Evening star., 1940-05-11
Big Fight htShopesin
Luxembourg and
East Of AoseIIe
~ the Associated Press.

- tue ASSOC1AtcO xEeobs
PARIS, May 1l.--Germany's first
large scale drive Of the war against
Frances Maginot Line was launched
yesterday in concert with the In
vasion Of the Low Countries, French
military sources said today.
The Nazis threw a full division
between $4,000 and $4,000 men
against the French in a reported
unsuccessful attack east Of Luxem-
bourg.
While French authorities termed
the battle the first great attack OF
the war;" the high command con-
tented itself with an announcement
that the French had maintained
their positions.
The attack, launched as vast
struggle began in Belgium and the
Netherlands for air supremacy and
advantages on land, apparently was
intended to keep the French forces
busy on their own heavily fortified
Maginot Line and thus hamper the
Shifting of forces into the invaded
Low Countries.
Move into Two Sectors.
The general staff reported fight
ing continued today, French troops
moving into spirited" battle with
German infantry in two sectors-in
Luxembourg and east of the Moselle
River.
When the Nazi division attacked
yesterday, the French advance
guard followed its appointed role,
sounded the alarm, and then with
drew.
This particular sector extending
east from the Luxembourg border
has been one of the most agitated
along the western front, even in the
days when patrol activities were
the main actions Of q stalemated
war.
It extended the German push to q
Jagged line between 800 and 400
miles long-from the North Sea
along the Dutch and Belsian bor-
tlgl = 4 -
dor itself. east Of ths tiny grand
duchy.
Big struggie . Csntrsl Air.
At the same time 4 vast struggle
for air supremacy was developing
over Belgium as British and French
planes fought on the thz,lSts Of
planes attempting to halt the now
Of allied Ietnforcements into the
beleaguered Low Countries.
A Belgian communiQue reported
today that contact units were con-
tinuing the fight against the Ger
mans along the Albert Canal and
the Meuse River as well as In the
Ardennes Mountains.
On the Moselle River sector
French troops were said to have re-
occupied outposts from which they
Withdrew yesterday under heavy
German attacks.
Summary Of Situation.
French sources described today's
situation on the other main battle
sectors In the lowlands as follows:
Netherlands-Dutch forces have
succeeded In "mopping up" virtually
III the German troops landed by
plane and parachute yesterday in
an attempt to seize the nations air.
ports; only one field remained in
German possession. Fourteen Na1
planes were captured intact at one
airport. The German frontal at
tack was reported halted after
surging 13 miles over the border.
Belgium.-Belgian and German
troops are in contact near the Bel
gian-Northern Luxembourg frontier,
where tight" Nad advance units
have been halted at the first line
Of Belgium's defenses.
Strafing Resisted.
The struggle for air supremacy
over Belgium was disclosed in q
terse British communique which re-
ported that allied planes had fiercely
resisted attempts by the German
air force to strafe reinforcements
moving into Belgium.
The disclosure came as oficial
sources announced that Nazi bomb
ing planes had killed or wounded
100 French civilians in q series Of
widespread air raids yesterday ac-
companying the assault on the Low
Countries. Forty-four Of the raid
ers were reported shot down.
Paris experienced its second air
alarm in two days shortly before
dawn this morning and German
airplanes appeared at several other
places over France. Anti-aircraft
batteries blazed into action in East
(See PARIS, Page A-3.)