city was believed not far away.
Cambria. from where the German
coastal drive started, and where the
British, French and Belgian troops
were porting into France from Bel
GUM, was another spot apparently
destined for terrific fighting.
Britain, still escaping the fight,
believed that the British isles In
evitably would see fighting and bar
ricades we're going up In most Inn
portant British streets.
France, Nth every energy rent o.